Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart & Lucha Underground star Rey Mysterio Jr Named Grand Marshals for 49th SCORE Baja 500

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominiccnv@aol.com
 
May 22, 2017
 
Race to air on El Rey Network
Grand Marshals for this month’s 49th annual SCORE Baja 500:
Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart & Lucha Underground star Rey Mysterio Jr
 
Racers from 28 U.S. States, 13 countries; technical challenging 515.77-rmile race course;
internationally-televised race May 31-June 4 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico;
 
Qualifying on June 1 for Round 2 of four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship;
racer registration, more info at http://score-international.com/raceinfo/2017-baja-500/
 
ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico— Two legends in their respective sports, SCORE’s Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart and Mexican-American champion Pro Wrestler/Television star Rey Mysterio Jr have agreed to be the Grand Marshals of the upcoming 49th annual SCORE Baja 500 desert race.
     The dynamic duo will preside over the festivities that are part of Round 2 of the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship, to be held May 31-June 4 in Mexico’s Baja California Norte, starting and finishing in Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of San Diego.
As entries from around the globe continue to register in classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, there are 196 official entries currently. As many as 100 late entries are expected to enter the popular race and so far they have come from 28 U.S. States and 13 countries for the internationally-televised SCORE Baja 500.
Most the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s 49th anniversary of the SCORE Baja 500, the original desert race produced by SCORE on July 26, 1974.
IRONMAN
Iconic in the sport of off-road racing, both in SCORE and the old Mickey Thompson Stadium Series, Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart earned his moniker the hard way through over 40 years driving race vehicles, mostly trucks. Stewart earned 10 driver championships and had 84 career victories including an amazing 17 overall wins in the SCORE Baja 500 and three overall victories in the SCORE Baja 1000.
One of the only a very few desert racers to ever have a video game named after him, Stewart continues today as an ambassador for Toyota Racing Development (TRD) for whom he drove nearly 30 years as a factory driver from much of his storied career.
Turning 72 on Sunday, June 4, Stewart drove solo for most of his career to earn his ultimate ‘Ironman’ title as a tribute to his racing prowess. He was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006.
EL REY
     International wrestling superstar Rey Mysterio, Jr. is a 25-year ring veteran and decorated champion in multiple North American wrestling organizations, Mysterio’s lightning-fast offense brought lucha libre to mainstream American audiences for one of the first times ever.
Around the world, fans and luchadors alike consider Mysterio their idol.
Considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, the Mexican-American professional wrestler has joined Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network for this upcoming second season.
A three-time world champion, having held the World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WWE Championship once, Mysterio made his professional debut at the age of 14.
He is also a AAA Hall of Famer and most recently captured the Lucha Libre World Cup in May 2015, leading his trios tag team to victory in a tournament against other three-man tag teams, representing wrestling talent and organizations from around the world.
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 November 14-18. The SCORE Baja 1000 is the oldest, longest and most prestigious continuously held desert race in the world.
ONLINE RACER REGISTRATION
Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is ongoing through the SCORE website for the SCORE Baja 500.  For more info, visit http://score-international.com/raceinfo/2017-baja-500/.
Online entries will be accepted until 10 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, May 25. Late entries after that date and all on-site late entries will be assessed a $100 late fee to enter the race.
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 515.77-mile race course for this year’s SCORE Baja 500 began this past Saturday. Pre-running will start at race-mile 38 outbound only and will end at rm476. The first 38 miles can be practiced on only outbound on Wednesday (May 31), Thursday (June 1) and Friday (June 2) of race week.
ENTRY LEADERS
As racer registration continues, a total of 200 vehicles have officially entered as of this afternoon (May 22) for the 49th SCORE Baja 500, 156 in car/truck/utv classes and 44 in motorcycle/quad classes.
While SCORE Trophy Truck with 35 (including four in the new SCORE TT Legend division for drivers over 50 years old) has the most entries of any class in the race, other car/truck/UTV classes with double figure entries so far are Pro UTV FI with 26, Class 10 with 17, Trophy Truck Spec with 16, Class 1 with 13, Pro UTV with 11 and SCORE Lites with 10 entries.
Leading the Pro motorcycle classes are the Pro Moto Unlimited, Pro Moto 30 and Pro Moto 50 classes with seven entries each to date. Leading the Sportsman classes is SPT M/C with six entries so far.
BAJA FIESTA…
Colorful race week festivities will start Thursday (June 1) with qualifying for SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec. SCORE sponsor partner Monster Energy will present the Monster Energy SCORE Kick-off Party from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the VIP area at the start/finish line in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
Friday, June 2 will see the day-long, pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and contingency festival in the start finish line area in Ensenada.
During the race on Saturday, June 3 the start/finish line compound will include the massive double-sided SCOREvision LED screen broadcasting race festivities and start and finish line interviews.
