The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge; the season opener for 2012. Get a first-hand view of this sick loop course as the team battles through the short course style turns and high-speed sections to make some moves on the competition!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

The opening race of the 2012 SCORE International series kicked off in Laughlin, NV next to the raging Colorado River.  The Laughlin Desert Challenge was broken in to two races, giving racers the opportunity to score points both days.  The course consisted of a 6.25 mile loop, featuring high speed jumps, sandy banked turns, rocky washes, and massive ruts known for crippling even the most capable of off road vehicles.  This spectator friendly course featured 8 laps of hardcore off-road action with tons of bumping and passing.

Not only did the Friday qualifying lap earn racers spots for the first race on Saturday, but it ended BJ Baldwin tire hysteria as well. Finally, BJ ran his much-anticipated new Toyo tires in competition; and he did it well.  With this quick and testing course in front of him, it was a perfect preview at what to expect from BJ in the longer races of 2012.

One lap was run on Friday to choose the started order for Round 1.  SCORE sent racers off every 4 minutes so each racer had a clear path ahead of them.  Top qualifier was none other than Baldwin, with an impressive time of 6 minutes and 23.99 seconds.  Recent Off Road Hall of Fame inductee, Rob MacCachren, qualified second, a mere 10 seconds behind BJ. Needless to say, that’s a hell of a way to open 2012.  Greg Nunley, Loyd Sproule, and Monster Energy’s Cameron Steele rounded out the top five.

Race day brought a calm and collected BJ, something not seen in 2011.  “This year I am committed to wining races. I am not going to let anything get in the way of victory,” said Baldwin, “I want to focus on smarter driving and finishing races, keeping my eyes on the another championship.”   The race, however, was a little different than the previous days qualifying, as BJ had to constantly fight off off-road race legend Rob Mac for the lead.  “Our plan was to take it easy on the first few laps, but right after the start the pace was quick and we were being pressured by MacCachren. He started catching us on the second lap so we had to turn it up. Losing to a legend like Rob doesn’t bother me, he is an amazing driver, but beating him is awesome!” commented Baldwin.

BJ further separated from Rob when Rob had to pull over and change a flat on the sixth lap.  From there, it was smooth sailing to the finish.   Juan Carlos Lopez, from Tecate, Mexico, crossed the finish line over a minute after BJ, claiming second place in the Trophy Truck class.  Cameron Steele entered three Dessert Assassins trucks to the race, including two Trophy Trucks.  Josh Daniel, in the #14 Truck, did not finish the race and after a promising start in the early laps of the race, Steele’s #16 truck transmission blew, sending shrapnel towards the passenger seat.   Co-driver Cody Stuart suffered a severe leg injury and was taken to Las Vegas for a nightlong surgery.  Cody will have a long recovery and we wish him the best.  Cameron attended Stuarts trip to Las Vegas and was with him throughout the night.  With him in mind, he booked it back to Laughlin in time for Sundays race.

Starting from the back, Cameron was able to battle through the field of 22 to finish his #16 truck 7th.  Truck #14 finished 5th, with Josh Daniel behind the wheel.  BJ ran in to mechanical issues that forced him to limp through the course by lap 3.  On board computer issues shut down 3 cylinders when he was 14 seconds ahead of Rob Mac.  BJ made it through the 4th lap but after hearing about medical issues concerning teammate and father, Bobby Baldwin, he cut straight to him.  Bobby suffered a heavy concussion and blurred vision in his left eye after a cruel landing off a jump.  Race officials called for SCORE rescue over the radio and took the two to medical facilities.  We are happy to report after a night in the hospital and several tests, Bobby has been released yesterday morning.  Both co-drivers took over the vehicles and neither would finish.

This weekend we saw two race extremes of the new era of BJ Baldwin.  Will the new tires make a significant difference, as seen on Saturday?  Will mechanical issues continue to haunt him like on Sunday?  Your guess is as good as ours.  I guess we’ll see at the BITD Parker 425 in early February.

Photos by Art Eugenio for Mad Media

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Day 2 of the Laughlin Desert Challenge found Rob MacCachren at the top of the podium after a tough battle with Juan Carlos Lopez. “Last year we were close and we ended up second, but this a great way to start the new season,” said MacCachren.  “Last year we swept both rounds in San Felipe and the shocks have really come a long way over the years and these little shock coolers up on top; that’s our secret weapon for San Felipe.”  “There was some great racing today. I can’t wait to do it some more.”

Rob Mac on his way to winning the LDC

The hired gun from Tecate brought the RPM/Clyde Stacy truck across the line in 2nd position. This solidifies Juan Carlos Lopez’s promise to be a threat in the 2012. “It was very hard and technical out there, lots of whoops,” said a very happy Juan Carlos.  “It was either too soft or too hard, but it was a lot of fun. The truck ran great and we had no problems.”

"PIN" at LDC

Taking home third was Steven Stroble who just came off a stellar year nearly pulling off a championship in a rival race series. “The course changed as the race went on and we lost some right at the end,” said Stroble. “The motor started to go a little bit soft and something in the suspension too.” “It was chewed up out there but we came home with a good finish.” “Right at the end, Rob (MacCachren) caught us so we let him by and we chased him on in to the finish line. I didn’t want to hold him up. We weren’t going to be able to get the win but it’s a great way to start the season. We’re going to San Felipe; we’re running for the points and everything counts to get these things across the finish line.”

Top honors in Class 1 was Cody Parkhouse.  “It is a brutal, brutal track. Everything is more squared off and twice as big – which suits this car well, but it beats you up,” said Cody. “We had no issues at all; we ran clean and ran fast. We got it (the win), but we’ll have to wait until it is official. Once again, I ran around with my dad for a lap or two, and it was fun.”

Cody Parkhouse

Second in Class 1 was Harley Letner. “It was a flawless run but I had to put a backup motor in after Friday, so it’s a little low on power but what it lacks in power, I make up on suspension” said Harley. “Our crew sets it up so great and it just works great. It was rough out there. Yesterday was a freeway compared to now; it was insane!”

And rounding out the top three in Class 1 was Brian Parkhouse. “We had no problems; it was just rough and I couldn’t keep up with the young kids.” said Brian. “I was pretty close to Harley (Letner) on splits, but we’ll take third just the same.” “The car worked great and the setup was good. The course got a lot rougher today. We expected that and made some adjustments on our shock package and compensated for it pretty well.”

Brian Parkhouse

The racing at the LDC was great as always but the overall atmosphere left something lacking compared to years past. What once was a exciting, action packed weekend of watching your favorite racers in door to door combat for the win is now just a shell of its former glory. Over the years, the race has been put through the ringer, shrinking in size and becoming less and less of a spectator sport. Many have speculated why, but from this writer’s point of view, the blame falls directly on the BLM and their questionable interpretation of the law. We keep loosing more and more and becoming less and less free to do what we enjoy doing. The days of treking out with the family, finding a nice spot, setting up a barbeque and watching a race are quickly going away, maybe even gone, and now given way to watching from behind a 6ft fence 300 yards away from a flat section of dirt. Where will it end? This race is a perfect example of why we need to get our asses in gear and fight for our sport. It’s time! Let’s do it!

Official Finishers:

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 8 laps, 50 miles)—1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 54:16 (55.28 miles per hour); 2. Juan Carlos Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Chevy Silverado, 55:28; 3. Steven Strobel, Clarks, Neb., Ford F-150, 55:40; 4. Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, 55:58; 5. Josh Daniel, Canyon Country, Calif., (Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., driver of record) GMC Sierra, 56:11; 6. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 57:11; 7. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., GMC Sierra, 57:16; 8. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 59:20; 9. Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., Ford F-150, 59:40; 10. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Chevy Silverado, 1:00:30; 11. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Larry Vanderwey, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 1:01:36; 12. James Bult, Monee, Ill, Dodge Ram2500, 1:01:37;   13. Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Chevy CK1500, 1:12:05; 14. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1:15:50. (21 Starters, 14 Finishers)
CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 8 laps, 50 miles)—1. Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 57:10 (52.48 mph); 2. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 57:16; 3. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 58:30; 4. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 59:13; 5.  Jaime Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Porter-Chevy, 59:47; 6. Jeff Geiser, Phoenix (Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., driver of record) Geiser-Chevy, 59:58; 7. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Geiser-Ford, 1:00:01; 8. Steve Appleton, Boise, Idaho/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 1:00:52;
9. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Geiser-Chevy, 1:02:53; 10. Jeff Quinn, Irvine, Calif., (Monica Greenhill, Crowley, Texas, driver of record) Jimco-Chevy, 1:04:48; 11. Tony Miglini, Dallas, Jimco-Chevy, 1:11:41. (19 Starters,      11 Finishers)
CLASS 1/2-1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Robert S. Archibald, El Cajon, Calif., Mirage, 50:11 (44.84 mph); 2. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., Romo, 50:17; 3. Justin Munyon, San Clemente, Calif., (Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., driver of record) Kreger, 51:26; 4. Jake Wreesman, Ventura, Calif., (Jason Markham, Ventura, Calif., driver of record) Lothringer, 51:33; 5 Ignacio King, Ensenada, Mexico (George Peters, Newbury Park, Calif., driver of record), Penhall, 53:20; 6. Kyle Quinn, Irvine, Calif., (Brian Wilson, Irvine, Calif., driver of record) Kreger, 53:31; 7. Jesus Velez, Mexicali, Mexico, Curry, 58:32. (9 Starters, 7 Finishers)
CLASS 3 (Short wheelbase 4X4, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco, 44:02 (42.58 mph); 2. Tareck Karam, La Quinta, Calif. (Billy Bunch, La Quinta, Calif., driver of record) Jeep Wrangler, 44:05. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)—1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, 1:01:14 (42.87 mph) (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Erich Reisen/Ross Burden, Canada, 59:30 (37.82 mph); 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Thomas Fernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, 1:04:10.
(2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico/Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Chevy Colorado, 44:23 (50.69 mph); 2. Dan Holtz, Los Angeles/Rick McGeorge, Garden Grove, Calif., Ford Ranger, 53:54; 3. Rene Brugger, San Diego, Ford Ranger, 54:59;
4. Elias Canchola Jr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 1:00:05. (5 Starters, 4 Finishers)
CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Dan Chamlee, Summerland, Calif.,   Ford Ranger, 1:06:40 (33.75 mph). (3 Starters, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 54:56 (40.96 mph); 2. Jon Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 58:41;
3. Rich Severson, Tucson, Ariz., Ford Ranger, 1:05:20. (4 Starters, 3 Finishers)
CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Rodolfo Iribe, San Ysidro, Calif.,  Chevy Silverado, 48:08 (46.75 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)—1. Michael LaPaglia, Murrieta, Calif., 54:38 (48.05 mph); 2. Peter Hajas, Wayzata, Minn., Kreger-Chevy, 56:20; 3. Chuck Sacks, Canyon Lake, Calif., (Matt Cullen, Long Beach, Calif., driver of record) AlumiCraft-Honda, 56:26; 4. Perry McNeil, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 57:28; 5. Mike Lawrence, El Monte, Calif., Chenowth-Honda, 58:35; 6. Mark Lawrence, El Monte, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 59:40. (6 Starters, 6 Finishers)
SCORE LITES (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)— 1. Otoneil Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Curry, 55:08 (47.61 mph); 2. Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., (Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, driver of record) Moulton, 55:27; 3. Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif.,(Rafael Navarro IV, Temecula, Calif., driver of record) Jimco, 56:03; 4. Matt Laughlin, Laughlin, Nev., Penhall, 57:28; 5. Jeff Sanca, Canada, Porter, 59:18; 6. Lobsam Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, Curry, 1:12:13. (6 Starters, 6 Finishers)
STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570, Lexus, 46:30 (40.32 mph); 2. Chad Bunch, Corpus Christi, Texas (Wes Bevly III, Corpus Christi, Texas, driver of record) Ford F-150, 47:05; 3. Marc Stein, San Diego, Ford F-150, 48:52. (3 Starters, 3 Fiinishers)
STOCK MINI (Stock, mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Andy Bell/Ted Moncure, Long Beach, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 1:06:42 (28.11 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 7-2 (Unlimited Mini-Truck, 2.2/2.4-Liter Ecotec engine, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Billy Wilson/Wes Bevly IV, Corpus Christi, Texas, BajaLite-Chevy, 49:13 (45.72 mph); 2. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., Mason-Chevy, 51:00; 3. Dana Dague, Huntington Beach, Calif./Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Mason-Chevy, 57:59. (3 Starters, 3 Finishers)
CLASS 4 (Unlimited open-wheel car, 2.2/2.4-Liter Ecotec engine, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)—1. Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va., PSD-Chevy, 1:00:02 (43.73 mph); 2. Shawn Twitchell, Nampa, Idaho (Mike Shaffer, Oakland, Calif., driver of record) Custom-Chevy, 1:01:11. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
CLASS 2 (Unlimited open-wheel, car/truck, 3.5-Liter Turbo or supercharged, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)— 1. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Steven Arlia, Phoenix, PSD-Chevy, 54:55 (40.97 mph); 2. Jon Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 1:04:30. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
SPORTSMAN
SPT BUGGY, 6 laps, 37.5 miles—1. Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va., RGBuggy-Chevy, 55:33 (40.50 mph).        (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
SPT TRUCK, 5 laps, 31.25 miles—1. Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 46:57 (39.94 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

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TOP OVERALL FINISHERS
Position, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 16-lap, 100-mile time (miles per hour)
1. Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:51:38 (53.75 miles per hour)
2. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:52:37 (53.28 mph)
3. Gus Vildosola Jr/Gus Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:56:37 (51.45 mph)
4. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:58:15 (50.74 mph)
5. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:58:41 (50.56 mph)
6. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., ESM-Chevy, Class 1, 1:59:35 (50.17 mph)
7. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:59:49 (50.08 mph)
8. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, Class 1, 2:00.29 (49.80 mph)
9. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:00:53 (49.64 mph)
10. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:01:02 (49.57 mph)
11. Lloyd Sproule/Derrick Sproule, Canada/Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif./Tim Scalzo, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:01:10 (49.52 mph)
12. Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif., Racer-Chevy, Class 1, 2:02:18 (49.06 mph)
13. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:02:30 (48.98 mph)
14. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:04:15 (48.29 mph)
15. B.J. Baldwin/Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:04:23 (48.24 mph)
16. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark) Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:06:25 (47.46 mph)
17. Will Staats Jr., Valencia, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:07:15 (47.15 mph)
18. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Geiser-Ford, Class 1, 2:09:35 (46.30 mph)
19. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:09:51 (46.21 mph)
20. James Bult, Molnee, Ill., Dodge Ram1500, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:10:48 (45.87 mph)
21. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:12:18 (45.35 mph)
22. Steve Appleton, Boise, Idaho, Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:12:38 (45.24 mph)
23. Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:13:13 (45.04 mph)
24. T.J. Flores, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, Class 1, 2:13:28 (44.95 mph)
25. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 2:15:44 (44.20 mph)

CLASS BY CLASS OFFICIAL FINISHERS
SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 16 laps, 100 miles) —1. Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1 hour, 51 minutes, 38 seconds (53.75 miles per hour); 2. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Ford F-150, 1:52:37; 3. Gus Vildosola Jr/Gus Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 1:56:37; 4. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1:58:15; 5. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 1:58:41; 6. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 1:59:49; 7. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 2:00:53; 8. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., drove Sunday, Ford F-150, 2:01:02; 9. Lloyd Sproule/Derrick Sproule, Canada/Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif./Tim Scalzo, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford F-150, 2:01:10; 10. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, 2:02:30; 11. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 2:04:15; 12. B.J. Baldwin/Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 2:04:23; 13. Will Staats Jr., Valencia, Calif., Ford F-150, 2:07:15; 14. James Bult, Molnee, Ill., Dodge Ram1500, 2:10:48; 15. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 2:12:18; 16. Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:13:13; 17. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 2:15:44. (32 starters, 17 finishers).

