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Wednesday's LIVE start draw for
36th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
To include vehicle, vendor display & real-time internet posting
SCORE's 30th anniversary year concludes with the legendary
granddaddy of all desert races, Nov. 20-23, in Mexico

LOS ANGELES (October 14, 2003) -- With entries continuing to come in from all over the world including many other forms of motorsports, Wednesday's LIVE drawing for starting positions for next month's legendary 36th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race has quickly become a min-festival.

Festivities, including a vehicle display and several vendors, starts at 6 p.m. with a no-host reception at the Radisson Hotel in Fullerton, Calif.

The LIVE drawing, open to the public as well as the racing community, will start at approximately 8 p.m. and will be conducted by Sal Fish, SCORE CEO/President.

In a sport where there is no qualifying, the drawing for starting positions, within each class, has added significance.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year as the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series, the SCORE Desert Series is returning to Mexico for the last of three races in Baja California.

The legendary 36th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the final event of the six-race 2003 SCORE Desert Series, will be held Nov. 20-23, in Ensenada.

The LIVE drawing for starting positions is being held in conjunction with the monthly meeting of the First Association of Independent Racers (F.A.I.R.) pit organization. F.A.I.R., led by President Tom Sobray, is one of the oldest pit support organizations in the sport and attendees are asked to bring a wrapped, children's toy to be donated to the Off-Highway Vehicle Association's annual toy drive for underprivileged children.

Nearly 230 vehicles, competing in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, are expected to take the green flag in Ensenada, located 60 miles south of U.S. border at San Diego.

Over 200 of the official entries are expected to be part of Wednesday's drawing at the Radisson in Fullerton, located at 222 West Houston Avenue, near the junction of the 91 freeway and Harbor Boulevard.

The legends of the sport continue to make the annual trek to the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Additionally, a large number of cross-over racers, from NASCAR, IRL, CART and SCCA racing are expected to once again be part of the final starting grid.

Attempting to cover a race course of approximately 765 miles, motorcycle/ATV classes will be first off the starting line at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, followed two hours later by the car/truck classes. In the elapsed-time race, vehicles will leave the start line adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico convention center in downtown Ensenada, one every 30 seconds. The grueling race will finish on the Northeast outskirts of town at the end of Avenida Ruiz.

Pre-race festivities for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will center around the Riviera del Pacifico convention center in downtown Ensenada on Thursday, Nov. 20. Traditionally drawing upwards of 50,000 spectators, the pre-race Manufacturer's Midway and display of all the race vehicles will be held adjacent to the San Nicolas Hotel, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday of race week.

The post-race awards ceremony will be held at the Riviera del Pacifico on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m.

The official course map, along with detailed course notes and descriptions, will be released by SCORE International on Friday, Oct. 24. Official pre-running, or practice, on the rugged course which will traverse both sides of the northern part of the Baja California peninsula.

Among the vehicles to be on display Wednesday will be the unlimited Class 1 Jimco open-wheel desert race care, powered by a V6 Toyota racing engine, which is driven the Southern California's Dale Ebberts and Ernie Castro Jr. Consistency has been the standard this season for veteran racers Ebberts and Castro Jr., who have moved to the overall point lead while keeping the top spot in the unlimited Class 1 after five of six races in the 2003 SCORE Desert Series. Even more remarkably, Ebberts/Castro are on the verge of stopping the incredible six-year run of Class 1 point titles won by Las Vegas' Troy Herbst.

With Ebberts, Canyon Lake, as driver of record for the Inland Truss Racing Jimco open-wheel desert race car powered by a V6 Toyota engine, the team has finished on the Class 1 podium in all five SCORE races so far this season. With Ebberts driving solo, they won in Laughlin, NV, and with Castro, Newport Beach, splitting the driving time the rest of the season, they won again in San Felipe, Mexico, finished third in Ensenada, Mexico and second in both of the last two races in Henderson, NV, and Primm, NV.

In the process, the Ebberts/Castro tandem, both second-generation SCORE desert racers, have given themselves a 28-point cushion in Class 1 as well as assuming a one-point lead in the overall point championship chase. In the hunt for the overall crown, they lead San Diego County youngsters Eric Allen and Adam Pfankuch, who have a comfortable 49-point lead in Class 1-2/1600 in their Jimco-VW.

SCORE points are determined both on final finishing position and number of vehicles which started the race within the individual class.

Ironically, Ebberts, whose brother Darren, 31, will race with him and Castro, 35, in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, is the last person to win Class 1 since Troy Herbst began his six-year run. In 1996, Ebberts teamed with Brent Grizzle, Holtville, CA, to win the SCORE Class 1 season point championship. Ebberts, who has eight SCORE class race wins in his career, also won the SCORE Class 1-2/1600 point title in 1992.

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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