LOS ANGELES --- From NASCAR’s Robby Gordon to Hollywood’s Patrick Dempsey and Jesse James, the lure of the extreme adventure has drawn over 30 crossover racers and celebrities to challenge the 40th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race, the granddaddy of all desert races which launches Tuesday, November 13th in Ensenada.
With pre-race festivities starting Sunday and the race starting Tuesday morning, this year’s historic 40th anniversary odyssey of the world’s longest non-stop and most famous desert race will be a grueling and memorable 1,296-39 mile adventure down Mexico’s mysterious Baja California peninsula starting in Ensenada, Baja California and finishing in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Sur.
The season-finale of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series will feature nearly 450 entries from 43 U.S. States and 16 countries. From weekend warriors to Hollywood actors and producers, the famous and not-so-famous will compete in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. Among the entries are 22 class winners from last year’s race.
While Gordon’s roots are in SCORE Baja racing as a second-generation desert racer, actor Patrick Dempsey and reality TV star James have been hooked and will both be competing in the legendary race for the third straight year.
While all the rugged regulars in the world’s foremost desert racing series will be in Mexico, the lure of this amazing race also attracts crossover racers as well as adventurers from all walks of life.
The talented field of desert-racing veterans includes 138 racers who have combined for 358 class wins in this race. In that group are 12 racers who have combined for a total of 21 overall 4-wheel vehicle wins and 12 more riders have combined for 26 overall motorcycle victories.
“While the list of names has changed some, we have never had more of a diverse group of crossover racers and celebs as we do for this year’s 40th Anniversary of the incredible Tecate SCORE Baja 1000,” said Sal Fish, SCORE CEO and President since soon after the Los Angeles-based SCORE International was founded in 1973. “This classic event began in 1967 and yet another remarkable chapter in the colorful history of the world’s most famous desert race will be added this year. We are honored to have these racers from other forms of motorsports as well as the celebs and we are humbled to have over 400 of our rugged regular SCORE desert racers entered as well.”
The motorcycle and ATV classes will start their journey at 6:30 a.m. (PST) (Tuesday, Nov. 13) with the car and truck classes starting at approximately 11 a.m. (PST), or three hours after the last ATV leaves the line. The starting line will be on Blvd. Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada. Vehicles will leave in 30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race and while the fastest finishers are expected to complete the course in approximately 23 hours.
The finish line area in Cabo San Lucas will be inside the Campos de Futbol “Yenecamu” soccer fields next to the Villa del Palmar Resort, the official SCORE race headquarters. The SCORE Media Center and SCORE Race Operations will both be located at the adjacent Villa del Palmar. Official checkpoint passing times from Rally Track will be displayed at the hotel.
With massive crowds reaching over 300,000 anticipated to again be spread out along the point-to-point course, the race will start for the 33rd time in Ensenada and will finish for only the second time in Cabo San Lucas.
NASCAR Nextel Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., whose roots are in SCORE desert racing, returns as defending overall 4-wheel winner in the Team Gordon No. 71 Chevy CK1500 in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Gordon will pull double-duty, driving the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 before flying to Homestead, Fla., to race in the NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale.
Gordon won last year’s race with driving help from third-generation desert racer Andy McMillin but this year his father Bob is expected to drive part of the rugged race.
Dempsey has put together an all-star team of drivers in his attempt to win the Baja Challenge class as one of 18 competitors in the class for identically-equipped, Subaru-powered Baja touring cars. Splitting wheel time with him in the BC-2 will be father and son Pike’s Peak Hill Climb champions Rod and Rhys Millen and NASCAR Cup racer and sports car legenend Boris Said.
In his first full season in the SCORE Desert Series, TV personality Jesse James, of Monster Garage fame, will drive his new No. 54 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck.
NHRA Top Fuel stars J.R. Todd and Morgan Lucas, both from Avon, Ind., will make their race debut by each driving a section of the race in No. 131 Penhall-Chevy open-wheel desert race car of Ed Hullinger.
Cyril Despres, of France, veteran Dakar Rally racer, 2007 overall Motorcycle winner will be riding for the KTM factory motorcycle team on the No. 9x in Class 22 for open motorcycles.
Besides Gordon, also returning to their racing roots are NASCAR Truck Series regular Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas (Class 1), and NASCAR Grand National West Series regular Brian Ickler, Poway, Calif. (SCORE Trophy-Truck).
Among the other cross-over racers who are entered to date include World Rally champion Armin Schwarz of Germany, former IndyCar star Danny Sullivan, former NASCAR and open-wheel racer turned TV commentator Wally Dallenbach, former IndyCar racer Scott Atchison, Supercross motorcycle legends Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Johnson, Pike’s Peak Hill Climb champion Gay Smith, former Sprint Car turned stock car racer Erin Crocker, Indy Pro Series team owner/driver Ken Losch, Rock Crawling star Tracy Jordan, Snowmobile racers Paul Thacker and Chris Burandt, Snowboarder Luke Trembath, Rally racers and X Games stars Ken Block and Tanner Foust (also a Drifting point champ), TV show creator/producer Bud Brutsman, and Freestyle MX, XGames Gold Medalist Kyle Loza.
