Great Expectations Surpassed During Internationally-Televised Memorable Four-Race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship
Jan. 2, 2018
UTVUG Staff
Great Expectations Surpassed During Internationally-Televised Memorable Four-Race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship ‘Apdaly’ Lopez wins 2017 SCORE Overall points, Overall Truck points, third straight SCORE Trophy Truck title;Francisco Arredondo wins SCORE Overall Motorcycle points, Broc Dickerson wins SCORE Overall Buggy points,Marc Burnett claims SCORE Overall UTV points’ title while driving solo for entire season
2017 SCORE World Desert Championship Awards Night set for Saturday, January 13 At historic San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park, tickets available at 2017 SCORE Awards Night Tickets here
ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—Great expectations are seldom achieved in reality, but overall expectations were significantly surpassed when looking back on the memorable four-race 2017 SCORE World Championship, held entirely in Baja California, Mexico for the second time. SCORE International celebrated its 44th year as the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization in 2017 with even greater expectations anticipated in 2018 for SCORE’s 45th desert racing season that will include the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. HISTORIC YEAR Showcasing the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship, the epic 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 was truly an event for the ages. Starting in Ensenada, Baja California and finishing 1,134.40 dusty, crusty, musty miles later down Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula in La Paz, Baja California Sur, the iconic race had an amazing 404 total starters and 237 heroic finishers. The 404 starters were the third most (second in the 21 times it has finished in La Paz) in the history of the Granddaddy of all Desert Races and the 237 finishers tied for the most-ever in the history of the legendary race (most ever when when it finished in La Paz). In four races on the 2017 schedule, there were a total of 965 starters in cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads for an average of 241.25 starters per race. Competitors came from 45 U.S. States, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories Guam and Puerto Rico along with 32 total countries from Finland and Great Britain to China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and from Canada to Brazil and Argentina. There were also just over 1,100 total news media personnel from 12 countries credentialed for the four events on the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule. Over 10,000 team members were part of the SCORE Baja 1000 and Mexico tourism officials announced estimated attendance for the four SCORE Baja races as over 700,000. IN SUMMARY “People only dream about a spectacular season like SCORE had in 2017 and we were honored and humbled to be a part of it,” commented Roger Norman, SCORE CEO/President since he and his wife Elise Norman, SCORE Vice-President, purchased the company on Dec. 20, 2012. “This year was a tribute to the talent and grit of SCORE desert racers who were provided a remarkable platform to perform by SCORE’s dedicated, creative and hard-working team of staff and volunteers.” “When we remember 2017, we must also salute the remarkable premiere of the inspirational Dust 2 Glory theatrical action sports documentary developed by Dana Brown. Looking back, 2017 will always be viewed as a significant landmark in the legendary history of SCORE International. “ “As superlative as 2017 was, 2018 will be even more spectacular as we plan, organize and produce four memorable SCORE Baja races, spotlighted by the 50th anniversary running of the BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500 when it is held (May 30-June 3).” 2017 SCORE AWARDS NIGHT A night of champions will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 at the San Diego Air and Space Museum in 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 given to racers who completed all 2,057.97 dusty, crusty, challenging, grueling and unforgiving SCORE Baja desert racing miles of the four-race season. 