January 26, 2012

Lopez leads SCORE Trophy Truck

C. Parkhouse leading SCORE Overall & Class 1 points, Lopez tops

SCORE Trophy Truck after 2 rounds of 2012 SCORE Desert Series

Tennessee’s RPM Off-Road leading seven classes, other leaders include Robinson, O. Huerta, Cullen, Chamlee;

Start draw Feb. 11 for 26th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 to be held in Baja, Mexico March 9-11

    LOS ANGELES—Moving out from the shadow of his father and his uncle’s experienced tracks, Southern California desert racer Cody Parkhouse has assumed the SCORE overall and unlimited Class 1 point lead after the first two rounds of the five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series.  With the season’s last three races all to be run in Baja, Mexico, Cody Parkhouse, 24 of Long Beach, Calif., opened the season at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in mid-January by finishing second in the first round and winning the second in a Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheeled desert race car the following day.

A second-generation desert racer and the youngest of the three Parkhouse racers, Cody Parkhouse has 103 season points to help launch the 39th season of Sal Fish’s SCORE Desert Series, the world’s foremost desert racing series.

With Mexico’s Juan C. Lopez finishing second in both Laughlin races in the No. 18 RPM Off-Road Chevy Silverado to lead the featuring SCORE Trophy Truck division points, RPM leads the point standings in seven classes after the first two races of the five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series. Lopez, of Tecate, Mexico, is also second overall in points with 101 heading into the upcoming 26th Annual MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, to be held in San Felipe, Mexico, March 9-11.

The draw of starting positions, by class, will be held Saturday, Feb. 11 at the SCORE headquarters in Los Angeles.

SCORE points are based on starting, finishing, placement and number of official starters within each class.

With 11 racers winning their respective classes both days in Laughlin, third in overall points and second in SCORE Trophy Truck after ninth and first place finishes to open the season is Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren, who has 94 points after two races in the No. 20 MasterCraft Racing Ford F-150. An eight-time SCORE season class point champion, MacCachren’s win in Round 2 in Laughlin was his 10th career race win in SCORE Trophy Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

With consistent Laughlin finishes of fourth and third, Steve Strobel, Clarks, Neb., is fourth in SCORE Overall points and third in SCORE Trophy Truck with 90 points in the No. 94 Strobel Motorsports Ford F-150 while rounding out the top five overall and second in Class 1 is Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., who has 90 points after his fourth and second-place finishes in Laughlin.

Cody Parkhouse’s father, Brian Parkhouse is third in Class 1 points while his uncle Brent Parkhouse is third in SCORE Lites points after the first two SCORE races of 2012.

The most extensive impressive team performance in Laughlin was recorded by RPM Off-Road of Bristol, Tenn.  While Justin Matney, one of the team’s primary drivers rehabs a bad back, team regular driver Clyde Stacy along with several other drivers, recorded 11 class wins among the nine vehicles RPM had entered in two Laughlin races.

RPM Off-Road earned 11 total class wins among their nine entries in each of the season-opening Laughlin races on the way to leading the points in an unprecedented seven SCORE classes. Besides Lopez in SCORE Trophy Truck, Stacy, Bristol, Va. leads both Class 5-1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bug) and Class 2 (PSD-Chevy), the other RPM class point leaders are Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico (Class 6, Chevy Colorado), Rodolfo Iribe, San Ysidro, Calif. (Class 8, Chevy Silverado), Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va. (Class 4, PSD-Chevy) and Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va. (Sportsman Buggy, RGBuggy-Chevy). Stacy, Laguna, Iribe, Fletcher and Bunn each won their respective classes in both of the Laughlin races.

Besides RPM’s Stacy, Laguna, Iribe, Fletcher, Bunn, the other racers who won both races in Laughlin to open the season as point leaders in their respective class point standings are Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Donald Moss, Sacramento Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug), Andy Bell, Long Beach California (Stock Mini, Toyota Tacoma) and Billy Wilson, Corpus Christi, Texas (Class 7-2, BajaLite-Chevy).

Besides Cody Parkhouse (Class 1) and Stacy (Class 5-1600), the other racers who lead the points in their respective class after winning one of the first two races are Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif. (Class 1/2-1600, Romo-VW), Matt Cullen, Long Beach, Calif. (Class 10, AlumiCraft-Honda) and Otoneil Huerta, San Luis, Ariz. (SCORE Lites, Curry-VW). Tied for the point lead in Stock Full with one race win each are Wes Bevly III, Corpus Christi, Texas (Ford F-150) and Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., (Lexus LX570).

Besides Bunn, the other Sportsman class point leader, who also won both Laughlin races, is Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif. (SPT Truck, Ford Ranger).

In addition to season class point championships, the racers are also competing for part of the nearly $400,000 in cash purse and contingency postings each race. Drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also attempting to 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 27th consecutive year, a total of 61 drivers are still in the hunt for the awards for the 2012 SCORE Desert Series after the first two rounds in the five-race 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. All categories, except Engine Builder and Original Buggy Chassis Manufacturer, will be determined by public on-line voting while Engine and Buggy awards are determined by season points.

Tecate Beer is the title sponsor of the three SCORE Baja races.

MasterCraft Safety is co-title sponsor of the 26th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.

Official Sponsors of the SCORE Desert Series are:

-BFGoodrich Tires, Official Tire

-Volkswagen of America, Official Vehicle

-Sunoco Race Fuels, Official Race Fuel

-Slime, Official Tire Sealant

-Symons Ambulance Company, Official Ambulance

-Bilstein, Official Shock Absorber

-Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Official Mexican Auto Insurance

Official Sponsors of the SCORE Baja 1000 are:

-Coca-Cola, Official Soft Drink

-Volaris Airlines, Official Airline

-Lightforce Performance Lighting, Official Driving Light

Additional SCORE Sponsors are – Proturismo Ensenada, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Las Vegas Events, Blue C Advertising, SignPros, PCI Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2012 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

2012 SCORE Desert Series Point Leaders

(After SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Rounds 1 and 2, Jan. 14-15; Remaining races: 26th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250-March 9-11—San Felipe, Mexico; 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 500-June 1-3, Ensenada, Mexico; 45th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000-Nov. 17-20, Ensenada to La Paz, Mexico)

Top 20 Overall Cars and Trucks

(Position, Drivers, Vehicle-Engine, Class, Points)

1. Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 103

2. Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy Truck), 101

3. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck), 94

4. Steve Strobel, Clarks, Neb, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck), 90

5. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy (Class 1), 88

6. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck), 87

7. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 86

8. Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500 (SCORE Trophy Truck), 84

8. Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico, Chevy Colorado (Class 6), 84

10. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., Romo-VW (Class 1/2-1600), 82

10. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy (Class 1), 82

12. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck), 80

12. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., PSD-Chevy (Class 2), 80

12. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco (Class 3), 80

12. Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va., PSD-Chevy (Class 4), 80

12. Kevin Carr, San Diego, VW Baja Bug (Class 5), 80

12. Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger (Class 7), 80

12. Billy Wilson, Corpus Christi, Texas, BajaLite-Chevy (Class 7-2), 80

12. Rodolfo Iribe, San Ysidro, Calif., Chevy Silverado (Class 8), 80

12. Andy Bell, Long Beach, Calif., Toyota Tacoma (Stock Mini), 80

2011 SCORE Desert Series Class Point Leaders

(NOTE: Motorcycles, ATVs and SPT UTVs race in the three SCORE Baja races)

 (With Class wins in parenthesis)

Pro Cars and Trucks

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—1. Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Chevy Silverado, 101; 2. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (1), 94; 3. Steven Strobel, Clarks, Neb., Ford F-150, 90; 4. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 87; 5. Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, 84; 6. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 80; 7. Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., Ford F-150, 76; 8. (Tie) James Bult, Monee, Ill., Dodge Ram2500 and Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, 70; 10. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (1), 68; 11; (Tie) Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 and Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Chevy C1500, 66.

CLASS 1—Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (1), 103; 2. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 88; 3. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 88; 4. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 82; 5. Steve Appleton, Boise, Idaho, Jimco-Chevy, 75; 6. (Tie) Steven Eugenio, Alpine, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Oceanside, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (1) and Pete Sohren, Glendale, Calif., Geiser-Ford, 71; 8. Monica Greenhill, Crowley, Texas, Jimco-Chevy, 65; 9. Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 59; 10. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Geiser-Chevy, 51; 11. (Tie) Conan Barker, Whitter, Calif., Porter-Ford, Eric Hardin, Garden Grove, Calif., RPS-Chevy and Jaime Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Porter-Chevy, 50.

CLASS 1/2-1600—1. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., Romo-VW (1), 82; Robert Archibald, El Cajon, Calif., Mirage-VW (1), 78; 3. Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Kreger-VW, 65; 4. Jason Markham, Ventura, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 58; 5. (Tie) George Peters, Newbury Park, Calif., Lothringer-VW and Brian Wilson, Long Beach, Kreger-VW, 57.

CLASS 3—1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco (2), 80.

CLASS 5—1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, VW Baja Bug (2),80.

CLASS 5-1600—1. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., VW Baja Bug (1), 74; 2. Erich Reisen, VW Baja Bug (1), 59.

CLASS 6—1. Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico, Chevy Colorado (2), 84; 2. Rene Brugger, San Diego, Ford Ranger 64; 3. Dan Holtz, Los Angeles, Ford Ranger, 63.

CLASS 7—1. Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger (2), 80; 2. Brandon Walsh, Encinitas, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 49.

CLASS 7SX—1. (Tie) Jon Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, and Rich Severson, Tucson, Ariz., Ford Ranger, 64; 3. Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger (1), 40.

CLASS 8—1. Rodolfo Iribe, San Ysidro, Calif., Chevy Silverado (1), 80.

CLASS 10—1. Matt Cullen, Long Beach, Calif., AlumiCraft-Honda (1), 71; 2. Peter Hajas, Wayzata, Minn., Kreger-Chevy, and Perry McNeil, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 62; 4. Mark Lawrence, El Monte, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 55; 5. Mike Lawrence, El Monte, Calif., Chenowth-Honda, 51; 6. Michael LaPaglia, Murrieta, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (1), 41.

SCORE LITES—1. Otoneil Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Curry-VW (1), 76; 2. Rafael Navarro IV, Temecula, Calif./Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Jimco-VW (1), 72; 3. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Moulton-VW, 61; 4. Matt Laughlin, Laughlin, Nev., Penhall-VW, 59; 5. Jeff Sanca, Canada, Porter-VW, 54; 6. Lobsam Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, Curry-VW, 50.

STOCK FULL—1. (Tie) Wes Bevly III, Corpus Christi, Texas, Ford F-150 (1) and Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570 (1), 74; 3. Marc Stein, San Diego, Ford F-150, 60.

STOCK MINI—1. Andy Bell/Ted Moncure, Long Beach, Calif., Toyota Tacoma (2), .

CLASS 7-2—1. Billy Wilson/Wes Bevly IV, Corpus Christi, Texas, BajaLite-Chevy (2), 80; 2. (Tie) Dana Dague, Huntington Beach, Calif., Mason-Chevy, and Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo. Mason-Chevy, 64.

CLASS 4—1. Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va., PSD-Chevy (2), 370; 2. Mike Shaffer, Oakland, Calif., Custom-Chevy, 68.

CLASS 2—1. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., PSD-Chevy (2), 80; 2. Jon Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 68.

Sportsman

SPT TRUCK—1. Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger (2), 80.

SPT BUGGY—1. Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va., RGBBuggy-Chevy (2), 80.