Pre-race festivities on Monday, Nov. 12, for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, including tech and contingency and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (PST) adjacent to Nico Saad’s San Nicolas Hotel, the official SCORE race headquarters in Ensenada. The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will be held Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. (PST) at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. Racer registration will be held at the San Nicolas from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (PST) on Sunday, Nov. 11 and from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (PST) on Monday, Nov. 12.
The post-race Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Award’s Celebration will be held during the SCORE Fiesta at the Playa Cascadas (adjacent to the Villa del Palmar) at noon on Friday, Nov. 16.
With 431 official entries to date and late entries excepted up until race morning, the four-wheel vehicle classes with the most entries to date are SCORE Trophy-Truck (32), Class 1 (31), Class 1-2/1600 (25), Class 5/1600 (22), SCORE Lite (19), Baja Challenge (18), Class 8 (14), Protruck (13), Stock Full (12) and Class 5 (11).
The motorcycle classes with the most entries so far are: Class 22 (24), Class 40 (16) and Class 30 (11).
Leading the six Sportsman classes in the race is Sportsman Motorcycle over 250cc which has 54 and Sportsman ATV with 17 entries to date.
It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the mother of all desert races has been run over Mexico’s mysterious Baja California peninsula.
This year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour NBC Sports special for the fourth consecutive year, airing on Dec. 30 on the NBC Television Network. It will also air on a delayed basis outside of the U.S. on ESPN International.
The 2007 SCORE Desert Series also includes the chase for the $75,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several 2007 SCORE Class point champions along with the run for the $12,000 Toyota True Grit and Toyota Milestone Awards.
The race will also include the special $40,000 cash contingency purse provided by Volkswagen of America. Top finishers in all classes where VW engines are required or allowed will be eligible.
Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/Bryant Petroleum-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Volkswagen-official vehicle, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, American Racing ATX Series-official wheel, Slime-official tire sealant, Red Bull--official energy drink and Bosch Power Tools-official power tool. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bendix, American Suzuki, NAPA Chassis, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
Additional associate sponsors, for the 2007 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are: Cotuco de Ensenada, Fideicomiso Publio para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, the government of Baja California Sur, the State Tourism Department of Baja California Sur the city tourism fund of Loreto and the city tourism fund of Los Cabos.
For more information and Live internet coverage visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series at
www.score-international.com Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Celebrity Watch
Famous Personalities who have raced in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 include:
STEVE APPLETON—CEO and President of Micron Technology, stunt-plane pilot
FRANK ARCIERO JR.--off-road racer, developer, Winery owner, CART team owner
JACK ARUTE--Sports TV personality
HUBERT AURIOL--multiple winner of the Grenada-to-Dakar Rally
BOBBY BALDWIN—President/CEO of the Mirage Resorts, former World Series of Poker Champion
GAYLE BANKS—Land Speed Record Holder
RON BISHOP--raced in every Baja 1000 on a motorcycle (1 of 2 racers in every race)
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS—2004 and 2005 Champ Car World Series season champ from France
BUD BRUTSMAN—show creator and TV producer of ‘Rides’ and ‘Overhaulin’
JEAN CALVIN--former world class professional figure skater
SHANNON CAMPBELL—Rock Crawling champion
ERIK CARLSSON--world champion rallye driver
PAT MOSS CARLSSON--Erik’s wife/co-driver, sister of race driver Stirling Moss
DAN COOK—Professional Fly Fisherman
TARA DAKIDES—snowboarding legend
PATRICK DEMPSEY—Film and TV star (Grey’s Anatomy)
DOMINIC DOBSON—German-born former CART, NASCAR Truck Series and IMSA sports car star
CHIP FOOS—Star of TV’s Overhaulin’
GREG FOSTER—veteran Formula 1 powerboat racer
GARY GABELICH--Land Speed Record holder
JAMES GARNER--movie/TV star
JOSELE GARZA--Mexico’s only Indianapolis 500 “rookie of the year”
JOHN CLARK GABLE--movie actor and son of famed actor Clark Gable