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 16 laps, 100 miles)—1. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., ESM-Chevy, 1:59:35 (50.17 mph); 2. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 2:00.29; 3. Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif.,/Dale Dondel drove Sunday, Racer-Chevy, 2:02:18; 4. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark) Jimco-Chevy, 2:06:25; 5. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Geiser-Ford, 2:09:35; 6. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:09:51; 7. Steve Appleton, Boise, Idaho, Jimco-Chevy, 2:12:38; 8. T.J. Flores, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 2:13:28; 9. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:16:46; 10. Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./John Herder, Tucson, Ariz., Jimco-Chevy, 2:21:30; 11. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif./Eduardo Gonzalez, National City, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 2:23:21; 12. Victor Gruber, Costa Mesa, Calif., Racer-Chevy, 2:23:23; 13. Josh Rigsby, Santa Fe, N.M., Penhall-Chevy, 2:28:37; 14. Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:32:01. (27 starters, 14 finishers).

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco, 1:41:12 (44.47 mph); 2. Arnoldo Ramirez, Ensenada, Mexico, Curry, 1:41:15; 3. Mario Gastelum, El Centro, Calif., Jimco, 1:42:18; 4. Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., AlumiCraft, 1:42:22; 5. Rob Archibald, El Cajon, Calif., Mirage, 1:43:10; 6. Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Justin Munyon, San Clemente, Calif., Kreger, 1:46:08; 7. Arturo Velazco/Abel Velazco, Banning, Calif., VBR, 1:46:43; 8. Mac Marmon, Fort Mohave, Ariz., ADR, 1:59:59. (12 starters, 8 finishers).

CLASS 3 (Short wheelbase 4X4, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco, 1:37:47 (38.35 mph). (1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, 2:01:07 (43.35 mph); 2. Victor Cesena, Cabo San Lucas, Calif., 2:11:34; 3. Cody Kellogg, Cypress, Calif./Rick Wilcoxson, Upland, Calif., 2:20.38. (3 starters, 3 finishers).

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:33:20 (48.21 mph); 2. Jeffery T. Holmes, Monte Serena, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:34:33; 3. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rene Brugger, San Diego, Ford Ranger, 1:42:15; 4. Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:46:52; 5. Scott Ulrich, Carlsbad, Calif.Roland Sarmiento, Bonsall, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:49:49. (6 starters, 5 finishers).

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 2:08:16
(35.08 mph). (2 starters, 1 finisher).

CLASS 7SX (Modified, stock mini trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Elias Hanna, San Diego, Ford Ranger, 1:28:13 (42.51 mph); 2. John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif./Scot Jones, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:33:34. (2 starters, 2 finishers).

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn./Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Chevy Silverado, 1:35:02 (47.35 mph); 2. Noah Ostanik, Encinitas, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:38:41. (2 starters, 2 finishers).

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—1. Michael LaPaglia, Murrieta, Calif., Racer-Chevy, 1:47:52 (48.67 mph); 2. Alex Mendez, San Diego, Jimco-Honda, 1:51:38; 3. Edgar Avalos, El Paso, Texas, RCD-Toyota, 1:54:51; 4. Sergio Salgado, Mexicali, Mexico, Jimco-Honda, 1:57:34; 5. John Langley/Morgan Langley, Santa Monica, Calif., Racer-Chevy, 2:07:06. (9 starters, 5 finishers).

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—
1. Jaime Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Curry, 1:49:20 (48.02 mph); 2. Francisco Villagomez, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, Pabloff, 1:50:56; 3. Rafael Navarro IV, Temecula, Calif./Vic Bruckmann, San Diego, Jimco, 1:53:38; 4. Perry McNeil, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer, 1:54:53; 5. Otoniel Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Curry, 1:55:55; 6. Zak Langley, El Segundo, Calif./Bernie Carr, Solvang, Calif., SmithFab, 1:58:02; 7. Samuel Araiza, La Paz, Mexico, Curry, 1:58:17; 8. Carlos Montalvan, Chula Vista, Calif., Curry, 2:01:02. (14 starters, 8 finishers).

CLASS 11 (Stock, VW Sedans, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., 1:18:38
(28.61 mph); 2. Matt Cullen, Long Beach, Calif./Mike Lombardi, Lakewood, Calif., 1:22.17. (2 starters, 2 finishers).

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized Trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Wes Bevly III, Corpus Christi, Texas, Ford F-150, 1:50:02 (34.08 mph). (3 starters, 1 finisher).

PROTRUCK (Limited, production trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Jessica McMillin, National City, Calif./Rhiannon Freiley, Signal Hill, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:49:23 (41.14 mph). (1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 7-2 (Unlimited 2.2/2.4-Liter Truck, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Wes Bevly IV, Corpus Christi, Texas, Baja Lite-Chevy, 1:33:29 (40.11 mph). (2 starters, 1 finisher).

CLASS 4 (Unlimited, 2.2 Liter open-wheel car, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—1. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico, PSD-Chevy, 2:04:20 (42.23 mph); 2. Tony Miglini, Dallas, Predator X-18S-Chevy, 2:31:30. (3 starters, 2 finishers).

SPORTSMAN
SPT TRUCK—(10 laps, 62.5 miles)—(4 starters, 0 finishers).

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TOP OVERALL LEADERS – SATURDAY (Jan. 15)
Rank, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 8-lap, 50-mile time (miles per hour)
1. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Ford F-150, 55 minutes, 59 seconds (53.59 miles per hour)
2. Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas/Peter Mortensen, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 56:03 (53.52 mph)
3. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 56:47 (52.83 mph)
4. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 57:38 (52.05 mph)
5. Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 57:38 (52.05 mph)
6. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 57:45 (51.95 mph)
7. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 58:28 (51.31 mph)
8. Gus Vildosola Jr/Gus Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 58:30 (51.28 mph)
9. Justin Lofton, Huntersville, N.C, Jimco-Chevy, 58:32 (51.25 mph)
10. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., ESM-Chevy, 59:05 (50.78 mph)
11. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 59:17 (50.60 mph)
12. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Geiser-Ford, 59:31 (50.40 mph)
13. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 59:42 (50.25 mph)
14. Bobby Baldwin/B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 59:45 (50.21 mph)
15. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 59:46 (50.20 mph)
16. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, 59:57 (50.04 mph)
17. Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 1:00:02 (49.97 mph)
18. T.J. Flores, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 1:00:07 (49.90 mph)
19. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:00:43 (49.41 mph)
20. Lloyd Sproule/Derrick Sproule, Canada/Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif./Tim Scalzo, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:01:06 (49.10 mph)
21. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1:01:12 (49.02 mph)
22 Will Staats Jr., Valencia, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:01:45 (48.58 mph)
23. Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy, 1:01:46 (48.57 mph)
24. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Jimco-Chevy, 1:01:54 (48.47 mph)
25. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 1:02:37 (47.91 mph)

Today marked day one of the 2011 SCORE series in Laughlin, NV. On tap for today was qualifying for the Trophy Truck class and the Laughlin Leap. Robby Gordon laid down the fastest lap time around the 6.25 mile track, with BJ Baldwin coming in 9 seconds behind him. It will be a battle of energy drinks as the top 5 qualifiers are either sponsored by Speed Energy, Monster, Redbull or Rockstar. Stay tuned for racing action all weekend long!

1. 77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 6 minutes, 23.08 seconds (58.78 miles per hour)
2. 97 B.J. Baldwin/Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 6:32 (57.40mph)
3. 70 Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas/Peter Mortensen, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 6:37 (56.68mph)
4. 21 Gus Vildosola Jr/Gus Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 6:40 (56.25mph)
5. 20 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 6:43 (55.83mph)
6. 8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 6:45 (55.56mph)
7. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., GMC Sierra, 6:49 (55.01mph)
8. 2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 5:49 (55.01mph)
9. 48 Jimmy Nuckles, Brawley, Calif., Ford F-150, 6:51 (54.75mph)
10. 74 Rob Bruce/Kimberly Bruce, Sublimity, Ore., Chevy Silverado, 6:57 (53.96mph)
11. 9 Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 6:58 (53.83mph)
12. 10 Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:02 (53.32mph)
13. 30 Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:02 (53.32mph)
14. 51 Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 7:05 (52.94mph)
15. 78 Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:11 (52.20mph)
16. 98 Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 7:11 (52.20mph)
17. 95 Scott Whipple/Scott Gailey, Norco, Calif., Chevy C1500, 7:12 (52.08mph)
18. 56 Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif./Jeff Seifert, Jamul, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:13 (51.96mph)
19. 7 Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:13 (51.96mph)
20. 23 Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:14 (51.84mph)
21. 65 Lloyd Sproule/Derrick Sprule, Canada/Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif./Tim Scalzo, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:16 (51.61mph)
22. 42 Will Staats Jr., Valencia, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:23 (50.79mph)
23. 84 Nick Vanderwey/Larry Vanderwey, Litchfield Park, Chevy Silverado, 7:25 (50.56mph)
24. 36 Glen Greer, Green Valley, Ariz., Dodge Ram1500, 7:26 (50.45mph)
25. 37 Tommy Greer, Tucson, Ariz./Bruce Greer Jr, Oro Valley, Ariz., Dodge Ram1500, 7:27 (50.34mph)
26. 47 James Bult, Molnee, Ill., Dodge Ram1500, 7:39 (49.02mph)
27. 91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 7:44 (48.49mph)
28. 18 Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 8:03 (46.58mph)
29. 96 Bobby Baldwin/B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (DNF)
30. 1 Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Ford F-150 (DNS)
31. 66 Harry Hepler, Lansing, Mich., Chevy Silverado (DNS)
32. 24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado (DNS)

[Show as slideshow]

Race-Dezert.com event coverage of the 2010 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Featuring the Trophy Truck and Class 1 races.

SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge 2010

Laughlin marked the first off-road race we at RDC attended to and despite low attendance it was exciting. The RDC event coverage video concentrates on Trophy Trucks and Class 1. Watch the video that tells the story.

(Double click video for full screen experience)

The first race of the year for SCORE is now officially in the record books. Today was another great day of racing, and here are some highlights from todays action. Enjoy!

[Show as slideshow]

Halopoff wins Class 1

Andy McMillin dominates star-studded field to grab Overall victory;

SCORE Trophy-Truck win at 16^th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Other class winners include: MacCachren, Villagomez, Lawrence, Caspino, Carr, Bacal and Lopez

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—San Diego’s third-generation desert racer Andy McMillin completed a perfect run Sunday, easily dominated a field of star-studded racers to capture the Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory at the season-opening 16^th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. With the race split into two days of 8 laps each of an intensely rugged 6.25-mile course, Andy McMillin ran a combined total time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 03 seconds, averaging 49.16 miles per hour in his No. 31 McMillin Racing Ford F-150.

The fastest qualifier for his class, Andy McMillin had a one minute, 20-second lead after the opening 8 laps on Saturday extending his lead permanently on the first lap Sunday as all of his challengers fell by the wayside. As the checkered flag fell and the dust settled, his final victory margin was by 7 minutes, 36 seconds over Las Vegas’ Kory Scheeler, who finished the two-day event in 2:09:39 in his No. 51 Real Tech Motorsports Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck.

The event featured 126 starters from 11 States, Mexico, Denmark and Germany, who competed in 17 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks for over $300,000 in prize money and contingency postings. The classes were split into five groups in Laughlin, the Southern Nevada resort destination along the banks of the Colorado River, each running as part of one of five races each day of five to eight laps over the rugged and challenging 6.25-mile race course. The event was Round 1 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series.

“It was a great day for us out there today,” said Andy McMillin, who was a prep basketball star at Poway HS near San Diego. “Once we got out in front of Pete (Sohren, No. 2) about the first corner, I just wanted to make sure that we didn’t let him or B.J. (Baldwin, No. 97) get around me. And then B.J. wasn’t there after the first lap so it was cruise control all the way. It was awesome. Compared to Saturday, (I backed off) a lot. Laughlin is a race of survival so I knew I had to get to the finish line first in order to win. The last four laps, I was just cruising. The bumps were getting so big out there but it was a real fun course.”

“Thanks to Sal (Fish) for putting on the race,” Andy McMillin added. “I just really enjoyed myself. I’ve never won here at Laughlin so it really feels good. It was an awesome way to end last year (with a win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000) and a great way to start this year off. I think it just counts for the team and just feeling confident. Every time I go to the start line, I know I have a chance of winning in this truck as long as I don’t make a mistake. That says a lot about our team and the way they put this truck together and I couldn’t be happier.”

Another third generation desert racer, Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., survived tremendous attrition caused by the difficulty of the course, defeating a talented group of 23 racers in the unlimited Class 1 to win his class and finish fifth overall in 2:13:53, averaging 44.82 mph for his eight laps.  Driving solo in his Letner Racing Chevy-powered Tatum open-wheel desert race car, he earned his first class win in this race and his second-career SCORE Class 1 race win, and first as driver of record.  He was the second driver for his cousin Harley Letner as together they were the overall and Class 1 winners of last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

Halopoff led by just one-second after Saturday’s 8 laps, but quickly pulled farther and farther ahead on Sunday as his top challengers fell back because of mechanical issues.  Second in Class 1 to Halopoff was Mexico’s Robert Ross who was the fastest on the course for Sunday’s eight laps in his class and finished second in Class 1 and sixth overall in his Jeffries Racing Racer-Chevy.

Racing in comfortable weather with slight breezes, mild temperatures, under mostly sunny skies, Andy McMillin started from the pole on Saturday and Sunday and physically led all but one of the 16 laps over the weekend.

Andy McMillin, 22, whose McMillin Racing family team had six entries in the race, dominated the 28-truck field for his third career race win in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800-horsepower unlimited production trucks and second straight after winning last year’s 42^nd Annual  Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 with his father Scott McMillin. After running the fast lap of the day to start Sunday’s half of the race at 7:10, Andy McMillin earned the first SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race win for his famous family, ran consistently patient victory laps of 7:33, 7:37, 7:44, 7:53, 7:56, 8:17 and 8:25.

Third overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck was Nick Vanderway, Litchfield Park, Ariz., with a time of 2:10:41 in the No. 84 Chevy Silverado.

Fourth overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck was Andy McMillin’s uncle Mark McMillin, whose combined total time for the race was 2:12:20 in the No. 23 McMillin Racing Ford F-150.

Finishing a SCORE career-best fifth in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division and seventh overall was key executive of Las Vegas’ City Center resort Bill McBeath, whose final time was 2:16:52 in his No. 91 Chevy Silverado.

In addition to Andy McMillin and his uncle Mark McMillin, McMillin Racing had six entries in the race. Making his first start in Class 1, Daniel McMillin (Mark’s son) finished third in Class 1 and an impressive eighth overall in a McMillin Racing Jimco-Chevy.

Also making her first SCORE race start, Andy McMillin’s older sister Jessica McMillin, finished 12^th in SCORE Lite in a McMillin Racing Jimco-VW. Luke McMillin, Mark McMillin’s youngest son, finished fifth in Class 1-2/1600 in a McMillin Racing Jimco-VW while Daniel McMillin had the team’s only DNF in another Class 1-2/16000 McMillin Racing Jimco-VW, finishing just two laps on Saturday and all six on Sunday, which was ninth among those that went all six laps.

Although he was officially a did not finish for the race because he completed only five laps on Saturday, the fastest SCORE Trophy-Truck in Sunday’s 8 laps was the No. 30 MasterCraft Racing Chevy Silverado driven by MasterCraft Safety CEO Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif.

In Class 1-2/1600, seven-time SCORE season class point champion Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas extended his four-second lead from Saturday to a final victory margin in his AlumiCraft-VW to 14 seconds over Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., who drove a Lothringer-VW.

In defeating a field of 21 starters in Class 1-2/1600, MacCachren earned his seventh career class win in this race and his 44^th career SCORE class win.  His seven Laughlin wins moves into a tie with Donald Moss (Class 3) and George Seeley (Class 5) for the most all-time class wins in this race.

MacCachren also raced in SCORE Trophy-Truck where he finished seventh in class in the No. 20 MasterCraft Racing Ford F-150.