The boys in the shop "Hamm" it up pretty good but its all business at JCR before the BAJA 1000

Johnny Campbell Racing is more than just a featured shop in San Clemente; it is an institution and arguably the most important headquarters in the sport of off-road. This is primarily because of Campbell’s pedigree of 11 Baja 1000 championships to his name alone and the legacy he has established by grooming today’s fastest desert racers to follow in his footsteps. But more recently, the JCR Institute title is due to Campbell’s being tapped on the shoulder by the off-road greatness of Robby Gordon, who handpicked Campbell to be his co-pilot in the upcoming 2012 DAKAR Rally. Not only will Campbell have Baja 1000 co-champ Quinn Cody entered in the elite pro motorcycle class in this DAKAR but Campbell himself is one of the favorites to win the OA DAKAR title this year.

Johnny is 100% into JCR everyday but as of press time he'll be in Argentina getting ready to help Robbie Gordon win the DAKAR Rally

JCR carries on the rich tradition of its origins with Bruce Ogilvie at the helm of to American Honda’s famed desert racing legacy. Johnny Campbell took over operations and moved the shop from Torrance to San Clemente early in 2008.

RDC took an unobstructed tour of the JCR facilities in San Clemente as the entire team prepares for what is perhaps the most important motor sports event on the planet, at least from an international perspective. We get the scoop right from Eric Siraton, the chief technician at JCR and the one man who is responsible for all of JCR’s machines.

The Man Behind the Bikes- Eric Siraton

The shop is tucked away between other industrial buildings in the hills east of San Clemente CA but there is no giant JCR signage on the building, only an 18 inch JCR sticker on the door.

Jeff Kargola's 6x Bike Has Become a Standing Tribute to "Ox"

Upon entering the institute, visitors are welcomed into a lobby area filled with posters and giant re-prints of various ads and promotional materials, awards and trophies. Beyond the lobby are several executive office suites, a showroom, boardroom, kitchen and bath area. The inside bathroom at JCR rivals 4-star hotels and nicer than any other we have seen in an off-road shop.

Just picture ambient sounds and the scent of a fresh spring meadow and spa-like amenities.

Beyond the interior is the meat of JCR: the shop itself. Two main work bays are dedicated to each of the BAJA champions bike teams A and B and Eric Siraton oversees the entire program even though San Clemente local and 1x plate holder Colton Udall is a full-time shop employee. Colton started off at JCR building bikes and now has Eric Siraton as a mentor and coach.

Siraton's bay- in process of building 1x for Kendall Norman and Quinn Cody's Baja 1000

There is a mezzanine area with selves of every conceivable motorcycle part, all high-end. Tire’s, wheels, sprockets, pipes, and suspension gear line the shelves and, from up here, visitors get a nice view of the work bays.

JCR's shop has a built-in "llantera"

Self-Contained Machine Shop

Plenty of spare bikes around

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ERIC SIRATON AND QUINN CODY’S DAKAR BIKE BUILD

The Final Product- Quinn's CRF450x arriving in a crate in Argentina anytime now.

As Siraton and his crew prepare Quinn Cody’s CRF450x for a 14-day battle in South America, it is crunch time at JCR and so much has to be done to prepare Cody’s machine for the world-famous rally. It is Siraton’s first crack at building a DAKAR bike from the ground up and he took a few minutes to share some details with RDC.

RDC: What are the key differences in building a machine for DAKAR vs. BAJA? What are some of the spec differences: weight, HP, etc.?

ES: There are more similarities than differences. Both start with our Baja 1000 chassis and motor configuration. Factory stator and ECU. Varies other part that we use for Baja. Differences are on subframe that becomes a fuel tank and we use 4 gal IMS front tank. About 9 gallons of fuel. We also add all the navigation equipment to the front of the bike. And I custom make a wire harness as well as using one provided from HT Rally Raid. All Dakar specific parts were provided from HT Rally Raid. The bike weights somewhere in the 300-pound range. HP is 55+.

RDC: Quinny rocked DAKAR last year with 9th in his first run and a fractured thumb as early as stage 5, did you have a hand on that bike? Your first time?

ES: Last year I didn’t play a part in Quinn’s rally. So this is my first Dakar. So excited.

RDC: When did you realize that you’d be a pro race mechanic?

ES: I never thought I would be a mechanic. I fell into it because of my brother Marc Behnke. He worked at Precision Concepts and he asked if I wanted to work part-time because I had another job. So after work I would go to the shop and pull suspension off a bike and put it back on. After a little while they needed someone full time so I quit my other job to work there.

RDC: When did you get your first decent break?

ES: Bob Bell owner of Precision Concepts was working with Johnny and building the B team XR 650R for Baja and BITD so I kept on asking to help build the bike and go to Mexico. I got my chance building the bikes and help in the chase in Mexico. With help from Jim Green I learn a lot about detail and looks are everything, because if it looks good chances are you did a good job building the bike. In 2001 I started building both bike for Honda and the story rolls on from there.

RDC: How have you progressed in your career so far? Fast or slow?

ES: I believe that my career moved rapidly. Within a year of joining Precision Concepts I was building race bikes.

RDC: You’re on quite the roll with your bikes having this incredible streak until this past March with the “old branch through the radiator trick” on Kendall’s 1x. Before that, how long has it been since you’ve lost a bike in the middle of a race?

ES: In Baja that would be the first failure I’ve ever had. The only other race that we had a failure in was the 2005 Glen Helen 24hr race and I rebuilt the motor to finish the race.

RDC: Walk us through how you felt and what goes through your mind after losing a bike in the desert? Is it heavy for you, considering your record?

ES: When we DNF in San Felipe I was very disappointed knowing that I have never had a failure in Baja. My first concern was: “Is it a mechanical failure or something else?” So when I found out what happened I was somewhat relieved, nothing could have stopped that issue. My record might have a blemish on it but I will still keep building the best machines for my rider and hopefully keep my reputation moving forward.

RDC: Colton’s got the El Plato 1x and he credited you with lots of thanks for helping him out in 2011. Did you have a pretty big hand on the bike or are you more like a mentor.

ES: Colton and I work closely with each other to make sure his bike is solid. He builds his bike then I take it over after it is tested. So I go back over it and check everything to make sure it is perfect. Colton is a great mechanic in his own right, I just helped him step his game up a little bit.

RDC: Who do you look up to?

ES: The following people who have influenced my career: Bob Bell, Bruce Ogilvie, Johnny Campbell, Marc Behnke and my wife Cherlene Siraton.

RDC: How do you like your shop and what makes it special?

ES: JCR Honda is my home away from home. It is like a family, we are all very close to each other. Each year we try to improve the shop in one way or another, to make it more efficient.

Alas, Siraton is at the helm in the shop and on his way to his first DAKAR, Campbell will ride to right of Robby Gordon and Quinn Cody will attempt to podium in his sophomore rally. When you think of JCR, don’t think of it as another shop. It is an institution.

CODY’S DAKAR BIKE

After starting with a new CRF450X they take it all the way down and decide which parts to keep.

This looks like most everything off the stock bike they can't use on Cody's Dakar bike

The rear end carries lots of gas and acts as a ballast for the heavy front end. 9 gallons is like racing with a full tank and carrying a 5-gallon bucket of paint

DAKAR is such different race, barely comparable to any other on earth

This ain't playtime now. Its time to do work.

Just a day before testing in the high desert.

Here she is at testing, what a beast. She passed the test, prettied up and shipped away to Argentina. Quinn and Eric are 100% ready to do work.

PHOENIX, AZ, Dec. 8, 2011 –Now that the dust has settled and the silt has been washed away, the Vanderwey brothers, of Flying Dutchmen Racing, have had time to review the 2011 Baja 1000 race and evaluate all that went right and how very little went wrong along the racecourse.

“Curt LeDuc started the race for us, sixth off the line and by approximately mile 250, he had us in second place,” said Nick Vanderwey, the Flying Dutchmen driver of record. “Larry Vanderwey got it to me, still in second place and by approximately mile 500, we were in first place and we held that
position and crossed the finish line first,” he added. “Unfortunately we were beat by corrected time and #31 of McMillin Racing took first place by 2min 35 secs.” Nick and the #84 Trophy Truck came in 2nd overall and 2nd in Trophy Truck.

After nearly 700 miles of racing, the Flying Dutchmen’s race temporarily came to a stop because a spectator car got high centered and stuck on the racecourse. After waiting for about a minute, Nick was forced to carefully push the car off the berm and out of the way. He was just seven miles from the finish at this point with Andy McMillin quickly closing the gap between them.

“I want to thank all our sponsors for their support and for making this race possible,” Nick said. The Flying Dutchmen are sponsored by: BF Goodrich; KC HiLights; King Shocks; Dougan’s Racing Engines; Rancho Drivetrain Engineering; Tubeworks; TrailReady Wheels; All Start Electric and “got milk?”

The Vanderweys ran the race on the new 42” BF Goodrich race tires. They were the only team racing on the 42”s. The huge tires are mounted on special 20” TrailReady beadlock wheels. “Those 42” BFGs have so much traction and can go over any rock. They are incredible,” Nick explained. “The KC lights were a great asset. They got us through the most treacherous nighttime sections of the 1000.” The night run comprised 2/3 of this year’s Baja 1000, so lights were a key component of a successful finish. “The KC lights were perfect for the night race,” he said, “and the King Shocks performed flawlessly,” he added.

The Vanderwey brothers Nick, Larry, John and Mike, comprise the Flying Dutchmen race team. They have been desert racing for 20 years. The #84 Trophy Truck was built in-house by Flying Dutchmen Racing. Nick, Larry and former Trophy Truck champion, Curt LeDuc, all drove the #84 in the 2011 Baja 1000.

Everything for the Menzies Motorsports team boiled down to one last race and what may be the biggest race of their 2011 season. Their first ever SCORE Baja 1000 took place just over a week ago and they continued right where they left off and that is by letting the fans, sponsors and fellow drivers know that they are an unstoppable team.

The 44^th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 was said to be one of the toughest Baja 1000’s to date, but that didn’t stop Bryce Menzies and Co-Driver Peter Mortensen from taking to the start line. The race was set to start with the first Trophy Truck off the line at 11:30am but with racing and staging ahead of schedule, the race started roughly 15 minutes ahead of the planned start time. Jesse James was the first Trophy Truck to take the green flag followed by Tavo Vildosola, Kory Scheeler and then points leader BryceMenzies in the #70 Menzies/Red Bull truck. Adrenalin took over as Bryce saw the flag drop for him and he knew it was time to go.

With rain sweeping through the streets of Ensenada just days earlier, it was impossible to avoid the puddles and the now mud filled washjust off the start. After blasting through the mud and returning to paved roads, Bryce and Pete found themselves coming to a complete stop just 4 miles into the race. Officials had stopped all the trucks due to a local vehicle blocking the course. The safety of the drivers and locals were the main concern taking place and after careful thought, the SCORE officials brought the remaining trucks up to mile 4.75 and after the course was cleared a complete restart took place.

Timing for all the Trophy Trucks was reset, but the adrenalin rush for Bryce had worn off after waiting almost an hour to start the race again. With a calm driver behind the wheel the #70 set a consistent pace and held down the 4^th truck on the road but never let the other trucks to far out of sight.

Also racing to try and claim the Championship was long time racer Rob MacCachren who had his sights set on catching Bryce. With the top ten trucks being so close together after the restart, it was crucial that the Menzies Trophy Truck and driver made no errors. That is exactly what took place and before Bryce and Pete knew it they were already coming up to race mile 80 where the pit crew gave a quick splash of fuel to the truck and within 22 seconds they were back on the road.

