As entries continue to arrive from all over the world and across the United States for the 45th anniversary of the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, all the elements for the SCOREville exhibit at the upcoming Off-Road Expo at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., are being finalized as well, including the live drawing for starting positions for the granddaddy of all desert races.

The SCOREville exhibit at the Off-Road Expo will salute SCORE Baja Legends and the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame on October 6 & 7.

In addition to static displays of vintage and current desert racing vehicles along with autograph sessions with many of the stars of the sport, both past and present, a live drawing for starting positions for this November’s 45th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be held at the Off-Road Expo on Saturday, October 6.

The Dos Mares 500 is on its way, the ceremonial start, with a fair turnout on spectators at the Malecon in La Paz, Baja California Sur is done for 2011. The "real" start for this Baja Sur off-road desert race occurs as we write here, the bikes and quads already out, the trophy trucks, class 1 and other car classes will follow in app. 45 min. We post this "on the fly" enroute to the racecourse that criss-cross the southern Baja Peninsula from the Sea of Cortez / Gulf of California to the Pacific and back with the finish in La Paz

Baja Racing of Texas announces New Off-Road Racing Series. Exciting news from the Lone Star state as a new off-road race series is announced today. Baja Racing of Texas, LLC (BRT) will be launching a new off road racing series for the upcoming 2011 season. The BRT was formed by Chris Leitner (BRT President) and is the next step in the continuing growth of off-road racing in Texas. The goal of the BRT is to provide safe, fun and challenging racing venues for the entire off-road community. In light of the current issues plaguing the southern borders of the US and the on-going changes plaguing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over land use on the west coast, Texas is primed to be the future of off road racing in the United States. Leitner stated “When you look at the states that have the land to hold these type of events the list is very short and the fact that Texas land is privately owned with no BLM interaction, then Texas really is the next step for the off-road community. We plan to offer the ‘Texas Premiere Off-Road Racing Experience’ to the racers, fans and sponsors attending our events”.

Leitner has assembled a large staff to assist him in this project. This group has an impressive 100 plus years of combined experience in organizing, promoting and participating in off-road racing events.

Since all of the land in Texas is privately owned, successful partnerships with Landowners have been established and additional land owners will be on board for the 2012 season. Leitner stated “We are focused on working with new property owners, Texas based businesses, The Texas Motorized Trails Coalition and other race organizations to establish new locations for future events.” The BRT will be running their 2011 off road racing events at Texana Ranch located in Blackwell, TX starting with the Blackwell 250 April 7-10. This 4,682 acre property has been owned by the Beal family since 1979 and offers a variety of terrains not often seen at west coast off-road racing events. Instead of the vast expanses of sand and cactus, the 40+ mile course at Texana Ranch winds through tree-filled areas, dry creek beds and up and down hills.

BRT will be offering familiar race classes, safety guidelines and has established a relationship with the rock crawling community to incorporate 4-wheel drive (Ultra 4) vehicles into the series as well as an endurance Motorcycle race at the October 27-30 event. Chris Leitner stated “We are looking forward to our relationship with Cameron Chin with Krawltex Motorsports and Jeremy Dickinson who will be spearheading our new 4400 race class. We know these guys will bring some great competition and great viewing for the spectators.”

Credits: News release bajaracingtexas dot com

Stricter rules for keeping crowds away from the racetrack are working to enhance safety following a calamitous wreck last month in San Bernardino County that killed eight spectators. But promoters also were criticized by some race fans expecting to breathe in the dust the off-road racers kicked up and feel the dry blast of wind when a racer sped by.
Bureau of Land Management officials in California and Washington, D.C., have pledged stepped up enforcement of races on federal land. Officials with SCORE, organizers of the Primm 300, made slight safety adjustments to this year's race. The company, one of the pre-eminent desert race organizers, and the BLM limited spectators to only the main pit area and start-finish line. Organizers also added speed restrictions when racers rumbled their way past pit crews and crowds.

The changes, made to prevent a deadly accident like the one at the California 200 last month, underscore what some suggest is a difference between policing of races in Nevada and California.

Hundreds of onlookers lined the Johnson Valley course, many a few feet away from the racing trucks. The spectators killed were watching the race on the downhill slope of an area called the Rock Pile, where many of the trucks leap into the air because of the hilly terrain.

Race organizers and the BLM's California Desert District were criticized after the wreck because they were unable to keep the crowd far enough away from the racetrack. Only one BLM ranger was patrolling the 188,000-acre area where the crash happened.

In Primm, a dusty Nevada casino resort stop on the California border 35 miles from the lights of Las Vegas, BLM officials and race promoters possess and wield much more control over where crowds gather, compared to California races.