In SCORE Lite, Mexico’s Francisco Villagomez scored his first SCORE race win, moving from fourth place Saturday to defeat a sturdy group of 20 racers in his Pabloff-VW.

Among the other class winners crowned Sunday were: Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif. (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10, Jimco-Honda), Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico. (Class 8, Ford F-150), Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug), Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz. (Stock Full, Lexus LX570, William Eriksen, Elizabethtown, Ky. (Class 2, PredatorX18-Chevy), Robert Morton, Aliso Viejo, Calif. (Class 9, DesertDynamics-VW), Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., (Class 7-2, Ford Ranger) and Troy Vest, Molalla, Ore. (Protruck, Chevy Silverado).

It was the third straight Class 5 win in this race for Carr and first for Lawrence, Hanna, Lopez, Bacal, Eriksen, Morton, Rutherford and Vest.

Sportsman Car race winner was Rory Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz. (Chenowth-Chevy) and Sportsman Truck winner was Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Ford Ranger).

Also of note, the four-vehicle Wilson Motorsports team of Long Beach, Calif., saw brothers Randy and Ronny finish third and fourth in Class 1 and seventh and eighth overall while second generation Wilson desert racers Brian and Brad finished fourth and 15th respectively in Class 1-2/1600.

A total of 61 of the 126 official starters finished the challenge, for a 48.4 percent finishing rate.

Round 2 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be the 24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 12-14, in Baja California, Mexico.

In addition to season point class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing 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 25^th consecutive year, a total of 61 drivers remain eligible after Round 1 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series.

The 16th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commission and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull–official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Blue C Advertising, Off-Road, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

More event information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

All-Time Overall Winners

1995—Ivan Stewart, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Ed/Tim Herbst, Class 1

1996—Rob MacCachren, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Ryan Thomas, Class 1

1997—Ed/Tim Herbst, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Mark Post, Class 1

1998—David Ashley/Dan Smith, SCORE Trophy-Truck

1999—Troy Herbst, Class 1

2000—Gary/Mark Weyhrich, Class 1

2001—Steve Sourapas, Class 1

2002—Dale/Mike Dondel, Class 1

2003—Dale Ebberts, Class 1

2004—Gary Dircks, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2005—Dale Ebberts, Class 1

2006—B.J. Baldwin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2007—B.J. Baldwin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2008—Pat Dean, Class 1

2009—Robby Gordon, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2010—Andy McMillin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

16^th ANNUAL SCORE LAUGHLIN DESERT CHALLENGE

Round one of 2010 SCORE Desert Series

January 15-17, Laughlin, Nevada

Post-Race Quotes – Sunday, January 17

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK

ANDY McMILLIN, No. 31 (First in class and first overall.) – It was a great day for us out there today. Once we got out in front of Pete (Sohren, No. 2) about the first corner, I just wanted to make sure that we didn’t let him or B.J. (Baldwin, No. 97) get around me. And then B.J. wasn’t there after the first lap so it was cruise control all the way. It was awesome. Compared to yesterday, (I backed off) a lot. Laughlin is a race of survival so I knew I had to get to the finish line first in order to win. The last four laps, I was just cruising. The bumps were getting so big out there but it was a real fun course. Thanks to Sal (Fish) for putting on the race. I just really enjoyed myself. I’ve never won here at Laughlin so it really feels good. It was an awesome way to end last year (with a win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000) and a great way to start this year off. Hopefully we’ll go down to San Felipe and win that one, too. Our plan is to go test down in San Felipe next weekend so we’re getting ready for the next one and hopefully we’re going to go win that one, too. (How about your momentum after two consecutive wins?) I think it just counts for the team and just feeling confident. Every time I go to the start line, I know I have a chance of winning in this truck as long as I don’t make a mistake. That says a lot about our team and the way they put this truck together and I couldn’t be happier.

KORY SCHEELER, No. 51 (Second in class and second overall.) – It was rough. It was like a chess game out there today. We did exactly what we knew we had to do. It would be difficult to beat B.J. (Baldwin), Pete (Sohren) or Andy (McMillin) on time so we just had to watch it and stay there and see if they broke, and the two guys behind us would have to beat us physically by a minute or so. We beat B.J. out of here and never saw him again. He was out there parked. About halfway around, about the fourth lap, Pete parked. So I knew all we had was Andy and there was no catching him so I just let the other guys go and we just drove a conservative pace. It was rough.

NICK VANDERWEY, No. 84 (Third in class and third overall.) – It was a great day, third overall. We started the day in seventh and said if we drive that same pace we’ve got, we’re going to end up fourth or third. First or second was just a little bit out of reach but, as it turns, out we probably could have got second. We’re happy with third. That’s a great way to start the year. It’s a rough, rough course, there’s no doubt about it. They did make a few improvements in some areas, but the wild card today was the water trucks. You go in one corner and it’s dry; the next lap it’s slick. We blew one or two corners on account of that but we settled down and got it.

MARK McMILLIN, No. 23 (Fourth in class and fourth overall. McMillin drove Saturday and Brian Ewalt drove Sunday. Ewalt was overcome by the heat following the race and requested medical attention.) – Ewalt said: It was pretty rough out there today. Our strategy today was just to finish. I just kind of went for it. I’m just whooped.

McMillin, who drove Saturday, said: I’m flying home (Sunday) and going to the Chargers game. The strategy was just to finish and get some points so (McMillin Racing) can go 1-2 in the SCORE Trophy-Truck points championship this year. We came up pretty good in points, but, boy, Andy did a good job.

ROBBY GORDON, No. 1 (Sixth in class Sunday, DNF overall. Steve Kendall drove Saturday but completed only seven of eight laps in the required time limit. Gordon drove Sunday.) – No, I’m not happy with my result. We came here to win. I broke two wheels. It was a long trip but we had to defend our championship here and get the best (result) we could get. Unfortunately, I broke two wheels out there but they’re our wheels and they’re made to break. The ledges here are just so sharp and it broke the left rear twice. It’s a bit of a bummer but it looks like Andy (McMillin) and myself are going to have a great race for the championship and I look forward to the challenge.

ROBBIE PIERCE, No. 30 (First in class on Sunday, DNF overall.) – We were two laps down with nothing to lose, so we said we’re going to let it go and let everybody know what this MasterCraft/Rockstar truck could do. That’s what we wanted to do today is show them what we could do. Yesterday on the third lap we lost the driveshaft. We got it into the pits and changed the driveshaft, but we couldn’t get enough laps in and we DNFed. So all we could do today was just hang it out and get some extra lap points. We had a blast.

CLASS 1

KORY HALOPOFF, No. 115 (First in class and fifth overall.) – It was a good run. Everything worked well. It was just rough out there — really rough. I have no idea (about the time differential). I hope I got it. That would be awesome. We had no problems. The course was rough. I don’t think they graded the back much. They were letting me know (where Robert Ross was). I know he was flying down the backstretch. I know he had me. I was hoping he’d make a mistake or something and I’d be able to get him.

ROBERT ROSS, No. 102 (Second in class and sixth overall.) – We had a rim fall apart (Saturday) and knock out our tire and also the brakes. We were in the pits for seven minutes but then we got back out there and got back in the top four, so we did good. Today, it was awesome. That’s the advantage of this car; the rougher it is out there, the better. We’re really hooking up with this BFG tire … we’re really doing good. We had no problems today. We just set a nice pace to get our momentum going and just try to keep up in the front. We weren’t too worried about Josh (Daniel, No. 114) or anybody else because they didn’t finish yesterday. I just went out there and whatever it was, it was. We knew as long as we could keep ourselves up in front, we could gain points. Our goal is to go for the whole SCORE season points. We’re good with either first or second.

DANIEL McMILLIN, No. 118 (Third in class and eighth overall.) – We had no problems today. It may have been boring, but that’s OK, right? We just drove about 85 percent both days and picked them off one by one. The strategy was just to finish. We just cruised both days and we had a good finish. Hopefully now we’ll run for the points championship. We’ll see. This is a good start. (On the family legacy.) The whole McMillin thing, it’s a passion of ours. It’s kind of a hobby but we really enjoy it and we take it seriously and we come to win and we did our best this weekend.

SAM BERRI, No. 105 (Fourth in class and 10^th overall.) – I might have picked up the pace a little bit today but a light car like this doesn’t do like the heavy stuff out there. Inside the infield and on the short, flat stuff it did all right but in the real deep stuff, I couldn’t keep the front end on the ground – it would shoot straight to the moon. We did all right. We didn’t have any problems. We didn’t push hard, we just got a pace that would bring it in and see what happens. I do all my own work so I try not to tear it up and as far as I can tell, it’s all in one piece. It ran all the laps and made it to the finish.

CLASS 1-2/1600

ROB MacCACHREN, No. 1608 (First in class. MacCachren earned his record-tying seventh career Laughlin Desert Challenge class win.) – There is no other class that’s here today that runs as hard as we did this morning. I’ve raced a lot of different classes but I can tell you, these guys run really, really hard. I was racing as hard as I possibly could – and it wasn’t enough at times. At the beginning, Cory (Boyer, No. 1648) was getting away from me and we started catching him as the race went on but in the beginning I thought we didn’t have anything for him. Then I got in a big battle with Justin (Smith, No. 13) for a lap and a half or so and I couldn’t get by him. They were watering the track as we went around there and he would splash water onto my shield and then I couldn’t see so I would keep getting close to him and then I’d get covered with mud … and I thought I’d never be able to catch him and go around him. Finally I was able to get by him without being mudded out and then we started focusing on Cory to get to him. I could tell I was gaining ground on him by the end. (On winning his seventh Laughlin class title.) It’s great. I love coming here to race in Laughlin. The track, the people coming out, it’s really neat. SCORE puts on a great event and that’s why we keep coming back. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Hopefully we can keep winning races because I love doing it.

CORY BOYER, No. 1648 (Second in class.) – I tried as hard as I could. I’m really grateful my dad let me drive the car today. Bean (Justin Smith, No. 1613) and I started right next to each other, I was able to pull him right off the start and I could see his shadow the whole time. I was just trying to stay in front the whole time. I could see (Rob MacCachren, No. 1608) and I’d put a few seconds on him and then he would put more seconds on me so it was a good race.

JUSTIN SMITH, No. 1613 (Third in class.) – We had a good day. The car went good, we had some good lines and the motor pulled really hard. We hooked up everywhere with the Yokohama tires, but I couldn’t get the car to work real well. I think I had some adjustments out on the front of the car; it just wasn’t working as good. We had a clean race and I think we ended up third for the weekend. I’m a little disappointed but we’re all within 30 seconds of each other, it sounds like. No problems; the car just wasn’t working that good. It kicked my ass a little bit.

LUKE McMILLIN, No. 1609 (Fifth in class.) – I’m the youngest (at 16; Mark’s son). I’ve been racing for about a year and a half but I’ve been driving the car since I was 12, 13 years old. I just run my hardest and see where I end up. (On the family’s racing tradition.) We’ve got five cars out here and they’re all pretty fast, but it’s in our blood. And grandpa (the late Corky McMillin) is watching and he’s with me all the time.

CLASS 5

KEVIN CARR, No. 500 (First in class.) – The course was pretty good. It was a lot nicer and softer than yesterday. We had a good race today. We were racing up in the 12s and everything and doing well. We stopped to help the COPs guys roll back over. It was fun. There were like six 12s in a pack and I was right in the middle of them keeping up with them so that was fun. We helped the COPs guys roll back over and then we started going and started having problems. It started making funny noises so I figured, hey, we better take it easy and see what’s going on and just finish (with a broken manifold and CV boot). It all happened the last lap, so that’s okay.

CLASS 6

DAVE CASPINO, No. 603 (First in class.) – It was great. I just drove the car 70 percent because I’ve got another race in two weeks. It came down to the wire, came down to (44) seconds. I didn’t push it at all because I had to keep the car together. This was just a fun race for us; if we win, we win, if we lose, we lose. It’s a hell of a race. The course was the same as yesterday – brutal. My BFG tires just held up – not a flat the whole weekend and no problems at all. I’m really happy to race here with SCORE this year.

ROBERT PICKERING, No. 604 (Second in class. Pickering drove Saturday and Josh Quintero drove Sunday.) – Quintero said: It was a lot better than yesterday. (Saturday), the backside was so rough everybody was flipping. They graded it, though, and it was kind of a surprise going through there and having it smooth. We were a minute behind Dave (Caspino, No. 603). We were trying to catch that minute up and hopefully we got it. We didn’t have any problems. It was perfect. Yesterday, we broke a brake caliper right at the finish line. We started right next to each other and I was trying to keep (Caspino) a minute behind us.

CLASS 7SX

ELIAS HANNA, No. 741 (First in class.) – It was a really nice day. I just cruised to the finish because finishing was first place for us. We got the first place so we’re happy. (Surprised when first-day leader Aaron Gomez was disqualified?) Yeah, but if you’re gonna race you’ve got to race legal. That’s the way I look at it. We come all the way from Mexico, Ensenada, to come and do a good job and we prep our car. Legal is racing. That’s a fair fight. We did a good race.

CLASS 8

JUAN C. LOPEZ, No. 801 (First in class.) – Everything went well today and it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there were few racers in my class. We had no problems at all; everything was perfect. This is my second time here. I love the track and I’m planning on coming back next year. Two years ago here, I won the first day and the second day, I had transmission problems.

CLASS 9

ROBERT MORTON JR., No. 901 (First in class.) – We had no problems. The sun kind of got in your eyes a little bit and there was a lot of water and mud. It was rutty after the SCORE Trophy-Trucks yesterday; that was a little different. But it just held together. For sure we’ll run Primm and maybe San Felipe. We’ll see how it goes from here.

CLASS 10

MIKE LAWRENCE, No. 1000 (First in class.) – We had a pretty good run. I drove my race and tried to stay out in front of the 12 cars. They can stay on top of it a little bit better than me. It was awesome, a great race, a good start to the season. The grading made it (backside of course) a lot better. But it’s pretty soft for us under-powered cars. This was the only (SCORE) race I didn’t win last year. There were no problems today. We figured out the motor problem was an alternator wire that was halfway in yesterday. Today it ran awesome.

SCORE LITE

FRANCISCO VILLAGOMEZ, No. 1216 (First in class.) – I’m very, very happy to find out that I was first — especially coming from Baja Sur and representing the state. I had a very aggressive strategy: either go for everything or break the car. I had electrical problems the first three laps but we fixed the master and that was it. This is my first time racing here and I’m very happy. We’re going to become frequent fliers now!

JUSTIN DAVIS, No. 1207 (Second in class. Daniel Folts drove Saturday and Davis drove Sunday.) – The tranny started screwing up on the last couple of laps and it kept popping out of gear. It was mayhem the first couple of laps but I found my rhythm and it all seemed to work out for the good. We try to always win but we just wanted to get a good, clean finish so we’re OK in points and it all worked out pretty good. This finish should put us in good position for the points. I saw the guy (Francisco Villagomez) who was going to win this thing and I was pushing and pushing and then I had him and then the tranny started screwing up and he got by me and then I got by him. I had a great time; I always love the battle.

BRENT PARKHOUSE, No. 1200 (Third in class. Parkhouse drove Saturday and Brian Burgess drove Sunday.) – Burgess said: “It’s all right. It’s Laughlin. The course is torn up. It’s almost not fun to be on it. The edges are way too sharp. It’s hard on your body. If we can come out of here with a top three or four, we’re fine. It’s just big-picture racing. We’ve got to finish. This race is really hard because if you break down you don’t have much time to fix it, and if you DNF you don’t get those big points that we’re after. Other than that it was kind of a boring weekend. It really is a survival race, even though it’s short. I personally think it’s harder to win here than the Tecate SCORE Baja1000.