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 on the SCORE website. Tickets are on sale at 2017 SCORE Awards Night Tickets here. BRIEF LOOK BACK Closing the books on 2017 on New Year’s Eve, here’s a brief look back on the four SCORE Baja races that comprised the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship. The season started with the 31st SCORE San Felipe 250 (March 30-April 2) followed by the 49th SCORE Baja 500 (June 1-4), the Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge (Sept. 22-24) and concluded with the legendary 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000. SCORE SAN FELIPE 250 Returning after a one-year absence to a race he relishes so much, Las Vegas’ Hall of Famer Rob MaCachren, 52, masterfully and methodically manipulated and succinctly stormed his way past the competition and through the relentless desert race course to the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck victory at the 31st annual SCORE San Felipe 250. Round 1 of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship was held on a super-challenging, technical 271.9-mile course during a sensationally stunning sunny Saturday in Mexico that started and finished in quaint San Felipe on the northeast portion of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula along the tranquil waters of the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border in Calexico, Calif.The race started and finished on the picturesque malecon in the heart of San Felipe for the first time in the 31-year history of the SCORE San Felipe 250. A total of 204 official starters raced in Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, utvs, motorcycles and quads. Entries came from 25 U.S. States, host Mexico, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany and Guatemala. The race had 143 official finishers and a very high finishing rate of 70.9 percent in the very challenging elapsed time race that had a 13.5-hour time limit. SCORE BAJA 500 Adding to the McMillin family legacy, San Diego’s third-generation desert racer Andy McMillin drove hard enough and consistent enough to earn the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck class victory at the 49th SCORE Baja 500. Round 2 of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship was held in Mexico’s Baja California Norte, starting and finishing in Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of San Diego. Defeating a field of 233 starters including 33 in the marquee racing division for high-tech, 900-horsepower, unlimited production trucks, McMillin, 30, drove to victory over a tremendously tough 513.76-mile race course, finishing in the No. 31 McMillin Ford F-150 in 10 hours, three minutes, four seconds, averaging 51.12 miles per hour. After qualifying fifth two days prior to the race, McMillin quickly drove to the front of the voracious pack of world class drivers, earning a victory margin of three minutes, 32 seconds over Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., who finished second overall in 10:06:36 at 50.83 mph in the No. 4 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck. For McMillin, whose cousins Dan McMillin and Luke McMillin were also racing in their own SCORE Trophy Trucks, it was his third class win and second overall triumph in the SCORE Baja 500 and his ninth career SCORE Trophy Truck race win. Luke finished fourth overall and in class while Dan finished 15th overall and 13th in SCORE Trophy Truck. Storming back from a 19th qualifying run, Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren, who won the season-opening 31st SCORE San Felipe 250 in April, deftly drove himself up to the final spot on the podium with a third-place overall and SCORE Trophy Truck finish in the No. 11 MacCachren Motorsports Ford F-150, just 15 seconds behind Matney in 10:06:45 while averaging 50.81 mph. In addition to 28 U.S. States, racers came from 13 total countries. In addition to the USA, racers from Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands and Spain were part of the field. TIJUANA SCORE DESERT CHALLENGE A pulsating prelude to the spectacular season-ending 50th anniversary of the iconic BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 in November, RPM Racing’s Josh Daniel played it straight and consistent to win the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck title at the internationally-televised Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge. Round 3 of the four-race SCORE World Desert Championship, was a three-day, split-format race. Having held over 150 races in Mexico in the last 444 years, this was the first time that SCORE has held a race that has both started