241 total entries to date
Smith/Ashley, Ragland/Collins leading record 28 SCORE Trophy-Trucks,
14 with 49 T-T wins, into next month’s 37th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
NASCAR’s R. Gordon, Ed and Tim Herbst, Miller/Arciero, Pflueger,
Jason Baldwin among record 28 entries in marquee SCORE racing division

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 18, 2004) -- When it comes to racing SCORE Trophy-Trucks in next month’s 37th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, nobody does it any better than the teams of Dan Smith/David Ashley and Larry Ragland/Brian Collins. When it comes to racing SCORE Trophy-Trucks anywhere, no body does it any better than brothers Ed and Tim Herbst and the Smith/Ashley duo.

Now, SCORE Trophy-Trucks, the high-tech, 750-horsepower unlimited production trucks that are finishing their 11th season as the premier SCORE racing division, will have a record field of nearly 30 of these monsters of the desert attempting to permanently etch their own names in the granite records of the legendary granddaddy of all desert races. This year’s classic will be held Nov. 16-20, running down Mexico’s foreboding Baja California peninsula, starting in Ensenada and finishing 1,016.3 miles later in La Paz.

To date, an impressive total of 241 vehicles have officially entered this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. When registration is complete, nearly 275 vehicles competing in 23 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs are expected to compete in Mexico.

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. While the fastest finishers will complete the rugged route in approximately 16 hours, each vehicle will have a 40-hour time limit to become official finishers in the historic event.

Top challengers to become the new ‘gran ganador de Mexico’ in SCORE Trophy-Truck include the Herbst brothers, NASCAR’s Robby Gordon, last year’s winners Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero, Alan Pflueger, who has won two straight SCORE Trophy-Truck races this season and current class point leader Jason Baldwin.

In all, this year’s SCORE Trophy-Truck division features eight of the 10 SCORE Baja 1000 winners in the class, 18 racers who have combined for 49 class victories in this fabled race,14 drivers who have combined to win 49 of the 66 SCORE Trophy-Truck races ever held, and eight of the 10 All-Time SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champions.

Smith/Ashley, both of Riverside, Calif., have nine career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins, including season championships in 1998 and 2001.

Smith/Ashley have 17 combined class wins in this race, including a string of three straight (2000, 2001, 2002) in the No. 8 Enduro Racing Ford F-150. In 2002, the pair set the average speed record in this race for a four-wheel vehicle, averaging an amazing 62.34 miles per hour on a very similar course to this year. Overall, Ashley has nine class wins in this event, while Smith has eight.

“There is nothing in the entire motorsports world that truly compares to winning the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, especially when it is a peninsula run,” said Smith, who also has one overall motorcycle win in this race in addition to the three he has with Ashley. “Dave and I have a great chemistry, unfortunately we haven’t been in the winner’s circle since we won the last race to La Paz in 2002. No one will know the course better than us.”

Baja legend Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz., has five overall wins, including a class-high four. This year, he will split the driving with Las Vegas’ Brian Collins in the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Chevy Silverado.

Ragland has seven career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins and Collins has one.

Brothers Ed and Tim Herbst splitting the driving time the No. 1 Terrible Herbsts Motorsports Ford F-150--the winningest team in SCORE Trophy-Truck history. The Herbsts have won four SCORE Trophy-Truck season titles (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003) as well as a record 11 career SCORE Trophy-Truck races. Ironically, the only race that has escaped them, so far, is the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Robby Gordon, whose roots are in SCORE desert racing, drew the eighth starting position in SCORE Trophy-Truck in the Team Gordon No. 31 Red Bull Chevy CK1500. Gordon, who has raced in two other SCORE races this year, will pull double-duty, driving the first 700 miles of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 before flying to Homestead, Fla., to race in the NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale.

Gordon has four career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins and won the 1996 SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championship.

Miller, Carefree, Ariz., and Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., won both last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in the No. 81 Miller Racing Chevy Silverado, but lack of proper sponsorship has kept them away from the starting line so far this season. Miller has three career SCORE Trophy-Truck wins and Arciero, a second-generation desert racer, has two.

Pflueger, Honolulu, is in his first full season in SCORE Trophy-Truck, his third in SCORE racing, and has won the last two SCORE Trophy-Truck races this season (Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300) in the No. 28 Pflueger Racing Chevy Silverado.

Baldwin, of Laguna Beach, Calif., currently leads a very tight 2004 SCORE Trophy-Truck point chase in the No. 66 Baldwin Racing Ford F-150. His consistent finishes this year of fourth, second, third and third, have given him a 14-point lead heading into the final race of the year. Baldwin, who already won a Midwestern short-course series championship this summer, has 235 points in SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Tied for second with 221 points each are Pflueger and the team of Gus Vildosola/Rob MacCachren in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150.

Mexico’s Vildsola has one career SCORE Trophy-Truck win while Las Vegas’ MacCachren, the 1994 SCORE Trophy-Truck season champ, has four race wins in the class.

With four career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins, fourth in points is the team of Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., with 217 points, just four behind Pflueger and Vildosola/MacCachren. Post/Whelchel have four career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins, including one this year, in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150.

Ted Hunnicutt, Mission Viejo, Calif., drew the first start for the car and truck classes in the season finale of the five-race 2004 SCORE Desert Series. Hunnicutt, a seven-time class winner in this race including four overalls on a motorcycle (Class 22), is driver of record for the new Synergy Motorsports team, that will debut the team’s No. 45 Toytota Tundra in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division.