MATT LAUGHLIN, No. 1249 (Fifth in class.) – It was great. They smoothed out some sections, but there were still some really rough sections out there. We just went as fast as we were willing to go. The car would go faster if I had the balls to do it. The car did well. I don’t know (if we’ll run the series). We’ll probably just pick and choose, at least for the first year. This was our first race ever, a brand-new car. It can only get better. This was the deadline to have the car done for this race. We live here in town and we said ‘we have to do it.’ We’ve been wanting to do it a long time.

STOCK FULL

JOE BACAL, No. 879 (First in class.) – This Lexus was just killing it this weekend. We got T-boned the first lap and had major body damage. This is a tough course but what are you going to do? It was a really good, tough race against Justin Matney (No. 860) in the Dodge. We really didn’t know what to expect – I’ve never raced this course before. This truck only has four races on it and we’ve finished every race so far we’ve entered. I really wanted to see what Justin was going to do and on the start, we just pulled him. I didn’t realize we’d have that much power over him. We had the lead until he hit me in that second corner and he got by us … but we got back by him in the next couple of corners. This truck is set up pretty well and we just ran our own race and kept it fresh. We’re all about getting it to the finish line. We’re going to keep winning races and keep people nervous, I hope.

PROTRUCK

TROY VEST, No. 1301 (First in class.) – It went real good today. The suspension got a little soft there at the end but we just slowed down a little and everything was good. We didn’t push it too hard, we just cruised at a good, medium pace and our laps times were pretty consistent for all six laps. We feel good. (On being only vehicle in the class.) We drove pretty much like we were racing so we did well and we’re comfortable. We changed the suspension a little bit last night and made it a little better for the course so we picked our times up probably 15, 18 seconds a lap. We’re real happy.

CLASS 2

WILLIAM ERIKSEN, No. 201 (First in class. Eriksen has won both SCORE races he has entered in Class 2.) – I approached today to go a little harder but it was really gnarly out there today, so we really got tested. What amazes me is how they make a car that can go this fast, be this economical and be this reliable – Predator is doing an unbelievable job. For somebody who wants to get into racing, this is where they need to start. The car handled well and now we’re two-for-two in this car. We need to get some drivers out here; the class needs to be built. I just think you can’t get a better car, especially if you’re just starting out. I was just having so much fun out there.

CLASS 7-2

REID RUTHERFORD, No. 721 (First in class.) – Another good run. The truck ran great and we got to pass a lot of 6s. It was fun. My daughter wasn’t yelling at me as much (to go faster). No problems. There are a few people broken down out there, though. But everything went good for us. We’re going to run the whole series in class 7-2. We rented this truck; we’re trying them all to try to find the best truck to win the class in. We’re going to try one of Pistol Pete’s (Sohren) trucks next and pick the best one.

16^th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1 of five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 15-17 – Laughlin, Nevada

6.25 miles per lap

TOTAL STARTERS: 126, TOTAL FINISHERS: 61 (48.41 percent)

OFFICIAL FINISHERS

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 16 laps, 100.0 miles)—1. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, 2 hours, 2 minutes, 3 seconds (49.16 miles per hour); 2. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 2:09:39; 3. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Chevy Silverado, 2:10:41; 4. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, 2:12:20; 5. Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Sivlerado, 2:16:52; 6. Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 2:17:58; 7. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 2:22:49; 8. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 2:28:39. (28 starters, 8 finishers).

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 16 laps, 100.0 miles)—1. Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy, 2:13:53 (44.82 mph); 2. Robert Ross, Chula Vista, Calif., Racer-Chevy, 2:15:07; 3. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:17:20; 4. Sam Berri, Murphy’s, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:20:46. (23 starters, 4 finishers).

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, AlumiCraft, 1:46:32 seconds (42.24 mph); 2.  Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer, 1:46:56; 3. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley, 1:47:14; 4. Kyle Conlon, Campo, Calif., Jimco, 1:49:12; 5 (tie). Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco, and Carlos Mantalvan/Samuel Montalvan, Chula Vista, Calif., Curry, 1:51:13; 7. Hiram Duran/Eric Duran, Tecate, Calif., Amplified, 1:51:17; 8. Quentin Tucker/Cole Edgmon, Imperial, Calif., Jorman, 1:52:48 (39.894; 9. Cody Robinson, Calexico, Calif./Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico, Romo, 1:55:07; 10. Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif./Hiram Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth, 1:57:49; 11. Rob Archibald, El Cajon, Calif., Mirage, 1:58:01; 12.  Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Penhall, 1:58:30; 13. Oswaldo Castil, Culiacan, Mexico, Arreola, 2:03:58; 14. Arturo Velazco/Abel Velazco, Banning, Calif, VBR, 2:07:42; 15. Gregg Reichman, Scottsdale, Ariz., Jimco, 2:10:41; 16 Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Bear, 2:13:01. (21 starters, 16 finishers).

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—1. Kevin Carr/Noe Valdez, San Diego, 2:14:42 (38.98 mph). (1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:49:11 (41.26 mph); 2. Robert Pickering, Las Vegas/John Quintero, Imperial, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:49:55; 3. A.J. Rodriguez, Perris, Calif, Ford Ranger, 1:54.21; 4. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Jamie Campbell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:59:26; 5. Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif./Rick Johnson, Spring Valley, Calif., Ford Ranger, 2:09:28. (8 starters, 5 finishers).

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—(3 starters, 0 finishers).

CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Elias Hanna/Jose Castro, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 1:53:23 (33.07 mph). (2 starters, 1 finisher).

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Ford F-150, 1:44:33 (43.04 mph); 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 1:55:37. (2 starters, 2 finishers).

CLASS 9 (VW-powered, Short wheelbase, single or two-seaters, 8 laps, 50 miles)—1. Robert Morton Jr., Aliso Viejo, Calif., DesertDynamics, 1:43:55 (28.87 mph). (1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—1. Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 2:02:47 (42.758 mph; 1001 Sergio Salgado, Mexicali, Mexico, Lothringer-Honda, 2:14:10. (3 starters, 2 finishers).

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 14 laps, 87.5 miles)—1. Francisco Villagomez/Jesus Villagomez, Col. Santa Rosa, Mexico, Pabloff, 1:59:22 (43.99 mph); 2. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif./Daniel Folts, La Habra, Calif., Seagrove, 2:00:44; 3. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Molton, 2:02.47; 4. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., SmithCo, 2:03:58; 5. Matt Laughlin, Laughlin/Ron Laughlin, Laughlin, Penhall, 2:06:17; 6. Jaime Huerta, Culican, Mexico, Curry, 2:06:56; 7. Samuel Araiza, LaPaz, Mexico, Curry, 2:08:04; 8. Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Mirage, 2:10:57; 9. David Callaway, Menifee, Calif./Scott Mapes, Riverside, Calif., Callaway, 2:11:20; 10. Lee Banning, Laveen, Ariz./Lee Banning Jr., Litchfield Park, Ariz., Foddrill, 2:12:12; 11. Tom Watson, El Centro, Calif./Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Prill, 2:15:02; 12. Jessica McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Jimco, 2:19:19; 13. Matthew Kupiec/Kurtis Kupiec, Palos Verde Estates, Kreger, 2:25:33; 14. Talya Dodson, Truckee, Calif./Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif., Mirage, 2:32:04. (20 starters, 14 finishers).

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570, 2:01:08 (30.96 mph). (2 starters, 1 finsher).

PROTRUCK (Limited, production trucks, 12 laps, 75 miles)—1. Troy Vest, Molalla, Ore./Robert Fitch, Silverton, Ore., Chevy Silverado, 1:51.55 (40.21 mph). (1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 2 (Limited, 2.2 Liter open-wheel car, 6 laps, 75 miles)—1. William Eriksen, Elizabethtown, Ky., PredatorX18-Chevy, 2 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds (36.300 miles per hour); 2. Sean McDonaldCanyon Lake, Calif./Eric Schmid, Fallbrook, Calif., PredatorX18-Chevy, 2:11:41. (2 starters, 2 finishers).

CLASS 7-2 (Unlimited 2.2/2.4-Liter Truck, 10 laps, 62.5 miles)—1. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., BajaLite-Chevy, 1:43:40 (36.17 mph). (1 starter, 1 finisher).

SPORTSMAN

OVERALL SPT CAR (12 laps, 75 miles) — Rory Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, 2:08:35 (34.997 mph). (4 starters, 1 finisher).

OVERALL SPT TRUCK (10 laps, 62.5 miles) – 1. 1503 Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif./Benjamin Wright, Laguna Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:49:22 (34.288 mph). (4 starters, 1 finisher).

TOP OVERALL LEADERS

Rank, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 8-lap, 50-mile time (miles per hour)

1. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:02:03 (49.17 miles per hour)

2. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:09:39 (46.28 mph)

3. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:10:41 (45.91 mph)

4. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:12:20 (45.34 mph)

5. Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy, Class 1, 2:13:53 (44.82 mph)

6. Robert Ross/Chula Vista, Calif./Kash Vessels, Bonsall, Calif., Racer-Chevy, Class 1, 2:15:07 (44.41)

7. Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:16:52 (43.84 mph)

8. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:17:20 (43.69 mph)

9. Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:17:58 (43.49 mph)

10. Sam Berri, Murphy’s, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:20:46 (42.62 mph)

11. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:22:49 (42.01 mph)

12. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:28:39 (40.363 mph)

Today was a day of great racing. From Andy and Tavo battling it out in Trophy Truck, to Dan McMillin getting 5th place in his first SCORE race in Class 1, Justin “Bean” Smith swapping motors in his 16 car to race class 12, and Pistol Pete turning his Trophy Truck into the ugliest Class 1 car ever, today was filled with good times.

[Show as slideshow]

Race finishes Sunday as MacCachren, Smith, Lawrence, Caspino, Chamlee, Bacal, all leading classes

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—Starting on the pole as the fast qualifier, San Diego’s third-generation desert racer Andy McMillin overcame a tight battle with Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr. to surge ahead of the field Saturday to take the first day Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck after the first of two days of racing in the season-opening 16th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Dueling through the rugged Southern Nevada desert for just under five of 8 laps over the bone-crushing 6.25 mile race course until Vildosola experienced mechanical difficulties in the infield section of the course, McMillin finished the first half of the race in the lead with a time of 59 minutes and 28 seconds, averaging 50.45 miles per hour in the No. 31 McMillin Racing Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Racing concludes Sunday for 17 Pro and 2 Sportsman classes for cars and trucks with racing starting at 7 a.m. and lasting to 5 p.m. Running 8 more laps each, the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will start the final portion of its race at 1 p.m., followed by the unlimited Class 1 at 3 p.m. The start/finish line area is located at the Laughlin Events Park at Edison Drive and Bruce Woodbury Drive in the heart of the Laughlin resort district.

As the leader on Saturday, McMillin will start again on the pole Sunday as joining the field of 28 SCORE Trophy-Trucks will be former overall SCORE Laughlin race winners Robby Gordon and B.J. Baldwin, who left Argentina Saturday where they spent the last 16 days competing in the Dakar Rally which ended on Saturday. Gordon and Baldwin were flying commercially from Buenos Aires to Miami where they have a chartered lear jet waiting to fly them to Bullhead City, Ariz., in time for Sunday’s final half of the race.

Steve Kendall, Tustin, Calif., drove Gordon’s No. 1 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500 around the eight laps on Saturday while driving much harder in B.J. Baldwin’s No. 97 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado was second-generation desert racer Chad Ragland of Phoenix. Unfortunately for Gordon, his truck finished eight laps over the time limit and will enter Sunday’s final half of the race in the 19th place and B.J. Baldwin will take over with his truck standing in third place.

Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., drove his No. 2 Ford F-150 to second place midway through the race, one minute and 20 seconds behind Andy McMillin. Sohren is also racing his vehicle in the unlimited Class 1 minus the fenders and body panels as a Geiser-Ford.

B.J. Baldwin will take over driving in his SCORE Trophy-Truck after Ragland drove the first 8 laps in 1:01:00, 1 minute, 32 seconds behind McMillin and just 12 seconds behind B.J. Baldwin on corrected time.

Round 1 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series features 124 starters from 11 states, Denmark, Mexico and Germany competing for nearly $300,000 in prize money and contingency postings.

Andy McMillin, who won last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck while splitting driving with his father Scott McMillin, is scheduled to drive again Sunday.

On Saturday, Andy McMillin ran very extremely consistent laps on Saturday of 7:13, 7:17, 7:13, 7:21, 7:23, 7:35, 7:35 and rather conservative final lap in 7:51 to secure his leading heading into Sunday’s finale.

“It’s really good to be here at the finish,” said Andy McMillin. “I’ve been feeling sick all week and had the stomach flu, but when I get in this truck, all of that goes away and all I think about it racing. I just went out and threw down some good laps and once I saw that (Gus Vildosola Jr.) was out, I just kind of cruised it in and made sure we got it here to race on Sunday.”

Surviving the extremely high attrition among 22 starters to lead the unlimited Class 1 is third generation desert racer Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., who is in eighth overall with a first-day time of 1:07:25 in a Letner Racing Chevy-powered Tatum open-wheel desert race car.

In second place in Class 1 and ninth overall, just one second behind Halopoff, is Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif., who drove a COPS Racing Penhall-Chevy. Martin, who led parts of the first eight laps before falling back and then watched the desert stop or slow down the other leaders, was the second driver in the car that won Class 1 in last November’s 42nd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Sunday, Justin Smith, who is also racing in Class 1-2/1600 (running second) and SCORE Lite (leading) will drive the Class 1 vehicle.

Standing in third place , one minute behind Halopoff and 59 seconds behind Martin is defending SCORE Class 1 season point champion Randy Wilson, driving a Wilson Motorsports Jimco-Chevy.

Running the fast laps of the day were SCORE Trophy-Truck racers Las Vegas’ Kory Scheeler and Mexico’s Vildosola Jr. Scheeler flew his No. 51 Real Tech Motorsports Chevy Silverado over the second lap in 7:08. Vildosola Jr. actually had laps of 7:10, 7:22, 7:14 and 7:13 before being sidelined while running just five seconds behind Andy McMillin after four laps on corrected time.

Scheeler enters Sunday’s final half of the race in fourth position in SCORE Trophy-Truck in 1:04:17.

Among the other class leaders after Saturday included: Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas (Class 1-2/600, AlumiCraft-VW), David Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Mexico (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, (Class 8, Ford F-150), Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz. (Stock Full, Lexus LX570), Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, VW Baja Bug), Mikey Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Justin Smith (SCORE Lite, Fraley-VW), Troy Vest, Molalla, Ore. (Protruck, Chevy Silverado), William Eriksen, Elizabethtown, Ky. (Class 2, PredatorX18-Chevy) and Robert Morton, Alisio Viejo, Calif., (Class 9 DesertDyanmics-VW), Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo. (Class 7-2, BajaLite-Chevy).

Besides SCORE Trophy-Truck and Class 1, several class leaders are less than a minute ahead of second place.

Just eight seconds separate the top three leaders out of 21 starters in Class 1-2/1600 as MacCachren leads Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif. (Lothringer-VW) by four seconds in currently third in the standings is Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif. (Fraley-VW) another four seconds back.

MacCachren, who has six career class wins in Laughlin, is also racing in the No. 20 MasterCraft Racing Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck where he stands 12th after Saturday’s first half of the race.

In SCORE Lite, Smith has a 36-second lead on the field of 20 starters using the same Fraley-VW vehicle with some mechanical modifications that he is racing in Class 1-2/1600. Second in SCORE Lite is Cody Freeman, Henderson, Nev., who is driving a Winkler-VW.

Also pulling double-duty, Smith will drive in both classes again on Sunday.

The stadium seating area includes the immensely popular SCOREvision large-screen LCD display, showing live action from nearly the entire race course.

The Laughlin Events Park with grandstand seating, vendor’s village and food court includes an infield section of the course that includes the popular Laughlin Leap and three long switchbacks.

Round 2 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be the 24th Annual MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 12-14 in Baja California, Mexico.