and finished in Tijuana. With entries from 15 U.S. States and 14 countries, the majority of the cars, trucks, UTVs, finished their race on Sunday (Sept. 24) after running the first half on Saturday (Sept. 23). Motorcycles, quads and a few car/truck classes raced on Friday in two sessions to open the event. As a substitute driver for driver of record Justin Matney, co-owner of RPM Racing of Bristol, Tenn., Daniel started fourth in the first half of the elapsed-time race to hold off his teammates to hold the overall lead he earned in Saturday’s first half to earn his first career SCORE Trophy Truck victory. Driving in the No. 4 Geiser Bros-built 4-wheel drive Chevy Rally truck, Daniel, of Vista, Calif., covered the six 23-mile laps (138 miles total in a time of 1 hours, 38 minutes, and 16 seconds to pace the field of 124 starters . Growing into the most powerful racing team in the desert, RPM drivers swept the SCORE Trophy Truck division and a fourth driver won the SCORE TT Legend class. The unique-format race was held at a spectator-friendly start/finish line and ‘hot pit’ area located on the southeast outskirts of Tijuana to the east of the popular Rancho Casian area. SCORE BAJA 1000 As the final checkered flag drew a nostalgic end to a golden historic race on Nov. 18 in La Paz, Mexico’s youthful superstar Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez teamed with his veteran father Juan C. Lopez to etch their name indelibly as the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck winners at the 50th annual BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 on Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula. The season-finale of the four-race 2017 SCORE Desert World Championship saw 404 official starters and 237 official finishers in the history-making race. The world’s most iconic, oldest, prestigious and longest continuously held desert race, this year’s 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 was held over a 1,134.40-mile rugged race course down Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula, starting in Ensenada, Baja California Norte and finishing in La Paz, Baja California Sur. The Lopez tandem became the second Mexican Nationals’ son/father team to win this legendary race overall. They join Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola Jr and his father Gustavo Vildosola who were the first to accomplish this feat when they won the point-to-point Ensenada to La Paz race in 2008. As Baja itself claimed many of the frontrunners, turning great races into survival-mode finishes with several did not finishes, Apdaly, 22 and his father Juan C., 43 of Tecate, blasted through the terrain and the competition to earn a hard-fought struggle to capture the Golden checkered flag. After two years of finishing second in this race behind Rob MacCachren, the third time was the charm as the Lopez team finished the unforgiving 1,134.40-mile race course in 19 hours, 53 minutes, 36 seconds with a very impressive speed average of 57.02 miles per hour in the No. 1 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck. It also marked the 29th overall 4-wheel victory in the last 32 years for long-time SCORE sponsor BFGoodrich Tires who added a special Golden statue to their dynamic resume. BFGoodrich Tires also presented Lopez with a special record-contingency bonus of US$50,000 to honor his golden anniversary race victory driving on BFGoodrich Tires, a desert-racing staple for over 40 years. SCORE Trophy Truck recorded the top five overall placements among 4-wheel vehicle classes, when the dust settled officially finishing second to Lopez was Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., in the No. 16 Desert Assassins Chevy Silverado in a time of 20:52:45 (54.33mph) and completing the podium in third place overall and in SCORE Trophy Truck was Dan McMillin, La Mesa, Calif., with a time of 21:13:10 (53.47mph), in the No. 23 Mark Racing Ford F-150 Fourth finisher overall was Billy Wilson, Corpus Christi, Texas, with a time of 21:22:41 (53.06mph) in the No. 15 Bevly/Wilson Racing Ford Raptor and fifth overall finisher and in SCORE Trophy Truck was Chris Miller, La Jolla, Calif., with a time of 22:20:09 (50.80mph) in the No. 40 Toyota Tundra. 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 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 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, 2017. 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. 