'09 Jan. 22-25 in Laughlin, Nev.

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123

December 19, 2008

Jan. 22-25 in Laughlin, Nev.
Over 150 cars & trucks expected for 2009 SCORE Desert Series
Opener at 15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Computerized start drawing on Jan. 3; pre-race festivities include
$16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap & SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying

LOS ANGELES--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.
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.
The computerized drawing for starting positions within each class will be held for all pre-registered entries on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 at the Los Angeles headquarters of SCORE International.
"The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is a wonderful event on the SCORE calendar and it is especially a great way to start the year," said Sal Fish, SCORE President/CEO. "In our sport, it is about as fan-friendly as you can get and nothing surpasses the hospitality the Laughlin resorts show our racers and fans. And the racing is awesome."
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 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 (http://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 over 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.
Las Vegas' Pat Dean (Class 1) and Rich Ronco (SCORE Trophy-Truck) are the top defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race winners.
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.
Located 90 miles south of Las Vegas, Laughlin offers visitors a relaxed and friendly atomosphere. This city by the river has grown to include nine resorts with affordable first-clas accomodations, 24-hour casino gaming, gourmet dining and outlet shopping. Laughlin, a unique resort destination that welcomes nearly 5 million visitors annually, has also become one of the leading special event destinations in the Southwest. From world-class bull riding action to daring desert racing to professional rodeo on the Colorado River, Laughlin has plenty to offer the adventurous spectator.
SCORE International, founded in 1973 by the late Mickey Thompson and headed by Sal Fish since 1974, continues today as the premier sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing. SCORE races feature 17 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks in the U.S. with seven additional Pro and three more Sportsman classes for motorcycles and ATVs competing in the races in Mexico. SCORE races in the U.S. average 175 entries while the average in Mexico, with motorcycle and ATV classes running as well as the cars and trucks is 300.
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 (http://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

Schedule of Events
Thursday, January 22, 2009

11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Driver Registration Barbados Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Media Center Open River Room, River Palms Hotel
6 p.m. $16,000 Laughlin Leap Laughlin Events Park (Start/Finish Line)
Friday, January 23, 2009

8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Course Pre-running (Racers Only) Official Race Course-Laughlin Events Park
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Express Driver Registration Barbados Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Regular Driver Registration Barbados Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Media Registration River Room, River Palms Hotel
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Contingency & Technical Inspection Bruce Woodbury Way & Casino Drive
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Qualifying-SCORE Trophy-Truck Official Race Course-Laughlin Events Park
Saturday, January 24, 2009

6 a.m. Late Registration & Tech Inspection Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Media Center Open Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
Sunday, January 25, 2009

6 a.m. Late Registration & Tech Inspection Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Media Center Open Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park

DAILY RACING SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)

7 a.m. RACING STARTS (5 groups each day) Start/Finish Line-Laughlin Events Park
80-minute time limit for each group Starting intervals--two vehicles every 15 seconds
7 a.m. Group 1 Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), 11 (3), SPT Car (6)
9 a.m. Group 2 Classes 8 (6 laps), Protruck (6), 7 (6), 7SX (6), Stock Full (5),
Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck (5)
11 a.m. Group 3 Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7)
1 p.m. Group 4 SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps)
3 p.m. Group 5 Class 1 (8 laps)

The Start/Finish Line area is located at the Laughlin Events Park
At the corner of Thomas Edison Drive and Bruce Woodbury Way

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123

January 1, 2009


Event: Jan. 22-25 in Laughlin, Nev.
Wilson Motorsports has four entries in Saturday’s computer
Start draw for 15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
NASCAR’s Robby Gordon among early entries along with defending season champs B.J. Baldwin, Lawrence, St. John; pre-race festivities include $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap & SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying

LOS ANGELES—Southern California two-generation desert race team Wilson Motorsports will have four entries featuring three brothers and two of their sons in Saturday’s computerized start draw for this month’s 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
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 early entries who will be part of Saturday’s drawing is NASCAR team owner/driver Robby Gordon along with defending SCORE season point champions B.J. Baldwin (SCORE Trophy-Truck), Kevin Carr (Class 5), Marcos Nunez (Class 5/1600), Dan Chamlee (Class 7), Heidi Steele (Class 7SX), Mike Lawrence (Class 10), Rick St. John (SCORE Lite), and Peter Lang (Sportsman Car).
Also entered is defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 1 winner Pat Dean of Las Vegas.
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.
Based in Long Beach, Calif., Wilson Motorsports entries in Laughlin will include veteran racing brothers Rick Wilson, 56, Randy Wilson, 50, and Ronny Wilson, 46, who will drive two vehicles in the unlimited Class 1. Cousins Brian Wilson, 23 (Rick’s son), and Brad Wilson, 15 (Ronny’s Son) are both drivers of record in Class 1-2/1600.
The computerized drawing for starting positions within each class will be held for all pre-registered entries on Saturday at the Los Angeles headquarters of SCORE International.
"SCORE racing has been a Wilson family activity for over 20 years for my brothers and I and now to be able to have two of our sons participate with us adds a new dimension for us that we are very excited about," said Ronny Wilson of Long Beach, Calif. “Desert racing is such a great family sport and we love SCORE racing and our goal is to be able to run four vehicles in the entire 2009 SCORE season.”
Rick Wilson, the oldest of the three brothers who lives in Long Beach, Calif., is listed as a back-up driver for both of his brothers in Class 1. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., and Ronny Wilson will be the drivers of record in near-identical Jimco open-wheel desert race cars powered by Chevy motors built by Las Vegas’ Wiks Racing Engines.
In Class 1-2/1600, Brian Wilson, Long Beach, will share driving with prominent Las Vegas desert racers Sammy Ehrenberg in a Kreger-VW while his cousin Brad Wilson, also of Long Beach, will drive a Penhall-VW with co-drivers Justin Munyon and Brian DeNault, both of San Clemente, Calif.
Besides Wilson Motorsports, the sponsors of all four vehicles are Paragon Acoustical, BFG Tires, King Shocks, Fortin, McKenzies and DirtBagz. Additional sponsors on both 1-2/1600 race cars is Folts while an additional sponsor of Brad Wilson’s car is Penhall Fabrication.
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 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 (http://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 over 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 (http://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 (http://www.score-international.com/).

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123January 3, 2009 Jan. 22-25 in Laughlin, Nev.
SCORE Trophy-Truck to qualify for start slots; Rigsby draws
First Class 1 Start for 15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Field Includes NASCAR's Robby Gordon & Brendan Gaughan, Rob MacCachren, Tim Herbst, Troy Herbst
B.J. Baldwin, Brian Collins, Pat Dean and Dale Ebberts;
Pre-race festivities include $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap-Jan. 22, SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying-Jan. 23

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 15th 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 (http://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 (http://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 (http://www.score-international.com/).

15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
Round 1 of five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series
Jan. 22-25, 2009 -- Laughlin, Nevada
Total Entries—71 (as of 1/3/09)
(from 14 States, Mexico & Germany)
(Starting Order, By Class)
Pro Cars and Trucks
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

Sportsman Cars & Trucks
SPT CAR (3)
1400 Peter Lang
1401 Rory Ward
1402 Shaun Dunbar

[Blanco]

Not a single Class 3?!?!?!?! :eek:

[straightaxle]

Not yet. It was that way last year. I have been out of town for the holidays and missed the drawing. Defininitely considering it.

[wiley-moeracing]

Let us know if you go, considering bozai trip to check it out Thanks Tim

[motrucker]

wish i had a rig to take or id go in a heart beat

[straightaxle]

Let us know if you go, considering bozai trip to check it out Thanks Tim

I have a room booked, 4 nights at the Edgewater for $109. They also have SCORE packages that included tickets, but I couldn't see where they saved you any money.

[flyinbronco]

I have a room booked, 4 nights at the Edgewater for $109. They also have SCORE packages that included tickets, but I couldn't see where they saved you any money.

YES! Let the fun begin.

[Broncodawg]

The Boss says I can go.....as long as she gets to go too! Easy decision.:D
Is the Laughlin Leap worth going early for?

[flyinbronco]

The Boss says I can go.....as long as she gets to go too! Easy decision.:D
Is the Laughlin Leap worth going early for?

I went last year for the first time and other than it being very cold the leap competition was very cool but you know me Greg. I love this stuff. Just bring something warm to sit on because the aluminum bleachers were like sitting on blocks of ice. I think the tickets were like $20.00 a piece.

See ya there. Rick

[Blanco]

Do you like Gambling?That might another reason to go early. :D

[Broncodawg]

Been there done that, I want AIR-TIME!:cool:

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123January 12, 2009 Next week in Laughlin, Nev.
B.J. Baldwin, Ebberts, Dean have won 5 of last 6
Overalls at SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Field also includes NASCAR's Robby Gordon, Brendan Gaughan & Justin Lofton,
Rob MacCachren, Brian Collins, Roger Norman, Larry Roeseler, Jesse James,
Pat Dean, Chuck Dempsey, John Herder and Wilson brothers;

Pre-race festivities include $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap-Jan. 22,
SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying-Jan. 23

LOS ANGELES—Dale Ebberts, B.J. Baldwin and Pat Dean have won the overall title in this race five of the last six years and they will be joined this year by many of the top desert racers in the world at next week’s season-opening 15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
For the 15th straight year, motorsports fans and racers from across the United States, Mexico and Germany 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 next Thursday through Sunday, 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 entered to date are NASCAR Cup Owner/Driver Robby Gordon, NASCAR Nationwide Series racer Brendan Gaughan, ARCA/Re-Max Series Driver Justin Lofton, six-time Laughlin class winners Rob MacCachren and Donald Moss.
To date, SCORE Trophy-Truck has the most entries with 22, followed by the unlimited Class 1 with 20 and Class 1-2/1600 with 16.
Ebberts was the overall SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race winner in both 2003 and 2005 in Class 1 as well as winning Class 1-2/1600 in 2000 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 as well as finishing fourth overall in the memorable rain-soaked race.
Besides B.J. Baldwin, R. Gordon and Lofton, among the other regulars who are also officially entered in SCORE Trophy-Truck are Brian Collins, Roger Norman, Larry Roeseler, Cameron Steele, Tim Herbst, Gus Vildosola Jr., Damen Jefferies, Bobby Baldwin, Chad Ragland, Robbie Pierce, Pete Sohren, Bill McBeath and Jesse James.
Collins, Tim Herbst, Ed Herbst and Eric Solorzano (Class 11) each have four class wins in this race.
Nearly 150 expected entries will compete in 18 classes for cars and trucks for nearly $400,000 in prize money and contingency postings during the four-day SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
Besides Dean and Ebberts among the other SCORE regulars who have officially entered in Class 1 are: Troy Herbst, 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.
Defending 2008 SCORE Series point champions who have entered this year’s SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge to date are: B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas (No. 1SCORE Trophy-Truck, Chevy Silverado), Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Kevin Car, San Diego (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug), Marcos Nunez, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja Bug), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Duvel-VW) and Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif. (Sportsman Car, Homebuilt-Chevy).
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 the Jan. 3 computerized drawing for starting positions. The drawing was held at SCORE’s Los Angeles headquarters.
With 18 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 next Saturday and Sunday, 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 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. next Thursday. Drivers will enjoy the spotlight at the Laughlin Events Park, competing for a $16,000 purse and the honor of being 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 next Friday before the two-day 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 18 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. 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 famous SCORE Laughlin Leap.
The 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commitee, 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 (http://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

OFFICIAL ENTRIES-84
(from 7 States, Germany & Mexico as of 1/12/08)
(By Class Starting Order)


SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
(Unlimited Production Trucks)
(Starting order for SCORE Trophy-Truck to be determined by pre-race qualifying)
1 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150
4 Gus Vildosola Jr./Gus Vildosola Sr., Ford F-150
5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150
8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150
12 Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500
13 Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif., Ford F-150
16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Cadillac Escalade
19 Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
20 Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado
22 Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif./Luis Ramirez Jr., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Chevy Silverado
24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado
33 Chad Ragland, Vista, Calif., Toyota Tundra
35 Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado
44 Robert Ross, Chula Vista, Calif., Ford F-150
51 Kory Sheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
54 Jesse James, Sunset Beach, Calif., Chevy C1500
77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500
88 Larry Roeseler, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford F-150
89 Rusty Stevens/Chad Quarrells, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150
91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
96 Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
CLASS 1
(Unlimited single or two-seaters)
101 Josh Rigby, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Penhall-Chevy
102 Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
103 John Harrah, Reno, Nev., Jimco-Viper
104 Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-BMW
105 Robert Ross, Chula Vista, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
106 John Herder, Tucson, Ariz., Jimco-Chevy
107 Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
108 Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
109 Pat Dean/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy
110 Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, Kreger-Chevy
111 Troy Herbst/Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford
112 Chuck Dempsey, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
113 Enrique Bujanda, El Paso, Texas, Porter-Chevy
114 Dale Ebberts, Wilton, Calif., Porter-Chevy
115 Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy
116 Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy
117 James Scott, Hemet, Calif., RPS-Chevy
118 Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy
119 Byron Ashley, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy
120 Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, January 19, 2009 This week in Laughlin, Nev.
With two wins and a second in Laughlin, B.J. Baldwin leading 22
SCORE Trophy-Trucks to SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

SCORE Trophy-Truck field also includes NASCAR's Robby Gordon & Justin Lofton; Brian Collins
Roger Norman, Larry Roeseler, Gus Vildosola Jr., Damen Jefferies, Cameron Steele, Jesse James
Pre-race festivities include Thursday’s $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap at 6 p.m.,
Friday’s SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying at 1:30 p.m.
Live audio webcast Saturday & Sunday on www.totallyoffroadradio.com