The 16th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commission and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull–official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Blue C Advertising, Off-Road, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

More event information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

16th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1, 2010 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 15-17, Laughlin, Nev., 6.25 miles per lap

Total Starters: 124 Total Finishers: 81

Top Overall Leaders – Saturday (Jan. 16)

Rank, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 8-lap, 50-mile time (miles per hour)

1. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 59 minutes, 28 seconds (50.45miles per hour)

2. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150,SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK,1:00:48 (49.34)

3. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas/Chad Ragland, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado,SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:01:00 (49.18)

4. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:04:17 (46.67)

5. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:05:23 (45.88)

6. Rob Bruce, Sublimity, Ore./Mark Witte, Silverton, Ore., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:05:26 (45.85)

7. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:05:31 (45.79 mph)

8. Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy, Class 1, 1:07.25 (44.50)

9. Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif./Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, Class 1, 1:07.26 (44.49)

10. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:07:36 (44.38)

11. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:08:25 (43.85)

12. Robert Ross,Chula Vista, Calif./Kash Vessels, Bonsall, Calif., Racer-Chevy, Class 1, 1:10:03 (42.87)

13. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:10:07 (42.79)

13. Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:10:07 (42.79)

15. Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:10:17 (42.68)

16. Rusty Stevens, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:10:42 (42.43)

17. Sam Berri, Murphy’s, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:11:01(42.24)

18. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150,SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK,1:11:47 (41.79)

19. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, Class 1 1:15:07 (39.94)

20. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado,SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK,1:16:10 (39.39)

21. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado,SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK,1:18:24 (38.27)

CLASS Leaders

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 8 laps, 50 miles, 28 entries, 27 starters, 14 finishers) – 1. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, 59 minutes, 28 seconds (50.448 miles per hour); 2. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 1:00:48 (439.342 mph); 3. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas/Chad Ragland, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, 1:01:00 (49.180 mph).

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 8 laps, 50 miles, 25 entries, 22 starters, 7 finishers) – 1.Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy, 1 hour, 7 minutes, 25 seconds (44.499 miles per hour); Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif./Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 1:07.26 (44.488 mph); 3. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., Jimco-Chevy,1:08:25 (43.848 mph).

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 6laps, 37.5 miles, 21 entries, 21 starters, 19 finishers) – 1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, AlumiCraft, 53 minutes, 11 seconds (42.306 miles per hour); 2. Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer, :53:15 (42.253 mph); 3. Justin Smith/Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley, :53:19 (42.200 mph).

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. Kevin Carr/Noe Valdez, San Diego, 1 hour, 7 minutes, 40 seconds (38.793 seconds).

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 8 entries, 8 starters, 6 finishers) – 1. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Ford Ranger, 54 minutes, 34 seconds (41.233 miles per hour); 2. Robert Pickering, Las Vegas/Bryant Layton, Tustin, Calif., Ford Ranger, :55:48 (40.322 mph); 3. Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif./Rick Johnson, Spring Valley, Calif., Ford Ranger, :55:49 (40.310 mph).

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 2 entries, 2 starters, 1 finisher) – 1. Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 53 minutes, 31 seconds (42.042 miles per hour).

CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 3 entries, 3 starters, 1 finisher) – 1. Elias Hanna/Jose Castro, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 53 minutes, 25 seconds (35.101 miles per hour).

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 2 entries, 2 starters, 2 finishers) – 1. Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Ford F-150, 51 minutes, 41 seconds (43.534 miles per hour); 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, :53:20 (42.187 mph).

CLASS 9 (VW-powered, Short wheelbase, single or two-seaters, 4 laps, 25 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. Robert Morton Jr., Aliso Viejo, Calif., DesertDynamics, 51 minutes, 2 seconds (29.392 miles per hour).

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles, 5 entries, 3 starters, 3 finishers) – 1. Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 1 hour, 1 minute, 8 seconds (42.939 miles per hour); 2. David Greenhill, Crowley, Texas, Chenowth-Toyota, 1:03:09 (41.567 mph); 3. Sergio Salgado, Mexicali, Mexico, Lothringer-Honda, 1:04:44 (40.550 mph).

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles, 20 entries, 20 starters, 18 finishers) – 1. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., SmithCo, 57 minutes, 34 seconds (45.599 miles per hour); 2. Cody Freeman/Kenny Freeman, Henderson, Nev., Winkler, :58:10 (45.128 mph); 3. Jaime Huerta, Culican, Mexico, Curry, :59:09 (44.378 mph).

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 2 entries, 2 starters, 1 finisher) – 1. Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570, 55 minutes, 27 seconds (33.814 miles per hour).

PROTRUCK (Limited, production trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1.Troy Vest, Molalla, Ore./Robert Fitch, Silverton, Ore., Chevy Silverado, 57 minutes, 9 seconds (39.370 miles per hour).

CLASS 2 (Limited, 2.2 Liter open-wheel car, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 2 entries, 2 starters, 2 finishers) – 1. William Eriksen, Elizabethtown, Ky., PredatorX18-Chevy, 1 hour, 1 minute, 40 seconds (36.486 miles per hour); 2. Sean McDonald, Canyon Lake, Calif./Eric Schmid, Fallbrook, Calif., PredatorX18-Chevy, 1:07:07 (33.523 mph).

CLASS 7-2 (Unlimited 2.2/2.4-Liter Truck, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1.Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., BajaLite-Chevy, 52 minutes, 32 seconds (35.691 miles per hour).

SPORTSMAN

SPT CAR (6 Laps, 37.5 miles, 5 entries, 4 starters, 1 finisher) – 1. Rory Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 19 seconds (35.535 miles per hour).

SPT TRUCK (5 laps, 31.25 miles, 4 entries, 4 starters, 3 finishers) – 1. Scott Whipple/Scott Gailey, Norco, Calif., Chevy CK1500, 43 minutes, 24 seconds (43.202 miles per hour).

The agenda for today at the 2010 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge was to see who is top dog in Trophy Truck, and see who could fly the farthest of the Laughlin Leap. Andy McMillin took the pole position beating out Vildosola by about 7 seconds. Rounding out the top 3 was Cameron Steele.

For the Laughlin Leap it was Josh Daniels winning with a distance of 111′, taking away the title from the Trophy Trucks.

Stay tuned all weekend as we’ll have more photos up after each day!

[Show as slideshow]

Round 1, 2010 SCORE Desert Series Saturday and Sunday in Laughlin, Nev.

Andy McMillin qualifies in his No. 31 McMillin Racing Ford F-150 fastest

To earn pole for Saturday’s first day of SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

LAUGHLIN, Nev.–Returning to SCORE desert racing on a fulltime basis for the first time in three years, San Diego’s third-generation racer Andy McMillin earned the pole position for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Friday as he powered his No. 31 McMillin Racing Ford F-150 to a fast time of 7 minutes, 03.40 seconds during qualifying for SCORE Trophy-Trucks averaging 53.19 miles per hour around the 6.25-mile loop.

The season opener of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series, is being held near the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nev.

The unique race, split into two parts, will start Saturday and finish Sunday, running from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the 17 classes divided into five race groups running multiple laps each day. The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will race at 1 p.m. each day followed by the unlimited Class 1 cars at 3 p.m. Both classes will run eight laps each day.

McMillin, who with his father Scott McMillin won last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, will lead a field of 131 official entries, which includes 28 vehicles in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800 horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

With plans to run the entire 2010 SCORE Desert Series easily outdistanced the 23 SCORE Trophy-Trucks that started in the special one-lap qualifying session.

“We had a nice clean run today and hope the pole position helps gain an edge during Saturday’s first half of the race, said McMillin. It was exciting to feel the power and enjoy how well our Ford F-15 handled over this short, but very challenging race course.  We have a great field of SCORE Trophy-Trucks to start the 2010 SCORE Desert Series and I can’t wait for the green flag to drop Saturday.”

Qualifying second was Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr., last year’s leader through the first half of the race, with a time of 7:09.71 in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150 he shares with his father Gus Sr.

The four trucks that elected not to qualify on Friday, will start Saturday’s portion of the race behind the other 24 SCORE Trophy-Trucks.

Ticket information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

16^th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1 of five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 15-17   Laughlin, Nevada

Friday’s SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying Results

(With starting positions for Saturday’s first half of race. Sunday’s start order will be based on Saturday’s finishing order.)

Position, Vehicle Number, Driver of Record, Hometown, Vehicle, time for one lap of 6.25-mile course

TOP QUALIFIER: 31 Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, 7 minutes, 03.40 seconds (53.19 miles per hour)

2. 4 Gus Vildosola/Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 7:09.71 (52.33mph)

3. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rick Geiser, Phoenix, GMC Sierra, 7:15.90 (51.61mph)

4. 2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 7:21.48 (51.02mph)

5. 97 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas/Chad Ragland, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, 7:23.67 (50.68mph)

6. 50 Jason McNeil, Lakeside, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:27.73 (50.22mph)

7. 30 Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:35.68 (49.34mph)

8. 7 Jimmy Nuckles, Brawley, Calif., Ford F-150/Dave Sykes, Del Mar, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:40.40 (48.91mph)

9. 24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:43.68 (48.49mph)

10. 84 Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:44.74 (48.39mph)

11. 51 Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 7:50.49 (47.87mph)

12. 76 Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 7:52.02 (47.67mph)

13. 9 Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 7:55.48 (47.37mph)

14. 10 Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif./Tom Carr, Visalia, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:58.37 (47.07mph)

15. 23 Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, 8:02.51 (46.58mph)

16. 96 Bobby Baldwin, Chevy Silverado, 8:06.42 (46.30mph)

17. 78 Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, 8:08.07 (46.11mph)

18. 63 Luis Camarena, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Ernesto Cervantes, La Paz, Mexico, Ford F-150, 8:16.08 (45.36mph)

19. 91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Sivlerado, 8:17.81 (45.18mph)

20. 95 Scott Whipple/Scott Gailey, Norco, Calif., Chevy C1500, 8:43.37 (43.02mph)

21. 5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 10:00.03 (37.50mph)

22. 13 Ed Stout, Irvine, Calif., Chevy C1500, 27:58.00 (13.41mph)

23. 89 Rusty Stevens, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150

24. 1 Bob Gordon, Orange, Calif./Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, DNF

25. 8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, Did Not Qualify

26. 74 Rob Bruce, Sublimity, Ore./Mark Witte, Silverton, Ore., Chevy Silverado, DNQ

27. 22 Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, DNQ

28. 20 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, DNQ

Festivities Friday:

Manufacturer’s Midway  and Tech Inspection at Colorado Belle/Edgewater Hotels–9 a.m.–4 p.m.;

Laughlin Events Park: SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying  at 1:30 p.m.,

$16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap and Fireworks at 7 p.m.

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—Pre-race festivities begin in earnest Friday with tech inspection, qualifying, fireworks and the fun-filled SCORE Laughlin Leap on tap in final preparation for this weekend’s 16^th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

For the 16th straight year, motorsports fans and racers from 11 U.S. States, Mexico, Denmark and Germany will gather in Laughlin, the Southern Nevada desert resort town along the shores of the Colorado River, for the popular SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. The first major motorsports event of the year in the United States is launching the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.

One of the event’s most popular features, the SCORE Laughlin Leap, revs up the fun and helps get the weekend off. Moved to a new day, the SCORE Laughlin Leap will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday. The SCORE Laughlin Leap will start with a fireworks display. General admission grandstand tickets, priced at $20 each, will be available at the gate.

Drivers will enjoy the spotlight at the Laughlin Events Park, competing for a $16,000 purse and the honor of beating the 2009 champions. The SCORE Laughlin Leap, a dirt ramp built into the middle of the stadium portion of the race course, challenges the most daring of drivers. This year’s competitors will be attempting to break the event record in the SCORE Laughlin Leap of 161′ 6″ set this past January by Larry Roeseler in the Norman Motorsports Ford F-150.

For the third straight year, qualifying for starting positions for the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division will be held on Friday.  With free admission to the grandstand seating area, SCORE Trophy-Truck qualifying will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and each truck will be timed over one solo lap of the 6.25-mile course to determine the start order in that class for Saturday’s first half of the race.

Friday’s pre-race activities will also include the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway and vendors village from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. SCORE Contingency, which includes each vehicle being pushed down the lanes in front of the Colorado Belle and Edgewater Hotels, alongside Casino Drive.

Laughlin Tourism officials have reported that tickets sales and entries for the SCORE Laughlin Leap are 20 percent higher than they were last year one day prior to the event.

With 19 classes divided into five groups, the single race is divided into multi-lap segments split over two days. Starting at 7 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will run 8 laps over the 6.25-mile course at 1 p.m. each day followed by the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars that will run their 8 laps at 3 p.m. each day. The combined elapsed time and number of laps completed from both days will determine the final finishing position for each vehicle. Two vehicles will leave the start line every 15 seconds.

With the different classes combined into five groups for the SCORE Laughlin Leap, among the stars who expected to participate in the marquee high-tech, 800 horsepower unlimited production trucks are Ed Stout, Adam Householder, Cameron Steele, Gus Vildosola, Robbie Pierce, Chad Ragland, Bobby Baldwin, Rusty Stevens, Greg Nunley, Scott Whipple and Travis Coyne.

Among the Class 1 entries in the leap are Josh Daniel and Louie Serna while among the Class 1-2/1600 entries expected to compete in the leap competition are two-time group winner Rob MacCachren, Justin Smith and Steven Eugenio.

Daily general admission tickets, good for grandstand seating, are $20 each per day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, children 10 and under are free. Daily VIP tickets are $40 each per day for the each day, good for admission to the Laughlin Hospitality Chalet, including food, beverage and special seating.

Returning to the stadium seating area once again will be the immensely popular SCOREvision Large-screen LCD display, showing live footage from virtually the entire race course.

Tickets, priced at $5 each per person, will also be available each race day for ‘SCORE Hill’, which overlooks the infield, start/finish area and the main pits. The SCORE Hill will have grandstands and standing room areas along with vendors, concessions and the other public safety services available. Grandstand GA tickets also have access to SCORE Hill during the two race days.

The Laughlin Tourism Commission is also selling three-day general admission passes for $50 and three-day VIP passes for $100. With the purchase of a general admission or VIP ticket, spectators can also buy pit passes for an additional $10 per day.

The newest spectator area, opened in 2008 adjacent to Laughlin High School off of Cougar Drive, allows entry at $10 per vehicle, as space allows, to the backside of the course with a view of much of the 6.25-mile loop. Tickets for the Laughlin High spectator area will be available only on each day of racing at the entrance off of Cougar Drive.

The Laughlin Events Park, with grandstand seating, vendor’s village and food court is just minutes from the destinations eight resorts and includes an infield with switchbacks, whoops, minijumps and the SCORE Laughlin Leap.