Speeds picked up as the trucks made it out of the summit and through the wash with speeds over 90mph Bryce was quickly gaining on Kory Scheeler and just miles up the course both trucks came up to the dry lake bed where the #70 truck held nothing back and reeled in Kory at speeds now reaching 120 mph. In order to not get swallowed up by the clouds of dust coming off of Kory, Bryce went for the pass and after racing side by side down the lake bed the Red Bull truck came out in front and didn’t look back.

With Tavo down back at race mile 98 Bryce was now the second truck on the road and didn’t slow down. Coming off the dry lakebed and back into the washes leading into San Felipe, he spotted Jesse James up ahead pulled to the side of the course changing a tire. After passing the stopped downedtruck Bryce now was first on the road, but coming up fast would be another young driver and 2-time Baja 1000 winner Andy McMillin.

Battling to keep the lead position and not wanting to be in Andy’s dust, Bryce pushed hard but after miles of Andy staying right on his bumper the decision was made to let him pass and not risk making any errors by letting the pressure of the blue McMillin truck get the best of Bryce. Coming up to their first fuel pit just miles later, the refreshed truck and driver were stopped for less then 50 seconds and with fresh BFGoodrich tires, a full tank and fuel and food to hold Bryce and Pete over till the next pit, it dawned on them that they were not even to the half way point of the race.

Over 4 hours into the race the sun started to set on what would be the roughest part of the 700-mile course. The San Felipe loop ended the night for a lot of the racers, but the calm Bryce Menzies guided the truck through the dark terrain with Baja Designs lighting the way. Now back to first truck on the road after passing Andy and Jesse while pitting, Bryce and Pete continued with their game plan and set a steady pace making sure to hit every line they mapped out during prerunning.  Making it out of San Felipe with no errors put the #70 truck in the lead and now it was time to head back towards Ensenada.

With Rob MacCachren behind by over 30 minutes Bryce knew he needed to continue driving how he had been the last 460 miles and he can still pull of a possible win and claim the 2011 Championship, but in Baja, you never know what lies ahead for you and you are never in the clear until you reach the finish. Continuing with the lead, it was at mile 470 when Bryce knew something wasn’t right with the truck. After going miles and still feeling a vibration, the decision was made to stop and check the driveline. With nothing visiblywrong they got back to the race, but the problem was still there. Calling ahead to their pits to let them know something was wrong and to prepare for anything, it wasn’t long before the truck pulled into the pit at race mile 474 and realized it was just a loose wheel. With the problem fixed quickly it still was not fast enough to hold off 2^nd and 3^rd place trucks on the road, McMillin and Vanderwey.

Bryce got back on the course following in the dust of the top 2 drivers and only something like a flat tire on their end would allow Bryce to regain the lead. A quick drivers change at race mile 540 where Bryce Menzies switched driving duties with short course teammate Ricky Johnson went flawless and the Red Bull truck was on the final stretch back to the start/finish.

The slowest part of the race lied ahead of Ricky as he took the truck through the cold air coming off of the pacific and into the tight, twisting, silt and rock filled hills of Urapan. Flawless driving on Ricky’s end saw the truck through the dark night terrain and he continued to stay within minutes of the two leaders.

Coming back into Ensenada through the now dark and ghost town like washes the Kroyer powered #70 Menzies/Red Bull Trophy Truck made its way back to the heart of town and came around the last turn to see the checkered flag and team members awaiting its arrival. With no Rob MacCachren in sight, Bryce, Pete, Ricky and the team celebrated as they realized they hadjust won their first ever SCORE Championship in their rookie year. At 3:27am Saturday morning the truck crossed the finish line and completed the 2011 Baja 1000, and along with finishing the biggest and longest race of the year, the truck and team completed every race mile that was thrown at them this season.

This years racing has now wrapped up for the Menzies Motorsports Team, walking away with 3 championships and now they will focus their attention to what the upcoming 2012 racing season will bring. Make sure to follow Menzies on facebook and twitter to see just what 2012 has in store for them.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Menzies-Motorsports/120551174645163

http://twitter.com/#!/MenziesRacing

Www.menziesmotorsports.com

RENO, NV     NOVEMBER 30, 2011  -  Roger Norman #8 Wide Open Excursions, Crystal Bay Casino Trophy Truck has always finished the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, and the 2011 race was no different.  After fighting multiple setbacks, where many would have called the race, Norman persevered to get to the finish line.  “I have never not finished a Baja 1000,” said Roger Norman.  “This one had a lot of challenges though, if we wouldn’t have had all of these issues, I know we would have been on the podium!”

Roger Norman worked down the list of obstacles that the Norman Motorsports team overcame, “Five miles out of our main pit at RM210 we hit a rock that broke the bead lock off the wheel which lost air pressure so we had to change a tire, but that was the only BFGoodrich tire that we changed all race, they really held up to this rough course.  Then the right front shock shaft broke at the base, which in turn broke the brake line so we had no brakes, but luckily it didn’t damage anything else. Chase came out to put a fresh shock on and saw we had two studs broke on the rear wheel hub, they fixed both and we took off.  Next, the front shocks lost all nitrogen, I have no idea how, but we were running on springs.  We were down to 20mph at some of the rougher spots.  We made it to the next pit where they discovered that the heat exchanger had a giant crack in it and the radiator was almost completely empty, with a simple fix they replaced it with a hose.  We have a tranny cooler up in back by the radiator that doesn’t get airflow unless we have enough wind, and with the new Vision X roof lights it was getting blocked. So since we didn’t want to take the lights off in the middle of the desert, and we weren’t in the contention for the win, we babied it and had to stop a whole bunch of times when it reached 290 degrees to let it cool.  At the last pit they took off the lights and once we left that pit we were able to run full race speed to the finish.” Roger Norman with co-drivers Dick Grey and JT Taylor finished 17^th with a time of 20 hours 8 minutes.

The Baja 1000 experience started with Roger Norman, Dick Grey and JT Taylor pre-running for 12 days.  “We were running around staying in different towns, really enjoying Baja.  That’s 90% of the fun for me, the pre-running part allows me to meet different people, try different restaurants and get to know all the locals,” said Norman.  Pre-running is still work, “we were making really intricate notes and JT was learning a new computer system.  It was a lot to bite off, and I don’t know how to say it…it was a lot of work….” All in all, “we had a great time pre-running with no issues at all.  Besides a couple minor fixes, the Wide Open Pre-runner ran 3,000 miles of flawless prerunning,” said Roger Norman.

Roger Norman is pleased to continue his newest venture with Wide Open Excursions, LLC as an owner and business partner.  Norman played a key role in opening Wide Open Reno at the Tahoe Reno Motorplex on August 1, 2011 and has assumed an investment role with the organization. “Wide Open Reno was such an exciting project that I decided to invest in the entire organization to help propel the brand to new heights, we truly have one of the most unique and exciting products in the adventure travel market and we need the world to know it,” said Norman.

Norman Motorsports will be in attendance at all the HDRA Off-Road Racing events in 2012, the SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000.

2011 Baja 1000 Action Video: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2693876187223&set=vb.60623030516&type=2&theater

Roger Norman Website: www.RogerNormanRacing.com

Roger Norman Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/NormanMotorsports

Seven months ago, Josh Quintero sat down with Arturo “Curry” Durazo, owner of Curry Race Cars to build a top notch Class 6 truck. Quintero had a major goal and short timeline to achieve it. He wanted to make his debut at the 2011 Score Baja 1000. Knowing he had no time to spare the truck building began as did the weekly parts running from Kartek located in Ontario, CA to Mexicali, MX. While delivering all the needed race truck parts to Curry Race Cars Josh was also busy getting a team of chase/pit support together and securing a few sponsors. Fortunately, Cocopah Casino (Somerton, AZ) and Fight Legends Clothing (Vista, CA) saw the marketing opportunity and decided to come on board with the sponsorships. Finally, November 4^th, 2011 and only two weeks before race day Curry Race Cars met their deadline and the race truck was complete and ready for testing in Plaster City, CA.

Before hitting the test track of Plaster City the race truck was checked out at Performance Plus with Dyno Testing marking the 500hp, 4.5 Ford custom built engine putting out 293hp to the wheels and 240lbs of torque with a top speed of 120 mph.  Now ready to hit the desert of Plaster City, shock testing with FOX SHOX lasted 3 days when finally the best set up was achieved on the 14” triple bypass and coil overs with the new set-up of 2.5” 250lb. top spring and 3” 500lb. bottom spring.  All that was left was to pick up the new Raptor body from McNeil’s Fab and Fiber only 6 six days until race day.

Now ready for the 2011 Score Baja 1000, JQ Racing- a team made up of three chase trucks and 2^nd driver Chris Taylor made it to Ensenada, MX Tuesday night November 15, 2011. Josh Quintero was ready to make his mark in his new class 6 race truck and show competitors what they will be facing the next race season.  Baja was nothing new to him and as Chris Taylor’s 2nd driver for the last four years Josh Quintero had gained a lot of experience that would be proved valuable. Looking over the class 6 entry list I asked Josh what his thoughts were on the competition and who he was most concerned about competing against.  With a quick grin Josh said, “I’m worried about all of the class 6 drivers, I respect all of them but I know I will have to watch out for Class Champion Dave Caspino especially since he will be starting right behind me.”

November 18, 2011 race day finally arrived and twelve class 6 trucks staged for the start of the toughest race of the season, the Score 2011 Baja 1000. As Quintero was ready to move his class 6 truck #617 into position the first problem would present itself. A blown fuse on the PCI race radio would turn out to be a minor issue and the fuse was quickly replaced and the radio was working again. After an hour delay due to race course issues #617 was ready to head to the start line when the truck would not turn over due to a stuck starter. Again, the problem was minor and was quickly fixed by Co-driver Ruben “Flako” Serrano Sandoval of Curry Race Cars. Now feeling nervous and unsure of the new truck making it through the toughest and longest race of the season Josh set up on the start line and waited for the green flag to drop signaling the start of his first race in his brand new truck. Josh definitely made his mark from the beginning of the race by getting on two wheels and taking out the fence in the very first turn.  With the engine roaring and the Baja desert in the horizon Josh knew he had no room for error with class champion Dave Caspino right behind him.

Thirty five miles into the race Caspino passed Quintero and the race quickly became a game of cat and mouse with the other class 6 trucks closely following. At RM 199, #617 radioed to BFG pits he suspected brake problems and need to come in for their pit support. Once the brakes were checked out, it turned out everything was fine and Josh sped back onto the race course trying to make up for lost ground. After hitting a rock at RM 220 the driveline broke. Co-driver Flako was quickly out of the truck and replaced the driveline with an onboard spare losing only about ten minutes. At RM 244 there was a quick fuel fill up and driver change. Chris Taylor took over the wheel and co-driver Jeram Leon took over race course navigation and didn’t waste any time closing the gap between them and class champ #600 in the unforgiving San Felipe loop conditions. Now waiting at RM 411 Josh Quintero attempted to rest as much as possible knowing the next 300 miles would be the hardest on him, the truck and his co-driver Flako who would have a total of 384 miles in the race truck. Quintero took back the wheel with no issues to tend to and soon completely closed the gap between #617 and #600. Quintero took the lead while #600 struggled through Mikes Sky Ranch high in the mountains and his lead would make him unreachable by any other class 6 trucks. With one final fuel stop and a Co-driver change at RM 540 Jason Davis took over the co-driver seat and Quintero still behind the wheel #617 sped off into the night with no radio communication working and the toughest of the entire course ahead of them.  As the sun rose over Santo Tomas, looking down the coast there was no sign of #600 and #617 knew they had a decent lead. Heading back into Ojos Negros #617 was running strong taking everything Baja had to offer. Averaging 34mph, Quintero brought his class 6 race truck into the Ensenada crossing the finish line after a grueling 702 miles, finishing in first place with in an impressive time of 20hr: 18min: 30sec. with #600 in 2^nd place following 28 minutes later and 3^rd place finisher 3 hours later.

