Racer registration open and official detailed race schedule online for 50th annual BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominiccnv@aol.com

April 20, 2018

Race to air on El Rey Network

Racer registration open and official detailed race schedule

online for 50th annual BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500

 

Golden anniversary to be held May 29-June 3 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico;

spectacular event is Round 2 of four-race 2018 SCORE World Desert Championship

more info available at http://score-international.com/raceinfo/2018-baja-500/

     ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—Entries from all across the United States and around the world are expected as online registration has opened for the upcoming internationally-televised 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500. Round 2 of the four-race 2018 SCORE World Desert Championship will be held May 29-June 3 in Mexico’s Baja California, starting and finishing in Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of San Diego.

     Most the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s celebration of the golden anniversary of one of the top 10 motorsports events in the entire world.

     It is an elapsed-time race with staggered starts as the green flag on Saturday (June 3) will drop first for the motorcycles and quads at 5:30 a.m. (PDT) and approximately 10 a.m. (PDT) for the cars, trucks and UTVs.

     Over 350 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from as many as 30 U.S. States and 20 countries anticipated. Race title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has posted a US$25,000 contingency bonus to help commemorate this year’s race.

ONLINE RACER REGISTRATION

     Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is ongoing through the SCORE website. Information on all SCORE races can be found on the home page under the Race Info tab.

     For more info, visit http://score-international.com/raceinfo/2018-baja-500/.

     Official entries received after the drawing will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes. Online entries will be accepted until 8 p.m. (PDT) on Wednesday, May 23.

GRAN HISTORIA

     Following last year’s epic celebration of the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000, this year’s SCORE World Desert Championship includes the special tribute to the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500 when it is held this year in Ensenada on May 29-June 3.

     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 invited by the 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.

     The first Baja 500 organized and produced by SCORE was held on July 26, 1974 as the first of over 150 SCORE Baja races.

     Ensenada is the heart and soul of the SCORE Baja 500 as the popular summertime race will start for the 45th time there and finish for the 41st time there.

GRANDEST CO-GRAND MARSHALS

     Legendary Hall of Fame former SCORE owner Sal Fish will join Hall of Fame retired racer Ivan Stewart as co-Grand Marshals for the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500.

     Fish, the ‘godfather’ of desert racing who ran SCORE from its Baja start in 1974 for 38 years through the end of the 2012 season joins the iconic ‘Ironman’ Stewart  to share duties for the special golden anniversary race that they both have been such a major part of over the years.

     Fish, who will turn 79 on May 2 and Stewart who will turn 73 on June 4, will both be active parts of the celebration of the popular early summer race.

     Gracious as always, Fish returns to SCORE for another celebration after being Grand Marshal of last November’s epic 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000.

     Fish joined founder Mickey Thompson in 1974 and immediately began to make SCORE and the sport more visible, especially on the international stage.

     Fish broadened the exposure of the legendary SCORE Baja 1000 until it became the premiere desert race in the world, now covered by national and international television as well as journalists from a dozen countries.

    Racing since 1973, Stewart joined the Toyota factory team in 1983 for Cal Wells at Precision Preparation Inc. (PPI). He had a total of 84 career off-road race victories in stadium, short course and desert.

     Stewart won a record 17 races in Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group’s (MTEG) stadium series, a record 17 SCORE Baja 500 class wins (including 10 SCORE Baja 500 overall wins), three SCORE Baja 1000s, and five SCORE season class point titles, including SCORE overall point championships in 1990 and 1993.

START ORDER/DRAW DEADLINE

     The starting order within each class for this race will start with the finishing order from the recent SCORE San Felipe 250, if the individual entry is received by Monday, May 21 and paid in full by May 23. For racers who were DNFs in San Felipe but enter by the deadline, a special drawing will be held for them prior to the other entries that come in for each class.

     The deadline for those that raced in San Felipe to activate their reserved start position is 8 p.m. PDT on Monday, May 21. Deadline for all additional entries to be included in the drawing for starting positions is on 8 p.m. PDT Wednesday, May 23.  The results of the drawing, to determine the remainder of the start order within each class, will be held announced on Friday, May 25.

     No new entries will be accepted after 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23. Late, on-site racer registration will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (May 29-30, June 1).

PRE-RUNNING

     Official practice, or pre-running, on the official race course for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500 will begin on Saturday, May 19.

