21 of SCORE’s Toughest Desert Racers still in hunt
For 2004 Toyota True Grit and Milestone Awards
Live Start draw for 37th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Saturday
At Off Road Expo —275 entries expected in Nov. 16-20 race

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 6, 2004) -- Annually, the upcoming Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is the longest and toughest race of the year for SCORE Desert Racing’s best. This year will be no exception as 21 competitors remain eligible for the annual SCORE Toyota True Grit and SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards heading to Baja California Mexico for the legendary granddaddy of all desert races.

The live drawing for starting positions, by class, for the upcoming 37th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday on the Dust To Glory stage at the Off-Road Expo, being held Saturday and Sunday at the Pomona Fairplex near Los Angeles. Festivities will include a vehicle display and a sneak preview of the upcoming documentary feature film ‘Dust to Glory,’ a tribute to the legendary race.

As it has for the last 18 years, Toyota is presenting the prestigious awards to the desert racers who finish every mile of every race in the five-race 2004 SCORE Desert Racing Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.

Among the survivors after four SCORE races in 2004, 14 drivers in the non-factory-backed Classes 1-2/1600, 5, 10 and SCORE Lite remain eligible for the $12,000 SCORE Toyota True Grit Award, divided equally among the class point champion(s) in these four classes who are also SCORE Toyota Milestone Award winners. After four races, 21 racers in 9 classes remain eligible for the Toyota Milestone awards.

“Toyota is proud to honor the world’s best desert racing drivers,” said Les Unger, national motorsports manager at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “For 18 years, we have had the privilege of presenting the SCORE Toyota True Grit and Milestone Awards to the toughest racers on the planet.”

The 37th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 expects nearly 275 vehicles competing in 23 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs in Mexico. The 1,017.31-mile race will run the length of the majestic Baja California peninsula. The popular event will feature the $40,000 Terrible’s Bonus purse, which includes a $20,000 bonus to the first overall 4-wheel vehicle, provided by Herbst Gaming of Las Vegas.

The race will also culminate the chase for both the $10,000 Kartek Off-Road bonus and the $12,000 Toyota True-Grit and Toyota Milestone Awards. The Kartek Off-Road bonus goes to the 2004 SCORE Overall point champion.

Pre-race festivities will be held around the Riviera del Pacifico Convention Center in Ensenada and the San Nicolas Hotel, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 16-17. The race will start on Thursday, Nov. 18, in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Convention Center with motorcycles and ATVs getting the green flag at approximately 6:30 a.m., followed by the car and truck classes at approximately 10:30 a.m. Vehicles will start one every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race. The finish line will be on the outskirts of La Paz adjacent to the tourism office.

The post-race SCORE Survivor Award’s Celebration will be held Saturday afternoon in La Paz and is scheduled to be held at the Crowne Plaza Resort, adjacent to the official finish line of the race.

Pre-race festivities on Wednesday, Nov. 17, for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, including tech and contingency and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. across from the San Nicolas Hotel. The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will be held Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Riviera CC. Racer registration will be held at the Riviera CC from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16 and from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

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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