Now that the race is over and Baja is behind him I asked Josh to share his thoughts on his win at the Baja 1000 and what is next for him. “I came into this race with just a goal of finishing. Never did I imagine myself winning. I look forward to starting the new race season and going after the class 6 championship.”

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For the second time in three years, the Southern California son and father race team of Andy and Scott McMillin have etched their names again into the granite history of the world’s most legendary desert race – advancing their part in motorsports history by capturing the overall 4wheel victory in the 44th Annual Tecate SCORE BAJA 1000 desert race. Maxima Performance Auto Racing Oils would like to thank and congratulate the entire McMillin Realty Racing crew for another outstanding year of racing!

FATHER/SON RACE to SCORE BAJA 1000 4 Wheel OVERALL VICTORY!

Jessica McMillin RALLIES  Pro Truck to Baja 1000 VICTORY & SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP!

San Diego, CA (November 22, 2011) Off the rugged coast of Mexico’s majestic Baja Peninsula, the 44^th running of the SCORE Tecate Baja 1000, the granddaddy of all off road racing events in the world, set in motion the best off road racing seen in decades as the titans of the SCORE Trophy Truck class raced over a 705-mile torturous race course, testing the best of man and machine.

After 14 hours, 55 minutes and 40 seconds, the race was won by San Diego real estate executive, Andy McMillin.  Trading in his day job at McMillin Realty for what turned out to be a wild day of racing, Andy, and his father Scott, joined together behind the wheel of the #31 McMillin Realty Trophy Truck winning at the most challenging desert race of the season. The duo averaged 47.12 miles per hour in their quest for victory.

The 24-year old San Diego racer started the race in his freshly designed Ford Raptor SCORE Trophy Truck and handed the truck off to his dad, Scott, for the treacherous San Felipe loop.  Scott raced through the toughest bumps of San Felipe before turning the truck back over to Andy, who unleashed the Kroyer Racing Engines power, before crossing the checkers in Ensenada, Mexico earning his third career SCORE Baja 1000 win.

For the second time in three years, the well-known father/son team earned victory at the world’s most legendary desert race marking yet another chapter in McMillin Racing’s motorsports history.

Racing against a full field of 29 SCORE Trophy Truck starters, the McMillin Racing duo continues the tradition started by McMillin family patriarch, Corky McMillin. For the McMillin Racing family, the SCORE Baja 1000 race is a time-honored tradition started by off road racing icon, Corky McMillin.  It was the early 1970’s when Corky and his friends introduced the McMillin Racing family to a motorsport they have excelled in for nearly 40 years.

This year’s race saw all three top podium finishers cross the checkered flag physically within one minute of each other.  However, when the overall race times were calculated, it was Andy and Scott McMillin who earned the top spot on the podium.

The race started as it normally does, but for the first time in race history, the SCORE Trophy Trucks were re-started at race mile five after a tractor-trailer crashed completely blocking the race course and stopping the race.

This year’s victory marks Scott McMillin’s fourth class win in this race and second overall title, while Andy McMillin captured his third overall victory and third class win among the Unlimited SCORE Trophy Truck division.

Afterwards Andy said, “We started 10th.  At the Baja 500, Bryce Menzies started in front of me and put a spanking on me, so I didn’t want to let that happen in this race. I got a pretty quick pace off the start and splashed fuel at K77.  By the time we got to the summit, I nerfed Larry Roeseler, got around Rob MacCachren, passed Curt LeDuc and Jesse Ashcraft.  MacCachren got me back later in the summit and we were battling back and forth off his bumper until he pitted for fuel.  Menzies was out front and I got by Kory Scheeler on the silt bed and I just started putting my pedal forward.  I knew we were going to change drivers at Borrego and put my dad in so I wanted to get a couple of minutes on everyone just in case.  Unfortunately, we had a three-and-a-half minute pit stop, we took off out of there in third and my dad had a flat tire.  My dad did a great job on the San Felipe loop. We kept our pace and kept our position.  Bryce was doing work out front and was running away with it.  Luckily, he had a little issue and we were able to make up time.  I got back in the truck and Bryce pulled over for fuel and we got around them.  That was the most intense race I’ve ever been a part of.  I was 30 seconds to them and Bryce was 30 seconds to me on the beach.  It was a freight-train free-for-all.  It was such a blast!  It was so much fun.  I’m glad to win my second Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 with my dad. It means a lot.”

McMillin Racing works closely with many partners involved in their racing program.  Crew Chief Greg Williams explained, “We work side by side with many of our race team partners each and everyday including BFGoodrich Tires, FOX Racing Shox, Kroyer Racing Engines, Geiser Brothers, Baja Designs, and KMC Wheels.  They have all joined our program providing us with the best components in professional motorsports.  We couldn’t ask for a better team of sponsors and our results demonstrate that their products are Baja proven.”

Winning the 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 adds to the lifelong legacy of McMillin Racing.

It’s a racing heritage that is steep with family tradition.  A heritage that has been passed down from Corky to his sons, Scott and Mark, and now to their sons and daughter, Andy, Daniel, Luke and Jessica.  It’s a tradition and lifestyle that has created a positive influence on the sport, the fans and the McMillin Racing family for four decades.

Standing at the finish line among thousands of cheering fans, Scott reflected on this year’s race.  “Andy gave me the roughest part of the race course to drive.  It kicked my butt.  It’s amazing that after 700 miles, three teams are so close in time and any one of us could have won.  My hat is off to the other teams.  They did a great job and made us a better competitor.  Sal continues to make this race tougher and harder than ever before and I was challenged all the way around the 250 miles of San Felipe.  For our family, the Baja 1000 has been a tradition.  This is the 35th year our family has been racing this race and as we stand here I know my brother, Mark is coming in to the finish line very shortly.  I’ve got my daughter out there still racing her Pro Truck, as well as Mark’s son, Luke.   My dad is looking down on us and taking care of us.”

In 1976, Corky McMillin and his friends entered their first SCORE Baja race.

This past Saturday his grandchildren, Andy and Jessica McMillin, joined by their race-winning father, Scott McMillin, add three more trophies to the famed McMillin Racing legacy.

Mark’s son, Luke McMillin, also won the ultra competitive ½ 1600 class capturing the season championship as well, while Mark joined his son Daniel in the #23 SCORE Trophy Truck and finished a respectable 4^th in class.

McMillin Realty Racing returns to Mexico in 2012 for the biggest two races in off road racing, the SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 1000.  In 2012, the SCORE Baja 1000 is a peninsula run, which kicks off on November 15, 2012 in Ensenada, Baja California and finishes in the seaside city of La Paz along the coast of the Sea of Cortez.

McMillin Realty Racing is supported by the best in the business including McMillin Realty, BFGoodrich Tires, FOX Racing Shox, KMC Wheels, Ford, Baja Designs, Kroyer Racing Engines, Hostyle, Eibach Springs, Maxima Racing Oils and DirtNewz.com.

About McMillin Racing


With over three decades of racing experience, the McMillin family represents three generations of accomplished championship racers.  Founded by the late off-road racing legend, Corky McMillin, McMillin Racing continues to be respected as a one of the most successful desert racing teams of all time.  They are supported by a long list of dedicated family, friends and employees of McMillin Companies, all who make up an incredibly talented group of steadfast supporters.  Since 1976, they have raced at the highest level of competition in the deserts of North America.  Together as a family, they have multiple series championships, along with significant race victories in both the United States and Baja California.

McMillin Racing symbolizes the ultimate passion in off road racing.

Visit www.mcmillinracing.com for the latest updates, videos and photo galleries of the entire McMillin Racing family.

Quad75Dezert headed south November 10th for the 44th Baja 1000. SCORE International would have nearly 300 entries from 16 countries,including entries from 34 states. The course was approximately 692 miles this year, combining the San Felipe 250 and Baja 500 courses, which made it one of the roughest tracks entrants had ever seen. Quad75Dezert conquered small and large adversities throughout the day to win their class and finish 2nd overall for ATVs, securing their Class 24 championship as well as the ATV Overall championship. The race was held November 19th.

The day started earlier than usual for the team as many of them had not gone to bed until 3am, rising at 4am to get started on race day. After shaking down the race bike the day before Contingency, mechanic Kenny Sanford noticed something was not right with the bike. As it turns out the brand new crank was bad and he would spend Thursday night rebuilding the motor. After minimal break-in time the race bike headed to the starting line in Ensenada early Friday morning. Jorie Williams would be starting first in class 24 in Ensenada and would ride to Ojos Negros, approximately race mile 35. He left the line at 6:53am and rode through the streets and out into the dirt where he encountered mud and fog. “I wasn’t as nervous this time doing the start,” Williams explained, “and I made my way through the fog. I passed a few riders, but when I hit the road near race mile 35 I had to take my goggles off and I got passed back right before we did the rider change.” He had come into the pavement in first overall, passing all of Class 25 in the dirt, but lost a position while removing his goggles. He then rode into the pit for fuel and rider change. As the team fueled the bike and rider Kenny Sanford got on, 2 more riders passed by. Sanford headed into his section as the 4th ATV overall.

Sanford rode this section from race mile 35 to approximately race mile 93 at the Baja 500 and was familiar with it, however it was much rougher than at the 500, and even more so than when he pre-ran during the week. He ended up ejecting himself from the bike partially through his section. “I took a corner that was really rough and just ended up not being able to hold on. I came off the bike but somehow managed to grab hold of our Pro Armor heel guards. The bike drug me for thirty or fifty feet until it slowed enough that I could climb back on and restart it. It fired on the first kick and I didn’t lose much time. I’m glad it didn’t run me over though!” Sanford told us after he got off the bike at his next pit. Fired up from the adrenaline he made up all but 1 position coming in to pit the 2nd ATV overall with Matlock racing’s 700 right behind him. Unfortunately for Team Quad75Dezert the paid pit service they were using hesitated a few moments to fuel them – happening repeatedly throughout the race – opting instead to fuel Matlock first who came in a mere seconds behind them. This set Matlock’s team into the Summit half a minute ahead. Rider Jorie Williams boarded the bike again and took off for the Summit and the lake bed, a section that can last 3 hours or more for quads.

Jorie Williams traded positions a few times during the Summit section and came into the lake bed again in 1st overall for the ATVs. Unfortunately, the high speed section of the lake bed found the Quad75Dezert race bike at a disadvantage as top speed was not much over 60mph. Here they lost a position to Matlock racing and faced a series of adversities that would keep them in 2nd overall for the duration of the race. Brandon Brown swapped with Jorie Williams near Borrego and rode a short, but exceptionally rough section to Borrego pits where Kenny Sanford would get on again. This starts the San Felipe loop. Sanford would ride for several miles before handing the bike to Jamie Kirkpatrick who would ride and hand the bike back off to Jorie Williams. Kirkpatrick, riding in the dust and closing the gap on the only quad in front of him, lost control and crashed hard during his first section, hurting his hip. He managed to get the bike to Jorie but felt he was unable to ride his second section. Brandon Brown was supposed to get back on the bike after a major pit at race mile 427 had to meet Jamie and his next section near Zoo Road. Brown had ridden sections of San Felipe before, but did not pre-run this part of the course during the week. After a brief discussion of what was wrong with the bike, Kenny Sanford headed back to race mile 427 to prepare for the pit.