The 16th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commission and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull–official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Blue C Advertising, Off-Road, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

More event information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

SCORE Laughlin Leap

All-Time Overall Winners (1998-2009

SCORE Trophy-Trucks

Year-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance

*2009-Larry Roeseler, Boulevard, Calif., Ford F-150, 161’ 6”

2008-Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 152 feet, 2 inches

2007-Ron Whitton, Maricopa, Ariz., Ford F-150, 118’

2006-Carl Renezeder, Laguna Beach, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 159’

2005-Marty Coyne/Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 157’

2004-Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Ford F-150, 160’ 6”

2003-Mike Dondel, Hemet, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 130’ 5”

2002-Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 124’ 3”

2001-Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif., Nye Frank Buggy, 120’

2000-Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 103’

1999-Larry Roeseler, Hesperical, Calif., Chevy C1500 4X4, 140’ 4”

1998-Jeff Lewis, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy C1500 4X4, 117’ 8”

Mini-trucks

Year-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance

2009-Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif., Ford Ranger, 126’ 6”

2008-Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif., Ford Ranger, 117’ 11”

2007-Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif., Ford Ranger, 112’

2006-Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Ford Ranger, 122’

2005-Shawn Wanzek, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Ford Ranger, 135’

2004-Rick Taylor, Brawley, Calif., Ford Rnager, 120’ 4”

2003-Doug Siewert, Oceanside, Calif., Chevy S-10, 103’ 6”

2002-Doug Siewert, Oceanside, Calif., Ford Ranger, 95’ 2”

2001-Rick Taylor, Brawley, Calif., Ford Ranger, 100’ 5”

2000-Jeff Lewis, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy S-10 4X4, 89’

1999-Jeff Lewis, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy S-10 4X4, 99’ 3”

1998-Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Chevy S-10 4X4, 98’ 2”

Class 1

Year-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance

2009-James Scott, Hemet, Calif., RPS-Chevy, 156’

2008-B.J. Richardson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 138’ 10”

2007-Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Smithbuilt-Ford, 127’

2006-Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford, 147’

2005-B.J. Richardson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 155’

2004-Dennis Boyle, Ventura, Calif., Lothringer-Chevy, 151’

2003-David Kordonowy, Carson City, Nev., Fast Track, 100’ 3”

2002-Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif., Nye Frank Buggy, 130’, 11”

2001-Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, Calif., Jimco, 97’ 5”

2000-Mike Tieman, Las Vegas, Chevy Truggy, 97’

1999-Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt, 92’ 2”

1998-No Open Wheel Division

Class 1-2/1600

Year-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance

2009-Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., Wicked-VW, 113’ 6”

2008-Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Mirage, 93’

2007-Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, Jimco-VW, 90’

2006-Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., VW Baja Bug, 106’

2005-Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Fraley-VW and Randy Jones, Simi Valley, Calif., Bunderson-VW, 96’ 6”

2004-Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Fraley-VW, 86’ 10”

2003-Eric Allen, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco-VW, 82’

Class 1

Year-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance

2003-John Marking, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 129’

*Event Record

With a fresh season and a clean slate the Desert Assassins team took the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge by storm. Held on the banks of the Colorado River in a two-day format the event marks the start of the five race series that culminates in the Baja 1000 in November.

The DA has won many awards and championships over the last few years and in 2009 they are off to a quick start. DA drivers hold down 3 of the top 5 places in the early 2009 SCORE Desert Series Overall points standings.

Last year Heidi Steele was able to win the SCORE and BITD series championships in the semi limited mid size truck class and at the kick off event she surprised a few people by switching to the unlimited mid size truck classes. “Last minute we were able to make an agreement for an unlimited class 6 vehicle with Ross Savage and we decide to change classes” said Heidi Steele. Steele continued “we are viewing this class as the future of mid-size truck racing”.

Trophy Truck #16 driven by Cameron Steele

The traditional “unlimited” mid size class, class 7, calls for a stock frame and limitations that favor 15+ year old technology so Heidi moved to the true unlimited class with Ross where they were crowned the winner although they were the only entry. “This is where the mid-size trucks will be in the future but just to be sure we also raced the 7 class in our limited truck that Heidi won the championship in last year and with less than half the suspension of the other trucks she raced against they were 3rd for the weekend” Said Heidi’s husband Cameron.

Cameron also had a great opening weekend for the series as he earned his best finish ever in the unlimited truck class know as Trophy Trucks. Cameron was also working Winter X Games this weekend for ESPN and was planning on having partner Rick Geiser do the Jump event, practice, qualifying and the Sunday race with Cameron able to only be in Laughlin on Saturday. “Rick was injured in the jump event and we had to make a call as to who would drive qualifying and on Sunday” said Steele, who continued “I had a lot of options and everyone had an opinion but in the end I chose “Bean”.

Justin “Bean” Smith has been a part of the DA family since inception and has been a navigator in the Trophy Truck but had never driven it before Friday at Laughlin. He had driven and won with Cameron, Heidi and others in limited buggies but this was a huge step. Bean was also racing this event in his own 1600 car for the first time and is eligible for the SCORE Rookie of the year award as it is his first year as Driver of Record and he started off with big results..

In the end Bean would drive half of the Trophy Truck race in the Yokohama Tire/Lucas Oil #16 and he and Cameron would finish 2nd in class. Bean also finished 3rd on Sunday in his 1600 car and set a new record while winning the Laughlin Leap for the 1600 cars.

Also in the 1600 class DA Kingpin Brian “Cheater” Burgess teamed up with DA driver Aaron “Pop tart” Hawley for the runner up position. Brian was the 1600 class champion  two years ago but had to take some time off to kick cancers ass. “Cheater is back for the entire season and being teamed with Pop Tart will make them tough to beat” said Cameron. At the end of the weekend the only driver able to top their team was current 1600 champion and DA member Adam Phankuch.

“Adam, Brian, Aaron and Justin are all committed to racing the entire SCORE season in 1600 so if the DA doesn’t win this championship we will all shave our heads” joked Cameron

In a twist Cameron’s former racing partner Clyde Stout had his best day ever in SCORE, just like Cameron, finishing 3rd. “Clyde took the time to go out and build his own truck and he landed on the podium with it, I am super pumped for him. It was like having the whole circus together again with our buddies Trigger, Jake, Vano, Cody, Greg and BR being there with all the usual suspects” said Steele. “Man if one of us could win the championship it would be one hell of a party in the OC come December!”

Laughlin Desert Challenge:

The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is one of the most unique off-road races of the season in that it mixes the best of long distance desert racing with spectator friendly short course viewing. The race consists of two days of racing eight laps around a rugged 6.25-mile course, including an infield with the famous “Laughlin Leap” as part of the course.  Racers start two vehicles wide, drag racing to the first jump leading out into the treacherous Nevada desert. Considered the best off-road race for spectators, it features multiple spectator viewing areas, including a stadium seating area which features the extremely popular SCORE Vision, a gigantic large-screen LCD display, showing live footage from approximately 95 percent of the race course. The 14th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge featured motorsports fans and racers from 17 states, as well as racers from Mexico and Germany all converging in Laughlin, NV, the desert resort town along the banks of the Colorado River.

On Saturday, BJ Baldwin rocketed off the start drag racing Robby Gordon to the first tabletop jump and out into the desert. The racing was heated as drivers battled for every inch of every lap. By lap five BJ had fallen back due to mechanical issues. Prior to the race, a new floorboard had been added to BJ’s #1 Trophy Truck to lengthen the brake pedal for increased leverage. The new floorboard had no holes to allow rocks to fall out. Every time a rock got behind the gas pedal the throttle would stick wide open. In order to prevent a catastrophic accident BJ had to shut the ignition off to get his truck to slow down and then re-fire it after un-jamming the throttle. The final result of the day was a 5th in trophy trucks and 5th overall for BJ Baldwin.

Sunday would prove to be even more frustrating as the two time defending Laughlin Desert Challenge champ showcased his spectacular driving, climbing from the 5th position to 1st on time when his transmission suddenly failed. Not one to give up, BJ whipped the truck into reverse (the one gear left working) and finished almost a whole lap in reverse. Upon crossing the finish line to cheering crowds, BJ set out to finish the 8th and final lap, but was unable to do so within the time limit.

“ This course is always tough. Tavo did great on Saturday. We had trouble with the throttle sticking wide open for all 8 laps on Saturday. It progressively got worse. It slowed us down a lot. Sunday was great! I felt really good. The truck and the new General Tires were working great. I was pacing myself but trying to move up steadily. I had caught up with Robby on time and put about 33 seconds on him when my transmission went. I was so bummed when I felt it go. I thought I might be able to limp it on in, or at least complete all eight laps, so I put in reverse and attempted to complete the race. My new General Tires actually work great in reverse too! Robby Gordon did great this weekend, he drove smart both days to take the win. Now I am going to focus on getting ready for Parker,” stated the confident BJ Baldwin.

Check out BJ Baldwin’s website for race results, photos and video at  http://ballisticbjbaldwin.com/

BJ Baldwin’s next race will be the BITD Parker 425 February 6th – 8th.

BJ Baldwin is sponsored by:
General Tire, Vision-X lights, and King Shocks

Management & Media by:

Mad Media
Matt Martelli
(760) 721-3600 or matt@madmedia.com

For additional news and updates check out:

http://ballisticbjbaldwin.com/

Recap of the Weekend’s Racing Activities

Friday’s Impressive Qualifying Run – On Friday afternoon, Robby Gordon put his No. 77 Monster Energy Toyo Tires Trophy Truck on the pole for Saturday’s 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the first of five races in the SCORE International Series. Gordon posted a time of 6 minutes, 43.72 seconds around the 6.25-mile lop, nearly nine seconds faster than his 2008 qualifying time.

Gordon commented moments after posting the fastest lap of the trophy truck qualifiers. “I knew we were running fast, but this was even better than I had anticipated. We are really looking forward to this weekend’s race.”

Saturday’s Race Recap – The Laughlin Desert Challenge is known for its unique racing format, which comprises two days of racing action. The first day of racing commenced Saturday afternoon and the trophy truck class raced eight laps around the 6.25-mile track. Gordon started on the pole and consistently ran in front until he was passed on Lap 7 by Gus Vildosola Jr. He was still able to pilot his No. 77 Monster Energy Toyo Tires Trophy Truck to a second place finish, just 13 seconds behind Vildosola Jr.

The race is scheduled to conclude on Sunday. After the final 8 laps of competition are completed, the winner of the 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge will be determined and Gordon hopes to reign victorious.

“The truck is really good. Laughlin has always been a survival race. Today, we just wanted to survive. The guys did a great job working on the truck. They’ll go back and put in a new drive shaft, transmission, and rear gear. We will cross our fingers and hope that we win tomorrow. It would be great if we could add a victory to our recent third place finish in the Dakar Rally,” commented Gordon on the first half of the Laughlin race.
Domination of Sunday’s Main Event – The first of five SCORE International Series races concluded yesterday afternoon, and Robby Gordon and the No. 77 Monster Energy Toyo Tires team dominated the field to capture the overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory in the season-opening Laughlin Desert Challenge. Gordon’s flawless performance earned him the top prize in the unique two-day race event.

After leading the most laps but finishing second in Saturday’s eight lap event around the 6.25-mile track, Gordon and his team knew that their trophy truck still had something to prove. The team did just that; they proved the strength and power of the No. 77 Monster Energy Toyo Tires entry when Gordon crossed the finish line first in Sunday’s main event. Gordon ran a combined total time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds, which is an average of roughly 51 miles per hour. Gordon was 4 minutes, 13 seconds faster than the second place trophy truck and dominated most of the 16 laps over the two days.

“I am very excited that our team was able to win SCORE’s season-opener. After qualifying on the pole on Friday, I knew that we had a truck that could dominate. It was just up to us. All in all, it was a perfect weekend. In racing, you can’t say that very often, but we had one of those weekends that you dream about. I think that this going to be a great year for our team, especially after winning our first SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race and just having had both Hummers finish in the top-15 at the Dakar Rally. We are going to keep building on this momentum with all our racing programs,” commented an ecstatic Robby Gordon.

Anderson wins Class 1

NASCAR’s R. Gordon dominates field to capture Overall victory

And SCORE Trophy-Truck at 15^th SCORE Laughlin Desert

Pfankuch captures two wins, other class winners include:

Moss, Chamlee, H. Steele, R. McBeath, Holmes, Adler

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—Starting his new racing year on a high note, NASCAR owner/Driver Robby Gordon returned to his racing roots Sunday to easily dominate the field to capture the Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory at the season-opening 15^th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. With the race split into two days of 8 laps each of an intensely rugged 6.25-mile course, Gordon ran a combined total time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds, averaging 50.89 miles per hour in his No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500.

Second after the opening 8 laps by just 13 seconds, Gordon easily retook the lead both physically and on corrected time on the first lap as all of his challengers fell by the wayside.

The event featured 103 starters from 12 States, Mexico, Germany and New Zealand, who competed in 16 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks for nearly $400,000 in prize money and contingency postings. The classes were split into five groups in Laughlin, each running as part of one of five races each day of three to eight laps over the rugged and challenging 6.25-mile race course. The event was Round 1 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series.

Las Vegas’ Danny Anderson, driving for teammate Pat Dean who is recovering from shoulder surgery, overcame a first-half deficit of 51 seconds to win the unlimited Class 1 and finish fourth overall in a time of 2:07:05, averaging 47.21mph in the Las Vegas Dissemination Bunderson-Chevy. Dean was the defending overall and Class 1 champion in this race and the driver of record this year. Anderson will receive credit for the class win, his third in this race, but will receive no SCORE championship points because the driver of record did not start or finish as required by SCORE rules.

Racing in comfortable weather with slight breezes, mild temperatures, under mostly sunny skies, Gordon started from the pole on Saturday and the outside position and physically led all 16 laps over the weekend. On Saturday, however, Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., trailed Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr. by 13 seconds midway through the race on corrected-time in the elapsed time race.

Gordon took the lead on corrected-time on the first lap Sunday, pulling away from the 19-truck field for his eighth career race win in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800-horsepower unlimited production trucks and first since the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in November of 2006. After running the fast lap of the day to start Sunday’s half of the race at 7:07, Gordon ran consistent victory laps of 7:15, 7:25, 7:32, 7:29, 7:33, 7:25 and 7:23.

For the second straight year, Vildosola’s No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150 broke as attrition also hit also hit Saturday’s other top challengers: B.J. Baldwin, Robbie Pierce, and Justin Lofton.

At the checkered flag and the dust settled, Gordon’s victory margin was a comfortable 4:13 over the runner-up team of Cameron Steele/Justin Smith, San Clemente, Calif., who each drove one day in the No. 16 Dessert Assassins, Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Third in SCORE Trophy-Truck was the No. 13 Stout Industries Chevy Silverado of Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif., who was 5:17 behind Gordon.

For both Steele and Stout, it was their first podium finishes. Steele couldn’t drive Sunday because he had to return to his ESPN XGames announcing position in Aspen, Colo., and Stout drove both days. Steele

“After qualifying first on Friday, I knew we had a truck that could dominate and we were able to do just that although we did cruise a bit too much on Saturday,” said Gordon, who finished third last weekend in the Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile. “This was our first win at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and it was about time. We came in with a new race strategy and it ended up working out well. We have a busy year ahead with our NASCAR schedule, but I always enjoy coming back to the SCORE Desert Series. This win solidifies our plan more to run for the SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championship.”

Surviving the attrition on Sunday, finishing fifth overall and fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck was Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., in the No. 24 Householder Motorsports Chevy Silverado.

Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., earned a pair of class wins on Sunday, winning Class 1-2/1600 as the driver of record and SCORE Lite where he drove Sunday for driver of record Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif.

In Class 1-2/1600, defending SCORE season point champion Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., increased his two-second lead to a final victory margin of 30 seconds over Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., who drove a Seagrove-VW.

In defeating a field of 18 starters in Class 1-2/1600, Pfankuch earned his fifth career class win in this race in a Mirage-VW. Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., drove Saturday’s half of the race for Pfankuch while Las Vegas’ Aaron Hawley drove Burgess’ car on Saturday.

St. John, the defending SCORE Lite season point champion, drove to a six-second lead in SCORE Lite on Saturday before turning over a Duvel-VW to Pfrankuch. Pfankuch padded St. John’s lead by covering the course the fastest on Sunday for a 46-second victory over the husband and wife team of Michelle and Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., who split the driving in their Lothringer-VW.

With his twin class wins, Pfankuch joined Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, as the only drivers to win two classes in the same SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco) won for the seventh time in eight years. His win ties him for the most class wins in the history of this race with George Seeley. It was also the 31^st career race win for Moss, a six-time SCORE class season point champion.

Among the other class winners crowned Sunday were: Robert McBeath, Las Vegas (Class 10, Jimco-Honda), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif., Ford Ranger (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Greg Adler, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Class 8, Ford F-150), Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (Stock Mini, Honda Ridgeline), Alonso Angulo, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja Bug) and Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug).

It was the second class win for Steele, Holmes and Carr and first for McBeath, Chamlee, Adler, Skilton and Angulo.

Sportsman Car race winner was Rory Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz. (Chenowth-Chevy) and Sportsman Truck winner was Gary Messer, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite-Chevy.