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. EL REY NETWORK The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience/SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas are all 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 are 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. 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 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.SCOREInternational.com.2017 SCORE World Desert Championship Class Point Champions (following all 4 races. DOR/ROR must have started or finished minimum of three races; one must have been SCORE Baja 1000) (Class, Driver/Rider of record, Hometown, Vehicle make/model, Points; Class wins in parenthesis)
Pro Cars, Trucks, UTVs SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Chevy Rally Truck (1), 382 SCORE TT LEGEND—Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Jeff Geiser, Phoenix, Rally Diesel-Dodge (1), 239 CLASS 1—Brian Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Kyle Quinn, Irvine, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (1), 337 TROPHY TRUCK SPEC—Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Chevy Silverado (3), 371 CLASS 10—Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif., Alumi Craft-Chevy (3), 375 CLASS 8—Noah Ostanik, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford F-150 (2), 332 CLASS 1/2-1600—Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico/Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., Romo-VW (2), 349 SCORE LITES—Rafael Aguirre, Monterrey, Mexico, Foddrill-VW (1), 287 CLASS 5—Luis Lopez, Mexicali, Mexico/Victor Cesena, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, VW Baja Bug (1), 216 CLASS 7—Dan Chamlee, Santa Barbara, Calif., Ford Ranger, 285 PRO UTV FI—Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif., Can-Am Maverick X3 (1), 348 PRO UTV—Don Whittington, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Bill Whittington, Scottsdale, Ariz., Polaris XP1000, 298 CLASS 5-1600—Tomas Fernandez, Laredo, Texas (Mexico), VW Baja Bug (2), 322 CLASS 3—Ken Leavitt, Jerome, Idaho, Ford Bronco (1), 135 BAJA CHALLENGE—Marco Gonzales, Glendale, Calif./Michael Gonzales, Glendora, Calif., BTC-Subaru (1), 256 CLASS 7SX—Gerardo Novelo O., Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 186 CLASS 11—Dennis Hollenbeck, Ensenada, Mexico, VW Sedan (1), 275 Sportsman SPT BUGGY—Ricardo Rodriguez, Ensenada, Mexico, Custom-VW (3), 295 Pro Motorcycles PRO MOTO UNLIMITED—Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala/Shane Esposito, Temecula, Calif./Roberto Villalobos, Dulzura, Calif./Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif., Honda CRF450X (3), 346 PRO MOTO LIMITED—Santiago Creel, Mexico City, Mexico, KTM 350EXC (2), 318 PRO MOTO 30—Ryan Liebelt, Reedley, Calif./Brandon Wright/Justin Schultz, Lake Forest, Calif., Yamaha WR450 (2), 322 PRO MOTO 40—Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla./Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico/Jeff Kawell, Riverside, Calif., KTM 450XCW (3), 336 PRO MOTO IRONMAN—Jose Carrasco, Rosarito Beach, Mexico, Suzuki RMZ450X (3), 344 PRO MOTO 50—Robert Gates, Victorville/Doug Smith, Upland, Calif./Steve Williams/Lou Franco, Simi Valley, Calif./Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, Calif., Kawsaki KX450(1), 330 PRO MOTO 60—Donald Lewis, Manchester, Conn./Ron Dugan, Upland, Calif./Doug Smith, Upland, Calif./Robert Koch, Leona Valley, Calif., Honda CRF450X (2), 328 Pro Quads PRO QUAD—Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico/Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico/Francisco Vera, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda TRX450R (4), 340 Sportsman SPT MOTO—Miguel Pena, Tijuana Mexico, Chilio Luevatio, Tijuana, Mexico/Jorge Carbajal, Tijuana, Mexico/Jorge Carbajal Jr, Tijuana, Mexico/Alexis Velarde, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda CRF450R (1), 261 SPT QUAD—Juan Dominguez, Yuma, Ariz., Honda TRX450R (2), 287 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship Race-by-Race Class Winners31st SCORE San Felipe 250 San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico April 1-2, 2017 Total Starters: 204 Total Finishers: 143