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—B.J. Baldwin, the 29-year-old Las Vegan, returns to the banks of the Colorado River this week to where his burgeoning desert-racing career got a tremendous jump start as he leads a talented field of 22 SCORE Trophy-Trucks entered in this week’s 15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
For the 15th straight year, motorsports fans and racers from across the United States, Mexico and Germany are gathering this week 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 Thursday through Sunday, launching the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series. The race itself is split into two parts, with the first half on Saturday and the concluding half on Sunday. The start/finish line is in the Laughlin Events Park at Edison Drive and Bruce Woodbury Way.
B.J. Baldwin will drive the No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado in SCORE Trophy-Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 800-horsepower unlimited production trucks. After cutting his teeth from 2003-2005 with eight did-not-finishes and no podium placements racing both in SCORE Trophy-Truck and the unlimited Class 1, the 1997 graduate of Durango High School in Las Vegas fashioned three of the most phenomenal seasons in SCORE history the last three years.
With 18 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, 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 race course 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.
“The biggest difference for me over the last three years is having the new Chevy Silverado which is extremely more dependable and reliable than our old SCORE Trophy-Truck,” said B.J. Baldwin, whose father Bobby Baldwin drives the No. 96 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado. “Additionally, with the help of Larry Ragland in the desert and Robby Gordon in desert rally racing, I have learned how to drive faster and smarter and intelligence behind the wheel can make you lethal. My ‘further’ education with Larry and Robby has increased my skill sets incredibly.”
“With Barry Beachem as our Baldwin Motorsports Crew Chief and Sandy Stewart as our Operations Manager along with a great new crew, this will be the first full year of our Baldwin Motorsports race shop and I am confident that the results will reach an even higher level than we have the last three years.”
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. Thursday. Drivers will enjoy the spotlight at the Laughlin Events Park, competing for a $16,000 purse and the honor of being 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.
For the second straight year, qualifying for starting positions for the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division will be held Friday, just before the two days of SCORE desert racing. 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.
Obviously developing into one of the top drivers in a class laden with stars, B.J. Baldwin has won both the 2006 and the 2008 SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championships and finished a close second in points in 2007.
During the last three years B.J. Baldwin has won the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge twice (2006, 2007) finished second once (2008) along with winning the 2008 Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and recording two second-place finishes in the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 (2006 and 2008).
After three years of no podium finishes (2003-2005), B.J. Baldwin has emerged as the driver to beat in SCORE Trophy-Truck with two season point titles, three race wins, five seconds and two thirds and three fourth places to earn three straight SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards for finishing every mile of every race (17) during the last three years.
With late entries accepted until race morning, among the other desert racing stars entered to date are NASCAR Cup Owner/Driver Robby Gordon, NASCAR Nationwide Series racer Brendan Gaughan, ARCA/Re-Max Series Driver Justin Lofton, six-time Laughlin class winners Rob MacCachren and Donald Moss.
Besides B.J. Baldwin, R. Gordon and Lofton, among the other regulars who are also officially entered in SCORE Trophy-Truck are Brian Collins, Roger Norman, Larry Roeseler, Cameron Steele, Tim Herbst, Gus Vildosola Jr., Damen Jefferies, Bobby Baldwin, Chad Ragland, Robbie Pierce, Pete Sohren, Bill McBeath and Jesse James.
Gordon is coming to Laughlin after finishing third last week in the Dakar Rally, which was held in Argentina and Chile.
Collins, Tim Herbst, Ed Herbst and Eric Solorzano (Class 11) each have four class wins in this race.
Advance tickets for the Laughlin Events Park are on sale at www.visitlaughlin.com or by calling 800.308.2233.
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 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.
To date, SCORE Trophy-Truck has the most entries with 22, followed by the unlimited Class 1 with 21 and Class 1-2/1600 with 19.
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.
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 (http://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 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

SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
All-Time Multiple Class Champions (thru 2008)
Total Driver, Years
7
George Seeley Jr.-1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007

6
Rob MacCachren-1996, 2001, 2004(2), 2006, 2007
Donald Moss-2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008

4
Brian Collins-1996, 1999, 2000, 2001
Ed Herbst-1995, 1997, 1999, 2000
Tim Herbst-1995, 1997, 1999, 2000
Eric Solorzano-1998, 1999, 2004, 2006

3
Jeff Dickerson-2003, 2004, 2005
Dale Dondel-1998, 2002, 2005
Dale Ebberts-2000, 2003, 2005
Manny Esquerra-1997, 1999, 2000
Dr. Macrae Glass-2000, 2001, 2002
Brian Jeffrey-1995, 1996, 1997
Scott Pellerin-2002, 2003, 2005
Adam Pfankuch-2003, 2005, 2007
Darren Skilton-1997, 1998, 1999
Dan Smith-1997, 1998, 2002
Marc Stein-1996, 2001, 2003
Steve Williams-1995, 1996, 1997

2
Danny Anderson-2000, 2001
David Ashley-1997, 1998
B. J. Baldwin-2006, 2007
Victor Barajas-1996, 1997
Steve Barlow-2001, 2002
Vic Bruckmann-1999, 2002
David Callaway-1997, 1998
Mike Dondel-1998, 2002
Eric Fisher-2004, 2005
Todd Gattrell-1995, 1996
Allan Gregory-2001, 2002
Rod Hall-2007, 2008
Chris Harrold-1999, 2008
Jason Hatz-1996, 1998
Troy Herbst-1999, 2004
John Herder-1998, 2007
John Holmes-2005, 2007
Carlos Iribe-1997, 1999
Gerardo Iribe-1997, 2004
Jason Jernigan-2004, 2007
Rick D. Johnson-1995, 1998
Jeff Lewis-1999, 2000
Jim Nuckles-2003, 2005
Mark Post-1997, 2003
Joel Stankavich-1999, 2001
Dave Sykes-1998, 2002
Ryan Thomas-1996, 1997
Craig Turner-2002, 2005
Andrew Wehe-1996, 1997
Gary Weyhrich-2000, 2006
Chris Woodward-2000, 2001

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123

January 19, 2008

NOTE: Below is the schedule of events followed by the expanded entry list for this week's SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge...

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

Schedule of Events
Thursday, January 22, 2009

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Driver Registration--Barbados Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
11 a.m. – 5 p.m
Media Center Open--River Room, River Palms Hotel
6 p.m.
$16,000 Laughlin Leap-- Laughlin Events Park (Start/Finish Line)

Friday, January 23, 2009

8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Course Pre-running (Racers Only)-- Official Race Course-Laughlin Events Park
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Express Driver Registration--Barbados Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
10 a.m. – 4 p.m
Regular Driver Registration--Barbados Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Media Registration--River Room, River Palms Hotel
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Contingency & Technical Inspection--Bruce Woodbury Way & Casino Drive
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Qualifying-SCORE Trophy-Truck-- Official Race Course-Laughlin Events Park

Saturday, January 24, 2009

6 a.m.
Late Registration & Tech Inspection--Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Media Center Open--Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park

Sunday, January 25, 2009

6 a.m.
Late Registration & Tech Inspection--Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Media Center Open--Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park

DAILY RACING SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)

7 a.m. RACING STARTS (5 groups each day) Start/Finish Line-Laughlin Events Park
80-minute time limit for each group
Starting intervals--two vehicles every 15 seconds

7 a.m.--Group 1: Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), 11 (3), SPT Car (6)
9 a.m.--Group 2: Classes 8 (6 laps), Protruck (6), 6 (6), 7 (6), 7SX (6), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck (5)
11 a.m.--Group 3: Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7)
1 p.m.--Group 4: SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps)
3 p.m.--Group 5: Class 1 (8 laps)

The Start/Finish Line area is located at the Laughlin Events Park
At the corner of Thomas Edison Drive and Bruce Woodbury Way



15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1 of five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series
Jan. 22-25 Laughlin, Nevada
OFFICIAL ENTRIES-105
(from 12 States, Germany & Mexico as of 1/19/09)
(By Class Starting Order)


SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks)--
(Starting order for SCORE Trophy-Truck to be determined by pre-race qualifying)
1 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150
4 Gus Vildosola Jr. /Gus Vildosola Sr., Ford F-150
5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150
8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150
11 Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado
12 Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500
13 Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif./Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy Silverado
16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rick Geiser, Desert Hills, Calif., Chevy Silverado
19 Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
20 Justin Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado
22 Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif./Luis Ramirez Jr., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Chevy Silverado
24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado
35 Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado
44 Robert Ross, Chula Vista, Calif., Ford F-150
51 Kory Sheeler, Chevy Silverado
54 Jesse James, Sunset Beach, Calif., Chevy C1500
77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500
88 Larry Roeseler, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford F-150
89 Rusty Stevens/Chad Quarrells, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150
91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
96 Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters)--
101 Josh Rigby, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Penhall-Chevy
102 Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
103 John Harrah, Reno, Nev., Jimco-Viper
104 Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-BMW
105 Robert Ross, Chula Vista, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
106 John Herder, Tucson, Ariz., Jimco-Chevy
107 Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
108 Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
109 Pat Dean/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy
110 Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, Kreger-Chevy
111 Troy Herbst/Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford
112 Chuck Dempsey, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
113 Enrique Bujanda, El Paso, Texas, Porter-Chevy
114 Dale Ebberts, Wilton, Calif., Porter-Chevy
115 Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif., Tatum-Chevy
116 Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy
117 James Scott, Hemet, Calif., RPS-Chevy
118 Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy
119 Byron Ashley, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy
120 Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
121 Julio Herrera, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy
CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc)--
1601 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, AlumiCraft
1602 Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif./Rino Navera, Orange, Calif., Seagrove
1603 Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif./Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, Seagrove
1604 Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif./Mike Malloy, Las Vegas, Lothringer
1605 Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Penhall
1606 Mario Gastelum, El Centro, Calif., Curry
1607 Samuel Araiza, La Paz, Mexico, Fraley
1608 Ramsey El Wardani, San Diego
1609 Brian Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, Kreger
1611 Arturo Velazco/Abel Velazco, Banning, Calif., Porter
1612 Rick Boyer/Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer
1613 Joe Sheble, Fort Mohave, Ariz., Fraley
1614 Hiram Duran/Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth
1615 Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Bear
1645 Eric Hefley, Henderson, Nev./Gregg Hempel, Las Vegas, KatMetal
1646 Eric Duran/Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth
1600 Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif./Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage
1648 Sparky Wilbur, Huntington Beach, Calif., Desert Dynamics
1649 Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif./Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Fraley

CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4)--
301 Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif./Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs)--
500 Kevin Carr, San Diego
501 Carlos Albanez, Calexico, Calif./Luivan Voelker, Mexicali, Mexico
CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs)--
551 Eric Garcia, Lake Forest, Calif.
552 Alonso Angulo/Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico
550 Marcos Nunez/Norberto Rivera, Ensenada, Mexico
CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks)--
700 Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger
701 Brandon Walsh, Encinitas, Calif., Toyota Tacoma
702 Igor Galvan/Guillermo Galvan, Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico, Ford Ranger
703 Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger
704 A.J. Rodriguez, Perris, Calif., Ford Ranger
719 Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif./Josh Quintero, Imperial, Calif., Ford Ranger
CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks)--
740 Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger
759 John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif./Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., Ford Ranger
CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks)--
801 Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado
CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc)--
1001 Jesus Gonzalez, Ensenada, Mexico, Dunrite-Honda
1000 Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW
1003 Robert McBeath/Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda
1004 Scott Gailey/Patrick Gailey, Norco, Calif., GET-VW
1005 Brian Freemal, Las Vegas/Dave Deatley, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Jimco-Honda
1007 Larry Job, Las Vegas/Bryce Menzies, Henderson, Nev., Jimco-Honda
1008 Sergio Salgado, 32, Mexicali, Mexico, Lothringer-Honda, Optima Batteries, Mercado de Refaciones
1009 Tito Robles/Lobsam Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, Jimco-Honda
SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc)--
1201 Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif./Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco
1202 Cody Parkhouse/Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Moulton
1203 Jake Jones, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Henry
1200 Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel
1205 Roberto Encinas, Chula Vista, Calif., Currie
1206 Michelle Bruckmann/Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer
1207 Rino Navera, Orange, Calif./Mike Boone, Garden Grove, Calif.
1249 Matthew Kupiec/Kurtis Kupiec, Palos Verdes, Calif., Kreger
CLASS 11 (Stock VW Sedans)--
1101 Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico
STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks)--
861 Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn./Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Dodge Ram 2500
SPORTSMAN
SPT CAR
1400 Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif., Homebuilt-Chevy
1401 Rory Ward/Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy
1402 Shaun Dunbar, La Mesa, Calif., VW Baja Bug
SPT TRUCK
1501 Joe Aguayo, San Jacinto, Calif., Ford F-150
1502 Jonathon Libby/John Libby Jr., Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra
1503 Rob Anderson, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger
1504 Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo.
1505 Patrick Sutalo Jr. /Tyler Scott, Ramona, Calif., Ford Ranger
1548 Chris Shive/Dennis Sprong, Ramona, Calif., Ford F-150
1549 Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger

[Blanco]

Tony T sent me this fowarded from Jim Holthus at TORRShow.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALLY OFF ROAD RADIOs Laughlin Desert Challenge Special 2009!!

We at TORR are happy to announce that we will be
Broadcasting The TORR Show LIVE in Laughlin Wednesday
The Nov 19th from The Colorado Bell Casino 6-8PM!

We will be right on the Casino Floor right as you come in the Main Entrace by Valet!


Co Host: LDC Race Announcer George Antill


Some of our other guests include:

We will be talking about some of the racers and other people involved in the race
such as:
Baja 100 Overall Champ Roger Norman
Rory Ward from racers only who is also looking to defend his Lughlin win from last year in the portsman buggy class
Jena Morga from the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce

Ricky Johnson will also be calling in and talking to us about the ongoing Short Course saga and give us some more information on the plans of his Off Road GP Series.

We may also have a call in from one of the Big Supercross riders talking to us about
his season and last weeks Supercross from Anaheim #2

And others who will be dropping by as well!

Plus Breaking Newz with Shaun Ochsner

It's going to be another great show (Laughlin Style) Hope to see you all there!

TORR will also be working in conjunction with Race-Dezert bringing yoo LIVE onlin Race Commentary for Thurdays "Leap" as well as Saturday & Sunday Race Action!!!

As always,We want to hear from you 'The Fans" with any
questions or comments that you have!

The station call in number is 760-720-5236, You can also
Email questions to desk@torrshow.com (http://us.mc332.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=desk@torrshow.com) or text to
760 805-6994

We hope that all of you that are in Laughlin can come down to the Colorado Belle
for the LIVE TORR Show and say hi but if not, We hope you can Listen in!
The show is LIVE from 6-8PM on AM 1000 & can be heard
at www.torrshow.com (http://www.torrshow.com/) where you can also watch it on TOR TV!