Also of note, the four-vehicle Wilson Motorsports team of Long Beach, Calif., saw brothers Randy and Ronny finish third and fourth in Class 1 and seventh and eighth overall while second generation Wilson desert racers Brian and Brad finished fourth and 15th respectively in Class 1-2/1600.

A total of 59 of the 103 official starters finished the challenge, for a .57.3 finishing rate.

Round 2 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series will be the 22^nd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 13-15, in Baja California, Mexico.

The 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commission, the Laughlin visits Bureau, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull–official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Off-Road, American Suzuki, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters (818.225.8402) or visit the official website of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

14th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1, 2008 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 22-25 – Laughlin, Nevada, 6.25 miles per lap

Total Starters: 113 Total Finishers: 59 57.3 Percent

TOP OVERALL FINISHERS

Rank, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 16-lap, 100-mile time (miles per hour)

1. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds (50.891)

2. Cameron Steele/Justin Smith, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:02:07 (49.133)

3. Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif./Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:03:11 (48.708)

4. Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, Class 1, 2:07:05 (47.213)

5. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:08:32 (46.680)

6. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, Class 1, 2:09:54 (46.189)

7. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:10:32 (45.965)

8. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:10:53 (45.842)

9. Enrique Bujanda, El Paso, Texas, Porter-Chevy, Class 1, 2:12:53 (45.152)

10. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:13:31 (44.938)

11. Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:14:16 (44.687)

12. Julio Herrera, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, Class 1, 2:17:20 (43.689)

13. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:19:14 (43.093)

14. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:19:33 (42.995)

15. Rick Romans/Jerry Bennett, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, Class 1, 2:24:28 (41.532)

16. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, Class 1, 2:25:41 (41.185)

17. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:25:50 (41.743)

SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

All-Time Overall Winners

1995—Ivan Stewart, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Ed/Tim Herbst, Class 1

1996—Rob MacCachren, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Ryan Thomas, Class 1

1997—Ed/Tim Herbst, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Mark Post, Class 1

1998—David Ashley/Dan Smith, SCORE Trophy-Truck

1999—Troy Herbst, Class 1

2000—Gary/Mark Weyhrich, Class 1

2001—Steve Sourapas, Class 1

2002—Dale/Mike Dondel, Class 1

2003—Dale Ebberts, Class 1

2004—Gary Dircks, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2005—Dale Ebberts, Class 1

2006—B.J. Baldwin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2007—B.J. Baldwin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2008—Pat Dean, Class 1

2009—Robby Gordon, SCORE Trophy-Truck

————————————–

Photo Highlights

[Show as slideshow]

Mexico’s Vildosola battles through field Saturday to take early lead in SCORE Trophy-Truck at 15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Race finishes Sunday as Pfankuch, St. John, R. McBeath, H. Steele, Chamlee, Skilton, all leading classes

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr. surprised the field Saturday to take the first day Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck class lead after the first of two days of racing in the season-opening 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Steadily working his way up the field physically after starting eighth in the elapsed-time race, Vildosola Jr. took the corrected-time lead on Lap 7 first of 8 laps over the surprisingly rugged 6.25 mile race course from NASCAR Cup owner/driver Robby Gordon to finish in the lead with a time of 58 minutes, 32 seconds, averaging 51.25 miles per hour in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Racing concludes Sunday for 16 Pro and 2 Sportsman classes for cars and trucks with racing starting at 7 a.m. and lasting to 5 p.m.  Running 8 more laps each, the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will start the final portion of its race at 1 p.m., followed by the unlimited Class 1 at 3 p.m.  The start/finish line area is located at the Laughlin Events Park at Edison Drive and Bruce Woodbury Drive in the heart of the Laughlin resort district.

Gordon, who began his racing career in the desert, started on the pole and ran consistently in front physically from start to finish as Vildosola Jr. came across second physically but has the lead by 13 seconds over Gordon and his No. 77 Chevy CK1500.

Round 1 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series features 103 starters from 12 states, Mexico and Germany competing for nearly $400,000 in prize money and contingency postings.

One of the top Mexican desert racing teams, Vildosola Racing is based in Mexicali, Mexico. This is just the seventh career SCORE Trophy-Truck race for Vildosola Jr., who with his father Gus Vildosola finished second in SCORE Trophy-Truck in the 40th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in 2007.  Vildosola also led this race last year after Saturday but broke on Sunday.

Vildosola Jr. was seventh physically at the midway point of Saturday’s 50-mile portion of the race, moving ahead of Gordon on corrected time on Lap 7, which Vildosola covered 21 seconds faster than Gordon. Vildosola Jr. ran consistent laps of 7:14, 7:13, 7:17, 7:11, 7:23, 7:31, 7:20 and 7:23 to take a 13-second lead in SCORE Trophy-Truck going in to Sunday’s final half of the race.

While Gordon is second in SCORE Trophy-Truck, third is NASCAR developmental series driver Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., 1:34 behind Vildosola Jr. in the No. 20 Lofton Racing Chevy Silverado while fourth is Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif., 1:57 behind the leader in the No. 35 MasterCraft Racing Chevy Silverado.

Two seconds behind Pierce and 1:59 behind Vildosola Jr., is defending SCORE Trophy-Truck series point champion B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, in the No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado.  Baldwin won this race in 2006 and 2007 and was second here last year.

Leading the unlimited Class 1 is Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., who is in eighth overall with a first-day time of 1:02:05 in a Chevy-powered Alpha open-wheel desert race car.

Second in Class 1 in a Bunderson-Chevy is Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, driving for injured driver of record Pat Dean. Anderson was the first to cross the finish line but Letner is ahead by 51 seconds in the race based on elapsed time.

The Class 1 race some unusual situations at the end of the final lap as Dale Ebberts lost all front gears and drove the last three-quarters of a mile through the infield in reverse and Armin Schwarz broke the left front suspension bouncing his way through the infield and finally making it to the finish line. It cost both higher results as Ebberts ended the day fifth in Class 1 and 15th overall while Schwarz stands in third in Class 1 and 13th overall.

Running the fast laps of the day were the SCORE Trophy-Trucks of Roger Norman, Reno, Nev. (No. 8 Norman Motorsports, Ford F-150) and Brian Collins, Las Vegas (No. 12 Collins Motorsports Dodge Ram1500) in 7:02.  Norman, who won the last two races of 2008 with teammate Larry Roeseler, is in 13th so far in the race while Collins had mechanical problems that put him down after four laps.

Among the other class leaders after Saturday included: Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif. (Class 1-2/600, Mirage-VW), Alonso Angulo, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, VW Baja Bug), Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif., (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico (Class 7, Ford Ranger), John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif. (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Greg Adler, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Class 8, Ford F-150), Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (Stock Mini, Honda Ridgeline), Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn. (Stock Full, Dodge Ram 2500),

Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, VW Baja Bug), Robert McBeath, Las Vegas (Class 10, Jimco-Honda) and Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Duvel-VW).

Besides SCORE Trophy-Truck and Class 1, several class leaders are less than a minute ahead of second place.

Just two seconds separate the two leaders in Class 1-2/1600 and both entries used their second driver Saturday with the drivers of record both scheduled to drive Sunday. Steven Eugenio of El Centro, Calif., drove Pfankuch’s Mirage-VW to the lead by the closest margin of the day, edging Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, who is splitting the driving with driver of record Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif. in a Seagrove-VW.

In SCORE Lite, defending SCORE Lite season point champion Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif. has a six-second lead over Dan Worley, also of Encinitas.

Pulling double-duty, Pfankuch will drive St. John’s car Sunday in SCORE Lite as well as his own vehicle in Class 1-2/1600.

The stadium seating area includes the immensely popular SCOREvision large-screen LED display, showing live footage from nearly the entire race course.

The Laughlin Events Park with grandstand seating, vendor’s village and food court includes an infield section of the course that includes the popular Laughlin Leap and three long switchbacks.

Round 2 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series will be the 23rd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 13-15 in Baja California, Mexico.

The 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commission, the Laughlin visits Bureau, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull–official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Off-Road, American Suzuki, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

More event information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 22-25, Laughlin, Nev., 6.25 miles per lap

Total Starters: 103

Top Overall Leaders

Rank, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 8-lap, 50-mile time (miles per hour)

1. Gus Vildosola Jr. /Gus Vildosola Sr., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 58 minutes, 32 seconds  (51.253)
2. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, :58:45 (51.063)
3. Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:00:06 (49.916)
4. Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:00:29 (49.600)
5. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:00:31 (49.573)
6. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rick Geiser, Desert Hills, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:01:07 (49.086)
7. Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:01:56 (48.439)
8. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, Class 1, 1:02:05 (48.322)
9. Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif./Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:02:27 (48.038)
10. Pat Dean/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, Class 1, 1:02:56 (47.669)
11. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:03:35 (47.182)
12. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif./Luis Ramirez Jr., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:03:54 (46.948)
13. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-BMW, Class 1, 1:04:57 (46.189)
14. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:04:59 (46.165)
15. Dale Ebberts, Wilton, Calif./Danny Ebberts, Canyon Lake, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:05:31 (45.789)
16. Enrique Bujanda, El Paso, Texas, Porter-Chevy, Class 1, 1:06:15 (45.283)
17. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:06:17 (45.260)
18. Larry Roeseler, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:06:36 (45.045)
19. Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:06:48 (44.910)
20. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:06:54 (44.843)
21. Julio Herrera, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, Class 1, 1:09:21 (43.258)
22. Byron Ashley, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy, Class 1, 1:09:59 (42.867)
23. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:11:40 (41.860)
24. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:11:52 (41.743)
25. Rick Romans/Jerry Bennett, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, Class 1, 1:11:48 (41.782)

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 8 laps, 50 miles, 22 entries, 19 starters, 14 finishers) – 1.Gus Vildosola Jr. /Gus Vildosola Sr., Ford F-150, 58 minutes, 32 seconds, 51.253 miles per hour; 2. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, :58:45, 51.063 mph; 3. Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 1:00:06, 49.916 mph.

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 8 laps, 50 miles, 21 entries, 19 starters, 14 finishers) -1. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 1 hour, 2 minutes, 5 seconds, 48.322 miles per hour; 2. Pat Dean/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 1:02:56, 47.669 mph; 3. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-BMW, 1:04:57, 46.189 mph.

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 19 entries, 18 starters, 17 finishers) – 1. Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif./Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage, 51 minutes, 31 seconds (43.675 miles per hour); 2. Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif./Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, Seagrove, :51:33 (43.646 mph); 3. Cody Robinson/Roberto Romo, El Centro, Calif., Curry, :52:16 (43.048 mph).

CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif./Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco, 51 minutes, 23 seconds, 36.490 miles per hour.

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles, 3 entries, 3 starters, 2 finishers) – 1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, 1 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds, 41.988 miles per hour; 2. Carlos Albanez, Calexico, Calif./Luivan Voelker, Mexicali, Mexico, 1:03:59, 41.026 mph.

CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 2 entries, 2 starters, 1 finisher) – 1. Alonso Angulo/Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico, 1 hour, 5 minutes, 52 seconds (34.160 miles per hour).

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Ross Savage, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 16 minutes, 16 seconds, 29.540 miles per hour.

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 7 entries, 6 starters, 4 finishers) – 1. Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 52 minutes, 5 seconds, 43.200 miles per hour; 2. A.J. Rodriguez, Perris, Calif., Ford Ranger, :53:05, 42.386 mph; 3. Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, :54:00, 41.666 mph.

CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif./Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., Ford Ranger, 54 minutes, 12 seconds, 34.594 miles per hour.

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles, 2 entries, 2 starters, 2 finishers) – 1. Greg Adler, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 50 minutes, 35 seconds, 44.481 miles per hour; 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 1:10:31, 31.907 mph.

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles, 9 entries, 8 starters, 4 finishers) – 1. Robert McBeath/Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 59 minutes, 1 second, 44.478 miles per hour; 2. Scott Gailey/Patrick Gailey, Norco, Calif., GET-VW, 1:02:17, 42.146 mph; 3. Mikey Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 1:02:25, 42.056 mph.

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles, 8 entries, 8 starters, 8 finishers) – 1. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 1 hour, 5 seconds, 43.689 miles per hour; 2. Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif./Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco, 1:00:11, 43.616 mph; 3. Michelle Bruckmann/Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer, 1:00:42, 43.245 mph.

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn./Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Dodge Ram 2500, 1 hour, 4 seconds, 31.215 miles per hour.

STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles, 1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher) – 1. Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 58 minutes, 50 seconds, 31.870 miles per hour.

SPORTSMAN

SPT CAR (6 laps, 37.5 miles, 4 entries, 3 starters, 2 finishers) – 1. Louie Serna, Flagstaff, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy, 51 minutes, 3 seconds (44.074 miles per hour); 2. Rory Ward/Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, :53:48 (41.822 mph).

SPORTSMAN TRUCK (5 laps, 31.25 miles, 10 entries, 10 starters, 8 finishers) – 1. Gary Messer/Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite 2008-Chevy, 45 minutes, 46 seconds, (40.968 miles per hour); 2. Jonathon Libby/John Libby Jr., Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra, 45:47, 40.954 mph; 3. Rob Anderson, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, 49:23, 37.968 mph.

Vildosola Racing Leads after Day #1
After the first day of competition, the Vildosola/Red Bull/BFGoodrich #4 takes the lead

Laughlin Nevada, Jan 24 2009 for immediate release
After one day of intense battle, Mexicali Driver Tavo Vildosola, leads the race in the inaugural event of the 2009 season, the Laughlin Desert Challenge. Vildosola’s Ford F-150 sporting the legendary #4 started the race on the fourth row, with Roger Norman on his side.

During the drag race at the start, Norman was fighting with Tavo all the way down the first left hand side turn, later on during the race the red & white Trophy truck #4 edged Norman and never looked back. The race strategy was an important part of the event, after some changes and a good qualifying position, a good result was expected for the first day of competition.

Lap after lap, Tavo was gaining time, good laps around 7 minutes gave Tavo a good cushion from his competition, in the front of the pack, racers started to develop some issues and Tavo’s pace was steady and fast. Around lap 6 of 8, the Vildosola Racing Red Bull/Ford F-150 was at mere seconds of the lead time imposed by Robby Gordon, Tavo knowing we still have one more day to compete, pushed only enough to keep the pace of the Nascar superstar.

“We know at the end of Lap 7 we have the lead of the race, that gave me the confidence to continue running at the same pace we did at the start of the race, the track was awesome, some rough spots here and there to worry about. Our mission was to finish and tomorrow we start from zero again and we hope we can keep going and carry this all season long” Tavo stated.

Now the team is working to check the truck, inch by inch, side by side, preparing for every possible scenario for tomorrows race, we have a lot work to do, this race is only half way finished.

Vildosola Racing would like to thank their sponsors for their continuous support: Mexicana Logistics, Red Bull, Águilas Del Desierto, BFGoodrich Tires, Mastercraft, PIAA Lights, MSD Ignitions, Papas & Beer, Chase Cams, OGIO, MOMO Italy & NTR Films.

To check out pictures, videos, previous press releases, the team’s progress in 2008 and other information go to www.vildosolaracing.com; for the latest videos of the team visit their YouTube site at www.youtube.com/vildosolaracing

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series Saturday and Sunday in Laughlin, Nev.

NASCAR’s Robby Gordon qualifies his No. 77 Chevy CK1500 fastest

To earn pole for Saturday’s first day of SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

LAUGHLIN, Nev.–NASCAR Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon earned the pole position for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Friday as he powered his No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500 to a fast time of 6 minutes, 43.72 seconds during qualifying for SCORE Trophy-Trucks averaging 64.6 miles per hour around the abbreviated 6.25-mile loop.

The season opener of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, is being held near the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nev.

The unique race, split into two parts, will start Saturday and finish Sunday, running from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the 17 classes divided into five race groups running multiple laps each day. The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will race at 1 p.m. each day followed by the unlimited Class 1 cars at 3 p.m. Both classes will run eight laps each day.

