All-time SCORE Baja 1000 Milestones: ‘Granddaddy of all Desert Races’

By Dominic Clark / Photo by GetSomePhoto

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominic@score-international.com   October 25, 2023   Race week Nov. 13-18 All-time SCORE Baja 1000 Milestones: ‘Granddaddy of all Desert Races’   Pre-running continuing on 1310.94-mile course UP Baja California eninsula; for legendary season-finale of four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship;       ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—Known worldwide as the ‘Granddaddy of All Desert Races’, the SCORE Baja 1000 is at the pinnacle of motorsports as the most iconic, oldest, prestigious, toughest and longest continuously held desert race in the world. Online racer entry applications are available through Monday, Oct. 30 for November’s massive BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N, the final round of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.     This year’s epic event will start for the first time in La Paz, Baja California Sur, on El Malecon along the pristine shores of the Sea of Cortez and finish for the 29th time in Ensenada, Baja California, adjacent to the historic fan-friendly Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, with race-week festivities being held Nov. 13-18. It will be a 1310.94-mile race UP Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula. ONLINE RACER ENTRY APPLICATIONS Racer entry applications are available at www.SCORE-International.com under Race Info on the SCORE Baja 1000 page. Questions should be directed to SCORE Registration and Membership Director Shannon Lund at 775. 852.8907 or via email at registration@score-international.com. Online racer entry applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. PT, Monday, Oct. 30. 56th SCORE BAJA 1000 Most of the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s massive BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N. Over 300 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from nearly 40 U.S. States and as many as 20 countries anticipated. Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads will be competing in the Granddaddy of All Desert Races. This year’s SCORE Baja 1000 will be a point-to-point race of an exhilaratingly exhausting 1310.94 miles starting for the first time in La Paz, Baja California Sur and racing UP Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula and finishing for the 29th time in Ensenada, Baja California. La Paz is the Capital of Baja California Sur, located nearly 1000 miles from the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif. Ensenada, “The Off-Road Racing Capital of the World” is a coastal city on the Bahia de Todos Santos area of the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of the U.S. border at San Diego. This race is annually the finale of the SCORE World Desert Championship, which has been held exclusively for the past eight years in Baja California. Long-time SCORE sponsor and race title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has also posted a US$25,000 contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel winner to help commemorate the renewal of this legendary SCORE race.      Here is a quick look at some of the many milestones in the history of the Granddaddy of All Desert Races… 1962 - In March Dave Ekins and Bill Roberston Jr. ride the 1000 Miles of Baja for the first run ever. 1966 - In May Dave & Bud Ekins, with Eddie Mulder and Cliff Coleman Ride Again to finish the 1000 Miles of Baja and complete the First Non-Assisted Ride. 1967 – October 31, Ed Pearlman puts together the First Official Mexican 1000 Race From Tijuana to La Paz -Vic Wilson/Ted Mangels overall winner, driving a Meyers Manx-VW -J.N. Roberts/Malcolm Smith overall motorcycle winner, riding on Husqvarna 1968 – Larry Bergquist/Gary Preston overall motorcycle winner and fastest overall vehicle on Honda 1969 – Rod Hall wins his only overall title in the race (with Larry Minor) -Hall raced in all of the 50 first years and set a race-record 25 class wins -Larry Minor, first person to win overall back-to-back 4-wheel vehicle titles in 1968 and 1969 1973 - Mickey Thompson forms SCORE and signs agreement with Mexico to become the official U.S. promoter in Baja California 1974 - Sal Fish takes control of SCORE and runs it for the next 38 Years -Only year that the SCORE Baja 1000 did not occur due to Fuel Crisis in the U.S. 1975 – Malcolm Smith becomes the first to win both an overall 4-wheel and 2-wheel titles win he wins the 4-Wheel with Dr. Bud Feldkamp in a Funco-VW. They won again in 4-wheel in 1977 1976 – BFGoodrich Tires begins a 40-plus year history racing in the SCCORE Baja 1000 1978 – Larry Roeseler and Jack Johnson are the first to win the SCORE Baja 1000 three times in a row on motorcycles 1978, 1979, 1980. 