Thanks again for all the kind words from last weeks Supercross VS Freestyle show.
As always we truly appreciate it.

We look forward to seeing you all Wednesday!


Jim Holthus / HOST
TOTALLY OFF ROAD RADIO
Wed 6-8pm on Am 1000
www.torrshow.com (http://www.torrshow.com/)
760-805-6994

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Being there's only one Class 3 entered, it wont be too exciting for us Class 3 fans, but should be entertaining none the less. :cool:

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark

January 22, 2009


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 15th 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 (http://www.visitlaughlin.com/).

15th 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’

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark


January 23, 2009

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 (http://www.visitlaughlin.com/).

15th 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

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark,

January 24, 2009

Letner leading Class 1
Mexico’s Vildosola battles through field Saturday to take early leadIn SCORE Trophy-Truck at 15th SCORE Laughlin Desert ChallengeRace 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 (http://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 (http://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.

[Blanco]

15th ANNUAL SCORE LAUGHLIN DESERT CHALLENGE
Round one of 2009 SCORE Desert Series
January 22-25, Laughlin, Nevada
Driver quotes after first of two days -- Saturday, January 24


SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
GUSTAVO VILDOSOLA JR., No. 4 (In first place after Saturday) – It feels good, although we learned last year not to count our victory before it’s actually done. I think we got Robby (Gordon) today by a couple of seconds so we’re happy going first tomorrow. We’ve just got to keep it going. Last year, we were in the same situation but this year I think we’re a year older and a little bit wiser. It was an amazing race and as the race went on, the course got a little bit tougher and I had to deal with different issues. We repeated last year’s Saturday run and we just need to duplicate it tomorrow. I decided early on that we were just going to take it easy and run the first five or six laps and see how everything was shaking down and then hammer down at the end.
ROBBY GORDON, No. 77 (Second) – I didn’t have anybody to pace off of. I’ve got to be honest: I was half-throttle the whole time. I’m telling you, I idled around. Even the first lap, we just idled around. The truck is really good. It got really rough out there. Laughlin has always been a survival race. We came out here last year, Carl (Renezeder) and myself, and we were the two fastest by a long ways. Today, we just wanted to survive. The guys do a great job working on the truck. They’ll go back and put in a new drive shaft, gear and transmission, rear gear, and cross our fingers that it lives tomorrow. The track is horrible. It’s not even any fun.
JUSTIN LOFTON, No. 20 (Third) – We lost fuel pressure right from the get-go in the race. We just kind of fought it the whole race and did what we could. It probably actually worked out better that way. We’ll go back and rebuild it. We got in the first turn and it started missing and everything else. This is a hell of a race for a Trophy-Truck; this is what it’s all about. We had lots of passing and a lot of good, fun racing. B.J. Baldwin is a blast to race, and Gustavo (Vildosola Jr.) and everybody else. It was just a lot of fun. Our body is kind of torn up but we’ve got a body guy in the camp with us, so we’ll be all right. Tomorrow, we’re going to do the first two laps and kind of see how everybody is going and see how the truck is handling and then we’re going to let it rip.
ROBBIE PIERCE, No. 35 (Fourth) – The first lap we lost the brakes and the first lap I lost communication with my co-driver. So we did a lot of thumbs-up deals. All you can do is just keep going and just work the best you can with no front brakes. We had absolutely no front brakes; I think only the left rear was all I really had and it was really spongy. All you can do is work with what you have and try to check up as much as you can. The transmission is done, using second and first gear to brake. The hardest part was getting stopped for the finish.
B.J. BALDWIN, No. 1 (Fifth) – We had problems right off the start. We built a new floor on the truck. We took three inches out of the floor and put it right down on the skid pad so we could build a longer brake pedal. When we were behind Robby we would get rocks in the cab and rocks would get underneath the throttle pedal, so we were dealing with that all day. We stood it up on its nose and we ran on the bumper on the backstretch. It’s (the race course) more of an attrition deal; whoever can survive the longest. A lot of the stuff out there is square-edged; it’s like two curbs, and that’s really hard on equipment.
CAMERON STEELE, No. 16 (Sixth) – It was awesome. For not being able to really see the course and get a chance to drive my truck because I was in Aspen at the Winter X Games, it was pretty cool. It was a little bit of a crash course. I was chasing (Brian) Collins and he threw like a picnic table at us and it gave us a flat tire, so we had to stop in the hot pit and change the tire. I don’t know what it was but it looked like a folding table (laughing). After we changed the tire, we made a conscious decision to make sure we got to the finish line but we still wanted to run some fast laps. Our times we really good and I’m excited because we got to pass a lot of trucks. I’m just stoked to be here in Laughlin; last year I had to watch from the sidelines at X Games and this year I just took destiny into my own hands and came out and raced it. I’m not coming back tomorrow – I’m only here for four hours today.
BOBBY BALDWIN, No. 96 (Seventh) – This was our first race on the General Tires and they were fantastic. The front gripped so good that I continually came up short in some of the turns. They have a very aggressive tread and a lot of bite -- the tire is fantastic. I landed on a few rocks and the tires survived so I liked that part of it, too. The course was the usual – choppy and hard – but we had great visibility because of the rain last night.
ED STOUT, No. 13 (Eighth) – It’s 48 miles of pure rough that just tears that truck apart. It’s like going 250 miles at San Felipe. We got one flat and that put us back. We actually had a light fall down in my footbox and I blew two corners. Other than that, we had a real fantastic race. A lot of sharp edges are being created (on the course). Today as far as I’m concerned is just a qualifying day. Tomorrow is the race.
DAMEN JEFFERIES, No. 22 (10th) -- It was OK. We fought it today; a brand-new truck. We lost our steering. The steering got real tight at the tail end of the first lap. We’d keep rolling the scrag on the shift from first to second and losing the transmission the rest of the day. The last five laps I had to go first-third, first-third. It made it difficult. Luis Ramirez is scheduled to drive tomorrow (Sunday).
LARRY ROESSELER, No. 88 (11th) -- It’s an engine heating issue. We knew at qualifying we had some high oil temps and high water temps. The engine got a little hot testing one time so maybe we’ve got a little water issue. It’s hard to say. It seems to me it’s got air in the system, in the water. With the heat exchanger, it shares the temperature. If the water goes up, the oil goes up. We got some really high temps so I just had to take my foot out of it and just idle along to get the temps to come down and try to keep it alive and not melt it down. My goal was to at least get the eight laps in and get and finish. Now tonight we can regroup and hopefully tomorrow I can run a little harder. The other truck (Norman) just had a right rear shock go.
ROB MacCACHREN, No. 3 (14th. Driver of record Mark Post will drive Sunday) -- It’s tough (to just drive around). We weren’t even going to be here to race until earlier this week, when the call was made. We had to get some points so we had no choice but to bring the Protruck out. We needed to get the points. That’s what we came here to do and that’s about it. The first couple of laps was OK, but the more it went on it got so rough it was beating this truck up pretty good. We wanted to make sure we finished. The whole key for us was to finish.

CLASS 1
HARLEY LETNER, No. 118 (First) – I was waiting to see cars pulled over when I got here (to the finish line) because it was so rough out there. (Were you keeping track of what was going on with the cars wrecking in front of you?) Absolutely not. When I came in, I saw all these cars and I started thinking we didn’t do that well and then Danny (Anderson) said he was the only one that finished and I thought, ‘Maybe I got him on time.’ It feels good (to be leading) because I had four seconds last year and I wanted to finish and hopefully get a win to start the year off right. I’m going to try to pick it up a couple of notches tomorrow and see if I can put some time on him so I can relax a little bit. It’s hammer down tomorrow. There were no issues whatsoever today. I was probably running about 95 percent just to try to get a good finish for today and we’ll get the real racing going tomorrow and try to take a win both days. I might have to do a little shock rebuild tonight to get ready for tomorrow.
DANNY ANDERSON, No. 109 (Second) – That was a lot of fun. We thought we had won but Harley got us by 51 seconds. The course is really rough. We’re the last race of the day and everybody’s chewed it up and I think it’s going to be worse tomorrow. We’re going to have to go hard tomorrow. We’re down 51 seconds already so we have to run hard tomorrow. You can’t play it safe – not here, especially, because the race is so short. I’ve got to thank P.J. Flores for riding with me. He prepped this thing, and Butch Dean. I’m so happy you can’t even imagine. P.J. told me ‘watch out, watch out, he’s (Schwarz) got a broken spindle,’ and I almost blew it there (coming off the leap on the final lap). I got a little excited and got into the back of him a little bit. He did a good job to get it in here. The course is beat up terribly, with all the trucks. But we got the car stiff and it was perfect for this course. There were no issues whatsoever. It was flawless. (On driver of record Pat Dean possibly competing Sunday for the points) No, he can’t even get into the car. I’ll be driving it tomorrow.
ARMIN SCHWARZ, No. 104 (Third. Drove the final mile with a broken front suspension part and dragging the left-front wheel.) – It happened a mile too early. I’m lucky to get it here (to the finish line), very lucky. (On leaving the course and hitting an ambulance parked in the infield) I think it was parked in the wrong place. I tried not to hit it but I just had to get the wheel around again otherwise I couldn’t turn in. It was my only chance to get to the finish. That was the only problem all day. A very, very good finish considering. The car was handling brilliant, very good, and a failure like that could happen – it should not – but the car was handling brilliant. Martin (Christensen) will drive the car tomorrow.
DALE EBBERTS, No. 114 (Fifth. Drove the last three-quarters of a mile in reverse after a transmission failure.) – I was in the hot pit area and all of a sudden, something went wrong inside the tranny. I pulled in the pits and they looked at it and said the axels are fine so I tried reverse, made a U-turn and just came down the rest of the way in reverse. We’ve got to figure out how to fix the transmission before we worry about tomorrow. It is (disappointing), but it could work out good because that problem could have happened one lap into tomorrow and we would have been done. Now we have a chance to fix it and see what we can do. I guess they know what it is and we’ll get it going. Everything else was fine today. The course was rough like usual but I was able to find some good lines and cross over from one line to the next and pick the best spots.
ENRIQUE BUJANDA, No. 113 (Sixth) -- There were no problems. It was all very good.
RONNY WILSON, No. 120 (Seventh) – The car just ran great. It feels like we just finished the 1000, though. It was a lot of fun. I can’t wait until tomorrow. It feels like we just did a little triathlon. It’s so rough out there; you just can’t get a rhythm. There were no problems. The car just ran great, flawless. It was just starting in the back and going through the other cars. It was a lot of fun.
JOSH RIGBY, No. 101 (12th) – We had a blast. It’s a rough course, man, but it always is, every year. There were no problems. Our shocks aren’t stiff enough. We’ve got to stiffen them up a little bit. We almost had to stop for the Leap. It was killing the car and killing us.

CLASS 1-2/1600
STEVE EUGENIO, No. 1600 (First. Driver of record Adam Pfankuch will drive Sunday.) -- It was good. I had some problems getting the car into first gear. We changed the tranny out for the gearing yesterday and I think the linkage needs to be adjusted. There was quite a few times I kept missing shifts and almost had to stop to get it back in gear. Other than that, it was a great day. Beautiful weather and beautiful conditions. No dust. We’re at a desert race with no dust. You can’t beat that.
AARON HAWLEY, No. 1603 (Second. Driver of record Brian Burgess will drive Sunday.) – At the end of the sixth lap I started to make some mistakes But it was a good run. The car stayed out front, the Yokohama tires were great. We just had a few mistakes there toward the end but, you know what, I love this race. I finished third here two years in a row and I want to do better than that this year. Brian Burgess should do a good job for us tomorrow.
DAVE CASPINO, No. 1604 (Fourth) – I’ve got to thank my girlfriend, my crew and the man upstairs for giving me a really good, solid race today with no problems. The course was great. They graded it last night and it was real flat, no problems. Hopefully, they’ll grade it again tonight – that would be really awesome.
JUSTIN DAVIS, No. 1602 (Fifth. Davis is 15½ and is driving at Laughlin for the first time. He will drive both days. He said he has driven in other desert and short-course races.) -- It was fun. It’s like a big (short-course) race, just a little bit longer, a little bit rougher.
MARIO GASTELUM, No. 1606 (Sixth) -- It was very good. The track was nice and level for today. It was very good. We had a lot more fun today than pre-running yesterday because everything was a little smoother, we got the turns a little faster. The only thing I didn’t like was waking up early. (The strategy) was just get it to the finish as fast as you can, with no errors or anything.
BRIAN WILSON, No. 1609 (Seventh. Sammy Ehrenberg will drive Sunday.) -- It was awesome. We just went out there and tried to keep calm and run our own pace and leave everybody alone and keep it on all four wheels. That was a huge goal for us today. We’re 4 (rollovers) for 6 so far. We figured we’d come out, finish this one, keep it on all four wheels, no flat tires. It was an awesome run. The car ran flawless. There’s no dust. It was a little soft and muddy and you kind of feel the car wanting to suck into the ground a little bit, but the BFG tires hooked up great.




CLASS 3
DONALD MOSS, No. 300 (First) -- It’s always a lot of fun out here. It was a nice course today; no dust. We went first (in pre-running) and by the time the Trophy-Trucks got done with their qualifying it really got tore up. It will look completely different again tomorrow. Those holes will be very big. (Is it harder or easier being the only one in your class?) Probably not harder. You definitely have to keep your head on. These things are pretty tricky, with the short wheelbase, and it’s pretty tall and heavy, so it takes a lot just to keep it between the course markers.

CLASS 5
CARLOS ALBANEZ, No. 501 (Second) – It was a lot of fun and that’s what it’s all about. We had no problems. I think I hit a little bit too hard on the first (jump) but other than that, I think we did OK. Luivan Voelker, my co-driver, will drive tomorrow. We’re going to go out and try to do the same thing tomorrow. There were a lot of ruts out there but outside of that, I think we did very, very well and we had a good race.

CLASS 5/1600
ALONSO ANGULO, No. 552 (First) – The course was OK out there. We had one problem; a spark plug came out. It just came out but we got it screwed back in and it was OK. We’re here (at the finish) and that’s good.