Pro Cars, Trucks & UTVs SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 SCORE TT LEGEND—Gustavo Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150 CLASS 1—Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy TROPHY TRUCK SPEC—Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Chevy C1500 CLASS 10—Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif., Alumi Craft-Chevy CLASS 8—Noah Ostanik, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford F-150 CLASS 1/2-1600—Jorge Sampietro, Ensenada, Mexico/Misael Arambula, Ensenada, Mexico, Romo-VW SCORE LITES—Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif./Ramon Bio, Spring Valley, Calif., Prill-VW CLASS 5—Luis Lopez, Mexicali, Mexico/Victor Cesena, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, VW Baja Bug HEAVY METAL—Vincent Munoz, Yucaipa, Calif., Ford Ranger CLASS 7—Daniel Reyes, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger PRO UTV FI—Wayne Matlock, Alpine, Calif., Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo PRO UTV—Justin Smith, Phoenix (DOR-Paul Champion, Phoenix), Polaris RZR XP1000 CLASS 5-1600—Jorge Gutierrez, El Cajon, Calif., VW Baja Bug CLASS 3—Ken Leavitt, Jerome, Idaho, Ford Bronco BAJA CHALLENGE—Bud Pecoy, W. Des Moines, Iowa/Rolf Helland, Morris, Ill., BTC-Subaru STOCK FULL—Justin Gueulette, Canada/Gordon Baker, Canada/Kay Awaad, Egypt, Ford F-150 CLASS 11—Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, VW Sedan Pro Motorcycles PRO MOTO UNLIMITED—Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif./Daymon Stokie, Australia/Ryan Penhall, Laguna Niguel, Calif., Honda CRF450X PRO MOTO 30—Chad Thornton, Farmington, N.M., KTM 450XCF PRO MOTO 40—Kevin Johnson, Boulder City, Nev./Ryan Gustine, San Diego, Husqvarna 501 PRO MOTO LIMITED—Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Kevin Murphy, Camarillo, Calif./Morgan Crawford, Fresno, Calif., Husqvarna 350 PRO MOTO 50—Giovanni Spinali, Lake Forest, Calif./Earl Roberts, Mexicali, Mexico/Troy Pearce, Ramona, Calif., Honda CRF450X PRO IRONMAN—Jose Carassco, Rosarito Beach, Mexico, Suzuki RMZ450X Pro Quads PRO QUAD—Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450R SPORTSMAN SPT BUGGY—No finishers SPT UNL TRUCK—No finishers SPT M/C—Sidney Marchand, Beaumont, Texas, KTM 500EXC SPT QUAD—Juan Dominguez, Yuma, Ariz., Honda TRX450R49th SCORE Baja 500 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico June 3-4, 2017 Total Starters: 233 Total Finishers: 148
Pro Cars, Trucks & UTVs SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—Andy McMillin, San Diego, Ford F-150 SCORE TT LEGEND—Larry Roeseler, Martinez, Calif., Chevy Silverado CLASS 1—Brian Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., Jimco-Chevy TROPHY TRUCK SPEC—Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Chevy 1500 HAMMER TRUCK—No finishers CLASS 10—Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif., Alumi Craft-Chevy CLASS 8—Rick Sanchez, San Vicente, Mexico, Ford F-150 CLASS 1/2-1600—Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico/Fernie Padilla, Las Vegas/Ramon Perez, Mexicali, Mexico, Romo-VW SCORE LITES—Matt Ferrato, Simi Valley, Calif./Mike Majesky, Newbury Park, Calif., Custom-VW CLASS 5—No finishers HEAVY METAL—No finishers CLASS 7—Dallas Luttrell, Salt Lake City, Utah/Billy Goerke, Las Vegas, Chevy S-10 PRO UTV FI—Justin Lambert, Polaris RZR XP1000 PRO UTV—J.T. Holmes, Reno, Nev., Polaris RZR XP1000 CLASS 5-1600—Tomas Fernandez, Laredo, Texas, (Mexico), VW Baja Bug BAJA CHALLENGE—Marco Gonzales, Glendora, Calif., BTC-Subaru STOCK FULL—No finishers CLASS 7SX—Alonso Gonzalez, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger CLASS 11—Cisco Bio, Spring Valley, Calif., VW Sedan Pro Motorcycles PRO MOTO UNLIMITED—Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala/Shane Esposito, Temecula, Calif./Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif./Roberto Villalobos, Dulzura, Calif., Honda CRF450X PRO MOTO LIMITED—Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Kevin Murphy, Camarillo, Calif./Morgan Crawford, Fresno, Calif./Justin Morrow, Phelan, Calif., Husqvarna 350 PRO MOTO 30—Tony Wenck, Winterset, Iowa/Ryan Senacal, Valencia, Calif./Jason Thomas, Great Britain/Kenjiro Tsuji, Japan/Jim Holley, Northridge, Calif., Yamaha 450YZFX PRO MOTO 40—Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla./Franciso Septien, Ensenada, Mexico/Alberto Ruiz, Ensenada, Mexico, Mexico/Jeff Kawell, Riverside, Calif./Cesar Lopez, Ensenada, Mexico, KTM 450XCW PRO IRONMAN—Jose Carrasco, Rosarito Beach, Mexico, Suzuki RMZ450X PRO MOTO 50—Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif./Earl Roberts, Mexicali, Mexico/Troy Pearce, Ramona, Calif./John Griffen, Honda CRF450X