All of the week’s festivities will be aired both live and same-day including the race, airing via the internet on the SCORE website.
AT THE RIVIERA…
The Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, in the heart of Ensenada, will again be the site of many of the activities surrounding the SCORE Baja 500. Racer registration will be held in the Red Room on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (May 31, June 1-2). Media registration will be also held in the Red Room at the Riviera on Thursday and Friday (June 1-2) and the SCORE Media Center will be in the Red Room during the race (June 3-4) with internet access and live race updates, vehicle tracking displays including unofficial elapsed times.
In the Cathedral Room at the Riviera will be pre-race media conference as well as the mandatory pre-race racer’s meeting on Friday (June 2). The post-race awards celebration will also be in the Cathedral Room at noon on Sunday (June 4).
The start/finish line for the race will once again be adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Blvd. Costero.
GRAN HISTORIA
The SCORE Baja 500 is one of the top motorsports events in the world. It was started originally in 1969 by the NORRA organization. Mickey Thompson and his SCORE International organization were asked by Mexican government to take over the event in 1974. Sal Fish ran and later owned and produced the SCORE Baja 500 for 39 years until he sold SCORE to Roger and Elise Norman in December of 2012.
Ensenada is the heart and soul of the SCORE Baja 500 as the popular summertime race will start for the 44th time and finish for the 40th time in Ensenada.
In addition to starting 43 times in Ensenada, this popular early summer race has also started three times in Ojos Negros (1991, 1992, 1993), once in San Felipe (1989) and in 1984 it was moved for one year to Barstow, Calif. in the United States.
In addition to finishing 39 times previously in Ensenada, the SCORE Baja 500 has also finished five times in Santo Tomas, twice in Ojos Negros (1991, 1992), once in Barstow, Calif. and once in San Felipe.
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. The season-ending 50th SCORE Baja 1000 will have a two-hour show produced while the other race shows will each be one-hour telecasts.
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 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.
EL REY AIR DATES
The El Rey Network has announced two one-hour specials to launch its coverage of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship. The first show, to air on May 31, will introduce audiences to the sizzling speeds and daring drama that bond the multi-generational families who race in the world’s foremost desert racing organization and the second show on June 18 will spotlight race coverage of the season-opening 31st SCORE San Felipe 250.
The Wednesday, May 31st show will air at 9 p.m. (ET) while the Sunday, June 18th show will be broadcast at 5:30 p.m. (ET).
Hosts of the ERN shows from the SCORE World Desert Championship are SCORE champion racer Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola Jr, professional BMX rider Mike Escamilla and car artist Cherry Martini.
Working with ERN to produce these shows for SCORE is award-winning BCII TV of Los Angeles.
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, 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.
49th Annual SCORE Baja 500
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Schedule of Events•
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
9am-6pm                   Chassis Inspections                        Playa Hermosa Beach
Noon-6pm                 Pre-Tech/Transponder checks/Bracket Check-Playa Hermosa Beach
5pm-9pm                   Racer Registration               Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
Thursday, June 1, 2017
9am-1pm                   Qualifying-SCORE TT, Legend, TT Spec, Class 1--
9am-6pm                   Chassis Inspections, Pre-Tech/Bracket Check—Playa Hermosa Beach
Noon-8pm                 Racer Registration               Red Room, Riviera CC
1pm-6pm                   Media Registration              Red Room, Riviera CC
7pm-11pm                 Monster Energy SCORE Kickoff Party--Monster Energy VIP area-S/F Line
Friday, June 2, 2017
9am-4pm                   Racer Registration               Red Room, Riviera CC
9am-5pm                   Media Registration              Red Room, Riviera CC
9am-5pm                   Contingency Row                Blvd. Costero, next to Riviera CC
9am-6pm                   Tech Inspection                   Blvd. Las Dunas, next to Riviera CC
11:30am                     SCORE Media Conf.           Cathedral Room, RivieraCC Center
6pm                            Mandatory Aircraft Pilot Meeting—Cathedral Room, Riviera CC
7pm                            Mandatory Racer Meeting  Cathedral Room, Riviera CC
6pm-Midnight           Monster Energy Papas Y Beer SCORE Street Party-Avenida Ruiz
Saturday, June 3, 2017
5am-Midnight           SCORE Media Center        Red Room, Riviera CC
START/FINISH: 515.77-mile course (Class starting order subject to change)
5:30am          RACE START: MOTORCYCLES/QUADS (subject to change)—
Pro Moto Unltd, Pro Moto Ltd, Pro Moto 30, Pro Moto 40, Pro Moto 50, Pro Moto Ironman, Pro Moto 60, Pro Quad, SPT Moto, SPT Quad
(Start Intervals: Pro Moto Unlimited start one every 60 seconds. All other Pro M/C, Pro Quad, SPT M/C, SPT Quad classes start one every 30 seconds)
GAP –a minimum of three hour gap between M/C, Quad start and car/truck start
9:15am          Honor Guard and Salute to Flag Ceremony (start/finish line area)
10am approx           RACE STARTCARS/TRUCKS/UTVS (subject to change)—
TT, 1, TTSpec, 2, Hammer Ltd, Hammer Unltd, 10, 8, 1/2-1600, SL, 5, HM, 3000, TL, 7, Pro UTV FI, Pro UTV, Pro UTV Unltd, PT, 5-1600, 3, BC, SF, 7SX, 3700, 1700, SM, 9, 11, PT, SPT Unltd Truck, SPT Buggy, SPT Ltd Truck, SPT UTV
(TT, Class 1 and TT Spec one every 60 sec. All other car/truck classes start one every 30 sec.)
TIME LIMIT: All vehicles will have a 20-hour time limit from time each vehicle starts
Sunday, June 4, 2017
11am              Posting of unofficial results                       Red Room, Riviera CC
11am-Noon   SCORE Media Center Open                    Red Room, Riviera CC
Noon              Awards Celebration                                   Cathedral Room Riviera CC