CLASS 6
HEIDI STEELE, No. 601 (First) – Everything went good. I drove the first four laps and somewhere on the fifth lap, we broke an axle so one of the wheels wasn’t spinning. Once we got out to that sand area, it was difficult to get traction because it’s getting so deep out there. We had a difficult time getting traction and we actually had to get out and try to push it and get going. Ultimately, we changed drivers because it’s Ross Savage’s truck and it was my first time driving the truck. Ross drove the last lap from like mile two to the finish so we could get the finishing points and first place. Tomorrow, I’m going to drive my truck in (Class 7) so Ross is going to drive this truck tomorrow.

CLASS 7
JOSE CANCHOLA JR., No. 703 (First) – We had a good race and we’re in a great battle with Chris Taylor and here we are. Viva Mexico! The course was real tough but it was a great race. Let’s see tomorrow. We had no problems but I think we’re out of fuel. But we made it.
A.J. RODRIGUEZ, No. 704 (Second) -- It was great; a little rougher than I expected, but we had a good time. No problems. I just think I needed to adjust my suspension differently for the roughness of the track. It was too soft. (Rodriguez said he saw early class leader, No. 719 Chris Taylor, down with what appeared to be a broken spindle.)
DAN CHAMLEE, No. 700 (Third) – It was fun. The course was better than it was in reconnaissance. I really liked it. This course always has been rough but it’s always a lot of run. We were a little down on power this year so we’re at a little bit of a disadvantage but we still brought it home for third so we’re happy with that. It’s a finish – for today – and we’ll see how tomorrow goes. We had no problems other than just going around some slower trucks. BF Goodrich tires really hooked up for us today. The rain made the course just perfect. We were down on power but we never lost traction.

CLASS 7SX
JOHN HOLMES, No. 759 (First) -- It was rougher this year than last. We took it pretty easy. We didn’t want to break anything. The first day is all about just saving the truck for the second day. We stopped in the hot pit a couple of times to check the rear end. I thought we had a flat tire and I did not. It was just rougher out there than we’re used to. (Is running by yourself harder or easier?) You’re really tempted to go race against the other classes and you have to harness yourself in and just keep the truck together. I see the other trucks and want to pick it up and race with them, but I have to say ‘no, that would be stupid. There’s no reason to break.’ It takes a lot of self-control. (Co-driver was son Ty, 15, who was in his first race. Holmes said Mark Landersman probably will drive Sunday, but there’s a possibility Ty could drive instead.)

CLASS 8
GREG ADLER, No. 802 (First) -- When he came through the infield on the first lap No. 801 was on its side in the left-hand sweeper. Adler said: From there on it was just really cruising and taking it easy. The Mopar truck ran great; the guys prepped it awesome, the BFG tires held up, no flats or nothing, no problems. It was great. We’ll run tomorrow in this truck and then run with the Coynes in their Trophy-Truck. The course was starting to get chewed up a little bit more, but it was fun, a fun course. The last few laps, different areas almost looked like a different course, in a way. (Is running by yourself harder or easier?) It’s a little of both. It’s not super easy because you’re trying to be careful, be safe and not do anything stupid. But you jump out of your normal lines, you’re a little out of your groove. It’s not as much fun, but it was great to go out and play.

CLASS 10
ROBERT McBEATH, No. 1003 (First) -- It was a great race. The course is in great condition. There are a lot of fast guys out there, but the course is really rough and it took its toll. After the second lap my throttle kept sticking wide open. I had to pull into the hot pits and they sprayed it with WD40 and got it working again and got me back out. Once that happened there were no other problems. Bryce Menzies on the last lap broke his driver’s side rear axle off. He was very fast. It feels great. I’ve been second and third a lot so it may just have been our day, our time.
SCOTT WHIPPLE, No. 1004 (Second. Driver of record Scott Gailey will drive Sunday) -- We had no problems. It was a great course. It started getting a little torn up, but it was pretty fast. The corners are pretty tough corners, but we took them at pretty high speeds. We almost flipped it on the lid a couple of times, but luckily we didn’t. All in all it was a great track and great competition. This is our first time out here at Laughlin and this is my first year to drive the car, so to get a podium at the first event, we’re more than happy. (Team also is involved with an NHRA Fuel Funny Car with Jim Dunn, Kawasaki Team Green in Supercross, and is building a Trophy-Truck.)
MIKE LAWRENCE, No. 1000 (Third) -- We were battling for the first position. The green car got by me and then the Menzies car was behind me. We were going back and forth having a good time and I came into a turn too hot and rolled it on its side. It was a little flooded, but it started back up and it was fine. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll do well.

SCORE LITE
RICK ST. JOHN, No. 1200 (First) – It’s amazing how rough it gets out there. It’s just loamy sand and it doesn’t take too many cars to go through it to just start building up a lot of holes, a lot of deep, deep berms but all in all, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of excitement for your one hour of driving. Adam Pfankuch will drive it tomorrow.
DAN WORLEY, No. 1201 (Second. Stan Potter will drive Sunday) -- It was a lot of fun. I hadn’t driven this car in a year. We came back and put it together, Stan and I. I thought I’d drive it today and see what developed, tried to save the car, take good lines and don’t hit the big holes, try to save it for tomorrow. We took a year off for financial reasons. We’d chased a championship for like five years and ended up second four of those years and it just took its toll. You’ve got to regroup and recharge the batteries. We plan on doing the whole year. The car was just sitting in the garage up until like two weeks ago. This car is tried and true, it’s a competitive car. I think it’s eight years now we’ve been racing it. Everything’s figured out on it so it’s just up to the driver now.
JAKE JONES, No. 1203 (Eighth. First vehicle in class to finish, but was assessed a start/finish violation and dropped to last in class.) – I have to apologize (for the violation.) I’m just thankful nobody got hurt. It was awesome out there, just unbelievable. This is one of the most fun races of my life. Racing is just fun in general. Just knowing that I have tomorrow to race, too, is great. Tomorrow, I’ve got to keep the car on all four wheels and just stay consistent – do the same thing I did today. I’ll be behind the wheel again tomorrow.

STOCK MINI
GAVIN SKILTON, No. 779 (First) – It was a beautiful day. Thanks for the rain last night, it made the course a lot softer today and it was a lot of fun. We didn’t have any problems. I was out there on my own, just cruising around. The Honda Ridgeline has been doing good in the desert and we’ve got a good team going together with BF Goodrich Tires – they’re the best things out there. We’re just running a good, small, tight team and just getting out there and racing all the time and we’re getting good results. It’s a good truck. People don’t believe it, but it is. You’ll see the Honda Ridgeline with BFG tires ripping up the SCORE Desert Series this year.

STOCK FULL
JUSTIN MATNEY, No. 861 (First) – The track was good. We had a little inner cooler boot issue that we’re going to fix here in just a minute. We had a small pinhole leak or a tear and we just couldn’t boost more than 20 psi so we didn’t really have much power there with two laps to go so we really had to back it down. We couldn’t run it like we were doing the first few laps. We just want to make the truck live, really. Come out here and have fun this weekend and get ready for the San Felipe race.

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT - Dominic Clark (dominiccnv@aol.com),

January 24, 2009

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Opens as 113 Vehicles Entered in 16 Classes

FIRST DAY RACE RECAPS - Saturday, January 24, 2009

NOTE – Racers divided into five different groups, by individual class, to race three, five, six, seven or eight laps over a 6.25-mile desert course. The competition starts and finishes with a stadium-style course in front of grandstand seating. Combined with the hillside viewing, the event VIP tent, and a one outlying spectator area, more than 7,000 spectators were on hand for the first of two days of racing (according to Laughlin Tourism Commission Officials). Racers had one-hour, 20 minutes (80 minutes) time limits from the time each started to complete the required laps each day to be an official finisher for that day. The event finishing order, by class, will be based on the combined two-day elapsed time of each racer and in order to be a finisher, the racer must finish all required laps both days. Sunday’s start order will be in the same order as they finished Saturday, except for those classes that had 10 or more finishers on Saturday. The top 10 finishers from each of those classes will have a drawing to determine their start order for Sunday. Because they qualified for starting positions, SCORE Trophy-Truck will start Sunday in the order they finished Saturday.

GROUP #1......................................... Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), SPT Car (6), 23 Total Starters, 20 Finishers
·CLASS 1-2/16 00 (6 laps, 37.5 miles, 18 Total Starters, 17 finishers) - Eighteen (17) of the 19 entries started Saturday with 17 finishers led by Adam Pfankuch (1600, Carlsbad, Calif. with Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage, 51 minutes, 31 seconds ,43.675 miles per hour), the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1-2/1600 season champion with two event wins. Pfankuch finish third in the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 1-2/1600 race. Brian Burgess (1603, Riverside , Calif. with Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas , Seagrove, :51;33 (43.646 mph) was second followed by Cody Robinson (1616 with Roberto Romo, El Centro , Calif. , Curry, :52:16, 43.048 mph). Pfankuch was down seven seconds to Burgess after four laps and tied his rival after five laps to post a two-second advantage on the sixth and final lap. The Boyers (1612, Rick Boyer/Cory Boyer, Bakersfield , Calif. , Lothringer, ;56;42, 39.682 mph), the defending Laughlin Class 1-2/1600 champions and second-place finishers to Pfankuch on the season list, were 14th Saturday by being over five minutes behind the leader.
·CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only two entries, two racers started Saturday with one finishing as Alonso Angulo (552 with Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico) completing the required six laps in 1 hour, 5 minutes, 52 seconds (34.160 miles per hour). Angulo was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5/1600 points list.
·SPORTSMAN CAR (6 laps, 37.5 miles) - All thre entries started Saturday with only two finishing Saturday’s six-lap, 37.5-mile circuit. Louie Serna (1403, Flagstaff, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy, 51 minutes, 3 seconds, 44.074 miles per hour) led from the start to best Rory Ward (1401 with Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, :53:48, 41.822 mph). The Wards are the defending Laughlin Sportsman car champions. Peter Lang (1400, Santa Rosa , Calif. Homebuilt-Chevy), the 2007 and 2008 SCORE Desert Series Sportsman car champions did not complete a lap Saturday.

GROUP #2................................. Classes 8 (6 laps), 6 (6), 7 (6), 7SX (5), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck(5)
.................................................. .................................................. .............................. 23 Total Starters, 19 finishers

·CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With two entries, both starters Saturday finished the required six laps with Greg Adler (802, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 50 minutes, 35 seconds, 44.481 miles per hour) finishing first followed by Clyde Stacy (801, Bristol, Va. with Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 1:10:31, 31.907 mph). Adler placed third in the 2007 SCORE Desert Series Class 8 point standings and did not complete the required two-day lap total in the 2008 Laughlin Class 8 competition.
·CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only one entry, Heidi Steele (601, San Clemente, Calif. with Ross Savage, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 16 minutes, 16 seconds, 29.540 miles per hour) completed the required six laps. Two miles into the last lap, Steele’s car broke an axle and Savage completed the last four miles as the driver as the vehicle finished nearly four minutes ahead of the course cut-off.
·CLASS 7 (Open mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With seven entries and six starters, four racers finished the required six laps as Jose Canchola Jr. (703, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 52 minutes, 5 seconds, 43.200 miles per hour) holds a one minute lead over A.J. Rodriguez (704, Perris , Calif. , Ford Ranger, :53:05, 42.386 mph). Dan Chamlee (700 with Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria , Calif. , Ford Ranger, :54:00, 41.666 mph) finished the first day in third-place. Chris Taylor (719, El Centro , Calif. with Josh Quintero, Imperial, Calif. , Ford Ranger) had a 1 minutes, 43 second lead after five laps before breaking a spindle on the last lap. Chamlee is a four-time SCORE Desert Series Class 7 champion (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Taylor placed third for the season in 2008 with Rodriguez fifth.
Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series
15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
FIRST DAY RACE RECAPS - Saturday, January 24, 2009, Page 2

GROUP #2................................. Classes 8 (6 laps), 6 (6), 7 (6), 7SX (5), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck(5)
.................................................. .................................................. .............................. 23 Total Starters, 19 finishers

·CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With only one entry, John Holmes (759, Olivenhain, Calif. with Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., Ford Ranger, 54 minutes, 12 seconds, 34.594 miles per hour) completed the required five laps. Holmes has finished fourth and second in the 2007 and 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 7SX standings. He won the 2007 Laughlin Class 7SX title and did not complete the required laps in 2008.
·STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With only one entry, Justin Matney (861, Bristol, Tenn. with Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Dodge Ram 2500, 1 hour, 4 seconds, 31.215 miles per hour) completed the required five laps. Co-driver Stacy was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Stock Full standings for the season. Matney and Stacy did not complete the required Laughlin laps in 2008.
·STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With one entry, Gavin Skilton (779, Anaheim, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 58 minutes, 50 seconds, 31.870 miles per hour) completed the required five laps Saturday. Skilton placed second to Rod Hall on the Stock Mini 2008 SCORE Desert Series standings for the season.




·CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - Donald Moss (300, Sacramento, Calif. with Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco, :51 minutes, 23 seconds, 36.490 miles per hour) was the only entry in the class. He is seeking his seventh Laughlin Class 3 title (2002-2006, 2008). He captured the 2008 Class 3 SCORE Desert Series point’s title.




·SPORTSMAN TRUCK (5 laps, 31.25 miles) - Eight of the 10 entries that started Saturday finished the required five laps led by Gary Messer (1506 with Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite 2008-Chevy, 45 minutes, 46 seconds, 40.968 miles per hour) with a one second lead over Jonathon Libby (1502 with John Libby Jr., Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra, :45:47, 40.954 mph). Rob Anderson (1503, San Clemente , Calif. , Ford Ranger, :49:23, 37.968 mph) was third. Libby held a 54-second lead after the first lap, 75-second edge after two laps and 76 seconds after three laps. Messer made up the deficit on the fourth lap to take a five second lead with Libby making up four seconds on his final lap.

