Arredondo draws first M/C start as entries from 24 U. S. States, Seven countries in start draw for 31st SCORE San Felipe 250

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominiccnv@aol.com
 
March 16, 2017
 
Season Opener March 29-April 2
Arredondo draws first M/C start as entries from 24 U. S. States,
Seven countries in start draw for 31st SCORE San Felipe 250
 
Pre-running opens Saturday, qualifying on March 30 for SCORE Trophy Truck, Class 1,
Trophy Truck Spec in Baja California for four race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship
 
ENSENADA, Mexico – While qualifying will be held on race week for three of the top 4-wheel vehicle classes, international rally racer Franciso Arredondo drew the first motorcycle starting position Thursday for this month’s 31st annual SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race in Baja California, Mexico.
     Early entries from 24 U.S. States, host Mexico, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany and Guatemala are preparing for the popular season-opener of the four-race internationally-televised 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship. The event will be held March 29-April 2 in San Felipe, the quaint fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif.
Thursday’s start draw determined the qualifying start order for the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division, unlimited Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec. This will be the first time qualifying has been held for any classes in the long history of this SCORE Baja race.
Guatemala’s Francisco Arredondo is a veteran SCORE racer who will be the rider of record on the No. 45x Chris Haines Racing Honda CRF450X. Arredondo and team owner Chris Haines are finalizing the co-rider list for the team.
While online racer registration continues until March 26, pre-running opens on the magnificent 271.9-mile race course on Saturday. Late, on-site registration will be held March 29, March 30 and March 31.
GOLDEN SCORE 2017
The 2017 season also marks the golden 50th anniversary celebration of the legendary season-ending SCORE Baja 1000, the iconic Granddaddy of all Desert Races to be held in mid-November. The SCORE Baja 1000 is the longest  and oldest continuously held desert race in the world.
30-PLUS YEARS
Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the youngest of the three legendary SCORE Baja races, sometimes referred to as the SCORE ‘baby Baja’, entries continue to be accepted on the SCORE website (www.SCOREInternational.com) for Pro and Sportsman entries for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads.
Pre-race festivities for this popular ‘Spring Break’ race will be held in San Felipe on March 29, March 30 and March 31 with race day on Saturday, April 1 concluding with the post-race awards fiesta at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 2.
     The Monster Energy SCORE Kickoff Welcome Party will be held from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. PDT on Thursday (March 30).
QUALIFYING FIRST
For the first time in the history of this race, SCORE will hold a qualifying session on Thursday, March 30 to determine the starting positions within each class for the SCORE Trophy Truck, Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec classes.
Qualifying first in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division for high-tech, 850-horsepower, unlimited production trucks will be veteran racer/chassis builder Damen Jefferies, Yucca Valley, Calif.
Drawing the first qualifying position in the unlimited Class 1 was veteran SCORE female champion racer Shelby Reid, Apple Valley, Calif., whose son Cody Reid is a champion racer in Class 10.
First to make a qualifying run in Trophy Truck Spec will be Las Vegas’ Bill McBeath, a prominent casino executive and former SCORE Trophy Truck racer.
MORE FIRST STARTS
Among the many classes where starting positions were drawn, starting on the pole in their respective classes will be Miguel Tornel Sr (Class 10) and his son Miguel Tornel Z-A drew first start in the SCORE Lites class.
Also drawing first starts were Roberto Romo (Class 1/2-1600), Marc Burnett (Pro UTV FI), Giovanni Spinali (Pro Moto 50), Dominic Fagundes (Pro Moto Ironman) and Donald Higbee (Pro Quad).
ENTRY LEADERS
In the start drawing, the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division had the most entries in the drawing with 25 followed by Trophy Truck Spec with 17 entries, Class 10 with 15 entries, unlimited Class 1 with 14 entries, Pro UTV FI with 13 and SCORE Lites with 10.
Leading the motorcycle entries in the drawing was Pro Moto Unlimited with seven entries.
REGISTRATION/MANUFACTURER’S MIDWAY
Racer registration will be held at the Hotel El Cortez from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (PDT) on Wednesday (March 29), from Noon to 8 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday (March 30) and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PDT) on Friday (March 31).
Media registration will be held at the Hotel El Cortez from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday (March 30) and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  (PDT) on Friday (March 31).
The pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway, contingency and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday (March 31). Contingency will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) and tech/transponder check from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.
A MASTERFUL COURSE
SCORE President Roger Norman and SCORE Race Director Jose A. Grijalva have worked with the government officials and ejidos of the Mexicali and San Felipe areas to develop a memorable SCORE San Felipe 250 race course of 271.9 miles.
This year’s grueling race course will be another beauty to behold but a tough challenge to race on. It runs in a counter clockwise direction running over high-speed dry lake beds, through low-speed winding, rock-strewn, twisting canyons and trails, along quick-paced dirt roads and through three of Baja’s most infamous washes in Chanate, Huatamote and Amarillo.
There will be two full stop checkpoints in addition to the start/finish line which will be located for the first time in the history of this race on the Malecon in the heart of San Felipe. Checkpoint 1 will be located at El Chinero and the second will be at Morelia Junction.
The course will also pass through La Ventana, Saldana and Borrego as well as the Diablo dry lake bed.
There will be two road crossings, both on Highway 3. The first will be going north at km 192 after checkpoint 1 and the second one coming south near Borrego, crossing at km 179 on the highway.
The start line and celebratory finish area will be on the SCORE ramps in front of the Rockodile night club on the Malecon.
SPRING BREAK HAPPENING
For over three decades, the annual motorsports festival that has brought the largest economic impact of any single event held annually in this lightly-populated portion of the ruggedly rough and bountifully beautiful Baja peninsula has been the SCORE San Felipe 250.
SCOREscope
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship and for the second time all four are being held in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
31st SCORE San Felipe 250, March 29-April 2, San Felipe, Mexico
49th SCORE Baja 500, June 1-4, Ensenada Mexico
Rosarito Beach 21st SCORE Desert Challenge, Sept. 14-17, Rosarito Beach, Mexico
50th SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.14-18, Ensenada, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico
EL REY NETWORK
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience/SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas will all air on El Rey Network in the United States. International distribution is by way of syndication.
El Rey Network is a 24-hour, English-language lifestyle network targeting "Strivers," viewers who hold strong core beliefs about the importance of family, independence, hard work, craftsmanship, and legacy.
Founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network features action-packed programming, relatable heroes and aspirational stories that embrace today's America. El Rey's slate is anchored by signature series including the original drama "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series," the one-on-one interview program "El Rey Network Presents: The Director's Chair," and "Lucha Underground," a lucha libre wrestling series produced by Mark Burnett.
El Rey Network's lineup also showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and television series including genre, action, and sci-fi/ horror. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.
EL REY NETWORK
     El Rey Network is available in 45 million homes across the country through cable and OTT providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 341 and Dish Network Channel 253. For more information on how to watch El Rey visit http://elreynetwork.com.
SCORE SPONSORS…
Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Raceline Wheels-Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, El Rey Network-Official Television Partner, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
SCORE Official Partners: PCI Race Radios, 4 Wheel Parts, Coca Cola, The Satellite Phone Store, Satellite Del Norte, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, CETTO Vineyards.
Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Baja California Sur Secretary of Tourism, Mexicali Ayuntamiento, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.
Rosarito Beach SCORE Desert Challenge Special Partners: Ayuntamiento de Playas de Rosarito, Cotuco de Playas de Rosarito, Comite de Mercadatecnia Playas de Rosarito.
For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship atwww.SCOREInternational.com.
 