JAMIE GALLES, former Trans Am and Toyota Atlantic racer whose family was a long-time IndyCar team owner
BRENDAN GAUGHAN--NASCAR Truck Series driver, former desert racer
ROBBY GORDON--former CART and current NASCAR Nextel driver/team owner
MIKE GROFF—former IRL driver
ROBBIE GROFF—former IRL driver
ROBERTO GUERRERO—former Indy Car and Formula 1 veteran
ROD HALL--18 class victories (one overall)--one of only two persons who has raced in EVERY SCORE Baja 1000
PETE HALSMER--former Indianapolis 500 driver, IMSA GT and Super Vee champion
VIC HICKEY--land speed racing and off-road racing pioneer
RYAN HUNTER-REAY—veteran open-wheel racer with two Champ Car wins
JESSE JAMES—star of TV’s Monster Garage
RICKY JOHNSON--third all-time winningest Supercross motorcycle racer
JIMMIE JOHNSON--former motocross star, NASCAR Nextel Cup driver
JOHNNY JOHNSON--15 class victories in eight different classes
STEFAN JOHANSSON—Indy car racer and team owner
PARNELLI JONES--1963 Indianapolis 500 winner
BERNARDO JOURDAIN--Mexican Indy car driver
MICHEL JOURDAIN Jr.--Mexican Indy car and NASCAR driver
DARREN LAW—GT Prototype racer
HERSHEL McGRIFF--first Carrera Panamericana winner and stock car champion
ROB MACCACHREN—7-time SCORE class champ, Stadium racing champ, 2001 & 2005 AARWBA All-America
MIKE ‘MOUSE’ MCCOY—SCORE race champion, noted Hollywood stunt driver
CHRIS MACCLUGAGE—legendary IJSBA personal watercraft racing world champion
CORKY McMILLIN—Founder-Corky McMillin Cos, patriarch of first SCORE 3-generation team, multiple Baja wins
MARK McMILLIN--San Diego developer; 8 class wins, including 5 overall in SCORE Baja 1000
CHAD McQUEEN—actor and son of Steve McQueen
STEVE McQUEEN--movie and TV star
CASEY MEARS—NASCAR Nextel Cup racer, former desert racer, son of off-road star Roger Mears
RICK MEARS--4-time Indy 500 winner; younger brother of former off-road star Roger Mears
ROGER MEARS—1991 AARWBA All-America racer, desert racing legend, Indy Car Racer
SHEKHAR MEHTA--4-time winner of East African Safari
BRUCE MEYERS--originator of the Meyers Manx, world’s first desert race car (dune buggy)
MIKE METZGER—godfather of Freestyle MX
AK MILLER--American hot rodding and off-road racing patriarch
ROD MILLEN—Pikes Peak Hill Climb Record Holder, rally racer, Stadium racing champion
RHYS MILLEN—Formula D Drifting racing National Champion, Hollywood Stunt driver
RICH MINGA—1987 SCORE Overall Point Champion, noted Hollywood stunt driver
LARRY MINOR—former drag racer and team owner
DANNY MODER—noted film cinematographer with over 20 on his filmography
PAULA MURPHY--one-time ‘world’s fastest woman’ racer
MICHAEL NESMITH--TV actor/musician “Monkees”; pioneer producer of CD music
PAUL NEWMAN—Actor, race car driver, philanthropist
GUNNAR NILSSON--Formula 1 driver
SERGIO NOLASCO--owner of Mexico’s finest Formula 3 road racing team
AARON NORRIS--motion picture and TV producer; brother of actor Chuck Norris
ERIC NORRIS—NASCAR touring series driver, TV stunt coordinator, son of actor Chuck Norris
TED NUGENT--rock ‘n’ roll singing star
DANNY ONGAIS--motorcycle, drag racing, road racing and Indy 500 racer
PAUL PAGE—Motorsports TV commentator
TED PAPPAS--Indy 500 racer
TRAVIS PASTRANA—Freestyle MX, Supercross star, X Games Superstar
SAM POSEY--international race driver and motorsports TV commentator
GLEN PLAKE—Two-Time World Champion Hot Dog Skier
DON PRUDHOMME--legendary drag racer
GASTON RAHIER--former Paris-to-Dakar rally champion
DARON RAHLVES—legendary three-time U.S. Olympic downhill skier
DYLAN RATIGAN—host of CNBC’s ‘Bullseye’ show
BUDDY RICE—2004 Indianapolis 500 winner
ELLIOTT FORBES-ROBINSON—legendary SCCA sports car racer
LARRY ROESELER--legendary motorcycle rider with an amazing 12 overall wins in SCORE Baja 1000
BORIS SAID—NASCAR driver and Trans Am racing star
ARMIN SCHWARZ—Seven-time World Rally Championship race winner
ORIOL SERVIA—Champ Car star from Spain
BON SINCLAIR--president of Volvo Automobile of America
MALCOLM SMITH--off-road motorcycle champion and star of movie, “On Any Sunday”
CAMERON STEELE—Motorsports & Action Sports TV commentator
DANNY SULLIVAN—1987 Indianapolis 500 champion
ROBERT SUTTON—President/CEO of Centrix Financial
MARK THATCHER--son of England’s former prime minister Margaret Thatcher
MICKEY THOMPSON--hot rodding and off-road racing pioneer, SCORE founder
ROLF TIBBLIN--world’s only motocross champion in three classes--500, 250 and 125cc
JUGATSU TOI--Japanese novelist
JOHNNY UNSER—Indy car racer, first from his racing family to drive in the race
JIMMY VASSER--CART champion driver
CAL WELLS III--NASCAR team owner who has also owned off-road and Indy Car teams
LARRY WILCOX--TV actor
BEKKI FREEMAN-WIK—Top female racer in SCORE History, 3-time SCORE Baja 1000 champ
JOHN ZINK--creator of Indy’s famed ‘laydown cars’
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