GROUP #3............................................... Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7), 19 Total Starters, 14 finishers

·CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - With nine entries, only four of the nine starters completed the required seven laps Saturday led by Robert McBeath (1003 with Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 59 minutes, 1 second, 44.478 miles per hour). McBeath was fourth after the first three laps and gained the lead when Larry Job (1007, Las Vegas with Bryce Menzies, Henderson , Nev. , Jimco-Honda) could not complete the final lap. Job held a 51-second lead entering the last lap over McBeath. Scott Gailey (1004 with Patrick Gailey, Norco , Calif. , GET-VW, 1:02:17, 42.146 mph) finished second followed by Mikey Lawrence (1000, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 1:02:25, 42.056 mph). Lawrence won the Class 10 SCORE Desert Series points standings in 2008. Brian Freemal (1005, Las Vegas with Dave Deatley, Mohave Valley , Ariz. , Jimco-Honda, 1:18:09, 33.589 mph) held 75 and 98 second leads over Lawrence and McBeath after the first three laps, but had mechanical problems on his fourth lap where he posted a time of 28 minutes, 29 seconds.
·SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - All eight entries started and finished Saturday’s required seven laps. Rick St. John (1200, Encinitas, Calif. with Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 1 hour, 5 seconds, 43.689 miles per hour) hold a six-second edge over Dan Worley (1201, Encinitas, Calif. with Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco, 1:00:11, 43.616 mph). Michelle Bruckmann (1206 with Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove , Calif. , Lothringer, 1:00:42, 43.245 mph) is third. Jake Jones (1203, Aliso Viejo , Calif. , Henry) held a 40 second lead over St. John entering the seventh lap, but did not finish the last lap. Entering the last of seven laps, St. John was only one second ahead of Worley, who had led Saturday’s winner through five laps as both racers were trailing Jones. St. John was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Score Lite champion as he opened the season by winning the Laughlin race. Worley and Potter were the 2007 Laughlin Score Lite champions.
·CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - Only two of the three entries and starters finished Saturday’s seven required laps. Kevin Carr (500, San Diego , 1 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds, 41.988 miles per hour) led from the start to become the first day leader over Carlos Albanez (501, Calexico , Calif. , with Luivan Voelker, Mexicali , Mexico , 1:03:59, 41.026 mph). Carr was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5 champion as he won three races last season, including the Laughlin Desert Challenge title.

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series
15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
FIRST DAY RACE RECAPS - Saturday, January 24, 2009, Page 3

GROUP #4................................................ ...................... SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps), 19 Total Starters, 14 finishers

·Nineteen of the 22 entries started the race Saturday with 14 finishers led by Gus Vildosola Jr. (4 with Gus Vildosola Sr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 58 minutes, 32 seconds, 51.253 miles per hour) followed by Robby Gordon (77, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, :58:45, 51.063 mph) and Justin Lofton (20, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 1:00:06, 49.916 mph). Gordon led for the first six laps with a 10-second edge over Vildosola, who gained the advantage on the seventh lap by posting a seven minute, 20 second lap as compared to Gordon’s :07:41. While Gordon has won seven SCORE Trophy-Truck races, Vildosola is seeking his first SCORE Trophy-Truck title. His father won once in 2003 at San Felipe. Roger Norman (8, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 1:06:54, 44.843 mph) and Brian Collins (12, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, completed four laps) posted the best lap times of seven minutes, two seconds. Both Norman and Collins were tied for the lead after three laps, with Norman leading after four laps with a 14 second edge over Gordon. Vildosola Jr. was also the first day leader at the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge, but failed to finished the required laps the next day. Two-time Laughlin winner B.J. Baldwin (1, Las Vegas , Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:00:31, 49.573 mph) was fifth after Saturday’s racing. Baldwin, who finished second in Laughlin last year after capturing titles in 2006 and 2007, was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Trophy-Truck points champion. Vildosola Jr. was 15th last season while Gordon was 24th.

GROUP #5................................................ ............................................ Class 1 (8 laps), 19 Total Starters, 14 finishers

·With 21 entries, 19 racers started Saturday with 14 finishing led by Harley Letner (118. Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 1 hour, 2 minutes, 5 seconds, 48.322 miles per hour) with Pat Dean (109 with Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 1:02:56, 47.669 mph) 51 seconds behind. Armin Schwarz (104, Germany with Martin Christensen, Escondido , Calif. , Jimco-BMW, 1:04:57, 46.189 mph), who struggled with a broke spindle on the left front wheel near the finish line) was third. Letner was 12th on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1 standings. After Letner led the first lap, Dale Ebberts (114, Wilton , Calif. with Danny Ebberts, Canyon Lake , Calif. , Jimco-Chevy, 1:05:31, 45.789 mph) led for the next six laps as he built a 17 second lead. However, Ebberts posted an :11:35 time on the last lap, driving the last three-quarters of a mile in reverse because he lost all gears except reverse. Dean, who was seventh overall last season in Class 1, is the defending Laughlin champion. Ebberts was sixth overall last season in Class 1 while Schwarz was third.

[Blanco]

15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Total Entries--113

(from 12 States , Mexico & Germany ) (as of 1/24/09)

(SUNDAY’S STARTING ORDER, By Class)



Pro Cars and Trucks

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (22)
4 Gus Vildosola Jr.
77 Robby Gordon
20 Justin Lofton
35 Robbie Pierce
1 B.J. Baldwin
16 Cameron Steele
96 Bobby Baldwin
13 Ed Stout
24 Adam Householder
22 Damen Jefferies
88 Larry Roeseler
11 Greg Nunley
8 Roger Norman
3 Mark Post
5 Travis Coyne
54 Jesse James
89 Rusty Stevens
12 Brian Collins
91 Bill McBeath

19 Tim Herbst
44 Robert Ross
51 Kory Scheeler

CLASS 1 (21)
109 Pat Dean
118 Harley Letner
104 Armin Schwarz
121 Julio Herrera
114 Dale Ebberts
102 Randy Wilson
119 Byron Ashley
120 Ronny Wilson
108 Richard Boyle
113 Enrique Bujanda

122 Rick Romans
101 Josh Rigsby
107 Brian Parkhouse
116 Dale Lenk
110 Brendan Gaughan
106 John Herder
117 James Scott
115 Kory Halopoff
103 John Harrah

105 Robert Ross
111 Troy Herbst

CLASS 1-2/1600 (19)
1606 Mario Gastelum
1602 Justin Davis
1646 Eric Duran
1616 Cody Robinson
1600 Adam Pfankuch
1603 Brian Burgess
1611 Arturo Velazco
1609 Brian Wilson
1604 David Caspino
1613 Joe Sheble

1614 Hiram Duran
1612 Rick Boyer
1615 Mike Simpson
1649 Justin Smith
1648 Sparky Wilbur
1607 Samuel Araiza
1605 Brad Wilson
1645 Eric Hefley

1601 Rob MacCachren




CLASS 3 (1)
300 Donald Moss

CLASS 5 (3)
500 Kevin Carr
501 Carlos Albanez
502 Shaun Dunbar

CLASS 5/1600 (2)
552 Alonso Angulo
578 Brent Shermak

CLASS 6 (1)
601 Heidi Steele



CLASS 7 (7)
703 Jose Canchola Jr.
704 A.J. Rodriguez
700 Dan Chamlee
718 Heidi Steele
719 Chris Taylor
701 Brandon Walsh

702 Igor Galvan

CLASS 7SX (1)
759 John Holmes

CLASS 8 (2)
802 Greg Adler
801 Clyde Stacy

CLASS 9 (1)
919 Joseph Sheble Jr.

CLASS 10 (9)
1003 Robert McBeath
1004 Scott Gailey
1000 Mike Lawrence
1005 Brian Freemal
1007 Larry Job
1008 Sergio Salgado
1001 Jesus Gonzalez
1010 Adam Wik

1009 Tito Robles

SCORE LITE (8)
1200 Rick St. John
1201 Dan Worley
1206 Michelle Bruckmann
1208 Brent Parkhouse
1249 Matthew Kupiec
1209 Justin Davis
1205 Roberto Encinas
1203 Jake Jones

CLASS 11 (1)
1101 Eric Solorzano

STOCK MINI (1)
779 Gavin Skilton

STOCK FULL (1)
861 Justin Matney

Sportsman

Cars & Trucks

SPT CAR (3
1403 Louie Serna
1401 Rory Ward
1400 Peter Lang

SPT TRUCK (10)
1506 Gary Messer
1502 Jonathon Libby
1503 Rob Anderson
1504 Reid Rutherford
1505 Patrick Sutalo Jr.
1548 Chris Shive
1549 Nick Tonelli
1501 Joe Aguayo
1547 Cody Stuart
1507 Gregg Hempel

[Yikes]

No support for the Moss boys? Come on guys! Here's a clip from Saturday at rear of a Mason Prorunner. Very impressed with the capability BTW. Look for Moss!!


YouTube - LDC

[AngerIssues]

No support for the Moss boys? Come on guys!

Forgive me.

go, fight, win!! oh wait.. go, fight, finish!!


You all know how I feel about Laughlin. It's a waste of time and money. I know Don likes this venue for his family, but racing against nobody is tough to swallow, and only gives him points in the event he chooses to race the whole SCORE series. In my pig-headed opinion, if you want to bring your family to a race, choose a local one, and let new people ride, pre-run, whatever. That is what we usually do in Jackpot - 45 miles away, cheap, super fun (although I heard BORE is broke).

But anyway... Moss and co. could literally take 2nd at every race for the rest of the year (given our normal small showing), and win the SCORE championship just because they garnished 35 points in Laughlin.

With a delta of only 6 points per race (first compared to 2nd)... it locks in the championship IF the team can finish every SCORE race. I know that can be a big "if"... (at least for me).

I hope everyone knows I have nothing but respect for TEAM Moss. They have beaten us fair and square more times than I care to mention. I just wish SCORE would drop this "TT festival". 6.5 mile loops, 1200 to 1400 entry fee.

I also wish San Felipe and the MINT weren't so dang close together.

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark

January 25, 2009

Anderson wins Class 1
NASCAR’s R. Gordon dominates field to capture Overall victory

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

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 15th 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 31st 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 22nd 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 (http://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

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark,


15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
Round 1 of 5 race 2009 SCORE Desert Series
Jan. 22-25 - Laughlin, Nevada, 6.25 miles per lap
OFFICIAL ENTRIES-113 (from 12 States, Mexico & Germany)
Total Starters: 103, 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)

OFFICIAL FINISHERS

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 16 laps, 100.0 miles) - 1. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds, 50.891 miles per hour; 2. Cameron Steele/Justin Smith, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:02:07, 49.133 mph; 3. Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif./Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:03:11, 48.708 mph; 4. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:08:32, 46.680 mph; 5. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 2:13:31, 44.938 mph; 6. Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:14:16, 44.687 mph; 7. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 2:25:50, 41.743 mph (22 entries, 19 starters, 7 finishers).

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 16 laps, 100.0 miles) -1. Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 2 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds (47.213 miles per hour; 2. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 2:09:54, 46.189 mph; 3. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:10:32, 45.965; 4. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:10:53, 45.842; 5. Enrique Bujanda, El Paso, Texas, Porter-Chevy, 2:12:53, 45.152; 6. Julio Herrera, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, 2:17:20, 43.689; 7. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:19:14, 43.093; 8. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:19:33, 42.995; 9. Rick Romans/Jerry Bennett, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 2:24:28, 41.532; 10. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 2:25:41, 41.185 (21 entries, 19 starters, 10 finishers).

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 12 laps, 75.0 miles) - 1. Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif./Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage, 1 hour, 44 minutes, 6 seconds, 43.228 miles per hour; 2. Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif./Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, Seagrove, 1:44:36, 43.021 mph; 3. Cody Robinson/Roberto Romo, El Centro, Calif., Curry, 1:46:45, 42.155 mph; 4. Brian Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, Kreger, 1:47:35, 41.828 mph; 5. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif./Mike Malloy, Las Vegas, Lothringer, 1:47:42, 41.783 mph; 6. Mario Gastelum, El Centro, Calif., Curry, 1:47:46, 41.757 mph; 7. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif./Rino Navera, Orange, Calif., Seagrove, 1:47:54, 41.705 mph; 8. Eric Duran/Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth, 1:48:36, 41.436 mph; 9. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif./Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Fraley, 1:50:16, 40.810 mph; 10. Rick Boyer/Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer, 1:50:22, 40.773 mph; 11. Hiram Duran/Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth, 1:51:10, 40.480 mph; 12. Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Bear, 1:54:53, 39.170 mph; 13. Joe Sheble, Fort Mohave, Ariz., Fraley, 1:54:55, 39.159 mph; 14. Samuel Araiza, La Paz, Mexico, Fraley, 1:57:38, 38.254 mph; 15. Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Penhall, 2:06:17, 35.634 (19 entries, 18 starters, 15 finishers).


CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4, 10 laps, 62.5 miles) - 1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif./Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 32 seconds, 35.534 miles per hour (1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 14 laps, 87.5 miles) - 1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, 2 hour, 7 minutes, 57 seconds, 41.032 miles per hour; 2. Carlos Albanez, Calexico, Calif./Luivan Voelker, Mexicali, Mexico, 2:16:51, 38.363 mph (3 entries, 3 starters, 2 finishers).

CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 12 laps, 75.0 miles) - 1. Alonso Angulo/Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico, 2 hours,10 minutes, 30 seconds, 34.483 miles per hour (2 entries, 2 starters, 1 finisher).

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 12 laps, 75.0 miles) - 1. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Ross Savage, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 2 hour, 13 minutes, 18 seconds, 33.758 miles per hour (1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 12 laps, 75.0 miles) - 1. . Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 51 minutes, 1 second, 40.534 miles per hour, 2. Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 1:57:27, 38.314 mph; 3. Heidi Steele/Rene Brugger, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, 2:14:29, 33.461 mph (7 entries, 6 starters, 3 finishers).

CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles) - 1. John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif./Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 46 minutes, 25 seconds, 35.239 miles per hour (1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher).

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 12 laps, 75.0 miles) - 1. Greg Adler, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 26 seconds, 42.681 miles per hour; 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 2:08:36, 34.9992 mph (2 entries, 2 starters, 2 finishers).

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 14 laps, 87.5 miles) - 1. Robert McBeath/Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 2 hours, 1 minute, 21 seconds, 43.263 miles per hour; 2. Mikey Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 2:02:25, 42.886 mph 3. Scott Gailey/Patrick Gailey, Norco, Calif., GET-VW, 2:03:41, 42.447 mph (9 entries, 8 starters, 3 finishers).