1979 - PPI begins racing in SCORE with the Toyota Team and Ivan Stewart -Frank De Angelo, with BFGoodrich Tires, starts BFG pit support for racers at SCORE events -Walker Evans wins the overall 4-wheel title earning the first by a truck 1982- Mickey Thompson wins his first and only SCORE Baja 1000 in a Raceco-VW 1990 – Bob Gordon wins the overall 4-wheel with his daughter Robyn and son Robby, marking the first time for both a father/daughter and father/son overall win and Robyn is first female overall winner 1994 – SCORE Trophy Truck Class debuts; created by SCORE’s Sal Fish -Jimmy Smith wins the first SCORE Trophy Truck title at the SCORE Baja 1000 1994-1997 – SCORE Trophy Truck runs as its own series, Jimmy Smith wins this race in 1994, Larry Ragland wins in 1995, 1996 and 1997 1997 – Johnny Campbell wins his first of 11 overall mototcycle titles, all on Honda bikes 1999 – Larry Ragland wins the first SCORE Trophy Truck overall as part of the regular series to give him four wins in five years in the marquee racing division 2000 – Dave Ashley and Dan Smith win the once-in-a-lifetime SCORE Baja 2000 from Ensenada to     Cabo San Lucas, held to commemorate the new millennium -Team of Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab/Craig Smith/Steve Hengeveld win motorcycle overall 2004 – Larry Roeseler becomes only the second person in race history to win the overall on both 2-wheel and 4-wheel, earning the 4-wheel title with Troy Herbst. 2006 – 431 total starters, most in the history of this race from Ensenada to La Paz           -Andy McMillin/Robby Gordon win 4-Wheel overall, Andy is the youngest overall winner at 19 -Steve Hengeveld/Mike Childress/Quinn Cody win 2-wheel overall 2007 - 40th anniversary race from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, race-record 237 finishers Mark Post, Rob MacCachren and Carl Renezeder win 4-wheel overall 2008 – Johnny Campbell, riding with Robby Bell and Kendall Norman wins his record-setting 11th overall motorcycle title - Roger Norman wins the overall 4-wheel with Larry Roeseler. Roeseler has a record 13 overall wins in this race, 10 in 2-wheel and three in 4-wheel. Roeseler is the only racer to win this race overall in a truck, car and a motorcycle 2010 – Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola and his father Gustavo Vildosola Sr. become the first Mexican nationals to win the overall; Roger Norman finishes third overall driving solo down the peninsula 2011 – Andy McMillin and his father Scott Millin son/father duo wins the 4-Wheel Overall 2012 – B.J. Baldwin wins the SCORE Baja 1000 back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 -Roger Norman takes over ownership of SCORE on December 20 2014, 2015, 2016 – In 2014 Rob MacCachren wins the Overall SCORE Baja 1000 with Andy McMillin and Jason Voss. MacCachren wins again in 2015 with Andy McMillin and a third straight in 2016 with Jason Voss 2014 - With riders Ricky Brabec/Robby Bell/Steve Hengeveld/Max Eddy Jr., Kawasaki motorcycle returns to the top of the podium, breaking the record 17 straight 2-wheel wins by Honda 2017 – Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez and his father Juan C. Lopez team to capture the Overall at the 50th Anniversary of the Granddaddy of All Desert Races, the second team of Mexican nationals to win the Overall title in this epic event 2018 –Motorcycle racers Justin Morgan, Mark Samuels, Justin Jones won on a Honda -Cameron Steele and Pat Dean won the Overall and SCORE Trophy Truck 2019 –Following an unprecedented one-day rain-delay, Motorcycle racer Justin Morgan won his 11th straight SCORE overall 2-wheel victory teaming this time with Shane Esposito, Max Eddy Jr and David Kamo -Ensenada brothers Alan and Aaron Ampudia became just the third Mexican national team to win the SCORE Baja 1000 in its 52-year history 2020 –In a remarkable story made only in a SCORE Baja race, youthful Luke McMillin, 27, and ageless warrior Larry Roeseler, 64, split the driving for the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck win, giving Ford its race-record 15th overall victory in this race -Winning their 13th straight SCORE Overall 2-wheel victory was the team of Mark Samuels, Justin Morgan and Justin Jones riding a Honda 2021 –In yet another amazing story that reads like a script from a Hollywood movie, Luke McMillin offered his SCORE Trophy Truck to Off-Road racing’s G.O.A.T Rob MacCachren and the pair split the driving to earn the Overall victory and earn MacCachren the 2021 SCORE season point title. The rest of the season they raced in their own trucks. It gave Chevy it’s 11th overall win and BFGoodrich Tires its race-record 32nd overall 4-wheel win in this race -The team of Mark Samuels and Justin Morgan with additional riding help from Kendall Norman and Brandon Prieto were the overall motorcycle winners 2022 –Luke McMillin teamed again with Rob MacCachren to give ‘The Luke’ his third consecutive overall win and the SCORE Trophy Truck season point championship. It gave Chevy it’s 12th overall win and BFGoodrich Tires its race-record 32nd overall-wheel win in this legendary race. -Winning their 15th straight overall SCORE motorcycle crown was the team of Mark Samuels and Justin Morgan joined again by Kendall Norman, giving Honda its 32nd overall 2-wheel victory in this race