Gordon, who ran nine seconds faster than his 2008 Laughlin qualifying time, will lead a field of 113 official entries, which includes 22 vehicles in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800 horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

With plans to run the entire 2009 SCORE Desert Series while continuing to run his full NASCAR season, Gordon, of Charlotte, N.C., easily outdistanced the 17 SCORE Trophy-Trucks that started in the special one-lap qualifying session.

Defending SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion B.J. Baldwin of Las Vegas was the second-fastest qualifier, covering the single lap in 6:56:41 in his No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado.

“I knew we were running fast, but this was even better than I had anticipated,” said Gordon afterwards. “We are looking forward to this weekend. We have plans to run the entire 2009 SCORE Desert Series and our truck appears ready to dominate on this race course.”

The five trucks that elected not to qualify, will start Saturday’s portion of the race behind the other 17 SCORE Trophy-Trucks.

Ticket information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

15^th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1 of five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 22-25 Laughlin, Nevada

Friday’s SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying Results

(With starting positions for Saturday’s first half of race. Sunday’s start order will be based on Saturday’s finishing order.)

Position, Vehicle Number, Driver of Record, Hometown, Vehicle, time

TOP QUALIFER: 77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 6 minutes, 43.72 seconds (64.6 miles per hour)

2. 1 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 6:56.41

3. 20 Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:03.27

4. 5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:03.37

5. 12 Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, 7:04.78

6. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rick Geiser, Desert Hills, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:05.86

7. 8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 7:06.45

8. 4 Gus Vildosola Jr. /Gus Vildosola Sr., Ford F-150, 7:06.90

9. 88 Larry Roeseler, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:12.66

10. 54 Jesse James, Sunset Beach, Calif., Chevy C1500, 7:21.08

11. 22 Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif./Luis Ramirez Jr., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Chevy Silverado, 7:28.08

12. 35 Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:28.24

13. 13 Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif./Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:34.70

14. 96 Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 7:38.52

15. 11 Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 8:04.61

16. 89 Rusty Stevens/Chad Quarrells, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150, Did Not Finish

17. 91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, DNF

18. 19 Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, Did Not Qualify

19. 44 Robert Ross, Chula Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, DNQ

20. 3 Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, DNQ

21. 51 Kory Sheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, DNQ

22. 24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, DNq

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series Saturday and Sunday in Laughlin, Nev.

Veteran Larry Roeseler flies his No. 88 SCORE Trophy-Truck 161’ 6”

For event record jump in Thursday’s $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap

Preview to this weekend’s SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge draws nearly 5,000 spectators

LAUGHLIN, Nev. –Veteran desert racer Larry Roeseler lit up the Laughlin night, setting an event record in winning Thursday’s SCORE Laughlin Leap competition, a prelude to this weekend’s season-opening 15^th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Laughlin, Nev.

Winner of two straight SCORE desert races to end the 2008 SCORE season with Norman Motorsports teammate Roger Norman, Roeseler thrilled the standing-room only crowd of nearly 5,000, winning the SCORE Trophy-Truck truck division by sending his powerful No. 88 Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck off the six-foot dirt jump for an event record distance of 161 feet, 6 inches. Roeseler backed up his record leap with an identical 161’ 6”.

Roeseler eclipsed the event record of 160’ 6” set in 2004 by Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif. in another Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck.

It was Roeseler’s second overall win (1999 in SCORE Trophy-Truck) in the event and his fifth division win. He also won the SCORE Laughlin Leap in the small trucks division in 1998 and 2006 and the unlimited Class 1 in 2007.

Second in the SCORE Trophy-Truck division was Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., who pushed his No. 5 Coyne Motorsports Ford F-150 to a leap of 154’.

In the unlimited Class 1 division for open-wheel desert race cars, James Scott, Hemet, Calif., recorded a long jump of 156’ in his RPS-Chevy to outdistance runner-up Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif., who went 154’ in his Jimco-Chevy.

Class 1-2/1600 racers Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., in a Fraley-VW and Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., in a Jimco-VW had leaps of 101’ 6” and 96’ 6” respectively.

In the Production Trucks division, Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif., won his group for the third straight year with his best jump ever of 126’ 6” in a Ford Ranger.

In the Restricted Cars, the winner was Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., whose winning jump was 113’ 6” in a Wicked-VW SCORE Lite race car.

Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Bruce Woodbury Drive at Casino Drive will be tech and contingency day for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge as the nearly 125 cars and trucks entered in the race go through the colorful manufacturer’s midway. The Laughlin Events Park is the spectator area for the race and it is also where the pits and infield portion of the 6.25-course is located.

The unique race, split into two parts, will be held Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the 17 classes divided into five race groups running multiple laps each day. The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will race at 1 p.m. each day followed by the unlimited Class 1 cars at 3 p.m.

Ticket information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

15^th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

$16,000 Laughlin Leap, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009

Top Finishers

SCORE Trophy-Truck

Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse

1. 88 Larry Roeseler, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 161 feet, 6 inches ($2,400) (NEW EVENT RECORD: Old Mark, 160’ 6”, Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif., 2004)

2. 5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 154’ ($700)

Unlimited Class 1

Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse

1. 117 James Scott, Hemet, Calif., RPS-Chevy, 156’ ($2,400)

2. 108 Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 154’ ($700)

Restricted Cars

Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse

1. 1209 Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Wicked-VW, 113’ 6” ($2,400)

2. 1201 Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif., Jimco-VW, 102’ 6” ($700)

Production Trucks

Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse

1. 719 Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif, Ford Ranger, 126’ 6” ($2,400)

2. 1502 Jonathon Libby, Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra, 117’ ($700)

Limited c.c. Cars

Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse

1. 1649 Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif. Fraley-VW, 101’ 6”’ ($2,400)

2. 1616 Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., Jimco-VW, 96’ 6” ($700)

3. 1604David Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Lothringer, 96’

The 2009 desert racing season started out with a bang. Nothing says welcome back like seeing Greg Nunley in a SCORE Trophy Truck flying 140ft with fireworks exploding in the background. SCORE did a great job welcoming race fans to the 2009 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

The weather was perfect, no wind, no rain. The stands were packed with fans in anticipation of watching racers push their cars to the limits as they tried to jump further then their competitors. The jumps started out with Brian Burgess flying his 1600 car 95.6ft followed by Justin Smith setting a record at 101.6ft, this was a sign of what was to come.

The Laughlin Leap appeared to be bigger then years past and the length of the jumps proved it. Danny Anderson jumped Pat Deans Class One car 139.6ft before a motor mishap caused him to coast over the leap on his second try.

Travis Coyne exploded his rear bedside on landing sending fiberglass everywhere and photographers ducking for cover.

Justin Lofton was running a pony statue on the roof of his trophy truck and it was rumored to have a small video camera inside it.

The night ended on a sad note when Rick Geiser was taken by ambulance after his second attempt with back pain. He did get out of the vehicle on his own and last reports from Heidi Steele he was waiting on x-rays and was in minimal pain. Our thoughts are with him tonight.

Some other noted distances. Jump were measured in 6” Increments.

Results:

1603 – Brian Burgess 95.6ft

1649 – Justin Smith 101.6ft

1600 – Adam Pfankuch 91.6ft

1612 – Rick Boyer 94.6ft

1614 – Hiram Duran 84ft

1602 – Justin Davis 90ft

700 – Dan Chamlee 108.6ft

706 – AJ Rodriquez 116ft

1502 – Jonathon Libby 117ft

719 – Chris Taylor 126.6ft

108 – Richard Boyle 113.6ft

101 – Josh Rigsby  122.6ft

119 – Byron Ashley 137.6ft

110 – Brendan Gaughan 137ft

117 – James Scott 156ft

109 – Danny Anderson 139.6ft

1 – BJ Baldwin 156ft

16 – Rick Geiser 140ft

8 – Roger Norman 151ft

88 – Larry Roeseler 161.6ft

20 – Justin Lofton 140ft

35 – Robbie Pierce 141.6ft

5 – Travis Coyne 154ft

12 – Brian Collins 150ft

13 – Clyde Stout 133.6ft

24 – Adam Householder 145ft

89 – Rusty Stevens 131.6

January 3, 2009

LOS ANGELES—While Southern California’s Ed Stout received the first qualifying spot for the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division, New Mexico desert racer Josh Rigsby got his New Year’s wish as he received the first starting spot in the unlimited Class 1 in Saturday’s computerized drawing for starting positions for this month’s 15^th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. The drawing was held at SCORE’s Los Angeles headquarters.

For the 15th straight year, motorsports fans and racers from across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan will gather in Laughlin, Nev., the desert resort town near the shores of the Colorado River, for the popular SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. The first major motorsports event of the year will be held Jan. 22-25, launching the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.
With late entries accepted until race morning, among the other desert racing stars in Saturday’s drawing were Dale Ebberts, B.J. Baldwin and Pat Dean, who between them have won the overall title five of the last six years in Laughlin along with NASCAR Cup Owner/Driver Robby Gordon, NASCAR Truck racer Brendan Gaughan, six-time Laughlin class winner Rob MacCachren, and Terrible Herbst Motorsports drivers Tim Herbst and Troy Herbst.
Besides B.J. Baldwin, R. Gordon and Tim Herbst, among the other SCORE regulars who were also officially entered in time for the drawing in SCORE Trophy-Truck were Brian Collins, Roger Norman/Larry Roeseler, Cameron Steele, Gus Vildosola Jr., Damen Jefferies, Bobby Baldwin, Chad Ragland, Robbie Pierce, Pete Sohren and Bill McBeath.
Over 150 expected entries will compete in 17 classes for cars and trucks for nearly $400,000 in prize money and contingency postings during the four-day SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
Besides Rigsby, Dean, Ebberts, and Troy Herbst among the other SCORE regulars who have officially entered in Class 1 are: Randy Wilson, Ronny Wilson, Armin Schwarz, Chuck Dempsey, John Herder, John Harrah and Harley Letner.
MacCachren, whose Laughlin wins include SCORE Trophy-Truck in 1996 and both Class 1-2/1600 and SCORE Lite in 2004, drew the first start in Class 1-2/1600.
Ebberts was the overall SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race winner in both 2003 and 2005 in Class 1 while B.J. Baldwin won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 in SCORE Trophy-Truck and Dean is the defending Overall and Class 1 race winner from the 2008 event.
B.J. Baldwin, 29 of Las Vegas, has won both the 2006 and 2008 SCORE Trophy-Truck season point titles and he was also second in last year’s Laughlin race in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division.
With 17 classes of cars and trucks divided into five groups, the single race is divided into multi-lap segments split over two days. Starting at 7 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 24-25), the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will run 8 laps at 1 p.m. each day on the spectator-friendly much-abbreviated 6.25-mile course followed by the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars who will run their 8 laps at 3 p.m. each day. The combined elapsed time and number of laps completed from both days will determine the final finishing position for each vehicle. Two vehicles will leave the start line every 15 seconds.
Daily general admission tickets, good for grandstand seating, are $20 each per day for Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, children five and under are free. Daily VIP tickets are $40 each per day for the three days, good for admission to the Laughlin Hospitality Chalet, including food, beverage and special seating.
The stadium seating area will include the immensely popular SCOREvision Large-screen LCD display, showing live footage from virtually the entire race course.
Tickets, priced at $5 each, will also be available each race day (Jan. 24-25) for ‘SCORE Hill’, which overlooks the infield, start/finish area and the main pits. The SCORE Hill will have grandstands and standing room areas along with vendors, concessions and the other public safety services available.
The newest spectator area, opened last year adjacent to Laughlin High School off of Cougar drive, allows entry at $10 per vehicle, as space allows, to the backside of the course with a view of much of the 6.25-mile loop. Tickets for the Laughlin High spectator area will be available only on each day of racing (Jan. 24-25).
One of the event’s most popular features, the SCORE Laughlin Leap, revs up the fun and gets the weekend off to a roaring start at 6 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 22). Drivers will enjoy the spotlight at the Laughlin Events Park, competing for a $16,000 purse and the honor of beaing the 2009 champions. The SCORE Laughlin Leap, a dirt ramp built into the middle of the stadium portion of the race course, challenges the most daring of drivers. This year’s competitors will be attempting to break the event record in the SCORE Laughlin Leap of 160′ 6″ set in 2004 by Mark Post in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150.
Advance tickets for the Laughlin Events Park are now on sale at www.visitlaughlin.com or by calling 800.308.2233.
For the second straight year, qualifying for starting positions for the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division will be held the Friday (Jan. 23) before the race. With free admission to the grandstand seating area, SCORE Trophy-Truck qualifying will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and each truck will be timed over one solo lap of the 6.25-mile course to determine the start order in that class for Saturday’s first half of the race.
Since its debut in 1995, the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge has helped establish Laughlin as a viable host for special events. Thousands of spectators join nearly 150 racers and their crews in converging on the city each year to watch the best of the best desert racers compete in a unique-format, two-day race that includes a temporary stadium surrounding the start/finish line area and the main pits.
Friday’s pre-race activities will also include the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway and vendors village from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. SCORE Contingency, which includes each vehicle being pushed down the street in front of the displays, will be held for the second straight year on Bruce Woodbury Way at Casino Drive.
A total of 17 different classes for cars and trucks are split into five groups, each running as part of multiple-lap races over the much-abbreviated 6.25-mile loop each day. Racing action runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day (Jan. 24-25). The marquee racing division is SCORE Trophy-Truck, featuring high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks along with unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars. The other classes with the largest entry fields will be Class 10, Class 1-2/1600 and SCORE Lite.
The Laughlin Events Park, with grandstand seating, vendor’s village and food court is just minutes from the destinations nine resorts and includes an infield with switchbacks, woop-t-doos, minijumps and the SCORE Laughlin Leap.
The 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Council, the Laughlin visits Bureau, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.
Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull–official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Off-Road, American Suzuki, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
More event information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.
For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (19)
(QUALIFYING ORDER)
13 Ed Stout
77 Robby Gordon
1 B.J. Baldwin
44 Robert Ross
16 Cameron Steele
5 Travis Coyne
96 Bobby Baldwin
89 Rusty Stevens
12 Brian Collins
51 Kory Scheeler
19 Tim Herbst
2 Pete Sohren
91 Bill McBeath
4 Gus Vildosola Jr.
35 Robbie Pierce
33 Chad Ragland
8 Roger Norman
24 Adam Householder
22 Damen Jefferies

CLASS 1 (20)
101 Josh Rigsby
102 Randy Wilson
103 John Harrah
104 Armin Schwarz
105 Robert Ross
106 John Herder
107 Brian Parkhouse
108 Richard Boyle
109 Pat Dean
110 Brendan Gaughan
111 Troy Herbst
112 Chuck Dempsey
113 Enrique Bujanda
114 Dale Ebberts
115 Kory Halopoff
116 Dale Lenk
117 James Scott
118 Harley Letner
119 Byron Ashley
120 Ronny Wilson

CLASS 1-2/1600 (12)
1601 Rob MacCachren
1602 Justin Davis
1603 Brian Burgess
1604 David Caspino
1605 Brad Wilson
1606 Mario Gastelum
1607 Samuel Araiza
1608 Ramsey El Wardani
1609 Brian Wilson
1610 Justin Smith
1611 Arturo Velazco
1612 Rick Boyer

CLASS 5 (1)
500 Kevin Carr

CLASS 5/1600 (2)
551 Eric Garcia
550 Marcos Nunez

CLASS 7 (1)
700 Dan Chamlee

CLASS 7SX (1)
740 Heidi Steele

CLASS 10 (4)
1001 Jesus Gonzalez
1000 Mike Lawrence
1003 Robert McBeath
1004 Scott Gailey

SCORE LITE (7)
1201 Dan Worley
1202 Cody Parkhouse
1203 Jake Jones
1200 Rick St. John
1205 Roberto Encinas
1206 Michelle Bruckmann
1249 Matthew Kupiec

CLASS 11 (1)
1101 Eric Solorzano

SPT CAR (3)
1400 Peter Lang
1401 Rory Ward
1402 Shaun Dunbar