31 desert racers earn 2017 SCORE Milestone Awards after 2,057.97 miles of 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominiccnv@aol.com
 
December 13, 2017
 
In 16 Classes
31 desert racers earn 2017 SCORE Milestone Awards after
2,057.97 miles of 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship
 
SCORE Awards Night to honor winners on Sat., Jan. 13, 2018 at San Diego Air and Space Museum at Balboa Park
 
ENSENADA, Mexico—After bulldogging their way through 2,057.97 dusty, crusty, challenging, grueling and unforgiving SCORE Baja desert racing miles, 31 of the world’s best desert racers have survived the challenge of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship and emerged to earn coveted 2017 SCORE Milestone Awards. The 31 racers, competing in 16 different classes in the series for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, earned their prestigious honors by finishing every required mile in the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.
The 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship ended in mid-November with the 1,134.40-mile 50th Annual BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 that started in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico and finished in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
SCORE MILESTONE AWARDS
SCORE is presenting these prestigious awards to the world’s toughest desert racers for the 32nd consecutive year. The SCORE Milestone awards are presented to the car, truck, UTV drivers and motorcycle, quad riders who finish every required mile in the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship. The 31 total winners tied the all-time record set in 2016 as the single-season most winners in the 32-year history of the award.
SCORE AWARDS NIGHT
A night of champions will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 at the San Diego Air and Space Museum at Balboa Park.
The evening will salute the champions of the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship as well as honoring the 2017 SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year award winners and recognizing the 31 winners of the 2017 SCORE Milestone awards.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. PT for free museum tours, with a cocktail reception starting at 6 p.m. PT, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. PT and the awards at 7:30 p.m. PT. The awards will be streamed live around the world on the Internet through the SCORE Live platform at www.score-international.com.
TOP CLASSES
Leading the way in the chase for 2017 SCORE Milestone Awards were three superlative stallions in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division, two in the unlimited Class 1, two in Trophy Truck Spec, two in Class 10, three in Pro UTV FI (Forced Injection) and four rugged warriors in Pro Moto 50 (riders over 50 years old).
ROGER’S PRAISE
“SCORE is privileged to honor the world’s best desert racing drivers and riders,” said Roger Norman, SCORE CEO/President. “For over three decades, SCORE has been very humbled to honor racers with the SCORE Milestone Awards. SCORE racers are the toughest, most rugged racers on the planet. This most prestigious award has become iconic in our sport.”
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK/CLASS 1/CLASS 10
The three SCORE Trophy Truck thoroughbreds who galloped through every challenging race mile this season were: Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Tecate, Mexico (No. 1 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck), Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn. (No. 4 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck) and Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (No. 16 Monster Energy Desert Assassins Chevy Silverado). Created by SCORE in 1994, SCORE Trophy Truck is the sport’s marquee racing division for high-tech, 900 horsepower unlimited production trucks.
Racers from Class 1 for unlimited open-wheel desert race cars who won the coveted awards are Brian Wilson, Lakewood, Calif. (No. 138, Jimco-Chevy) and Al Torres, El Centro, Calif. (No. 114, Jimco-Chevy).
The two winning drivers from the super-competitive Class 10 for single or two-seat open wheel desert race cars with limited engines were Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif. (No. 1023 Alumi Craft-Chevy) and Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif. (No. 1068 Jefferies-Chevy).
PRO MOTO 50
Leading the motorcycle classes, Pro Moto 50 (riders over 50 years old) had four racers who won 2017 SCORE Milestone Awards. These durable riders were Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif. (No. 510x, Honda CRF450X), Robert Gates, Victorville, Calif. (No. 549x, Honda CRF450X), Marty Gomez, Randsburg, Calif. (No. 500x, Honda CRF450X) and Bill Sekeres, Santa Clarita, Calif. (No. 550x, Honda CRF450X).
MULTI MILESTONES
Led by Elias Hanna, 15 of this year’s SCORE Milestone Award winners have now earned this award more than once. It was the fourth SCORE Milestone Award for Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico with three years (2010, 2012 and 2013) being in Class 7SX and this year in Trophy Truck Spec.
Capturing their third SCORE Milestone Award in 2017 were Chad Broughton, Scotts Valley, Calif. (Trophy Truck Spec), Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn. (SCORE Trophy Truck), Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif. (Class 10), Brandon Schueler, Phoenix (Pro UTV FI), Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif. (Pro UTV FI) and Colie Potter, Las Vegas (Pro Moto 40).
Earning their second SCORE Milestone Award in 2017 were Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Tecate, Mexico (SCORE Trophy Truck), Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (SCORE Trophy Truck), Brian Wilson, Lakewood, Calif. (Class 1), Cory Sappington, Peoria, Ariz. (Pro UTV FI), Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala (Pro Moto Unlimited), Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla. (Pro Moto 40), Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto 50) and Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico (Pro Quad).
The remaining 16 racers each earned their first SCORE Milestone Award in 2017.
SCORE WDC
The 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship was comprised of the four SCORE Baja races—the 31st SCORE San Felipe 250, the 49th SCORE Baja 500, the Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge and the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000.
EL REY NETWORK
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and the SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas have all been airing on El Rey Network in the United States. International distribution is by way of syndication. The season-ending 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 will have a two-hour show produced while the other race shows were each one-hour telecasts. The Las Vegas event will air at 2 p.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018 and the race show will air at 2 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018.
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.
DUST 2 GLORY
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Dana Brown, ‘Dust 2 Glory,’ premiered successfully on over 550 screens in the United States on Dec. 6.
The Mexico premiere will be held at 27 Cinepolis theaters in Baja California and mainland Mexico.
The documentary chronicled each of the four races in the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship. Brown’s original Dusty to Glory, released in 2005, became an iconic classic showcasing the legendary SCORE Baja 1000. D2G, which began shooting at the 2015 SCORE Baja 1000, continued up close and personal coverage capturing the robust racers in their amazing adventures in Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula through all four spectacular 2016 races. Executive Producer is BCII’s Bud Brutsman.
D2G MEXICO PREMIERE TICKETS
The dates – January 16, 17 and 18 – will vary by theater/city.  Some theaters will show it just once during one of these days, some may show it on two or all three of the days, and some may show it multiple times per day.  The website link below shows available days/times by theater.
Like the U.S. premiere, tickets may be purchased in advance on this website. Space available, tickets may be purchased on-site at the individual theaters on the day/time of show.
The website site to identify cities and locations where the documentary will air in Mexico is http://www.cinepolis.com/contenidos-alternativos/pelicula/dust-2-glory.
The version that will be shown in Mexico will be the same released in the United States last Wednesday and will have Spanish sub-titles on the screen.
SCORE SPONSORS…
Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire & Official Race Title Sponsor, 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.
Tijuana SCORE Desert Challenge Special Partners: XXII Ayuntamiento de Tijuana, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Tijuana Comite de Turismo and Convenciones, Comite de Marcadotecnia Turistica, Asociacion de Hoteles del Noroeste.
For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.
2017 SCORE Milestone Awards
(31 car, truck, UTV, M/C and quad racers who completed all 2,057.97
required miles of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship)
 