Brandon Brown rode into the pit at approximately 6:30pm in the dark while Kenny Sanford and Sean McHugh changed all four tires, checked the oil, checked the TCS Motorsports skidplates, and made adjustments to compensate for a tweaked steering component on the bike. Originally the lights were to be changed for the race set of Trail Tech lights but the bracket was bent so they opted to keep the lights on and not waste time. Brandon got some water, swapped radios, and got back on the bike to head all the way to Valle de Trinidad. The entire pit took about 5 minutes. It was after this that the team headed to San Matias for a visual check and then on to Valle de Trinidad for another rider swap. The rider change at Valle de Trinidad took place at the top of a hill where temperatures dropped to the high 30s and a dense fog settled in making visibility poor. There were warnings of booby traps and a man-made jump in the following section, and Willimas would need to be especially mindful because of the poor visibility. Brandon came in approximately 30 minutes after the leading quad, the bike was fueled, and Jorie Williams rode from Valle de Trinidad out to the coast where rider Richie Brown would get on the bike. The fog lifted as the bike descended into the lower altitudes and Richie made up some time on the leading quad, riding from Santo Tomas through Uruapan and back to Ojos Negros where Brandon Brown would get back on the bike for the finish.

Temperatures in Ojos Negros dropped into the mid-30s and the team prepped for the final fueling and rider change in the cold. Brown changed into his cold weather Klim gear and the team anxiously awaited Richie’s arrival in the field as bon fires burned and the crowd pressed in near the course. It was approximately 12:30am when Richie came to the pit. The bike was fueled, Richie let Brandon know the bike had lost its rear brakes, and in a matter of seconds Brandon Brown took off for the finish approximately 17 minutes behind the leading quad. Brown would wade through fog, mud, and needed to remove his goggles during the last leg of the race and was unable to close the gap. “The trucks just tore up the start,” Brandon explained at the finish, gesturing at the muddy race bike, “and the locals made a few booby traps in there. You had to be really careful and just focus on getting the bike through to the end.” Brandon crossed the finish line at approximately 1:50am, where he was greeted by the rest of the team, fans, other racers, and SCORE officials. “I am really proud of the whole team. It takes a lot of effort on everyone’s part to race down here. We are fortunate to have awesome riders – Jorie Williams, Kenny Sanford, Jamie Kirkpatrick, Richie Brown – who put in 100 percent every time they come out. Kenny is an amazing mechanic, our race bike is always improving and he did nothing short of a miracle before this race. And our support crew, all of our chase drivers, our operator and our family, friends and fans really help us pull this program together. There’s a lot to be proud of here, and by no means did we have a bad day, although we always come out shooting for the overall.” The team finished first in class.

At the conclusion of the 2011 SCORE International season, Quad75Dezert secured the Class 24 championship as well at the ATV Overall championship. As December approaches the team is taking a short break and then preparations for the 2012 season, starting with the San Felipe 250 in March, will commence. You can find more information and more pictures, including some from pre-running, at Facebook.com/Quad75Dezert and Quad75.com

Quad75Dezert would like to thank the following for their success at the Baja 1000: Jamie Kirkpatrick, Kenny Sanford, Jorie Williams, Richie Brown, Brandon Brown, Ken Sanford, Dan Kirkpatrick, Joey Kirkpatrick, Rick Sosebee, Patrick Murray, Mary McHugh, Sean McHugh, Jeff Petrich, Dave Jenkins, Mike Gingles, Todd Petchnick, and Megan Murray.

Quad75Dezert competes with the help and support of the following companies: S&S Motorsports, Water Well Developing & Surveys, Fox Racing Shox, Maxxis, Klim, Teixeira Tech, HMF Racing, K&N Filters, CBR Performance, MotoXNutrition, UPP Racing, Fullbore Innovations, HiPer, Pro Armor, ProCaliber.com, IMS, TCS Motorsports, Spider Grips, Warn Industries, QuadTech, Maxima, Precision Racing Products,Fusion Graphixx, Powermadd, Asterisk, Wiseco, We All Ride, Scott USA, Rekluse, Pro Caliber Motorsports, Trail Tech, Hot Rod Fabrication, KBH Construction, Cycle Wash, Dune Tech, PitTraffic.com, Team Money$hot, & Murray211

AGM/Jimco X6 Trophy Truck #15 (Photo Credit: Art Eugenio)

The All German Motorsports #15 AGM/Jimco X6 Trophy Truck was 19th off the start line with a total of 32 Trophy Trucks in class. Driver Armin Schwarz and Navigator Bryan Lyttle took on the first 401 miles of the race with Driver Martin Christensen and Navigator Tyler Irwin finishing the remaining miles of the course. The race started off a little different this year. A local construction big rig truck jack-knived, rolled and blocked the course about 2 miles in and caused the SCORE officials to stop the Trophy Trucks that had already started and restart the entire class at RM 5.

AGM Pit Stop

The remainder of the race seemed to run smooth with the exception of a few minor issues. Early into the race we lost air from two tires due to our rims being bent. A few hundred miles into the race, we heard noise on and off coming from the gearbox. For safety reasons and because we wanted to finish the race, we decided to change the transmission at RM 570 before the course went up the mountains and over to the Pacific Side. This was the first time our team as a whole had changed the transmission and the pitch black night only added to the excitement. The change put us out of the race for almost three hours but from then on the truck ran like clockwork. The AGM/Jimco X6 Trophy Truck finished 15th in class and 20th overall! We are now taking everything we learned and moving forward in preparation of the 2012 SCORE racing series.

All German Motorsports 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 (Photo Credit: Art Eugenio)

That is exactly what Justin Davis did. Justin has become the youngest solo driver to ever win the Baja 1000 in a class one car and the youngest to take home a class one championship. “I am just really lucky to have this chance and be able to drive these race cars, without my family and my crew this would have never been possible,” Justin said after the win. Justin started the 44^th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 dead last and drove through the pack of twenty-four  well talented class one car drivers, beating some of the best there is in the business. “Our plan was to really pace ourselves, all we had to do was finish and we would take home the championship,” said Justin. “When we found out our time splits we just went for it, I was in it to win it. “

After losing the Baja 500 this year by a few minutes it was evident that Justin was on a mission the last 150 miles of the race.  “The San Matias pit told me that John Herder was behind the wheel of the Wilson’s car and coming fast, so I tried to focus on no mistakes and drive my own race. I have to say through the beach section my new ridgid lights really worked great.  At the final pit at the meadow my team really got me in and out fast and the Wilson’s car was right behind me as I pulled out.  We had a great run to the finish and after sixteen hours in the car I was excited to see my whole team at the finish line to cheer me on”.

Justin started his 2011 season with a bang with the debut of his class one car.  He became the youngest to win in his class at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge taking first place. This was just a start to a winning season.

Justin stated, “This Baja 1000 was by far the toughest race I’ve ever raced and to be able to solo it and win the race was a huge success for me. I have not had a flat all year, thanks to my General Tires. I don’t think any tire company can top that, but General Tire.”

I really want to thank my crew chief Josh O’Neil he has really nailed it since being in charge of the car, and my whole GreenArmy crew. I would like to thank my sponsors General Tire, King Shocks best in the business, Sunoco Fuels, DST, Jamar Performance Products thanks for letting me stop all year, Fast-Aid , CBR Radiators, Clint you’ve  been such a good friend and supporter , Ridgid Led Lighting for lighting up the desert so we could go for the win , PPM Ryan best axles ever ,  Slime , Dave Folts Transmissions ,  Nickhead at Kartek, Kroyer  the motor choice for champions , Mark at Straightedge for making the car look awesome. I would also like to thank my co-drivers Troy Holes and Jordan Kundert, Jordan thank you for tuning my shocks and all your help. A special thanks to my sister Ashley, my mom Kim and my dad Kevin for their unwavering support, also thank you to my media guys Scott Bridges, Greg Wetzel, and Bryan Moore.

Written By: Bryan Moore

You can score another successful Baja 1000 for Major Performance. Major performance engines propelled Jim Anderson to victory in class 5, helped to earn a championship in class 12 for Raphael Navarro III, Raphael Navarro IV and Vic Bruckmann and captured the victory and a second straight class 1600 championship for Luke McMillin racing with Justin “Bean” Smith.

Baja 1000 race wins are coveted, especially when you consider the sheer brutality of this year’s course but it’s been noted that championships are written in the history books. They chronicle the fact that your team rose above the rest not for a day but for an entire season. Skill, preparation, determination, even luck all have to come together to win a championship.

“We wanted to win the championship for sure but we figured if we went for the win every race the championship would be ours”, says Luke McMillin, “I can’t say enough about our motors from Major Performance and the work that Andy has done for us all year. We won in Laughlin and from then on we’ve been out-motoring the competition all year. We started the 1000 in eleventh place and by the time we hit Borrego we were fifteen minutes up on the field. That was pure horsepower. I’ve driven other cars with different engines but in all of my stuff I run Major Performance; they’re just the best. My brother Dan and I have been with them since 2003 and we just won back to back championships, I think that says it all”.

In limited engine classes like 5, 12, 1600 it’s not easy getting peak horsepower without sacrificing reliability but Major Performance has done just that. “Some teams put special emphasis on races like the Baja 1000”, says Major Performance owner Andy Devercelly, “Besides the pure challenge of the race, it’s the end of the season and there are championships on the line. To us it’s business as usual; we do the same level of quality and precision regardless if it’s the first race of the season or the last. You can’t win a championship with one race; you have to be out front all season long. That’s why we put 100% into every motor we build”.

The list of race wins and championships prove it, whether you need a limited class, air-cooled motor or an all-out V8 monster, Major Performance delivers major results.

Photography By Brian Binkert
Bink Designs – www.binkdesigns.com

About Major Performance Racing Engines
Major Performance has been at the forefront of race winning engine development since the 1980’s. Their championship winning performance has earned them five coveted SCORE, engine builder of the year awards. They offer a full range of services including part sales, engine rebuilding, a full service machine shop and both engine and chassis dyno, precision tuning. Major Performance has amassed impressive results with their air-cooled engine packages but they also do most water cooled engines from their Honda based, SCORE certified, sealed class 10 engines all the way up to the nastiest LS based V8 power plants. No matter if you are in the dirt, on the track or just cruising around town, Major performance can take care of all your engine performance needs. Major Performance is owned and operated by 4th generation, off-road racer Andy DeVercelly.

Contact:
10722 Kenney St. Suite C, Santee, CA 92071
619-596-0886
major_performance@yahoo.com

About Bink Designs
Bink Designs is a premier graphic design company located in San Diego, CA. Since 2003, Bink Designs has been committed to providing cost-effective solutions for clients’ high-end graphic needs. Bink Designs will work with you to develop a strategy that matches your goals. Bink Designs offers a number of services, including: Identity, Print Design, Vinyl Graphics, Web Design, Photography & Apparel.