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 14 laps, 87.5 miles) - 1. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 1 hour, 58 minutes 28 seconds, 44.316 miles per hour; 2. Michelle Bruckmann/Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer, 1:59:14, 44.031 mph; 3. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Chuck Sacks, Canyon Lake, Calif., Moulton, 2:02:41, 42.793 mph; 4. Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif./Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco, 2:04:30, 42.169 mph; 5. Matthew Kupiec/Kurtis Kupiec, Palos Verdes, Calif., Kreger, 2:05:02, 41.989 mph (8 entries, 8 starters, 5 finishers).

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles) - No finishers (1 entry, 1 starter, 0 finishers).

STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini trucks, 10 laps, 62.5 miles) - 1. Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 36 seconds, 31.888 miles per hour (1 entry, 1 starter, 1 finisher).

SPORTSMAN

SPORTSMAN CAR (12 laps, 75.0 miles) - 1. Rory Ward/Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, 1 hour, 49 minutes, 32 seconds, 41.083 miles per hour (4 entries, 3 starters, 1 finisher).

SPORTSMAN TRUCK (10 laps, 62.5 miles) - 1. Gary Messer/Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite 2008-Chevy, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 24 seconds, 40.150 miles per hour; 2. Rob Anderson, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:35:47, 39.151 mph; 3. Chris Shive/Dennis Sprong, Ramona, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:40:05, 37.469 mph; 4. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., 1:48:32, 34.552 mph; 5. Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:51:24, 33.662 mph; 6. Joe Aguayo, San Jacinto, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:57:07, 32.038 mph (10 entries, 10 starters, 6 finishers).

[Yikes]

Forgive me.

go, fight, win!! oh wait.. go, fight, finish!!


Yeah, I know Ken. It just pains me to see them out there by themselves all the time. I'm afraid they'll quit before I have a chance to race with them. Believe it or not though, it keeps me motivated to get my junk built. Shooting for the last part of this year!!

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123

15th ANNUAL SCORE LAUGHLIN DESERT CHALLENGE
Round one of 2009 SCORE Desert Series
January 22-25, Laughlin, Nevada
Driver quotes after second round of races Sunday, January 25

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
ROBBY GORDON, No. 77 (First on Sunday, first in class and first overall. This was Gordon’s eighth career SCORE Trophy-Truck victory and his first since the 2006 Baja 1000.) – Yeah, we were (on cruise control). We’ve come here for many years and we’re normally fast here at Laughlin but we don’t win so this year, I came with a little different strategy. We’d sit and ride the first race. Laps four, five and six here, I backed off quite a bit. I knew I had a minute and 45 on B.J. (Baldwin) and I knew he was up on me by 30 seconds but I was cool with it because the most important thing for us to do is win with this Monster Chevrolet. It’s always fun to win – it doesn’t matter where it’s at. I’m glad we did it here at Laughlin and we’ll be back next year.
CAMERON STEELE/JUSTIN SMITH, No. 16 (Fourth on Sunday, second in class and second overall. Steele drove Saturday and Smith drove Sunday.) – Smith said: I had a great time out there. This is my first time ever in a Trophy-Truck this weekend. He had me qualify for him and we came out in sixth place and he got sixth place (Saturday) and here we are and hopefully we’re in the top three. I’ve always raced limited buggies and I’ve done my fair share of riding in Trophy-Trucks with Cameron and Clyde Stout and those guys. It was pretty nice. Clyde and I did some battling and he made a little mistake trying to push too hard and it feels pretty good to beat him to the finish line. I just tried to keep my mind off being nervous and on other things. (On lap 7, he was on the infield straightaway three-wide with Bill McBeath and Stout) I came on the inside of Bill McBeath and I didn’t even know that Clyde was coming. I knew he was there, but I didn’t know how close he was. He put some time on me when I slowed up from McBeath, trying to be polite, then Clyde came in and decided that he wanted to go three wide. I let Clyde go out there and get by us and then he bobbled in front of me and blew a corner and I got my chance to get back, so I took it. I was really excited for all my driving. I think I did a pretty good job. You’ve got all the big dogs out here and to come out and battle with all those guys, it’s awesome.
ED “CLYDE” STOUT, No. 13 (Third on Sunday, third in class and third overall.) – We had a good run. We finished eighth (Saturday) and our motor is about 620 to 630 horsepower. This one here, K Tech built it and Red Line tuned it and, man, they’re good guys. But I think we’re about 120 to 150 down in horsepower from these guys and we rattled them. This is an incredible truck. (On getting passed by Justin Smith in the No. 16 for second place) I was going down to this fast section where you kick it sideways and you drop it to second ... and on the last lap I came over and the edge grabbed and pushed my truck to the right so I had to pop over the berm and he got by me.
ADAM HOUSEHOLDER, No. 24 (Fifth on Sunday and fourth in class) – There was not one issue. In testing, we broke a motor and went to a small-horsepower backup motor and there was not one issue. We’re down probably 250-300 horsepower and it was tough passing people. We just had to carry more momentum than everyone else. I didn’t get passed too much. I let them work for it just like I had to. We saw people ahead of us and they were broke down and we just picked them off one by one.
ROGER NORMAN/LARRY ROESELER, No. 8 (Sixth on Sunday, fifth in class. Norman drove Saturday and Roeseler drove Sunday.) – Roeseler said: Roger had a heck of a run yesterday and we’re a team and we talked about it and he said, ‘It’s your turn to drive today.’ I wanted to make the team proud. Things started off pretty good but then we started having power steering problems about the third lap so it was pretty tough to manipulate this course without power steering. We had to stop and put about two quarts in it and oil was flying into our face. It was tough just to get those last few laps in. We’ve had rougher days, but to get all eight laps in on Saturday and all eight laps in on Sunday and leave here with a fifth-place finish ... we’re not out of it.
GREG NUNLEY, No. 11 (Seventh on Sunday, sixth in class.) – It was a little bit rougher than yesterday, a little soft in the back. We just wanted to finish – that was our goal today. We didn’t have any problems at all. We didn’t have to pull into the hot pit at all, not one time. It went really good today. We finished yesterday in 1:06 and today in 1:07 so we were pretty consistent. I had a really good time.
B.J. BALDWIN, No. 1 (DNF on Sunday after finishing fifth on Saturday. Baldwin lost all forward gears early on his seventh lap and tried, but failed, to finish the final lap in reverse.) -- It’s all about persistence. I’ve heard it over the radio for the last 20 minutes that we are THE fastest truck at the Laughlin Desert Challenge in reverse, so I’m pretty proud of that. We gave it our all. It looks like we lost all forward gears in the family (father Bobby also DNF with gearbox woes). The only gears that worked were reverse and park. We did the best we can. I went as fast as I could in reverse for you guys to try to put on a show. I was going to get some momentum for the Leap but I didn’t even know it was coming up. We were making a little bit of time on Robby (Gordon). I think he was playing it a little conservative today, but we were really going for it. We did the best we could. I think we lost all forward gears. (What’s it like driving in reverse?) It’s entertaining – and weird. I’m going as fast as I can in reverse. You see all the other guys coming this way (toward you) and their wheels are working and they’re going just 110 percent trying to get around you. (Co-driver) Mike Lucey is telling me where to go and I’m peeking out (the window).
BRIAN COLLINS, No. 12 (Second on Sunday, but DNF because he finished only four of the required eight laps on Saturday.) – Yesterday we broke the front end off on the fourth lap and rolled the truck. It was really frustrating because we were running so well. I think we were even ahead of Gordon, time-wise. So we just recouped and tried to get it done today. The last two years I’ve had DNFs both days and that’s a tough way to start the season. When the truck runs, I don’t think there’s a better truck out there.

CLASS 1
PAT DEAN/DANNY ANDERSON, No. 109 (First on Sunday, first in class and fourth overall. Anderson drove both days for driver of record Pat Dean, who was unable to drive because of a shoulder injury.) – Anderson said: I’d have to say today old age and treachery overcame youth and skill. My plan was to let Harley (Letner, who was first on Saturday) go. I knew I wasn’t going to beat him by 50 seconds so I just let him go do his thing. About the third lap we come around and he had a flat tire and that was pretty much it. We just took it easy on the car and the car was awesome. Butch Dean and P.J. Flores are unbelievable prepping this Bunderson car. That’s two years in a row for these guys as champions. I knew I wasn’t going to beat him (Letner) by a minute if he had a clean run -- no way. The only chance I had was to let him do his thing and hope something happened to him and it worked. We just kept the same pace and tried not to tear up the car. We knew we were only racing Harley today and we had to get it around for eight laps. It was good.
HARLEY LETNER, No. 118 (Eighth on Sunday, second in class.) – It didn’t go exactly as I had planned. We had one flat, one setback, but a strong finish will keep us up there in points, hopefully. That was the only problem we had. It happened on the beginning of the second lap, about mile 2, and I had to just limp it in the rest of the way and trying not to bend the wheel over the caliper. We got it changed and I tried to make up some time but I don’t think I made up enough. The car was running real good. I was pushing it down a little further after I got my flat. I was quite upset, but I was just trying to keep it in one piece and make it to the finish line.
RANDY WILSON, No. 102 (Fourth on Sunday, third in class.) – It was a lot of fun. It’s great. All four (team) cars finished this weekend so we’ll go to San Felipe (for the 23rd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 March 13-15) in the top 10 in points in all the classes, so it will be good. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. (He and brother Ronny ran second and third physically most of the day, with Ronny finishing in that spot) My co-driver said, ‘They’re right behind you.’ He’s hunting me. I blew two or three turns. It’s easier to be the hunter. But they were going faster than I was. We worked on the cars a little bit last night. This really isn’t our forte, you know. These are good San Felipe cars. We had no hiccups. We were a little bit light in the front end yesterday, suspension-wise, we were bottoming out really bad. Today was better.
RONNY WILSON, No. 120 (Second on Sunday, fourth in class.) – We had a great time today. The cars ran great all day and I have to thank Mike Stapleton and Adam Wik and Fortin and BFG – we had no problems with the tires – and I can’t wait to go to San Felipe. The track is going away real bad, but SCORE did a great job and the flagmen out there are slowing people down out there. It’s great. We came here to finish and get the finishing points and get down to Mexico. It was a lot of fun out there today. We diced it for about three or four laps and it was just a lot of fun. It’s a great way to start out the season; we’re probably in the top five in points. We had no problems. Yesterday, I was just off my game a little bit and I just didn’t push it like I was supposed to. But that’s all right. We’ll be all right. You’re just supposed to survive Laughlin and we did.
ENRIQUE BUJANDA/HECTOR TRILLO, No. 113 (Fifth on Sunday, fifth in class. Bujanda drove both days but Trillo served as the spokesman for the team.) – Trillo said: Enrique drove both days and we had no problems at all. We had a real good race. The course was hard – very hard. Now we’ll go to San Felipe. We got fourth last year so we’re hoping to get first this year.
JULIO HERRERA, No. 121 (Ninth on Sunday, sixth in class.) – Our suspension was too soft and we were all over the place all the way around the course. The steering also was off. Yesterday, the course was a lot rougher. But, you know, it’s good for my first race, my first race with SCORE and the first time in Laughlin. I race a lot in Cabo (San Lucas), but this is my first time in Laughlin. The plan is to race the whole year with SCORE in Class 1 and teaming up with Damen Jefferies in a Trophy-Truck. We hope we can make it a whole season.
BRIAN PARKHOUSE, No. 107 (Third on Sunday, eighth in class.) – We were doing the last three laps in only fifth gear. We were fine all day and I don’t know what happened. I was in fourth and went to go down to third. It waned. I brought it back up to fourth and had fourth for a little while, then no fourth. We had a good time. The car ran good. It’s just about getting across the line here. I put the car on its side Saturday. It just tucked under on me and went over on its side. We still had a pretty good finish.
RICK ROMANS, No. 122 (Tenth on Sunday, ninth in class.) – I’m not too sure if the fuel is bad or what, but we didn’t run too well. We had a pretty good time. We had a lot of fun. Jefferies Racing put together a pretty nice car and we didn’t have any problems here today. We had a good run. No problems; just that the motor wasn’t running very good. But we got it here (to the finish).

CLASS 1-2/1600

ADAM PFANKUCH/STEVE EUGENIO, No. 1600 (First on Sunday, first in class. This was the fourth Laughlin Desert Challenge victory for Pfankuch, who also won in 2003 and 2005 in 1-2.1600 and last year in SCORE Lite. Pfankuch drove Sunday and Eugenio drove Saturday.) – Pfankuch said: We had the lead the first day and all we had to do was go out there and hold it. (Second-place Steve Burgess was on your bumper the whole day) Yeah, all you can do is turn around and smile because he couldn’t get by me. It made for a fun day. It’s good to be back. We had about a three-second lead on top of Burgess and we started side-by-side, so the strategy was just to stay right with him or stay ahead of him and it ended up being a pretty good cruise. I just got by on a couple of turns. He was a little slower in one turn, I carried some momentum and just got by him and then after I pulled ahead a little bit, just cruised. But it was pretty much hammer down all day. Not a bad way to start 2009.
BRIAN BURGESS/AARON HAWLEY, No. 1603 (Second on Sunday, second in class. Hawley drove Saturday and Burgess drove Sunday.) – Burgess said: This course has a lot of sharp edges and it’s really, really pounding. You feel it through the steering wheel; you feel it on your head and everywhere. I want to thank Aaron Hawley for doing such a good job yesterday (Saturday), and congratulations to Adam on the win. We fought a carburetor issue all weekend. We fixed it a little bit today, but it still wasn’t 100 percent and when you’re racing Adam you’ve got to have your game on top. When you’d get off the gas at start-finish it was stalling. I think this is rougher than San Felipe because of the sharp edges. There’s no way to set up a car for it. It’s just hold on and pound through it.
CODY ROBINSON/ROBERTO ROMO, No. 1616 (Seventh on Sunday, third in class. Robinson drove Saturday and Romo drove Sunday.) – Romo said: It went bad for me. We had a left-rear flat on the second flat and that cost us the race right there. That was the only problem we had. That cost us maybe a minute or so – it happened about race mile 3.5 and we went all the way to the pits. It only took them about a minute to change it. We are the first two-seater on the finish line. It’s way different between single-seater and two-seaters.