A team of proven racers who will each drive a third of the course, Hunnicutt will start, with Jeff Lewis, San Clemente, Calif., driving the middle section and Cory Susag, also from Mission Viejo, handling the final split.

Among the other entries in SCORE Trophy-Truck to date, are: Chad Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz. (80-Chevy Silverado), , Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif./Jesse Jones, Phoenix (7-Ford F-150), , Japan's Ikuo Hanawa (14-Toyota Tundra), Marty Coyne, El Centro, Calif. (5-Ford F-150), Josh Baldwin, Newport Beach, Calif. (86-Ford F-150), Gary Dircks, Anthem, Ariz./Mark Porter, Cave Creek, Ariz. (23-Chevy Silverado), Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (16-Ford F-150), B.J. Baldwin/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas (97-Ford F-150) and Darren Skilton, Long Beach, Calif. (9-Kia Sorento).

The classes with the most entries to date are SCORE Trophy-Truck (28), Class 1 (25), Class 1-2/1600 (20), SCORE Lite (15) and Protruck (14).

First start in the motorcycle and ATV classes will be the legendary American Honda racing team of Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., and Johnny Campbell, San Clemente, Calif. The pair have won nine consecutive SCORE races. Campbell also has seven consecutive overall motorcycle victories in this race, including three with Hengeveld (2000, 2002 and 2003). Sharing seat time on the No. 1x Honda XR650R, Hengeveld also one other motorcycle class win in this race. In 2002, they set an average speed record in this race for a motorcycle, averaging an incredible 62.45mph.

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.

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.

Celebrating its 31st 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 held annually in Baja California.

The race will be televised as a one-hour special in December on the new Jeep World of Adventure Sports show on the NBC Television Network. The show is produced by Aura360. The telecast will air on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

SCORE official sponsors for 2004 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Southern California Ford Dealers-official vehicle and C.L. Bryant-VP Racing Fuels-official fuel supplier. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Herbst Gaming, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bilstein, Signpros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, and Advanced Color Graphics.

Additional sponsors of this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are: Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada and Centrix Financial of Denver.

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

Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
SCORE Trophy-Truck All-Time Winners
1994—Jimmy Smith
1995—Larry Ragland
1996—Larry Ragland
1997—Larry Ragland
1998—Ivan Stewart
1999—Larry Ragland
2000—Dan Smith/David Ashley
2001—David Ashley/Dan Smith
2002—David Ashley/Dan Smith
2003—Mark Miller/Ryan Arciero

2004 SCORE Point Leaders
SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (30 Total Racers, Wins)
1. Jason Baldwin, Laguna Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 235
2. Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 221
2. Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado (2), 221
4. Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Ford F-150 (1), 217
5. Josh Baldwin, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 188
6. Gary Dircks, Anthem, Ariz./Mark Porter, Cave Creek, Ariz., Ford F-150 (1), 182
7. Marty Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 161
8. Dan Smith/David Ashley, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150, 159
9. Larry Ragland, Phoenix/Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 156
10. Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif./Jesse Jones, Phoenix, Ford F-150, 152
11. Michael Jakobson, Somis, Calif., Ford F-150, 147
12. Ed Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 141
13. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 126
14. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz./Rick Geiser, Phoenix, Ford F-150, 115
15. Nick Baldwin, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Ford F-150, 75
ALSO:
22. Robby Gordon, Mooresville, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 26

SCORE Trophy-Truck
(debuted in 1994, for 750 horsepower unlimited production trucks-66 total races)
All-Time SCORE Trophy-Truck Race Winners
(through 2004 SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300)
Wins Driver(s), Years
11 Ed/Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1997, 1998, 1999(3), 2000(2), 2001, 2002, 2003(2)
9 Dan Smith/David Ashley, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150, 1998(2), 2000, 2001(3), 2002(3); Ivan Stewart, Alpine, Calif., Toyota SR5, 1994(3), 1995(2), 1997, 1998(2), 1999
7 Larry Ragland, Phoenix, Chevy, 1995(2), 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 (w/ Mark Miller)
4 Robby Gordon, Orange, Calif., Ford F-150, 1996(4); Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1995, 1997(3); Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1994, 1996(2), 2003 (w/ Gus Vildosola); Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Ford F-150, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004; Paul/Dave Simon, Fallbrook, Calif., Ford F-150, 1994(2), 1995(2)
3 Mark Miller, Carefree, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 2002 (w/ Larry Ragland), 2003(2) (w/ Ryan Arciero)
2 Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2003(2) (w/ Mark Miller); Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado, 2004(2)
1 Brian Coats, Huntington Beach, Calif., Chevy C1500, 1997; Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Chevy C1500, 2001; Gary Dircks, Anthem, Ariz., Ford F-150, 2004; Juan C. Ibarra, Ensenada, Mexico, Chevy C1500, 1998; Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Chevy K1500, 1999; Jim Smith, Orange, Calif., Ford F-150, 1994; Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico, 2003 (w/ Rob MacCachren)

SCORE Trophy-Truck
All-Time Season Champions
1994--Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
1995--Ivan Stewart, Alpine, Calif., Toyota SR5
1996--Robby Gordon, Orange, Calif., Ford F-150
1997--Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Jeep Grand Cherokee
1998--David Ashley/Dan Smith, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150
1999--Ed & Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2000--Ed & Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2001--David Ashley/Dan Smith, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150
2002--Ed & Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2003--Tim & Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150

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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