Exclusive coverage of the 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 with the Monster Energy Off-Road Team! Get a first-hand view of the Baja 1000 course as the team battles through hard-hitting, high-speed sections and makes some moves on the competition! Get up close and personal with the challenges of this grueling race and watch the drivers tear across the Baja desert!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

• General Tire driver Jim Riley set his goals aside to help others in need.
• Canadian, and paraplegic, Kane Fraser races in first Baja 1000 to help raise money and awareness for the abilities of people with disabilities.
• Fraser seeks to raise $25,000 for the Rick Hansen Foundation.

Baja California, Mexico – (November 23, 2011) While Tony Stewart gave a class on how to win an oval-track race on NASCAR’s big stage, Team GT’s Jim Riley gave a class on how to be a winner in life on off-road racing’s biggest stage, the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Following more than 36 grueling hours in the Mexican desert, the No. 1802 of Kane Fraser and the General Tire sponsored No. 7 of Riley crossed the Baja 1000 finish line at 2:00 a.m. PST on Sunday, November 20.

A wrong turn forced Fraser, a paraplegic, over 100 miles off-course. Eventually he met up with Riley who offered to help the newcomer complete his goal of running the entire Baja 1000 race. While they were the last two vehicles to cross the finish line at the 44^th running of the Baja 1000, both drivers emerged as big winners in the eyes of thousands of fans that were glued to the Internet cheering them on on-line and posting their support to these two brave drivers.

“This was definitely one of the toughest Baja 1000 courses ever,” stated Riley following his 36 hour adventure. “Team Azunia had several mechanical issues ourselves but when I came across Kane I wanted to help him realize his goal, to finish the Baja 1000. This is a tough race for a veteran desert off-road racer and to attempt it as a true rookie is simply amazing. I have a lot of respect for what he did.”

The race marked Fraser’s first foray into auto racing. The Canadian piloted a RZR 900 XP for more than 700 miles and 36 hours after making a wrong turn that put him over 100 miles off-course. What makes the story all the more compelling is that Fraser is a paraplegic and was racing to bring awareness to the abilities of those with disabilities, enter veteran-driver Riley.

Riley fixed one mechanical failure after another on the No. 7 and stepped up to help two cars that had driven off a cliff before undertaking his next challenge. Darkness fell upon the desert Saturday night, and the teams of Riley and Fraser met up. With the dangers of the desert looming, and all the race check points shut down, Riley vowed to follow Fraser to the finish.

At 10:18 p.m. SCORE operations closed the finish line but volunteers manned the check points and finish line so Fraser and Riley could finish.  Fraser’s extraordinary effort helped to raise money and awareness for the Rick Hansen Foundation however, his goal of $25,000 has not yet been met. Donations can be made via the web atwww.baja1000fundraiser.com.

If you can’t be there to see all the action first-hand, you can get up-to-the-minute information on all the races atwww.twitter.com/teamgt.

About General Tire

For more than 90 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing, Chili Bowl, Pro-Pulling, Late- Model Dirt Series, Drag Boat Series, Boost Mobile FreestyleMx.com Tour, Spec Tire of Trophylite and Pro Truck. Team GT supports off-road and short course teams including BJ Baldwin, Carl Renezeder, Rick D. Johnson, Jerry Zaiden/Jason Campbell, Jason/Rich Voss, Scott Steinberger, Ed “Clyde” Stout, Marc Burnett, Kent Kroeker, Mikey Childress, Jim Riley, Carey Hart, Josh Merrell, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Jason Ellis, Robby Woods, Casey Currie, Ryan Hagy and

Jeff “Ox” Kargola.

General Tire is part of Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. (www.generaltire.com). CTA, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a company of Germany-based Continental AG. With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009 Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Contin

• The fifth annual Baja Children’s Support Run raised $3,000 to buy supplies in addition to building a multi-media center for more than 40 orphans.

Fort Mill, S.C. – Nov. 23, 2011. General Tire, Wahoo’s Tacos and Azunia Tequila, delivered an early Thanksgiving to some deserving orphans at the Rancho El Milagro (www.ranchomilagro.org) orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico last Wednesday prior to the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The group was joined by several teams participating in this year’s Baja 1000 at the fifth annual Baja Children’s Support Run. The volunteers collected $3,000 to buy supplies, in addition to building a multi-media center for the more than 34 children and staff of the orphanage. The focus of this year’s event was to install a multi-media center, including new computers and desks, so the kids could discover the world of possibilities that lie ahead for them.

“I want to thank all the team’s that participated and our partner’s, Wahoo’s and Azunia, for helping put together the best event yet,” said Dana Zamalloa, manager of PR and communications, General Tire. “General Tire is proud to support Rancho El Milagro. To see the joy and hope in the eyes of each one of the kids was a very satisfying moment. And knowing that we made a positive change in the world is truly gratifying. We’re looking forward to next year’s trip.”

Following a shopping trip to Costco, the group of volunteers made the journey to Rancho El Milagro and delivered a truck-load of food, cleaning supplies and toiletries. While at the ranch, the volunteers also built-out a multi-media center that included computers to help the kids at Rancho El Milagro learn and explore the world. Of course the trip wouldn’t be complete without a meal fit for a Thanksgiving feast, some autographs, and a little fútbol.

Overall another successful event thanks to a fantastic group of volunteers who donated both their time and money to this worthy cause. Team GT sends a big thank you to

Jim Riley and Rick L. Johnson and the Azunia Team, Wahoo’s, BJ and Bobby Baldwin, and Baldwin Motorsports who donated additional money to expand the facility in order to accommodate the multi-media center. We’d also like to thank Rick D. Johnson and Team 71, Greg Adler from 4 Wheel Parts, Rob Sims from THR, Jessie Jones, PCI, Kevin Davis from Green Army, and Ricco Ferrante from NoHo Drink.

Anyone wishing to donate to Rancho El Milagro, please visit - www.ranchomilagro.org.

Race Car Prototypes of San Diego, Ca, (RCP), unveiled two new body designs at the 44th running of the infamous Baja 1000. The winning truck of Andy and Scott McMillin was clad in a new RCP Raptor body that incorporates the great looks of the factory design while fitting impeccably on their Geiser Bros. chassis. Not to be outdone, All German Motorsports took the wraps off of their unique BMW X6 Trophy Truck that also has RCP designed bodywork.

Andy McMillin saw the beautiful Ford Raptor body that John Tripp of RCP just completed for Stewart Raceworks’ Luxury prerunner and knew right away he had to have RCP update his truck’s looks to resemble the Ford Raptor also. The new look of the familiar McMillin Racing Trophy Truck got plenty of double-takes as they covered the brutal Baja 1000 course faster than anyone else.

To say that the BMW X6 of All German Motorsports is out of the box thinking for a Trophy Truck is an understatement. True to form for RCP, the X6 body is totally purposeful without compromising the beautifully sculpted curves of the production BMW. The team is still sorting out the new car but they successfully finished 20th overall on a Baja 1000 course that many people where saying was one of the toughest ever.

All RCP body designs share common traits, functionality and stunning beauty. A good example is the realistic headlight decals from Bink Designs that look seamless on the body but in fact are removable to expose powerful driving lights underneath. You can have the most highly engineered chassis built by the best fabricators in the world but people will always be drawn to how the vehicle looks. John Tripp has the skills needed to design and sculpt beautiful forms but he also has the first hand mechanical knowledge that comes from his experience as a fabricator, a co-driver, someone who has had to work on vehicles in the field. RCP bodies are lightweight where practical and braced where they need to be strong. They have plenty of tire clearance and mount soundly but without losing proportion or flow, that’s where the artistry comes in.

Race Car Prototypes stays true to their name. “I like to concentrate on design”, says John Tripp, “I do the design work and create the molds and then turn them over to the team so they can make replacements. We do several large scale projects a year and in the interim we make Lexan bodies for 1/5th scale RC cars. Our Lexan RC bodies are known for their sleek designs and the fact that they are almost indestructible. Designing and building a full-size body is a lot of work, but we always look forward to new projects that challenges our creativity.”

If you want an RCP body designed for your car, you better get your order in soon. Judging by the way the McMillin TT, All German BMW and the Stewart Raceworks Luxury Prerunner turned out; RCP’s services are going to be in high demand.

Photography By Brian Binkert
Bink Designs – www.binkdesigns.com

About Race Car Prototypes
Started in 2008 Race Car Prototypes has quickly become well known within the off-road and R/C industries to service, concept, design & develop. Producing Lexan 1:5th scale bodies for companies such as HPI Racing and custom bodies for top tier race teams All German Motorsports, McMillin Racing, TSA Motorsports, Stewart’s Race Works.

For more information about Race Car Prototypes, please visit www.rcprototypes.com

About Bink Designs
Bink Designs is a premier graphic design company located in San Diego, CA. Since 2003, Bink Designs has been committed to providing cost-effective solutions for clients’ high-end graphic needs. Bink Designs will work with you to develop a strategy that matches your goals. Bink Designs offers a number of services, including: Identity, Print Design, Vinyl Graphics, Web Design, Photography & Apparel.

For more information about Bink Designs, please visit www.binkdesigns.com

JCR/Honda had an unforgettable weekend winning an unprecedented 15th Baja 1000 in a row and taking home the 2011 SCORE Championship!

It is the platform of the mighty Honda CRF450X that makes the difference for JCR/Honda. The blend of durability and performance are unmatched. Add to that, the strength of Lucas Oil lubricants, the handling of Pro Circuit suspension and the traction of Dunlop tires to mention a few and on top of that is all the hard work the racers, mechanics, staff and volunteers put into each race that makes this team so successful.

The race course was laid out in a single, 705 mile, rugged loop starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Racers were treated with rains the week of prerunning which helped keep dust to a minimum during the event.

It was the 1x Super Team of Kendall Norman, Quinn Cody and new comer Logan Holladay that would set the fastest pace, being pushed for nearly the entire race until the night fell and then finally would open up a 10 minute plus gap on second place to take the win in a time of 14:14:25. JCR’s 0x Team of Colton Udall, David Kamo and Timmy Weigand had their share of Baja setbacks and set their sights on clinching the 2011 SCORE Series Championship.

