Saturday, Dec. 13 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas' Gold Coast Hotel to host 2003 SCORE Awards--
Tribute to 30 years of SCORE International desert racing
SCORE's 30th year culminates with SCORE lifetime achievement awards,
presentation of 2003 SCORE Desert Series champions

LOS ANGELES (August 27, 2003)-- Amid the backdrop of the famed Las Vegas Strip and in the glow of the neon fantasyland, Michael Gaughan's Gold Coast Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas will be the site of this year's annual SCORE Awards Night, a tribute to 30 championship seasons of SCORE International desert racing, it was announced today. The legacy of the world's foremost desert racing organization will be honored as SCORE recognizes the past with SCORE lifetime achievement awards and the present with championship recognition for the 2003 SCORE Desert Series.

Returning to the Gold Coast for the first time since 1993, the SCORE 30 Years of Excellence Tribute will celebrate the history and fame of the name which is the standard for desert racing around the world.

Started in 1973 with a short-course race in Riverside, CA, the SCORE desert legacy officially began in July of 1974 in Ensenada, Mexico. Founded by the late Mickey Thompson, himself a motorsport legend, SCORE International continues to this day under the gifted guidance and dedicated leadership of Sal Fish, who was has been with SCORE since shortly after Thompson started it.

"I quickly embraced the vision and the passion Mickey Thompson had when he started SCORE International, but it has amazed me over these memorable three decades to see the indelible mark SCORE has left on people throughout the world," said Fish, the SCORE CEO/President. "I have been both humbled and awed to work with so many absolutely incredible people from virtually all walks of life and from all over the world. I look forward to toasting the memory and legacy of SCORE International in Las Vegas and to again have Michael Gaughan as our host. Michael, who was a desert racer himself long before he was a casino owner, has been a committed supporter of desert racing for nearly as long as SCORE has been around."

In addition to the special SCORE Lifetime Achievement Awards and the 23 class champions and three overall point champions who will be honored in Las Vegas, another highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the annual SCORE Off-Roadsman Awards.

Individuals as well as manufacturers and organizations are honored through 11 distinct awards, whose winners are decided by vote of the entire SCORE membership of more than 2,000. Among the awards to be presented are Contingency Company of the year, Pit Support Team of the year, Sponsor of the year, Rookie of the year, Mechanic of the year and Person of the year.

Another aspect of the festivities will be the presentation of the $12,000 Toyota True Grit Awards along with the Toyota Milestone Awards.

As it has for 17 years, the Toyota Milestone Awards are presented to those drivers in four-wheel vehicle classes who finish every required mile of the 2003 SCORE Desert Series. The $12,000 Toyota True Grit purse is split between the Toyota Milestone winners who win the season point titles in the four non-factory-backed classes of Class 1-2/1600, Class 5, CLASS 10 and SCORE Lite. The evening will include the debut of a special 'SCORE-30 Years of Excellence' tribute video, being produced especially for the evening.

A pre-awards reception, hosted by Michael Gaughan and the Gold Coast, will start the festivities at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and presentations at 7:30 p.m.

Individual ticket reservations as well as reservations for tables of 10 are being accepted through the SCORE offices at 818.225.8402. For Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13, a special SCORE room rate is available at Terrible's Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas, for $29 per night.

These rooms may be reserved under the SCORE name
by calling 800.640.9777

SCORE International, based in Los Angeles, continues today producing it's six-race SCORE Desert Series which is anchored by the legendary granddaddy of all desert races-the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. SCORE presents three races in Southern Nevada-the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 and the SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300. In Mexico, SCORE also annually produces the SCORE San Felipe 250 and the SCORE Baja 500.

SCORE official sponsors for 2003 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Southern California Ford Dealers-official vehicle, 76 Racing Fuel-official fuel and Rental Service Corporation-official equipment supplier. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Bilstein, Signpros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's, Off Road Innovations and Advanced Color Graphics.

For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official Optima SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com

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