31st SCORE San Felipe 250
March 29-April 2, 2017—271.9 miles
San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico
Total Entries: 157 (as of 3/16/17)
(from 24 U.S. States, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico)
(starting order—from start draw, by class)
Pro Cars & Trucks
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (25)
(Qualifying order)
13 Damen Jefferies
19 Tim Herbst
3 Mark Post
21 Gustavo Vildosola
9 Armin Schwarz
84 Nick Vanderwey
4 Justin Matney
97 B.J. Baldwin
83 Luke McMillin
11 Rob MacCachren
85 Mike Lawrence
38 Eric Hustead
2 Jason McNeil
30 Robbie Pierce
50 Zak Langley
15 Billy Wilson
1 Carlos Lopez
5 Clyde Stacy
23 Dan McMillin
40 Chris Miller
24 Cory Keysar
18 Juan C. Lopez
6 Larry Connor
45 Gary Magness
47 Jim Bult
 
CLASS 1 (14)
(Qualifying order)
168 Shelby Reid
111 Mike Malloy
103 Luis Saenz
109 Tony Murray
150 Morgan Langley
104 Rob Archibald
118 Ricardo Malo
153 Brad Wilson
105 Matt Cullen
138 Brian Wilson
116 Chris Paxson
114 Al Torres
121 Pat Bell-2nd RS
106 Derek Fletcher-1st RS
 