JCR/Honda would like to thank and congratulate the following teams using the JCR/Honda pit service for winning ALL the pro bike classes at the 44th running of the SCORE Baja 1000:
Class 21: Trevor Insley CRF450X
Class 24: Brandon Brown TRX450R
Class 25: Wayne Matlock TRX700XX
Class 30: Mike Johnson CRF450X
Class 40: Jeff Kaplan CRF450X
Class 50: Jim O’Neal CRF450X
Class 60: Richard Jackson CRF450X

“This Baja 1000 was a huge milestone for JCR and Honda. When you think of 15 straight Baja 1000 victories, that doesn’t just happen. It takes a collective effort of leadership, support, speed, skill, hard work, perseverance and desire. It is so fulfilling when you plan, refine, plan, refine and put so much time and effort into an effort and succeed on multiple levels. The 1x boys rode like the champions they are and I couldn’t be more proud of our victory. And to honor our late, great friend Jeff “OX” Kargola with the Championship of his dreams is incredible. I am so thankful to my racers, Eric Siraton for his meticulous mechanical skills and prep, pit staff, Honda and our all of our great sponsors.” –Johnny Campbell

“It was a rough morning for me. I crashed the bike about 20 miles in but everything was alright and I started finding my rhythm, got down the road and I was really excited to get through Borrego and the road crossing. My first stint was almost over and I hit the biggest mound ever and just sent it at 70 miles per hour and took the biggest digger. I don’t know how I popped up so quickly but everything seemed okay though I was pretty banged up. I kept the bike going, got it to the pit and had to do a few repairs on it. Quinn (Cody) pinned it hard and did a really good job and so did Logan (Holladay.) I got back on in the meadow in Valle de Trinidad and took her home at night. It was a really tough day. Baja had its moments with me today. It didn’t make it easy. We had a challenger with my former teammate Robby Bell. They were there all day. They fought hard and kept us honest. It’s going to be tough in the years to come in Baja. It sounds like there’s going to be a lot more competition and it’s going to elevate the sport and what we have to do to come down here and be successful. It’s good for the sport, good for Baja and exciting for all the fans too.” — Kendall Norman

“We didn’t really have any problems today.  We just rode steady and had a great race. I had my smarter, more mature teammate Timmy (Weigand) telling me to slow down and ride consistent.  Hopefully the points fall as we think and we collect the championship trophy in a few days.  And rest is history.  This race was for OX today.  We have all of OX’s friends here and it is a tribute to him.  OX helped us win this championship this year. We talked about our approach a lot during pre-running. I broke my hand two weeks ago so I didn’t get to do the number of miles I wanted to do. There was a championship on my shoulders and all I could do was mess that up so riding a smooth and perfect race was what we were going to do. If the championship is there, why push it? I want to thank Timmy, David (Kamo), our sponsors, everyone at JCR and my family.   Dave was quite a workhorse for us today.  He rode in some tough spots today but the bike never touched the ground.  It is still in great shape for the next race.” — Colton Udall

A few of the press pieces from the race

Cycle News article on the Baja 1000

Race-Dezert.com Breauxman Live “Kendall and Quinn Win the Battle; Colton Wins the War of 2011″ article

Race-Dezert.com Breauxman Live “MEET THE NEW BOSS” article

WIDE OPEN RACING CAPTURES

AN IMPRESSIVE CLASS 10 SECOND PLACE FINISH

AT THE 2011 TECATE SCORE BAJA 1000

Irvine, Calif (Nov. 23, 2011)— WIDE OPEN Racing, the racing arm of the adrenaline-filled off-road adventure provider WIDE OPEN Excursions, took a remarkable second place in the Class 10 Racing Division this weekend at the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

While most of the headlines go to the first-place winners in their brutish, high-powered trophy trucks, WIDE OPEN Racing pulled off this impressive feat in their #1010 four-cylinder Baja Challenge vehicle.  The WIDE OPEN car was driven by three teams of two drivers and led by Driver of Record Ed Mejia. The AOL Autoblog team drove the third leg of the race and crossed the finish line in second place for their class.

WIDE OPEN’s race vehicles are dubbed Baja Challenge (BC) Cars, which are purpose-built off-road racecars with Subaru EJ25 engines, Weddle 4 speed manual transaxles, and custom twin A-arm suspensions with more than 17” of travel. They are capable of speeds in excess of 95 MPH.

WIDE OPEN Sponsors include BF Goodrich, KMC Wheels, EIBACH Springs, MagnaFlow Exhaust, Barrett-Jackson Auctions and My POV 360.

The Wide Open Racing team consisted of:

• First leg: Ed Mejia and Jeff “Doc” Johnson
• Second Leg: John McInnis and Rick Skelton
• Third Leg: Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre from AOL’s Autoblog.com

“All three teams ran an impressive race,” said Wide Open Excursions Race Manager Nick Johnson “We had a mix of amateurs and professional racers in this car and they pulled together to show everyone what they could do.  I am more than pleased with everyone’s performance.”

About Wide Open Excursions

Since 1997, WIDE OPEN Excursions has provided guests and corporate clients with the world’s most unique and adrenaline-filled adventure opportunity. Their vision: To share the joy of high-performance off-road driving and the unspoiled beauty of the Baja peninsula and several U.S. locations, which were previously accessible only for the adventurous lucky few.

Much more than a standard racing school or follow the leader tour, the WIDE OPEN experience pushes the envelope of an adventure-based vacation. Their specially designed Baja Challenge cars provide guests with the performance and safety of a modern desert racer, but are comfortable enough for anyone to drive.

Wide Open Racing, the competition division of Wide Open Excursions, provides “arrive and drive” race seats in the same off-road race cars for amateurs and professionals looking to compete in off-road races. The Team Wide Open corporate car finished third in the Class 1 category at the Score Tecate Baja 1000 in 2010—a remarkable feat considering it was the only four-cylinder powered car in the class.

November 22, 2011

In 10 Pro Classes

21 SCORE racers earn SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards

For completing every mile of 2011 SCORE Desert Series

SCORE Awards Night to honor winners on Dec. 10 in Irvine, Calif.

     LOS ANGELES—After 1,762.02 dusty and rugged desert racing miles, 21 of the world’s best desert racers have survived the challenge of the five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series to earn coveted 2011 SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards. The 21 drivers, competing in 10 different classes, earned their prestigious honors by finishing every required mile in the World’s foremost Desert Racing Series. The 2011 SCORE Desert Series ended last weekend with the 44th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

All 21 drivers will receive their special awards Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine, Calif., adjacent to John Wayne airport, during the annual SCORE Awards Night celebration of 38 years of SCORE desert racing honoring the 2011 SCORE Desert Series point champions and the winners of the 2011 SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards.

Leading the way are six racers in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division and three in Class 1/2-1600 for 1600cc VW-powered open-wheelers.

The six SCORE Trophy Truck drivers who completed every race mile this season are: Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas (No. 70, Ford F-150), Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas (No. 20, Ford F-150), Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore. (No. 98, Ford F-150), Adam Householder, Orange, Calif. (No. 24, Chevy Silverado), Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif. (No. 78, Ford F-150) and Ken Losch, Tempe Ariz. (No. 10, Chevy Silverado).

Toyota is presenting these prestigious awards to the world’s toughest desert racers for the 26th consecutive year. The Toyota Milestone awards are going to those pro car and truck drivers who finished all 1,762.02 required miles in the five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.

“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 over a quarter of a century, Toyota has had the privilege of presenting the SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards to the toughest racers on the planet.”

For MacCachren, a six-time member of the AARWBA All-America motorsports team, this is a record fifth SCORE Toyota Milestone while it is the third for Steele and second each for Luke McMillin, Justin Davis and Clyde Stacy.

Jessica McMillin becomes just the third female along with Steele and Bekki Freeman-Wik to earn a SCORE Toyota Milestone Award.

The remainder of this year’s honorees will be receiving SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards for the first time.

The challenging 2011 season began with the 17th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in January and ended with the 44th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Nov. 17-20. The season-ending granddaddy of all desert races started and finished in Ensenada to La Paz, featuring a season-high 292 starters competing in 34 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs.

2011 SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards

(21 Racers have completed every required mile-1,762.02-in the five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series)

SCORE Trophy Truck

Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas

Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas

Adam Householder, Orange, Calif.

Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore.

Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif.

Ken Losch, Chandler, Ariz.

Class 1

Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif.

Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif.

Class 1/2-1600

Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif.

Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif.

Arturo Velazco, Banning, Calif.

Class 5

Kevin Carr, San Diego

Cody Kellogg, Cypress, Calif.

Class 6

Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif.

Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif.

Class 7

Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif.

Class 10

Sergio Salgado, Mexicali, Mexico

SCORE Lites

Rafael Navarro IV, Temecula, Calif.

Zak Langley, Santa Monica, Calif.

Protruck

Jessica McMillin, National City, Calif.

Class 4

Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Tenn.

Colton Udall is the new “King of Baja” and also the happiest person on 2-wheels.

Colton Udall- Quite Possibly the Most Greatful Man in Off-Road

“I want to say thanks to everyone who supported me this year through Jeff’s passing and all those who stuck by me and helped to win this honor. It’s something I’ve worked years toward and without the support of my friends, family, Johnny (Campbell) and TJ, none of it would be possible.”

Tom "TJ" Jones of JCR: "I am so proud of him. He earned this."

“I want to say a special thanks to Eric Siraton, who helped more than ever this year. He is the most successful mechanic in Baja and someone I look up to.”

JCR Mechanic Eric Siraton; "The Most Successful Mechanic in Baja"

After a traumatic year filled with the highest highs and lowest lows, this warrior met life’s challenges head on both determination and dignity. After watching the most coveted prize in the sport of off-road slip out of his hands a year ago, Udall and room mate/team mate Jeff “Ox” Kargola made their second straight San Felipe 250 title in March.

They Did it in Honor of Ox- (pictured after the San Felipe 250)

Then Ox tragically died the following month.

We Will Not Forget

After pulling it together and recruiting David Kamo onto his Baja 500 team, Colton battled out nearly 200 miles and made up an 8 minute deficit against HONDA rival Quinn Cody and taking his first ever Baja 500 title in honor of “Ox”. It was a historic race between the two top JCR HONDAs and after a huge celebration; the title was overturned on a navigation penalty. Righteously, Udall made the noble concession that he admittedly did not do all of the necessary homework.

Then Udall got picked by Kurt Caselli to represent the USA in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Finland in August. It was Colton’s first appearance in the event and an honor indeed to pick picked for this prestigious “Olympics of Off-Road”.

George Antill (right) interviews Colton Udall (ctr) and his little brother "Pee'In" Ian Young

For the bulk of the 2011 season, Udall went forward without one of his most trusted allies and mentors, Timmy Weigand. “When JCR decided not to bring Timmy back, it was a huge bummer for me, especially since Timmy has taught me more about racing Baja than anyone else”, Colton explained last March. Therefore, Colton was ecstatic to hear the JCR would bring Timmy Weigand back to the team to help Colton seal the SCORE Championship.

Timmy Weigand was back on JCR for the Baja 1000 and helped Colton seal the 1x Plate

Early in the championship Baja 1000, Colton the bike as far as the second Honda pit before handing off to teammate David Kamo. During his first run, Colton kept the pressure on Kendall Norman’s 1x and was within the minute time gap that they started off on. It was surprising to Colton’s handler Tom “TJ” Jones, a pillar in the JCR HONDA complex. “He knew what he was supposed to do and I think he was pushing too hard”, TJ explained, “I had to remind him to not get sucked into a battle for the race and to focus on why he was there.”

Mark Kariya Photo of Colton Udall speeding across the HWY 3 junction in Ojos Negros

After that and a reported fuel outage, the 0x bike began to settle in to a comfortable third placing and steered clear of dust and traffic. It was just a matter of bringing it home but at least with enough dignity that Colton raced with Kendall during his first section.

Timmy Weigand (L) and Colton Udall (R) Celebrate Ox and Colton's SCORE Title (not pictured -David Kamo)

For Kamo and Weigand, it is a tremendous honor to help Colton earn the 1x plate and to hopefully help defend it in 2012. We know that a lot of people will be trying to knock Udall off the podium next year including THR Kawasaki and KTM, not to mention Baja 1000 Champion’s Kendall Norman and Quinn Cody.

Timmy and Colton have worked hard to get to this point. They will have to keep it up in 2012 to stay on top.

Colton Gets Ready for his SCORE Series Championship for "Ox"

• Kroeker claims his second career Baja 1000 win.

Baja California, Mexico – (November 20, 2011) After a lengthy delay, due to a jack-knifed passenger truck towards the start line, the Class 8 division headed out for their adventure in the desert with Kent Kroeker representing General Tire (Team GT). The 2004 Baja 1000 winner maneuvered through the treacherous terrain with one goal in mind, another win. And that’s just what he did. Kroeker completed the 692-mile course without incident claiming his second Baja 1000 victory.

