Polaris, Mason, Dougans, Alumi Craft, Honda win Manufacturer Point Crowns for 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com / Photo by GetSomePhoto

ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing, five prominent companies captured their respective SCORE Manufacturer Point Standings in the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.

     Capturing the titles in 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 was held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive season. The five companies will be among many awards and honors presented at the 2023 SCORE Awards Golden Gala on Saturday, Jan. 20 at San Diego’s historic Air & Space Museum located at the popular Balboa Park. 

     The colorful event will be honoring not only the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship but also the first 50 years of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization.

     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, Round 3 Sept. 16-17 in Ensenada was the K&N 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels, and Round 4 Nov. 16-18 that started in La Paz, Baja California Sur and finished in Ensenada, Baja California was the BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N.

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, received manufacturer points based on the number of starters within each class in the specific category.

POLARIS—SCORE UTV MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

     In the ninth year decided by points, Polaris RZR Industries (Off-Road) won the 2023 SCORE UTV Manufacturer of the Year points crown for the ninth consecutive year.

    This year Polaris assumed the point lead early with several podium finishers in the SCORE San Felipe 250 and finished the year with a season-high 457 points.

    Helping Polaris lead the 2023 SCORE UTV Manufacturer point were two individual class point champions in Brock Heger, El Centro, Calif. (Pro UTV Open), and Joe Bolton, Corona, Calif. (Pro UTV NA).

    Polaris swept the podium in Pro UTV Open in all four races in 2023. 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. And completing the unique trifecta at the SCORE Baja 1000 were Las Vegas’ Cayden MacCachren in first, Lambert in second and Heger in third.

    Polaris is the official UTV of the SCORE World Desert Championship.

MASON—SCORE ORIGINAL TRUCK CHASSIS MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

    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 capture the 2023 SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer of the Year title with 433 total points. Mason has now won three 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 (three wins this year) and Luke McMillin, of San Diego (one win, and two seconds) 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 four races for the second straight 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. And Mason swept the podium to finish the season at the SCORE Baja 1000 with Menzies, L. McMillin, and Walser.

DOUGANS—SCORE ENGINE BUILDER OF THE YEAR

    Earning their seventh SCORE Engine Builder of the Year point championship in 2023, Dougans Racing Engines also won the points in this award category for the seventh time in the last nine 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 secure the point crown in the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship were Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies in SCORE Trophy Truck and Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Sr in the SCORE TT Legend class.

    Dougans finished with 353 points in 2023.

HONDA—SCORE MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

    A perennial powerhouse in SCORE Baja motorcycle racing, Honda won the 2023 SCORE Motorcycle Manufacturer of the Year point title with 320 total podium placement points this season.

    With no fully-supported factory teams currently 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.

    Honda has now won this award an unprecedented 29 times.

    Honda won the Pro Moto 60 championship with Kevin Ward, Longview, Texas going undefeated with four race wins in 2023.

    With three race wins and one second-place to earn the Pro Moto 50 class point title was New Zealand’s Robert Creemers.

    In the Pro Moto Limited class, winning two races and the class crown on a Honda was Fernando Beltran, Ensenada, Mexico.

    With a third-place finish in the Pro Moto Unlimited class, adding to Honda’s winning total was Adrian Ortiz, Dulzura, Calif.

    All of these podium finishers rode Honda CRF450X motorcycles in 2023.

ALUMI CRAFT—SCORE ORIGINAL OPEN-WHEEL CHASSIS MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

    Based in Santee, Calif., Alumi Craft won the Open Wheel Chassis Manufacturer of the Year point championship for the fifth time in 2023, all in the last eight years.

    Founded in 2004, more and more Alumi Craft vehicles continue to appear on SCORE race entry lists. 

    In 2023, Alumi Craft earned 274 season points in the 2023 season. Helping give Alumi Craft that total was Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif., with a third-place, a first-place, a second-place, and a third-place podium finish to win the point title the unlimited Class 1. 

    In Class 10, Alumi Craft vehicles swept the podium with Francisco Vera, El Rosario, Mexico winning the season point title, J. David Ruvalcaba, Ensenada, Mexico finishing second, and Justin Buckley, Long Beach, Calif., ending up third in the 2023 final point standings.

2024 SCORE SCHEDULE

     Here are the dates for the four-race 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship which will be held in Baja California, Mexico for the ninth consecutive year:

• King Shocks 37th SCORE San Felipe 250, presented by Baja Vida—

March 20-24, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

• BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 500—

May 29-June 2, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

• 5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—

September 11-15, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

• BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 1000—

November 12-17, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

SCORE SPONSORS…

     Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and Race Title Sponsor, Ford-Official Truck and SUV, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber and Race Title Sponsor, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel and race presenting sponsor, Baja Vida-Official Snacks and race presenting sponsor, Optima Batteries-Official Batteries, Rugged Radios-Official Radio Communications, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.

     SCORE Official Partners: The Satellite Phone Store, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance.

     Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Baja California Secretary of Tourism, MEXICO Secretary of Tourism, San Felipe Foundational Municipal Council, Ensenada Municipal Government, San Felipe Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Hotel and Motel Association, Proturismo Ensenada, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Baja California Sur State Secretary of Tourism and Economy, Baja California Sur State Tourism Trust (FITUES), Municipal Government of La Paz, Municipal Government of Comondu, Municipal Government of Loreto, and the Municipal Government of Mulege.

     For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.

‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’

2023 SCORE World Desert Championship

Final Manufacturer Point Standings

Engine Builder

1. Dougans Racing Engines          353

2. Chevy                                            284

3. Kroyer Racing Engines              201

Original Truck Chassis

1. Mason Motorsports                      433

2. Herbst/Smith                                202

3. TSCO                                             168

Original Open-Wheel Chassis

1. Alumi Craft                                    274

2. Jimco Racing                               68

3. Foddrill                                          41

UTV Manufacturer

1. Polaris Off-Road                          457

2. Can-Am                                         435

3. Honda                                           54

Motorcycle Manufacturer

1. Honda                                           427

2. KTM                                               178

3. Yamaha                                        121