TROPHY TRUCK SPEC (17)
(Qualifying order)
297 Bill McBeath
250 John Langley
299 Charles Dorrance
274 Elias Hanna
227 Jonathan Brenthel
255 Lee Banning
200 Chad Broughton
224 Paul Nauleau
215 Chad Bunch
222 Pete Sohren
220 Craig Christy
211 Pat Sims
271 Carey Chrisman
203 Dion Podgumy
229 Brian Goldstein
201 Russell Buehler
232 Steve Knudson (DOR-Chelsea Magness)
 
CLASS 10 (15)
1018 Miguel Tornel Sr
1000 Rafael Navarro IV
1085 Justin Davis
1064 Justin Buckley
1060 Armando Boehme
1002 Clay Lawrence
1081 Todd Winslow
1032 Chip Prescott
1068 Cody Reid
1062 J.J. Schnarr
1004 Steve Grimsley
1048 Kevin Price
1078 Augie Cortez
1042 Lars Ferry
1023 Broc Dickerson
 
CLASS 8 (4)
852 Spencer Morgan
814 Kelly Ross
804 Jayson Walmsley
844 Noah Ostanik
 
CLASS 1/2-1600 (6)
1601 Roberto Romo
1606 Ruben Sanudo
1662 Rick Boyer
1609 J. David Ruvalcaba
1603 Oscar Alvarez
1608 Rob Archibald
 
SCORE LITES (10)
1218 Miguel Tornel Z-A
1237 Jesus De La Torre
1238 Robert Illian
1202 Ricardo Torres
1201 Mario Alcala
1215 Juan Gallo
1299 Vic Bruckmann
1240 Miguel Bonilla
1274 Mike Aguilar
1205 Javier Buelna-RS
 
CLASS 5 (1)
505 Larry Rust
 
HEAVY METAL (1)
8094 Vincent Munoz
 
CLASS 7 (5)
721 Mike Coleman
701 Brandon Walsh
700 Dan Chamlee
719 Mark Johnson-RS
706 Brandon Walsh-RS
 
Pro UTV FI (13)
2905 Marc Burnett
2919 Brandon Schueler
2975 Mike Cafro
2904 Cory Sappington
2901 Daniel Parker
2930 Sean Cook
2910 Scott Trafton
29XX Don Whittington
2989 Wes Miller
2949 Alonso Lopez
2971 Wayne Matlock
2917 Derek Murray
2950 Rodrigo Elorduy
 
Pro UTV (5)
1998 Bill Whittington
19XX JT Holmes
1955 Paul Champion
1901 Greg Row
1954 Kristen Matlock
 
CLASS 5-1600 (2)
555 Tomas Fernandez
5XX Luis Herrera
 
CLASS 3 (3)
304 Chris Raffo-3rd RS
339 Chris Wilson-2nd RS
349 Ken Leavitt-1st RS
 
BAJA CHALLENGE (4)
BC2 George Gilman V
BC3 Tim Spurgeon
BC4 Bud Pecoy
BC1 Marco Gonzales
 
CLASS 11 (2)
1156 Art Penner
1121 Dennis Hollenbeck
 
Pro Motorcycles
PRO MOTO UNLIMITED (7)
45x Francisco Arredondo
13x Derek Ausserbauer
46x Max Eddy
3x Ray Dal Soglio
23x Mark Winkelman
33x Garrett Poucher
1x Mark Samuels
 
PRO MOTO 30 (2)
300x Ryan Liebelt
333x Chad Thornton
 
PRO MOTO 40 (1)
400x Jano Montoya
 
PRO MOTO LIMITED (2)
125x Fernando Beltran
160x Santiago Creel
 
PRO MOTO 50 (3)
510x Giovanni Spinali
503x Brian Carpenter
550x Bill Sekeres
 
PRO MOTO IRONMAN (4)
732x Dominic Fagundes
799x Dave Phillips
721x Jose Carrasco
702x Tony Gera-1st RS
 
PRO MOTO 60 (1)
609x Donald Lewis-1st RS
 
Pro Quads
Pro Quad (3)
2a Donald Higbee
22a Edwin Lopez
13a Said Sanchez-1st RS
 
Sportsman
SPT M/C (5)
209x Hank Salyer
207x Sidney Marchand
212x Mike Mettler
252x Hector Gutierrez
262x Tyler Acosta
 
SPT QUAD (2)
109a Juan Dominguez
129a Israel Jimenez