PRO MOTO 60—Mark Hawley, Anaheim, Calif./Andy Kirker, Lake Forest, Calif./Dennis Greene, Palm Springs, Calif./Dennis McLaughlin, Reno, Nev./Bill Tarling, Vista, Calif., Honda CRF450X Pro Quads PRO QUAD—Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico/Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico/Felipe Velez, San Felipe, Mexico/Francisco Vera, Ensenada, Mexico/Jose Luis Meza, San Felipe, Mexico, Honda TRX450R SPORTSMAN SPT UNL BUGGY—Ricardo Rodriguez, Ensenada, Mexico, Custom-VW SPT M/C—Adan Garcia, Ensenada, Mexico, Yamaha WR450F SPT QUAD—Juan Dominguez, Yuma, Ariz., Honda CRF450XTijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Sept. 22-24, 2017 Total Starters: 124 Total Finishers: 69
Pro Cars, Trucks & UTVs SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—Josh Daniel, Vista, Calif. (DOR-Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn.), Chevy Rally Truck SCORE TT LEGEND—Jeff Geiser, Phoenox (DOR-Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va.), Chevy Rally Truck CLASS 1—Shelby Reid, Apple Valley, Calif./Danny Ebberts, Menifee, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy TROPHY TRUCK SPEC—Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Chevy 1500 HAMMER TRUCK UNLIMITED—No Finishers CLASS 10—Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif., Alumi Craft-Chevy CLASS 8—Noah Ostanik, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford F-150 CLASS 1/2-1600—Cesar Fiscal, Tijuana, Mexico, Romo-VW SCORE LITES—Rafael Aguirre, Monterrey, Mexico, Foddrill-VW CLASS 5—Mark McNeil, Tijuana, Mexico/Perry McNeil, El Cajon, Calif., VW Baja Bug CLASS 7—Mark Johnson, Riverside, Calif., Honda Ridgeline PRO UTV FI—Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif., Can-Am Maverick X3 PRO UTV—Kristen Matlock, Alpine, Calif./Josh Row, Lakeside, Calif., Polaris RZR XP4 1000 BAJA CHALLENGE—No Finishers CLASS 5-1600—Tomas A. Fernandez, Laredo, Texas, VW Baja Bug CLASS 7SX—No Finishers CLASS 11—Armando Salazar, Ensenada, Mexico (DOR-Dennis Hollenbeck, Ensenada, Mexico), VW Sedan Pro Motorcycles PRO MOTO UNLIMITED—Shane Esposito, Temecula, Calif. (ROR-Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala)/Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif., Honda CRF450X PRO MOTO LIMITED—Santiago Creel, Mexico City, Mexico/Larry Serna, San Luis Rio, Mexico/Massimo Mangino, Mexico City, Mexico, KTM 350EXC PRO MOTO 30—Ryan Liebelt, Reedley, Calif./Andrew Puckett/Justin Schultz, Lake Ford, Calif., Yamaha WR450FX PRO MOTO 40—Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico (ROR-Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla.), KTM 450EXC PRO MOTO 50—Marty Gomez, Randsburg, Calif./Tim Gomez, Long Beach, Calif., Honda CRF450X PRO IRONMAN—Jose Armando Carrasco, Rosarito Beach, Mexico, Suzuki RMZ450X PRO MOTO 60—Mark Hawley, Anaheim, Calif./Andy Kirker, Lake Forest, Calif./Bill Tarling, Vista, Calif./Rod Hendrickson, Boise, Idaho, Honda CRF450X Pro Quads PRO QUAD—Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico/Adolfo Arrellano, Tijuana, Mexico/Francisco Vera, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda TRX450R SPORTSMAN SPT TRUCK—No finishers SPT BUGGY—Ricardo Rodriguez, Ensenada, Mexico, Custom-VW SPT M/C—Miguel Pena, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda CRF450R SPT QUAD—Erik Ruiz, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450R50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 Ensenada to La Paz, Mexico November 16-18, 2017 Total Starters: 404 Total Finishers: 237
Pro Cars, Trucks & UTVs SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Tecate, Mexico/Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Chevy Rally Truck SCORE TT LEGEND—Gustavo Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico/Rodrigo Ampudia Sr, Ensenada, Mexico/Mike Coleman/Scott Bailey, Riverside, Calif., Ford Raptor CLASS 1—Jon Walker, Tamuning, Guam/Joe Black, Kreger-Chevy CLASS 10—Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif./Rick St. John, Carlsbad, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas/Brian Bowles, Fullerton, Calif., Alumi Craft-Chevy TROPHY TRUCK SPEC—John Langley, Santa Monica, Calif./Steve Hengeveld, Flagstaff, Ariz./Kash Vessels, Bonsall, Calif., Mason-Chevy HAMMER TRUCK UNLIMITED—Casey Currie, Corona, Calif./Cody Currie, Anaheim, Calif., Jeep Wrangler JK HAMMER TRUCK LIMITED—No Finishers CLASS 1/2-1600—Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico/Cesar