CLASS 3
DONALD MOSS, No. 300 (First on Sunday, first in class. This was Moss’ seventh Laughlin Desert Challenge victory in the past eight years.) – That was a pretty good run. It was a lot tougher out there today. We took it a little easier today; this thing just doesn’t do as well with the big holes and there was really nowhere to open it up. Our laps were a little slower today but it was still a lot of fun. This was our seventh win here. (What’s the key to your success here?) We just know the vehicle real and we don’t push it beyond its limits. We just basically take it easy and don’t tear it up. Take care of the equipment, that’s the main thing.

CLASS 5
KEVIN CARR, No. 500 (First on Sunday, first in class.) – It was nice today. It looked like they bladed a lot of the course so it was nice and smooth. It was really soft. I think we had a bit of advantage over Carlos because we’ve got more low-end torque and the big BFGoodrich tires in the back just helps a lot with sand. The car ran beautifully. It’s the second time we’ve won here and I’m high as a kite.

CLASS 5/1600
ALONSO ANGULO, No. 552 (First Sunday, first in class. First career SCORE victory) – Muy bien! Perfecto! No problems today, no flat tires. It was pretty easy (today). We had some problems (Saturday) but nothing today. The course was harder today.

CLASS 6
HEIDI STEELE/ROSS SAVAGE, No. 601 (First on Sunday, first in class. Steele drove Saturday and Savage drove Sunday.) – Savage said: I just came aboard with the team Tuesday night. It was kind of a last-minute deal. Heidi drove the truck for her first time Friday; she did three laps. She drove (Saturday) and did a phenomenal job. Unfortunately, we lost an axle. We were able to finish and we were able to play a little bit more today. (Being the only car in the class) You’ve got to drive smart. You want to finish, you want to get your points, but at the same time you’re out there with the (class) 7s, you’ve got a reputation and you don’t want to have a bad lap time. It’s kind of a pride thing. You’ve got to find a happy medium. Don’t push it too hard, don’t take yourself out, but go out there and have fun and show them what the truck can do.

CLASS 7
DAN CHAMLEE, No. 700 (Second on Sunday, first in class.) – The BFG tires were really hooked up. We never had a traction problem. It was awesome. We collapsed a trailing arm (on the passenger side on the second lap). It was hitting hard out there because of it, but this truck never comes apart, it just keeps going. It was more of a miss that I was fighting with that made me slow down, and it was hitting real hard on the bumps and I didn’t want to break it. This old beater truck – I’m down on horsepower and it’s breaking and falling apart, but it just keeps going. This truck always gets me through. It’s the low-budget, never quits.
CHRIS TAYLOR/JOSH QUINTERO, No. 719 (First on Sunday. Completed five of six required laps Saturday and was a DNF in class. Taylor drove Saturday and Quintero drove Sunday.) -- Quintero said: We broke the center out of the wheel with a mile to go (on Saturday). He (Taylor) blew a turn and stuffed it and just broke the center right out. We put a new wheel on it and finished (but not within the time limit). We came out today and showed them we can do it. I think we took the overall for today. We pretty much figured we weren’t (in contention for an overall class win), but we came out for the fans, to redeem ourselves.
JOSE CANCHOLA JR., No. 703 (Third on Sunday, second in class. Canchola was first on Saturday and, despite getting stuck briefly on lap 2, was leading Sunday when he pulled into the hot pits on the last lap.) -- We didn’t know it was the last lap. We had a fuel pump problem. We changed it. We thought we had to make another lap. It was a mess. We had some problems with communications.

CLASS 7SX
JOHN HOLMES/MARK LANDERSMAN, No. 759 (First on Sunday, first in class. Holmes drove Saturday and Landersman drove Sunday.) – Landersman said (tongue in cheek): It was a tight race all day. We battled all day. It was tough. They had us at one point, but we pushed it pretty hard to get back in front and we brought home the first place, and we were the only ones in our class so it was a lot of fun. (Turning serious, he added:) We just took it easy and shook the truck down and it was all good. We just used it as a test. We tested a couple of different setups in the tire and a couple of different setups in the suspension and made some minor changes. This is a great opportunity under race conditions to see how everything handles and what you might not try normally you can try sometimes. John stopped every lap yesterday and took a look at it. I just cruised around and I don’t think the wheels ever left the ground.

CLASS 8
GREG ADLER, No. 802 (First on Sunday, first in class.) – The course was a little rougher today; it was pretty chewed up. We just kind of picked our way through after we built up enough of a lead. As we started getting further into the race, we knew we had a pretty good lead so we just didn’t want to break it. This was a good weekend for us. It was fun. (Are you going to run for the points title?) We’re going to figure that one out. This certainly gives us a good start. Hopefully, there’s enough competition at some of the other races, too, that makes it worthwhile to do.

CLASS 10
ROBERT McBEATH/JESSICA McBEATH, No. 1003 (Fourth on Sunday, first in class.) – I had a three-minute and 16-second lead coming in so my goal was just to keep the cars in sight and not break and bring the car home. That’s basically what we did. We gave up about 35 seconds to them and concentrated on not breaking the car. It looks like we lost our alternator but on a short course like this it’s not a disadvantage. We ran hard yesterday and did what we needed to do and today we just wanted to bring it home. There’s a strategy that’s involved: The guys that are behind have to race hard, push hard, to catch up and they’re more likely to break. We had a good time out there today.
MIKEY LAWRENCE, No. 1000 (Second on Sunday, second in class.) – I guess I did one thing well: I kept all four wheels down today. Yesterday, I was battling with Bryce Menzies and having fun and I came into a turn a little too hot and tipped it over. It took us a couple of minutes to tip it back over and we finished third. There were no problems, no flats, nothing (today). We lost a little oil, so we put a little oil in it this morning and that was it. It’s (Class 10) a tremendous class; I’m loving it.
SCOTT GAILEY/SCOTT WHIPPLE, No. 1004 (Third on Sunday, third in class. Whipple drove Saturday and Gailey drove Sunday.) – Gailey said: Scott Whipple’s stepson, Johnny, rode with me for the first time and did an excellent job. There were no problems, none at all. This is a new car, so it’s built to the new rules. We’re a couple hundred pounds heavier than the rest of the vehicles and we’re down on the Hondas in horsepower, so it’s a battle. You have to do everything you can with air pressure in the tires and make sure you’re on your game. Like we’ve always said: If you’re not there at the finish, you can’t win. We’re at the finish and we had an incredible weekend.
ADAM WIK, No. 1010 (First on Sunday but failed to complete all seven required laps on Saturday.) – We had a great day. Everything worked perfect for us today. Yesterday we had some issues. Yesterday we had a tranny get stuck in gear. We fixed that, then we had a power steering pulley break and that put us out. So we just decided to try and go through the whole car and get it ready for today and everything worked out great. No issues at all. Started dead last and just tried to pick my way through the pack and everything worked out good. (Wik is an engine builder. He said McBeath and Freemal in Class 10 were among 10 or 11 drivers using his motors here.) This is advertising, yeah, but we race. I love racing; that’s how I got into building engines. If anything, I’d rather be a racecar driver than an engine builder, but that just doesn’t work out sometimes, so I’ve got to build motors to pay for my racing.

SCORE LITE
RICK ST. JOHN/ADAM PFANKUCH, No. 1200 (First on Sunday, first in class. Fifth career Laughlin title for Pfankuch, who also won today in Class 1-2/1600. St. John drove Saturday and Pfankuch drove Sunday.) – Pfankuch said: It feels really good. I wish I could have gone a little faster because I had someone right on my tail but that’s how the (Class) 10 cars come and affect us in front of us. But I couldn’t ask for anything more than a 1-2 finish. (Vic Bruckmann was within seconds of you all day long. How was that?) I felt really good. Every time I turned around I saw them back there and then I’d get stuck behind a 10 car and he’d reel me in and then he had to deal with it, too. The last lap, I had to deal with one 10 car and he didn’t so he pulled a lot of time on me but it all worked out, so I’m happy. It was fun out there. The course was really chewed up today.
MICHELLE BRUCKMANN/VIC BRUCKMANN, No. 1206 (Second on Sunday, second in class. Michelle drove Saturday and Vic drove Sunday.) – Vic said: It got pretty rough. I wasn’t expecting it to be that rough but it was fun – a lot of fun. Michelle drove yesterday and finished third. I just drove as hard as I could today. The only problem I had today was the Class 10 cars, which should have been way faster than us. It was hard to get around them. Other than that, it was great.
DAN WORLEY/STAN POTTER, No. 1201 (Fifth on Sunday, fourth in class. Worley, who took last year off from racing, drove both days.) – It was rough. We tried to keep up with those young kids. We’re in it for the year so we had to finish today. If you start off with a DNF here, it’s hard to recover. We gave it all I had for the first couple of laps and then we held back a little bit and put it in cruise mode but then we had fuel issues on the last lap. We switched fuel pumps and fixed that. We haven’t driven in a year so this was the first time in a car in a year. It felt good, like an old comfortable friend. I’ll probably be a little sore tomorrow but I’ll start riding a bike and get back into shape.
BRENT PARKHOUSE/CHUCK SACKS, No. 1208 (Third on Sunday, third in class. Parkhouse drove Saturday and Sacks drove Sunday.) Sacks said: It was a good day. It was bit rough out there. We hunted our way through trying to find lines. It was pick and choose every lap, looking for something to smooth it out any way we could, and spent most of the day in the air. It was tough. It didn’t help at all trying to make up time. It was slim pickings for anything smooth out there at all. The car ran like a champ. I’d have liked maybe another 450 horsepower.

STOCK MINI
GAVIN SKILTON, No. 779 (First on Sunday, first in class.) – The course was a lot rougher today, but another great day. Sal (Fish) always puts on a great race with SCORE. Laughlin is really great because everyone gets to see so much of the action, the crews get to hang out and see the action; they’re not driving all night across thousands of miles of desolate roads. It was a fun day. The weather was great and the Ridgeline performed smooth as ever and absolutely no problems all weekend. The course definitely gets a lot rougher it was a good day of racing. We were running consistent lap times – believe it or not, a little faster than yesterday, which is shocking. My team did a great job ... we didn’t really turn a wrench on the Ridgeline all weekend. It’s been a really nice, pleasant weekend for the team, so we had a lot of fun. We’re going to be here for the whole series. We’re chasing a championship and the Milestone and just trying to show people how tough this truck really is.

[Blanco]

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT - Dominic Clark,


January 25, 2009

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Concludes as 113 Vehicles Compete in 16 Classes
SECOND DAY RACE RECAPS - Sunday, January 25, 2009


NOTE - Racers divided into five different groups, by individual class, to race five, six, seven or eight laps over a 6.25-mile desert course. The competition starts and finishes with a stadium-style course in front of grandstand seating. Combined with the hillside viewing, the event VIP tent, and a one outlying spectator area, more than 20,000 spectators viewed the three days of racing (according to Laughlin Tourism Commission Officials). Racers had one-hour, 20 minutes (80 minutes) time limits from the time each started to complete the required laps each day to be an official finisher for that day. The event finishing order, by class, will be based on the combined two-day elapsed time of each racer and in order to be a finisher, the racer must finish all required laps both days. Sunday’s start order was in the same order as they finished Saturday, except for those classes that had 10 or more finishers on Saturday. The top 10 finishers from each of those classes had a drawing to determine their start order for Sunday. Because they qualified for starting positions, SCORE Trophy-Truck started Sunday in the order they finished Saturday.

GROUP #1...................... Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), SPT Car (6), 21 Total Starters, 17 Finishers
· CLASS 1-2/16 00 (6 laps, 37.5 miles) - Eighteen (18) of the 19 entries started Sunday with 15 finishers as Adam Pfankuch (1600, Carlsbad, Calif. with Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage, 52 minutes, 35 seconds ,42.789 miles per hour) won the Class 1-2/1600 racing for the second-straight day to capture his second Laughlin Desert Challenge title as the lead driver and third overall. He won the Class 1-2/1600 crown in 2005 and teamed with Eric Allen to win in 2003. Pfankuch’s two-day, 12-lap time was 1 hour, 44 hours, 6 seconds (43.228 miles per hour). Pfankuch was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1-2/1600 season champion with two event wins. Pfankuch finished third in the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 1-2/1600 race before teaming with Rick St. John to win the SCORE Lite title.. Brian Burgess (1603, Riverside, Calif. with Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, Seagrove, 1:44:36 overall time, 43.021 mph) was second followed by Cody Robinson (1616 with Roberto Romo, El Centro, Calif., Curry, 1:46:45 overall time, 42.155 mph). Pfankuch entered Sunday with a two second lead as Burgess became the overall leader by a second after the day’s first lap. Pfankuch regained the lead on Sunday’s second lap and steadily built his final 30-second win over Burgess. The Boyers (1612, Rick Boyer/Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer, 1:50:22 overall time, 40.773 mph), the defending Laughlin Class 1-2/1600 champions and second-place finishers to Pfankuch on the season list, finished fourth Sunday to place 11th overall by being over six minutes behind the leader.
· CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only two entries, one racer started and finished Sunday as Alonso Angulo (552 with Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico) completing the required six laps in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 38 seconds (34.811 miles per hour). Angulo’s two-day time total for 12 laps was 2 hours, 10 minutes, 30 seconds (34.483 miles per hour). Angulo was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5/1600 points list.
· SPORTSMAN CAR (6 laps, 37.5 miles) - Only two of the three entries started Sunday with only Rory Ward (1401 with Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, 55 minutes, 44 seconds, 40.370 miles per hour) finishing the required six-lap, 37.5-mile circuit. Ward’s two-day total for 12 laps was 1 hour, 49 minutes, 32 seconds (41.083 miles per hour). The Wards won the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge sportsman car with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 43 seconds (35.23 miles per hour). Louie Serna (1403, Flagstaff, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy, 51 minutes, 3 seconds, 44.074 miles per hour), who led from the start Saturday to capture the first-day race, led the Wards by 4 minutes, 18 seconds entering Sunday’s last lap, but did not complete the final circuit around the 6.25-mile Laughlin course. The Wards are the defending Laughlin Sportsman car champions. Peter Lang (1400, Santa Rosa, Calif. Homebuilt-Chevy), the 2007 and 2008 SCORE Desert Series Sportsman car champions, did not complete a lap Saturday and did not race Sunday.
GROUP #2................................. Classes 8 (6 laps), 6 (6), 7 (6), 7SX (5), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck(5)
.................................................. .................................................. .............................. 22 Total Starters, 16 finishers

· CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With two entries, both starters Saturday and Sunday finished the required six laps each day. Greg Adler (802, Manhattan Beach , Calif. , Ford F-150, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 26 seconds, 42.681 miles per hour) posted a 23-plus minute win over Clyde Stacy (801, Bristol , Va. with Justin Matney, Bristol , Tenn. , Chevy Silverado, 2:08:36, 34.992 mph). Adler’s time Sunday was 54 minutes, 51 seconds (41.020 mph) as comparted to Stacy’s 58 minutes, 5 seconds (38.737). Adler placed third in the 2007 SCORE Desert Series Class 8 point standings and did not complete the required two-day lap total in the 2008 Laughlin Class 8 competition.
· CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only one entry, Heidi Steele (601, San Clemente, Calif. with Ross Savage, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 2 hour, 13 minutes, 18 seconds, 33.758 miles per hour) completed the required 12 laps for two days. Two miles into the last lap Saturday, Steele’s car broke an axle and Savage completed the last four miles as the driver as the vehicle finished nearly four minutes ahead of the course cut-off. On Sunday, Steele bettered the Saturday time by over 19 minutes with a time of 57 minutes, 8 seconds (39.381 mph). Steel won the Class 7SX Laughlin title last season with Tim Lawrence ( Santee , Calif. ) in a Ford Ranger.
· CLASS 7 (Open mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With seven entries and six starters, three racers finished the required 12 laps for two days of racing. After finishing third Saturday, Dan Chamlee (700 with Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria , Calif. , Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 51 minutes, 1 second, 40.534 miles per hour) captured Sunday’s six-lap race by over three minutes to win the 2009 Laughlin title. Chamlee is a four-time SCORE Desert Series Class 7 champion (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Jose Canchola Jr. (703, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 27 seconds, 38.314 mph), who won Saturday’s race by a minute over A.J. Rodriguez (704, Perris, Calif., Ford Ranger, completed only one lap Sunday), placed second after placing third Sunday behind Chris Taylor (719, El Centro, Calif. with Josh Quintero, Imperial, Calif., Ford Ranger, completed only five laps Saturday). Taylor had Sunday’s best time for six laps at 53 minutes, 24 seconds (42.134 mph). Taylor placed third for the season in 2008 with Rodriguez fifth.
· CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With only one entry, John Holmes (759, Olivenhain, Calif. with Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 46 minutes, 25 seconds, 35.239 miles per hour) completed the required five laps each day. Sunday, Holmes bettered his Saturday time by nearly two minutes as he posted a 52 minute, 13 second time Sunday after being clocked at 54 minutes, 12 seconds the first day. Holmes has finished fourth and second in the 2007 and 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 7SX standings. He won the 2007 Laughlin Class 7SX title and did not complete the required laps in 2008.
· STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With only one entry, Justin Matney (861, Bristol, Tenn. with Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Dodge Ram 2500, did not finish) completed only two of the required five laps Sunday. Co-driver Stacy was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Stock Full standings for the season. Matney and Stacy also did not complete the required Laughlin laps in 2008.
· STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With one entry, Gavin Skilton (779, Anaheim, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 36 seconds, 31.888 miles per hour) completed the required five laps on both Saturday (58 minutes, 50 seconds) and Sunday (58 minutes, 46 seconds). Skilton placed second to Rod Hall on the Stock Mini 2008 SCORE Desert Series standings for the season.
· CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - Donald Moss (300, Sacramento, Calif. with Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 32 seconds, 35.534 miles per hour) was the only entry in the class. After completing the five required laps in 51 minutes, 23 seconds Saturday, the Moss crew posted a 54 minute, 9 second time Sunday with a 34.626 miles per hour. Moss has now captured seven Laughlin Class 3 titles (2002-2006, 2008-2009). Moss also captured the 2008 Class 3 SCORE Desert Series point’s title.

· SPORTSMAN TRUCK (5 laps, 31.25 miles) - While eight of the 10 entries that started Saturday finished the required five laps, only six racers completed the requirement on Sunday. First-day leader Gary Messer (1506 with Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite 2008-Chevy, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 24 seconds, 40.150 miles per hour) placed third Sunday (47 minutes, 38 seconds), but was able to maintain his overall lead to finish over two minutes ahead of the second finisher. Rob Anderson (1503, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:35:47, 39.151 mph), who was third Saturday, out-raced Chris Shive (1548 with Dennis Sprong, Ramona, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:40:05, 37.469 mph) and Messer on Sunday with a five-lap time of 47 minutes, 38 seconds. Shive placed third overall after finishing 67 seconds behind Anderson Saturday. Jonathon Libby (1502 with John Libby Jr., Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra, did not finish), who was a second behind Messer Saturday, led for the first two laps Sunday before breaking on the third lap.

GROUP #3............................................... Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7), 17 Total Starters, 12 finishers

· CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - With nine entries, only four of the nine starters completed the required seven laps Saturday with five of Sunday’s eight starters finishing. Despite finishing fourth Sunday with a seven-lap time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, 20 seconds (42.112 mph), Robert McBeath (1003 with Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 2 hours, 1 minute, 21 seconds, 43.263 miles per hour) won the completion by 64 seconds over Mikey Lawrence (1000, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 2:02:25, 42.886 mph). Lawrence won the Class 10 SCORE Desert Series points standings in 2008. Scott Gailey (1004 with Patrick Gailey, Norco , Calif. , GET-VW, 2:03:41, 42.447 mph) finished third. Adam Wik (1010, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Honda, did not complete 14 laps), who completed only one lap Saturday, had Sunday’s best time of 58 minutes, 17 seconds (45.038 mph) with Lawrence second (1 hour, 43.750 mph) and Gailey third (1:01:24, 42.752).
· SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - While all eight entries started and finished Saturday’s required seven laps, Sunday saw only five of the eight starters complete the competition with 14 total laps. Rick St. John (1200, Encinitas, Calif. with Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 1 hour, 58 minutes, 28 seconds, 44.316 miles per hour) entered Sunday with a six-second edge over Dan Worley (1201, Encinitas, Calif. with Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco, 2:04:30, 42.169 mph). With Worley nearly six minutes behind St. John Sunday for the seven-lap race, St. John had a nine-second edge over Michelle Bruckmann (1206 with Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove , Calif. , Lothringer, 1:59:14, 44.031 mph) Sunday (58 minutes, 23 seconds, 44.961 mph) to win the two-day competition by 46 seconds. St. John was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Score Lite champion as he opened the season by winning the Laughlin race with Pfankuch, who won the Class 1-2/1600 race earlier Sunday to increase his Desert Challenge win count to five. Bruckmann was third entering Sunday, but finished second as she covered Sunday’s seven laps in 58 minutes, 32 seconds (44.846 mph). Brent Parkhouse (1208, Long Beach, Calif. with Chuck Sacks, Canyon Lake, Calif., Moulton, 2:02:41, 42.793 mph) was third with Worley fourth overall. Worley and Potter were the 2007 Laughlin Score Lite champions.
· CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - Both starters completed the seven laps Sunday after two of the three entries and starters finished Saturday’s seven required laps. Kevin Carr (500, San Diego , 2 hour, 7 minutes, 57 seconds, 41.032 miles per hour) led from the start on both Saturday and Sunday to win his second-straight Laughlin Class 5 title. Carr was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5 champion as he won three races last season. Carlos Albanez (501, Calexico , Calif. , with Luivan Voelker, Mexicali , Mexico , 2:16:51, 38.363 mph) was second.

GROUP #4................................................ ........................ SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps), 18 Total Starters, 9 finishers
· After 19 of the 22 entries started the race Saturday with 14 finishers, 18 competitors began Sunday’s race with nine racers completing eight laps each on the final day. For the two days, seven racers completed the required 16 laps led by Robby Gordon (77, Charlotte , N.C. , Chevy CK1500, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds, 50.891 miles per hour). After finishing 13 seconds behind first-day leader Gus Vildosola Jr. (4 with Gus Vildosola Sr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, completed only 12 of 16 laps), Gordon posted Sunday’s best time of 59 minutes, 9 seconds (50.718 miles per hour) for 50 miles of racing to edge Brian Collins (12, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, completed four laps Saturday) by 50 seconds. It was Gordon’s eighth SCORE Trophy-Truck win and first since November 2006 in Baja. Vildosola, who also led after the first-day of racing at the 2008 Laughlin race, slowed during Sunday’s third lap and failed to complete his fifth lap on the final day of racing. Cameron Steele (16 with Justin Smith, San Clemente , Calif. , Chevy Silverado, 2:02:07, 49.133 mph) finished second followed by Ed “Clyde” Stout (13, Santa Ana , Calif. with Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo , Calif. , Chevy Silverado, 2:03:11, 48.708 mph). Stout (1:00:44, 49.396) was third for Sunday’s racing with Justin Smith, who was driving for Steele, placing fourth (1:01:00, 49.180). Two-time Laughlin winner B.J. Baldwin (1, Las Vegas , Chevy Silverado) completed only seven laps Sunday due to gear problems. Baldwin, who finished second in Laughlin last year after capturing titles in 2006 and 2007, was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Trophy-Truck points champion. Vildosola Jr. was 15th last season while Gordon was 24th.

GROUP #5................................................ ............................................ Class 1 (8 laps), 16 Total Starters, 10 finishers
· With 21 entries, 19 racers started Saturday with 14 finishing. Sunday, 16 racers started and 10 finished as Danny Anderson (109, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 2 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds, 47.213 miles per hour) won the daily competition to post the best two-day total. Anderson, who was subbing for Pat Dean (recovering from shoulder surgery), covered the eight laps Sunday in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 9 seconds (46.765 mph) to edge Ronny Wilson (120 with Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:10:53, 45.842 mph) for daily honors. Dean, who was seventh overall last season in Class 1, was the defending Laughlin champion. Anderson made up the 51 second difference from first-day leader Harley Letner (118, Orange , Calif. , Alpha-Chevy, 2:09:54, 46.189 mph) by defeating his rival by nearly four minutes Sunday. Letner continued to lead the race after the first lap Sunday, but had a flat tire on the second lap to lose his lead. Letner still placed second with Randy Wilson (102, Lakewood , Calif. with Rick Wilson, Long Beach , Calif. , Jimco-Chevy, 2:10:32, 45.965 mph) was third followed by Ronny Wilson. Letner was 12th on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1 standings

[vistaracing1]

watched the bronco put down some good laps on saturday, the old bronco pulls strong! don put a few cars away out of the corners in the infield and even caught a little air on the infield jumps a time or two! a shame he was the only 3 but hopefully he keeps the class rolling until others can join him. it was a pleasure talking to don - the bronco is always a crowd favorite.

[Broncodawg]

Although the first Score race of 09 looked like it could be a repeat of last year's mudbath, the rain let up after just enough fell to keep the dust down most of the weekend. A light turnout of around 100 entries also kept the dust down.

The Moss Bronco ran great all weekend despite the fact that Sunday's course was a whole lot rougher than Saturday and 30 second slower lap times were the result. Moss Brothers sponsor, Inquipco Eqpt. rental company of Las Vegas, brought out a big man lift for the race along with their service truck. We had a blast "spotting" from it as you could see most of the 6.5 mile course and used a handheld radio to call out faster class racers closing on the black Bronco, once again flying the 300 number.

Next years race would be great for testing out all the new Class 3 builds, being more of a sprint race, but there was still plenty of carnage. We had a buggy and the Baldwin Tropy truck running laps in reverse with no forward gears and we got a bird's eye view of Lofton's spectacular cartwheeling trophy truck crash that cost the codawg a badly bruised leg, didn't brake it. Numerous rollovers in the infield kept the crowds in it too. Good Times. Don and Rick are driving home today and will no doubt do a better write up.

[Blanco]

a shame he was the only 3 but hopefully he keeps the class rolling until others can join him. So when are your Rigs gonna be ready?




Next years race would be great for testing out all the new Class 3 builds,
Pretty expensive for testing. :eek:
Testing would be much cheaper at an MDR or MORE race. http://www.thewebwheeler.com/forums/images/smilies/m2c.gif

[vistaracing1]

it would be nice to put a date to them but have given up on that. probably have lots of time soon but no $. i agree that score is too expensive to test in - laughlin was $20. per race mile!

[Broncodawg]

Yeah, Score is darn pricey, guess I was just thinking about how short the race is for working out the bugs in a new build.

[flyinbronco]

Well I made it home yesterday evening and boy was that a great week end. Best ride yet. Don really can motor that Bronco around that course.

the Boss Moss
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/705102/fullsize/boos-moss.jpg

Ricky racer Looking way to clean.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/705103/fullsize/100_0103.jpg

Not exactly my name in lights but its on the door.
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/705105/fullsize/100_0098.jpg

Haulin the mail
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/705107/fullsize/100_0110.jpg

nice shot
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/705108/fullsize/100_0111.jpg

Begining of one heck of a Rhino trap
http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/705110/fullsize/100_0119.jpg

Thanks again Don for letting me Co-dog for you. It was a blast. Too bad there were no other class 3's for us to race but it was still fun racing everybody else. It felt good blowing by the Honda Ridgeline and the big Dodge smoke machine and I think you surprised the rest of our group with your skills. I can't wait for the next race.

[straightaxle]

No support for the Moss boys? Come on guys! Here's a clip from Saturday at rear of a Mason Prorunner. Very impressed with the capability BTW. Look for Moss!!


HaHa! They cut it off to soon! That was one of 3 places on the course that we could open it up, and we pulled up next to that white truck at the end of the strait, before they all pulled away again in the rough stuff. On Sunday, it was all too rough do much racing without suspension! That was Cameron Steele's trophy truck that was following them for a long time in that first part of the clip. They were getting as much track time as they could each day. Most of those 1500 trucks have mild or stock motors, but make up all kinds of time in the rough stuff.

[Blanco]

Here's a cool Picture. :)

http://www.highrevphoto.com/photos/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=41574

[straightaxle]

And another: