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Polaris, Mason, Honda, Leading SCORE Mfg Points
SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com October 9, 2023 ‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’ After Round 3 in Ensenada Polaris, Mason, Dougans, Alumi Craft, Honda lead Manufacturer Point Standings in 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing, five prominent companies continue to lead their respective SCORE Manufacturer Point Standings after three Rounds of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship. Leading their respective divisions in the 2023 SCORE Manufacturer point standings are Polaris RZR Off-Road, Mason Motorsports, Dougans Racing Engines, Honda Motorcycles and Alumi Craft Race Cars, names all very prominent in the international world of desert racing. The four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship is being held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive season. The 2023 season opener was the King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250, fueled by Baja Vida, on March 29-April 2 in San Felipe, Baja California, Round 2 was the BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500, on May 31-June 4 in Ensenada, Baja California, and Round 3 in Ensenada, Baja California, was the K&N 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels. HOW THE POINTS ARE DETERMINED SCORE calculates Manufacturer points on a modified version of the formula used for individual racers. For manufacturer points, podium finishers, who have identified their manufacturer on their entry form, receive manufacturer points based on the number of starters within each class in the specific category. POLARIS—SCORE UTV MANUFACTURER POINT LEADER In the eighth year decided by points, Polaris RZR Industries (Off-Road) won the 2022 SCORE UTV Manufacturer points for the eighth consecutive year. This year Polaris has assumed the point leader again with several podium finishers in the SCORE San Felipe 250. Polaris has a SCORE manufacturer high 372 points after three races. Helping Polaris lead the 2023 SCORE UTV Manufacturer point are three individual class point leaders in Brock Heger, El Centro, Calif. (Pro UTV Open), Antonio Mendez, Puebla, Mexico (Pro UTV Stock) and Joe Bolton, Corona, Calif. (Pro UTV NA). Polaris swept the podium in Pro UTV Open in the first three races of the year. In San Felipe, it was Craig Scanlon, Encinitas, Calif. first, with Wayne Matlock, Alpine, Calif. finishing second and Mike Cafro, Temecula, Calif., third. In the SCORE Baja 500, it was Heger first, Branden Sims, Prescott Valley, Ariz., second, and Kristen Matlock, Alpine, Calif., in third. In the SCORE Baja 400, it was Heger first, Sims second, and Justin Lambert, Bakersfield, Calif., in third. Polaris is the official UTV of the SCORE World Desert Championship. MASON—SCORE ORIGINAL TRUCK CHASSIS MANUFACTURER LEADER Mason Motorsports of Lake Elsinore, Calif. continues its rapid ascent onto the scene, building all-wheel drive SCORE Trophy Trucks among many other classes of vehicles to lead the SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer category with 336 total points. Mason has won two second consecutive season point titles. In 2021, it was their first SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer of the Year award after a six-year run by Geiser Brothers since voting started in this category in 2015. Founded in 2004 by brothers Neal and Robert Mason, Mason Motorsports is producing some amazing AWD trucks. Leading the way for Mason in 2023 are SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 400 overall and class winner Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas and in San Felipe Luke McMillin, of San Diego, in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division and Gustavo Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico in the SCORE TT Legend division for SCORE Trophy Truck drivers over 50 years old, who won all of the first three races of the season. Mason Motorsports picked up additional points in San Felipe by sweeping the podium in SCORE Trophy Truck. Placing behind Luke McMillin, were Mexico’s Alan Ampudia, of Ensenada and Las Vegas Bryce Menzies in third place. In the SCORE Baja 500, Mason claimed the top two podium spots in SCORE Trophy Truck with Mike Walser, Comfort, Texas finishing second behind Menzies. In the SCORE Baja 400, it was another podium sweep with Menzies, Luke McMillin and third was Luke’s cousin Andy McMillin, San Diego, finishing third. DOUGANS—SCORE ENGINE BUILDER POINT LEADER Earning their sixth SCORE Engine Builder of the Year point championship in 2022, Dougans Racing Engines also won the points in this award category for the sixth time in the last eight years. Based in Riverside, Calif., Ray Field’s Dougans Racing Engines where Field has been a part of Dougans since 1980. Among the racers using Dougans engines that have helped build the point lead after two races in the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship are Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies in SCORE Trophy Truck and Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Sr in the SCORE TT Legend class. Dougans has 282 points so far in 2023. HONDA—SCORE MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURER LEADER A perennial powerhouse in SCORE Baja motorcycle racing, Honda is the early leader in SCORE Motorcycle Manufacturer points with 312 total podium placement points after three 2023 races. With no fully-supported factory teams part of SCORE Motorcycle racing, Honda has been a desert racing standard for over 40 years in SCORE Baja racing as the winningest motorcycle manufacturer of all time in SCORE history. To start things off in 2023 to help Honda start on the top of the season points, Honda has two undefeated class wins with three race wins each in New Zealand’s Robert Creemers (Pro Moto 50) and Kevin Ward, Longview, Texas (Pro Moto 60). Both class winners and their respective teams rode Honda CRF450X motorcycles to their class victories. In the Pro Moto Limited class, winning one race each on a Honda have been Fernando Beltran, Ensenada, Mexico (SCORE San Felipe 250), and Jeffrey Row, Prescott Valley, Ariz. (SCORE Baja 500). ALUMI CRAFT—SCORE ORIGINAL OPEN-WHEEL CHASSIS MANUFACTURER LEADER Based in Santee, Calif., Alumi Craft won the Open Wheel Chassis Manufacturer point championship for the fourth time in 2022, all in the last seven years. Founded in 2004, more and more Alumi Craft vehicles continue to appear on SCORE race entry lists. In 2022, helping lead Alumi Craft to the front of their division were the top three point finishers in Class 10— Class point champion J. David Ruvalcaba, Ensenada, Mexico, Runner-up Ivan Tagle, Chula Vista, Calif., and third place Justin Buckley, Long Beach, Calif. Overall, Alumi Craft was the Chassis Manufacturer for nine of the top 10 in the final 2022 Class 10 points. In 2023, Alumi Craft has 198 season points in the 2023 season. Helping give Alumi Craft that total have been Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif., with a third-place, a first-place, and a second-place podium finish in the unlimited Class 1, and in Class 10, Francisco Vera, El Rosario, Mexico has two race wins and Justin Buckley, Long Beach, Calif., has the other class win in 2023. SCOREscope 2023 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY FINALE Here are the dates for the remaining race in the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Golden Anniversary season, ‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’, which are being held totally in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive year:
- BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000—
- Dougans Racing Engines 282
- Chevy 189
- Kroyer Racing Engines 156
- Mason Motorsports 336
- TSCO 168
- Herbst/Smith 152
- Alumi Craft 198
- Jimco Racing 47
- Foddrill 41
- Polaris Off-Road 372
- Can-Am 304
- Honda 34
- Honda 312
- KTM 105
- Husqvarna 102