Fiscal, Tijuana, Mexico/Francisco Villa Gomez, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico/Luis Martines, Mexicali, Romo-VW CLASS 5—Kevin Carr, San Diego, VW Baja Bug CLASS 8—David Westhem, Tahoe City, Calif./John Swift/Randy Salmont, Chevy 1500 CLASS 7—Al Hogan, Columbus, Mont./Dr. Macrae Glass, Kingman, Ariz./Dave Baesken, Hesperia, Calif./Jim Sizelove, Hesperia, Calif., Ford Ranger SCORE LITES—Freddie Willert, El Cajon, Calif./Tex Mitchell, San Marcos, Calif./Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif./Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif., Jimco-VW HEAVY METAL—John Maine, Covallis, Ore., Jeep CJ CLASS 3000—Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., Chevy Colorado TROPHY LITE—No Finishers PRO UTV FI—Brandon Schueler, Phoenix/Pat Stone, Payson, Ariz./Matt Park, Newport Beach, Calif., Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo PRO UTV—Dan Fresh, Santa Ana, Calif./Mike Kim, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Polaris RZR XP1000 PRO UTV UNLIMITED—Earl Berg, Mexico City (Canada)/Eduardo Tello, Mexico City/Sergio Aroyo, Los Cabos, Mexico, Can-Am Maverick X3 CLASS 5-1600—Gustavo Avina, Ensenada, Mexico/Gabriel Avina, Ensenada, Mexico/Faisal Diaz, Ensenada, VW Baja Bug CLASS 3—Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif./Ken Moss, Bishop, Calif., Ford Bronco BAJA CHALLENGE—Brian Finch, Hermitage, Tenn./Bil Weber, Medford, Ore./Bob Bower, Lake Forest, Calif./Lance Clifford, Hurricane, Utah/Kyle Trucker, Mooresville, N.C./Lawrence McRae, St. George, Utah/Brad Lovell, Colorado Springs, Colo., BTC-Subaru STOCK FULL—Rod Hall, Reno, Nev./Chad Hall, Reno, Nev./Frank DeAngelo, Greenville, S.C., Hummer H1Alpha CLASS 7SX—Rodrigo Martinez, El Centro, Calif.(Mexico)/Rodrigo Martinez Jr, San Ignacio, Mexico/Ronaldo Martinez, San Ignacio, Mexico/Francisco Verdugo, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger CLASS 17—Mark Murrell, Grand Junction, Colo./Jason Hutter/Paul Blangsted/Shelby Bates/Jake Maness/Mark Gasham, Jeep Wrangler CLASS 11—Pancho Bio, Ensenada, Mexico/Cisco Bio, Ensenada /Ramon Bio, Ensenada/Pancho Guerrero, Ensenada, VW Sedan VINTAGE TRAILBLAZER—No Finishers VINTAGE INNOVATER—No Finishers SPT UNLIMITED TRUCK—No Finishers SPT UNLIMITED BUGGY—Ricardo Rodriguez, Ensenada, Mexico/Erick Ocegueda, Madera, Mexico/Luis Magana, Madera/ Gerardo Taluera, Ensenada, Mexico, Dimel-VW SPT UTV—Yuval Sharon, Israel, Yamaha YXZ1000 Pro Motorcycles PRO MOTO UNLIMITED—Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala/Shane Esposito, Temecula, Calif./Max Eddy Jr, Barstow, Calif./Ty Davis, Oak Hills, Calif./Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Honda CRF450X PRO MOTO LIMITED—Santiago Creel, Mexico City/Massimo Mangini, Italy/Larry Serna/Tijuana, Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico/Alberto Heredia, Ensenada, Mexico/Eric Rene Mangana, San Ysidro, Calif., KTM 300EXC PRO MOTO 30—Ryan Liebelt, Reedley, Calif./Justin Schultz, Lake Forest, Calif./Greg Bardonnex, Visalia, Calif./Kris Kilbride, Yamaha WR450 CLASS 40—Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla./Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico/Kirk Russell, Los Barriles, Mexico/Jeff Kawell, Riverside, Calif., KTM 450XCW CLASS 50—Robert Gates, Victorville, Calif./Lou Franco, Simi Valley, Calif./Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, Calif./Mike Johnson/Bob Johnson/David Potts/Chris Gooslby/Steve Williams/Doug Smith, Upland, Calif., Honda CRF450X PRO MOTO IRONMAN—Jeff Benrud, Raeford, N.C., Honda CRF450X CLASS 60—Donald Lewis, Manchester, Conn./Richard Jackson, Acton, Calif./Mike Castro, Apple Valley, Calif./Max Christensen, Sun Valley, Calif./Guy Laycraft, Canada/Larry Engwall, Santana, Calif./Kirk Heintz, Tulare, Calif./Robert Koch, Leona Valley, Calif./George Yates, Irvine, Calif./Jim Meyers, Honda CRF450X Pro Quads PRO QUAD—Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico/Francisco Velez, San Felipe, Mexico/Francisco Vera, San Felipe /Felipe Velez, San Felipe/Luis Velez, San Felipe/Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450R Sportsman SPT M/C—Cody Schaffer, Wheatridge, Colo./Clint Chew, Centennial, Colo./Bing Satre, Stevenson, Wash./Larame Bales, Oklahoma City/Lars Satre/Skyler Dupre, Honda CRF450X SPT QUAD—Oskar Espinoza, Ensenada, Mexico/Hector Orozco, Ensenada/heriberto Marquez, Ensenada/Marox Cousino, Ensenada/Jorge Recio, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda TRX450R