Most races in Southern California are at Johnson Valley and surrounding sites, and the BLM has consistently kept the area open because it is specifically for off-road vehicle use. In Nevada, the BLM has required access roads to be shut for racing to go on.

The difference between racing in Nevada and California leads to dissension among race teams who seek out the stricter, crowd-controlled races, desert off-road enthusiasts and some race fans who think safety can be accomplished while still giving spectators a good view of the race.

Many in Primm said they want desert racing to be safe and continue to have access to appropriate federal lands, but some spectators wonder if the sport can attract crowds if it keeps people so far away.

"No one is going to drive up here to see a race through a fence," said Scott "Shorty" Qualls, 23, of Corona.

For race teams, the fans are an important part of the sport, but they can get in the way. Drivers have horror stories of fans on foot or on dirt bikes darting across the course in front of trucks trying to win. But not in Nevada, at least recently.

Ray Croll, owner of the Grove Lumber team based in Corona, said his team doesn't race in California much because Nevada seems to attract more high-caliber competition and better organizers.

"We depend on the organizers to work with the BLM to make it safe," Croll said. "They provide the security and the medical staff and ensure that nobody is where they aren't supposed to be."

SCORE places high fences and patrols all access points along the race route. Safety teams and roving volunteers in trucks are present in all three pit areas for the race, and at roads leading into the desert. Vehicles can't get by without a pass, and those that can proceed are reminded of the rules and given a trash bag to bring out any garbage. Read the complete article here...

Credits: The Press-Enterprise / Dug Begley

Some pics of diablo from the lake bed,yes theres snow. not very many people rerunning this weekend. this course is going to take out alot of vehicles with rock damage,and transmissions.matomi is completely different and huatamote is going to be fuc@#$% - can you say bottle neck.... The jump at zoo road has been graded flat
Credits for this images go 100% to Steve Willenberg, Lakeside and Joe Stokes, San Diego.

This San Felipe 250 prerun images belong to 100% to the person named above. To emphasize this fact we did edit the images and set a watermark with their names. If the individuals feel their rights are violated will we remove this images on credible request by e-mail to us.

For race information on the Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 visit Puro Off-Road's special baja race edition page here...

Desert racers Ron Whitton of Arizona and Southern California’s Robby Bell received the pole positions for four-wheel and two-wheel vehicles in the computerized drawing for starting positions held Saturday for the upcoming 24th Annual MasterCraft SafetyTecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Whitton races in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division while Bell competes in Class 22 for open motorcycles.

Round 2 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be held March 12-14 in Mexico’s picturesque fishing village of San Felipe, located 120 miles south of the U.S. borer on the East side of the Baja California peninsula along the azure waters of the tranquil Sea of Cortez.

With nearly 275 entries expected to compete in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in the 232-mile race, the green flag will drop at 6 a.m. Pacific time on Saturday, March 13, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed three hours later by the car and truck classes at approximately 10 a.m. local time. The start and finish line for the race will once again be the landmark San Felipe Arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, with a 10-hour time limit to become an official finisher.

Following January’s season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series will visit Mexico for the first of three races in 2010.

Drawing the first starting slot for the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars was Germany’s Armin Schwarz and teammate Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. Riding the first ATV off the line will be Class 25 team led by Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif.

With a race-record 32 entries so far in the marquee SCORE racing division for 800 horsepower, unlimited production trucks, Whitton, 66, owner of one of the largest plumbing contractor companies in Arizona, will lead a strong field in SCORE Trophy-Truck that features many of the world’s top desert racers in the No. 39 Whitton Companies Ford F-150. Whitton, Mesa, Ariz., and his co-driver Chas Dana were fifth and 10th respectively in last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

Last year’s overall motorcycle and ATV winners are entered this year. Last year’s overall motorcycle champion was the JCR Honda team of Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif./Tim Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif. on the No. 1x Honda CRF450X and the Overall ATV winners were the team of Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich./Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., on the No. 1a Honda TRX700X. Norman’s team will start seventh in Motorcycles while Matlock’s squad will be the first ATV off the line.

Bell, 24, of Sun City, Calif., who left the factory Honda team at the end of 2008 after winning the two-wheel overall title in San Felipe three straight years (2006, 2007, 2008), returns to San Felipe for the first time since on a Kawasaki, leading a two-motorcycle Bruce Penhall Motorsports charge to Baja on the No. 2x Kawasaki KX450F. His co-rider, also a former Honda champion, is legendary SCORE Baja racer Steve Hengeveld, 34, Oak Hills, Calif., who was the overall San Felipe motorcycle winner for four straight year’s with Honda icon Johnny Campbell (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004).

Kawasaki will have factory-supported entries in San Felipe for this first time since 1996 and will attempt to break the JCR Racing Honda dynasty which has won 12 of the last 13 SCORE San Felipe 250 races.

In the first 23 years of this race, Honda has earned 14 overall motorcycle victories (including the last four years), Kawasaki has six, KTM has two and Husqvarna has one.

In Saturday’s computerized drawing, SCORE Trophy-Truck had the most entries with 32, followed by the unlimited Class 1 with 18 and Class 1-2/1600 with 12. While 192 entries were received in time for the start draw, late registration will be accepted up until race morning and as many as 100 additional entries are expected.

Among the motorcycle classes, the open Class 22 had the most vehicles entered in the drawing with 11.

Besides the K. Norman and Matlock teams, the other defending class winners entered so far this year are: Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif. (Class 1), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10), Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif. (Class 6), Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico (Class 7 but has switched to Class 6), Dave Crinklaw, Reedley, Calif. (Class 8), Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 11), Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (Stock Mini), Mike Johnson, El Paso, Texas (Class 30), Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif. (Class 50), Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif. (Class 24), Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo. (Class 26 but has switched to Class 7-2) and returning with SCORE Trophy-Truck regular Cameron Steele as rider of record is Brian Campbell, Bakersfield, Calif. (Class 40).

Christy, last season’s SCORE Overall and Class 24 ATV season point champion, has also entered a team that he will lead this year in Class 25 as well, seeking a pair of class wins in San Felipe.

Also returning this year to defend his Sportsman class race victory for the third straight year among those entered so far is Sportsman Car winner Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif.

This year’s race will use a similar 232-mile race course as the past two years with a few modifications other than those caused by weather conditions. Running in a counter clockwise direction out of San Felipe up to and then parallel to Highway 3 (southside) and south back down through three of the most picturesque and challenging washes in all of Baja.

After the start at the landmark San Felipe Arches, the race will proceed north towards Zoo Road. The area approaching the Zoo Road crossing has been bladed again, which makes it a safer approach to the popular spectator area. That area will again be fenced, have grandstands and a jump and will be patrolled so that spectators can watch the action but not put themselves in way of the action.

For the first time the course will travel east of instead of on the graded Morelia Road (after the Zoo Road junction) to the entrance to Matomi Wash. This will be one of the few times that SCORE will run through the majestic Matomi Wash in the early part of the race instead of near the end. After Matomi, the challenging course will run through two more of the infamous Baja canyons—Huatomote and Chanate before heading back Northwest for the final sprint to the finish line.

The pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday (March 14), the awards celebration will be held in front of The Beachcomber Night Club on the Malecon.

At the 24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, MasterCraft Racing has entered not only company owner Robbie Pierce’s No. 30 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck, but also the No. 20 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck to be driven by eight-time SCORE season class point champion Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas and the No. 42 Chevy Silverado driven by Will Staats, Valencia, Calif. All three trucks were built by prominent chassis builder Mike Julson’s Jimco Racing Products of Santee, Calif. Julson is listed as a co-driver for both Pierce and MacCachren for this race, if needed.

The MasterCraft racers will not be eligible to win any part of the special $10,000 MasterCraft Safety cash contingency bonus purse MasterCraft Safety has offered for this year’s San Felipe race.

In San Felipe, Pierce will start fourth, MacCachren 21st and Staats 25th in the massive SCORE Trophy-Truck field.

Following his dominating season-opening victory at the 16th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, third-generation desert racer Andy McMillin, who was recently honored as the 2009 Dirt Sports Magazine Driver of the Year, finds himself at the top of a very crowded Overall leaderboard in the 2010 SCORE Desert Series point standings. With 63 points, McMillin, who will split driving the rest of the season with his father Scott McMillin, also leads the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck class for high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks in his No. 31 McMillin Realty Ford F-150.

With just 22 points separating the top 21 in 2010 SCORE Overall points after Laughlin’s season-opener, SCORE racers are now preparing to begin official pre-running which opens on Saturday, Feb. 27. A new attraction this year during the pre-running window will be the San Felipe Tequila Festival March 5-7.

In addition to season class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing for part of the nearly $400,000 in cash purse and contingency postings as well as earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 25th consecutive year, a total of 59 drivers remain eligible after Round 1 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series. Racers are also competing for the annual SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards, including the MasterCraft Safety SCORE Rookie of the Year award.

24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250
Round 2 of five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series
March 12-14, 2010—232.0 miles
San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico
Total Entries: 192 (as of 2/14/10)

Credits: Press release SCORE Intl.