MAIN COURSE

    The race will feature a course, when finalized over the next couple of weeks by SCORE CEO/President Roger Norman along with Race Director Jose A. Grijalva of approximately 510 miles.

     When completed, the historic race course will be another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the seashore with elevations from sea level to over 4,000 feet. The course will be another jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.

A HAPPENING…

     Colorful race week festivities will be expanded to help celebrate this big anniversary of SCORE’s first Baja race.

     Chassis inspections will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as pre-tech/Stella bracket check and installation on Playa Hermosa south of the city on Highway 1.

     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.

     On Friday evening will be the Monster Energy Papas Y Beer street party on Avenida Ruiz from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight.

     Thursday (May 31) and Friday (June 1) will see the two day-long, pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and contingency festival in the start finish line area in Ensenada. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day contingency row will be held for specific classes. Tech inspection on both of those days will be from9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the end of the manufacturer’s row.

     During the race on Saturday, June 2 until the course closes on Sunday morning, 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. Rat Sult and Donovan White will serve as hosts of the live streaming.

     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 and media registration will both be held in the Red Room on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (May 30-31, June 1).

     Racer registration will be held on Wednesday (May 30) from Noon to 8 p.m. PDT along with 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on both Thursday (May 31) and Friday (June 1). On Friday, no new entries will be accepted after 4 p.m.

     Media registration the Red Room will be held on Wednesday (May 30) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. PDT and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on both Thursday(May 31) and Friday (June 1).

     The SCORE Media Center will be in the Red Room during the race (June 2-3) 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 at 11:30 a.m. PDT as well as the mandatory pre-race racer’s meeting at 7 p.m. PDT on Friday (June 1). The post-race awards celebration will also be in the Cathedral Room at noon PDT on Sunday (June 3).

     The start/finish line for the race will once again be adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Blvd. Costero.

SCOREscope

     Below is the four-race 2018 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule. For the third consecutive year all four races are being held in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the complete 2018 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:

32nd SCORE San Felipe 250, April 4-April 8, San Felipe, Mexico
50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500, May 30-June 3, Ensenada Mexico
Tijuana 22nd SCORE Desert Challenge, Sept. 19-23, Tijuana, Mexico
51st SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.14-18, Ensenada, Mexico

SCORE SPONSORS…

     Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and official race title sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, RACELINE Wheels-Official Wheel, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel, 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 State Secretary of Tourism, 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.SCOREInternational.com.

SCORE Baja 500

Ensenada, Baja California Mexico

All-Time Overall 4wheel & 2wheel champions (1969 through 2017)

Year—DRIVERS/RIDERS, VEHICLE

1969—Bud Ekins/Guy Jones, Baja Boot-Olds

Doug Douglas/Jim McClurg, Ducati

1970—Parnelli Jones, Ford

Bill Silverthorn/Gene Fetty, Husqvarna

1971—Bobby Ferro, Funco-VW

Malcolm Smith/J.N. Roberts, Husqvarna

1972—Bobby Ferro, Sandmaster-VW

Gene Fetty/Bill Silverthorn, Honda

1973—Parnelli Jones, Ford

Howard Utsey/Mickey Quade, Husqvarna

1974—Bobby Ferro, Sandmaster-VW

Mitch Mayes/A.C. Bakken, Husqvarna

1975—Ivan Stewart, Funco-VW

Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie, Harley-Davidson

1976—Bobby Ferro/Ivan Stewart, Funco-VW

Larry Roeseler/A.C. Bakken, Husqvarna

1977—Ivan Stewart, Chenowth-VW

Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson, Husqvarna

1978—Bud Feldkamp/Malcolm Smith, Funco-VW

Brent Wallingsford/Scot Harden, Husqvarna

1979—Malcolm Smith/Bud Feldkamp, Funco-VW

Jack Johnson, Husqvarna

1980—Bob Gordon, Chenowth-Chevy

Bruce Ogilvie/Chuck Miller, Yamaha

1981—Malcolm Smith/Bill Newbury, Chenowth-Chevy

Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie, Yamaha

1982—Larry Ragland, Funco-VW

Larry Roeseler/Chuck Miller, Yamaha

1983—Corky & Scott McMillin, Chenowth-VW

Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna

1984—Larry Ragland, Chaparral-VW

Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna

1985—Ron Gardner/Bud Feldkamp, Funco-VW

Kurt Pfeiffer/Scot Harden, Husqvarna

1986—Corky & Scott McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche

Garth Sweetland/Scot Harden, Husqvarna

1987—Bob Gordon/Tim Crabtree, Chenowth-Porsche

Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr, Kawasaki

1988—Mark McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche

Dan Ashcraft/Kurt Pfeiffer, Yamaha

1989—Robby Gordon, Ford

(no motorcycles)