SCORE Trophy Truck

Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn.

Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Tecate, Mexico

Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif.

Class 1

Brian Wilson, Lakewood, Calif.

Al Torres, El Centro, Calif.

Trophy Truck Spec

Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico

Chad Broughton, Scotts Valley, Calif.

Class 10

Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif.

Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif.

Class 8

Noah Ostanik, Carlsbad, Calif.

Class 1/2-1600

Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico

Oscar Alvarez, McAllen, Texas

Pro UTV FI

Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif.

Brandon Schueler, Phoenix

Cory Sappington, Peoria, Ariz.

Class 5-1600

Tomas Fernandez, Laredo, Texas

Pro Moto Unlimited

Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala

Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif.

Garrett Poucher, Valencia, Calif.

Pro Moto Limited

Fernando Beltran, Ensenada, Mexico

Santiago Creel, Mexico City

Pro Moto 30

Ryan Liebelt, Reedley, Calif.

Class 40

Jano Montoya, , Winter Garden, Fla.

Colie Potter, Las Vegas

Pro Moto 50

Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif.

Robert Gates, Victorville, Calif.

Marty Gomez, Randsburg, Calif.

Bill Sekeres,  Santa Clarita, Calif.

Pro Moto Ironman

Jose Carrasco, Rosarito Beach, Mexico

Pro Moto  60

Donald Lewis, Manchester, Conn.

Pro Quad