SCORE International Confirms New Three Year Alliance with Sunoco as Official Race Fuel Supplier of the SCORE Desert Series. Always trying to maintain consistency and quality in its friendly family of series sponsors and race partners, SCORE International, producers of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series in the U.S. and Mexico, announced today that it has extended its current agreement with Sunoco to include another three years as the Official Race Fuel Supplier for the five-race SCORE Desert Series.
Following January’s successful season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Southern Nevada, SCORE’s Sal Fish finalized the new agreement, negotiating with Sunoco Sales Manager Mitch Hart to complete the new three-year deal.

"Sunoco has been an integral part of our family of sponsor partners for several years now and it is great for SCORE, our racers and our sport to be able to continue to have them as the SCORE Official Race Fuel Supplier for the next three years,” said Sal Fish, SCORE CEO/President. “When we have great sponsor partners like Sunoco it is in everyone’s best interest to keep them attached to our SCORE Desert Series. Sunoco commands so much respect in the motorsports world and their service is second to none so it is naturally something special for SCORE to continue to be linked with such a superb organization."
SCORE is part of an ever-expanding list of major racing organizations in a sponsor partnership with Sunoco. Sunoco’s impressive resume of racing sanctioning bodies include NASCAR, Lucas Oil Late Model, SuperClean Modified Series, Grand Am, ARCA, AMA Pro Road Racing, SCCA, Lucas Oil Off Road Series, and numerous other domestic and international series.

For decades, Sunoco’s fuels have been associated with racing excellence.Since the mid-60s, when Sunoco and the Roger Penske Racing Team with Mark Donahue forged what would be a long and successful alliance, the company has grown into an industry powerhouse.
Today, Sunoco has expanded the reach of its racing fuels line around the world to include all types of professional motor sports and other activities where premium race fuels make a difference.
"Sunoco is the world’s leading producer of Race Fuels and we’ve built our reputation on quality and consistency,” said Hart, Sunoco’s Western US and International Sales Manager. “Sunoco is proud of our long and successful partnership with SCORE International. We are looking forward to continued support of SCORE, the premier desert racing organization in the world, through our contingency programs, competitive pricing, and outstanding service."
As the largest manufacturer and refiner of racing gasolines in the world, Sunoco has a 40-year track record of winning performances. With an expanded product line, Sunoco offers drivers more choices than ever before.
Sunoco blends every one of its race fuels in-house. Then, it analyzes and tests each batch under strict laboratory conditions. This ensures that racers receive a reliable, high-quality racing gasoline every time.
Credits: SCORE Intl. news release.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock-crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle.

BFGoodrich Tires is preparing for its 23rd victory in 24 attempts at the granddaddy of off-road races, the SCORE Baja 1000. The 42nd running of the most well known of all desert races will begin on Friday, November 20 and end on Saturday, November 21 in Ensenada, Mexico. More than 325 racers will attempt to master the rugged terrain and dethrone last year’s Baja 1000 champions and BFGoodrich Tires’ drivers Roger Norman and Larry Roeseler by taking home the overall title.

Critical Notes: After crossing the creek at Mike's, the course turns south and starts a climb. It is 6 miles of whoops and rocks created by many previous races. Good workout after that freeway you just left going up to Mike's. After that 6 miles, the course turns right (west). If you go left, this road goes to Rancho Concepcion and the paved Observatory road. After the right turn, it is about 10 miles to Rancho El Coyote and downhill. There is a silt section in here that can be real nasty.

Once at El Coyote, the course does a great 9 miles through Baja backcountry, with varying types of terrain. Note the "Racers and Ranchers" sign, asking to close the gate - El Coyote owner Esteban Meling has installed a new cattle guard there and the gate no longer used. Coming out of the loop you will climb 2 rocky miles, then turn left down to Simpson's. If you go straight, you'll be at Mike's Sky Ranch in 3 miles.

4 very rocky and steep miles to the Simpson's creek crossing. It is actually called San Rafael and is the same creek you crossed at Mike's. The crossing is well hidden under trees and constant prerunning by 4 wheel vehicles will create two wheel ruts in the sand. To make it more fun, locals will dam the creek to force a nice deep pond to form. That 4 inches of water you crossed pre-running may be 2-3 feet deep on race day. And it will be at night.

More 2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 news at the new independent 2009 Baja 1000 website http://www.score-baja-1000.com/ You twit?? do either #baja__1000 or @baja__1000 for the info. You can also visit http://twitter.com/baja_mille

The Baja 1000 2009 will be LIVE! Webcast on SCORE Baja 1000 com on November 19-22, From the undisputed LEADER in LIVE! Baja Races and Baja Racing News from Baja California, Mexico