1990—Robby Gordon, Ford

Larry Roeseler/Danny LaPorte, Kawasaki

1991—Ivan Stewart, Toyota

Garth Sweetland/Paul Krause, Kawasaki

1992—Ivan Stewart, Toyota

Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr/Paul Krause, Kawasaki

1993—Ivan Stewart, Toyota

Danny Hamel/Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr, Kawasaki

1994—Ivan Stewart, Toyota (SCORE Trophy Truck)

Dave Ashley/Dan Smith, Ford

Paul Krause/Ted Hunnicutt Jr, Kawasaki

1995—Curt LeDuc, Jeep (SCORE Trophy Truck)

Mike Julson/Bob Lofton, Jimco-VW

Paul Krause/Craig Smith, Kawasaki

1996—Rob MacCachren, Ford (SCORE Trophy Truck)

Troy Herbst, Smithbuilt, Smithbuilt-Porsche

Paul Krause/Ty Davis, Kawasaki

1997—Ivan Stewart, Toyota (SCORE Trophy Truck)

Mark McMillin, Jimco-Porsche

Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie, Honda

1998—Ivan Stewart, Toyota

Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie, Honda

1999—Ivan Stewart, Toyota

Jonah Street/Torsten Borstrom, Honda

2000—Larry Ragland, Chevy

Jonah Street/Steve Hengeveld, Honda

2001—Mark McMillin, Jimco-Chevy

Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda

2002—Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler, Smithbuilt-Ford

Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda

2003—Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler, Smithbuilt-Ford

Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda

2004—Alan Pflueger, Chevy

Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda

2005—Robby Gordon, Chevy

Mike Childress/Mouse McCoy, Honda

2006—Brian Collins/Larry Ragland, Chevy

Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda

2007—Larry Ragland/Brian Collins, Chevy

Robby Bell/Kendall Norman/Steve Hengeveld, Honda

2008—B.J. Baldwin, Chevy

Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda

2009—Harley Letner/Kory Halopoff, Tatum-Chevy

Bill Boyer/Donnie De Arman/Nicholas Blais/Rudy Iribe, Honda

2010—Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Ford

Kendall Norman/Quinn Cody, Honda

2011—Bryce Menzies, Ford

Kendall Norman/Quinn Cody, Honda

2012—Bryce Menzies, Ford

Robby Bell/David Pearson/Steve Hengeveld, Kawasaki

2013—Robby Gordon, Chevy

Timmy Weigand/Colton Udall/David Kamo, Honda

2014—Bryce Menzies, Ford

Ricky Brabec/David Pearson/Max Eddy Jr, Kawasaki

2015—Carlos Lopez, Chevy

Ricky Brabec/Max Eddy Jr/Justin Morgan/Ian Young, Kawasaki

2016—Gus Vildosola Jr, Ford

Colton Udall/Mark Samuels, Honda

2017—Andy McMillin, Ford

Francisco Arredondo/Shane Esposito/Justin Morgan/Roberto Villalobos, Honda

SCORE Baja 500 Overall Champions

Manufacturers

Overall 4wheel Vehicle Trucks/SUVs*

12

Ford

8

Chevy

7

Toyota

1

Jeep

*Includes 1993-97 (52 Total)

Cars

7

Funco

Chenowth

3

Jimco

Smithbuilt

2

Sandmaster

1

Baja Boot

Chaparral

Tatum

*Includes 1993-97 (52 Total)

Overall Engine Winners

Cars & Trucks

14

Ford

Volkswagen

12

Chevy

7

Toyota

5

Porsche

1

Jeep

Oldsmobile

*Includes 1993-97 (51 total)

Motorcycles

19

Honda

12

Husqvarna

11

Kawasaki

4

Yamaha

1

Beta

Ducati

Harley-Davidson

Tires

4wheel vehicles

(missing 4 years)

31

BFGoodrich Tires

5

Western Auto Tires

3

Toyo Tires

2

Firestone Tires

Goodyear Tires

Yokohama Tires