If you can’t be there to see all the action first-hand, you can get up-to-the-minute information on all the races atwww.twitter.com/teamgt.

• Burnett doesn’t let broken collar bone get in the way of his Baja 1000 race.
• Burnett’s second-place finish marks third podium for Team GT.

Baja California, Mexico – (November 20, 2011) In one of the most strenuous Baja 1000 races to date, Team GT driver Marc Burnett had to overcome a broken collar bone as he attacked the 692-mile course. Burnett got off to a great start but close to mile-marker 222 had to stop for a three hour repair. The unscheduled stop was indeed a set-back but it looked as if Burnett would be able to fight through and add to his Baja 1000 wins. Unfortunately his hopes of a win were dashed, but Burnett powered through 692 miles with un-matched grit and determination to capture second in Class 6 and second-place in the overall SCORE Series championship.

“Marc Burnett is a machine,” said Dana Zamalloa, manager public relations and communications, General Tire. “For him to have gone through everything he has over the last several weeks and still race the entire Baja 1000, with an injured shoulder, is simply amazing. I have a lot of respect and admiration for his determination. He’s exactly what the General Tire brand is about, toughness.”

“It definitely wasn’t easy,” said Burnett following the race. “I wasn’t going to let a little injury get in the way of a Baja 1000 win and possible SCORE championship. This Monster team worked so hard and we fought throughout the race. We had a set back at about the 222-mile mark and I thought we’d be able to come back from it but unfortunately we had to settle for second. I have to thank all my sponsors including General Tire for giving us a fantastic tire to work with in such harsh conditions.”

If you can’t be there to see all the action first-hand, you can get up-to-the-minute information on all the races at www.twitter.com/teamgt.

About General Tire

For more than 90 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing, Chili Bowl, Pro-Pulling, Late- Model Dirt Series, Drag Boat Series, Boost Mobile FreestyleMx.com Tour, Spec Tire of Trophylite and Pro Truck. Team GT supports off-road and short course teams including BJ Baldwin, Carl Renezeder, Rick D. Johnson, Jerry Zaiden/Jason Campbell, Jason/Rich Voss, Scott Steinberger, Ed “Clyde” Stout, Marc Burnett, Kent Kroeker, Mikey Childress, Jim Riley, Carey Hart, Josh Merrell, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Jason Ellis, Robby Woods, Casey Currie, Ryan Hagy and

Jeff “Ox” Kargola.

General Tire is part of Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. (www.generaltire.com). CTA, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a company of Germany-based Continental AG. With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009 Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has close to 160,000 employees in 45 countries.

BFGoodrich Tires dominates the Baja 1000 podium and wins 14 SCORE Baja 1000 Classes; Team BFGoodrich member Andy McMillin wins third SCORE Baja 1000 (‘06, ‘09, ‘11)

ENSENADA, MEXICO (Nov. 20, 2011) – BFGoodrich^® Tires, the official tire of the SCORE Desert Racing Series, won its 25th overall SCORE Baja 1000 title, with Team BFGoodrich member Andy McMillin and his father Scott McMillin taking turns at the wheel. The McMillins finished the race in 14 hours and 51 minutes, averaging 47.12 miles per hour throughout the course. Their victory on BFGoodrich Baja T/A^® KR tires marks BFGoodrich Tires’ 25th win in the last 26 years. BFGoodrich Tires also claimed eight of the top 10 overall spots.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 or a better weekend overall,” said Silvia Mammone, motorsports marketing manager, BFGoodrich Tires. “We are thrilled with the McMillins’ overall win, Bryce Menzies’ SCORE Trophy Truck championship and Nick Vanderwey’s second place podium finish, running for the first time on the 42-inch BFGoodrich Baja T/A tires. Congratulations to the drivers who finished what looked to be one of the toughest Baja races in history.  We are not only celebrating their individual accomplishments but also the 25th win for BFGoodrich Tires.”

The finish to the 44th Annual SCORE Baja 1000 was one of the closest in recent memory. Throughout the last 300 miles, Andy McMillin (#31 Ford Raptor), Nick Vanderwey (#84 Chevy Silverado) and Bryce Menzies (#70 Ford F-150) were trading places and rubbing bumpers. Vanderwey was first to the finish line, but McMillin came in less than two minutes behind and earned the victory with the corrected times. Menzies was third to the finish line, two minutes behind McMillin.

“That was the most intense race I’ve ever been a part of. I was 30 seconds to them, and Bryce was 30 seconds to me on the beach. It was a freight-train free-for-all. It was such a blast. It was so much fun. I’m glad to win my second Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 with my dad. It means a lot,” said Team BFGoodrich member Andy McMillin.
Vanderwey was the only truck in the race to run on the 42-inch BFGoodrich Baja T/A^KR tires. Moments after Scott McMillin thanked BFGoodrich Tires at the post-race press conference, Vanderwey said, “Well, I had the awesomest tires — I had the 42-inch BFGs on 20-inch TrailReady wheels. What a race — holy moly! It was intense racing.  We just hit so many rocks.  It was unbelievable what these tires will take.”

Bryce Menzies earned the SCORE Trophy Truck championship with his third place finish, capping off an incredible year for the SCORE rookie. Menzies started strong with a win in January at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and won his first ever SCORE Baja 500 in June.

Don Moss and his Class 3 team, other winners running on BFGoodrich tires, marked their 36th SCORE race win, third race win this season and eighth Class 3 win in this race. For Dan Chamlee, this race also marked his fifth Class 7 victory in this race and third race win in his class this season. Finishing a career-best fifth overall and in SCORE Trophy Truck, Clyde Stacy and Juan Carlos Lopez (#18 RPM Off-Road Chevy Silverado) finished in 15:40:38.

The Team BFGoodrich Wide Open Excursions race buggy piloted by Joel Weinberger, Super Touring U (STU)-class Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Runoffs champion; Brad and Roger Lovell, six-time rock-crawling champions; Andrew Comrie-Picard, X Games SuperRally bronze medalist and 2009 North American rally champion; Kyle Tucker, custom car designer; and Bud Brutsman, Hollywood producer, faced an epic battle throughout the race. After mechanical problems at RM 168, the team was able to make a comeback thanks to an amazing chase crew and finish sixth in Class 10.

A Family Race – Six Members of the McMillin Family Ran Baja This Year on BFGoodrich Tires

This year’s race also capped off the most spectacular SCORE race in the McMillin family’s 36-year history of SCORE desert racing.  Mark’s youngest son Luke McMillin, with driving assistance from Justin Smith, won Class 1/2-1600 for the second time this season and the first time in this race to secure the season point championship in his class for the second straight year in an AlumiCraft-VW. Scott McMillin’s daughter, Jessica McMillin, 26, (#1331 McMillin Realty Ford F-150) overcame an early rollover near Ojos Negros to finish the season undefeated with five wins with her victory Saturday in the Pro Truck class. She was the only SCORE racer this season to win her class in all five SCORE Desert Series races. Jessica, Andy, Daniel and Luke McMillin are all third-generation SCORE desert racers, continuing the lasting legacy left by family patriarch Corky McMillin, who passed away in 2006. Jessica McMillin also earned the SCORE Pro Truck class championship for the season.
An Unexpected Delay

The start of the 44th Annual SCORE Baja 1000 was delayed about an hour due to a semi-truck that broke down on the race course at race mile four. By the time the semi truck was spotted, 13 Trophy Trucks had already left the start line. Once the semi-truck was moved from the race course, the remaining Trophy Trucks were paraded out to race mile four and restarted. The finishing percentage this year was a strong 55.76 percent considering the intense degree of difficulty of the bone-crushingly rocky terrain and the unique ruggedness of the course.

SCORE Tally

The following is a complete list of BFGoodrich Tires 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 class winners:

• SCORE Trophy Truck – #31 Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin
• Class 1/2-1600 – #1600 Luke McMillin/Justin Smith
• Class 3 – #300 Donald Moss/Ken Moss
• Class 5 – #518 Jim Anderson/Rick Boyer/Mike Belk
• Class 5-1600 – #551 Jeffery Smith/Justin Herrmann/Eric Sheets
• Class 6 – #617 Josh Quintero/Chris Taylor
• Class 7 – #700 Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee/Daniel Chamlee
• Class 10 – #1008 Christian Hall/Jerry Penhall/Mark Talla
• SCORE Lite – #1248 Lee Banning/Lee Banning Jr./ Rick Graf
• Class 11 – #1149 Justin Matney/Jerome Miltier/Ramon Fernandez
• Stock Full – 861Wes Bevly III/Bryan Groesbeck/Chad Bunch
• Pro Truck – #1331 Jessica McMillin/ Hector Cuadras/Chris Andrews
• Class 7-2 – #720 Reid Rutherford/Danny Thompson/Benn Vernadakis
• Class 4 – #402 Tony Miglini/Jason Hart/Mike Shatynski

BFGoodrich Tires drivers earned eight of the top 10 overall four-wheel spots:

1. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #31 Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin
2. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #84 Nick Vanderwey/Curt LeDuc/Larry Vanderwey
3. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #70 Bryce Menzies/Ricky Johnson
4. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #23 Mark McMillin/Daniel McMillin/Chuck Hovey
5. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #18 Clyde Stacy/Juan Carlos Lopez/Justin Matney

7. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #54 Jesse James
8. Class 1 – #111 Ronny Wilson/John Herder
9. SCORE Trophy-Truck – #10 Ken Losch/Greg Nunley

44th Annual SCORE Baja 1000 Information

For the 37th time, the 692.82-mile course started in Ensenada and finished, for the 21st time, in Ensenada, extending over one of the most rugged courses in history through Baja, Calif. The race boasted 278 entries from 34 states and 16 countries that competed in 36 Pro and seven Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. It is the oldest and best known of all desert races, and it remains the single most meaningful accomplishment for drivers. Since 1967, the preeminent desert race has been run over the mysterious and challenging Baja, Calif., peninsula, except in 1974 when the international fuel crisis forced a cancellation.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, 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. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.bfgoodrichtires.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bfgoodrichtires, or on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/bfgoodrichtires.

• Davis becomes the youngest Baja 1000 winner and SCORE championship winner at just 18 years of age.

Baja California, Mexico – (November 19, 2011) In a grueling battle to the end, General Tire’s Team GT member Justin Davis won the Class 1 division of the 44th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. At just 18 years of age Davis becomes the youngest driver in history to win the Baja 1000. Without hesitations Davis completed the entire 692.82-mile course by himself chalking up win number three in Class 1 of his 2011 SCORE season. The Baja win also garnered him the title of 2011 SCORE Class 1 champion.

If you have not heard about the #1802 story from this years Baja 1000 I am sure it won’t be long until you do. Basically 1802 went from only a few people knowing of them racing this year to a couple thousand knowing of them racing, all because they took a wrong turn. They missed the turnoff in the Borrego area to head down south and do the San Felipe loop. After RDC followers caught their mistake a phone call was made to Weatherman to see if he could get a hold of them and let them know of their mistake and how to correct it. He did get a hold of them and they were able to get back and do the San Felipe loop. Even after the finish had closed on the time limit the team said screw time limits we are finish this race. The rest is history…..

If you would like to donate to their cause please visit their website at:

www.baja1000fundraiser.com

If you would like to meet the #1802 team in person there is a Baja 1000 finishers party for them tonight at 7PM (11/21/11) being held at:

Daily’s Sports Grill
29881 Aventura
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

http://www.dailyssportsgrill.com/index.html

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