Blanco
12-05-2007, 06:02 PM
WE FINISHED, WE WON THE RACE, WE LOST THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Sacramento, CA –For the first time since the 2000 Baja 1000, SCORE Class 3 had a record tying nine entries. SCORE had 424 entries start the historic 40th annual SCORE Baja 1000 race and 239 (or 56%) finished in the time allotted. The Moss Brothers entered their undefeated ‘79 Black Ford Bronco and gathered their 25th class win and sixth SCORE Baja 1000 Class 3 victory. The near 1300 mile race across the Baja Mexico peninsula came down to two vehicles in Class 3 and after 40 hours they were still dueling at the finish. The Moss Brothers crossed the finish line first at 40 hours, 41 minutes and an average speed of 31.85 miles per hour, just an hour ahead of their competition.
With a crew of 20, the Moss Brothers headed to Baja intent on finishing the grueling course and hopefully securing a sixth class championship. Even though the Moss Brothers have won three of the five races in the series, the Donahoe/Evans team was able to steal the championship by virtue of entering and starting one more race. It all came down to the last few miles of the last race of the year and both teams relished in the challenge. Don Moss had nine driver/co-driver changes scheduled along the course to keep everyone fresh. One driver and three co-drivers were rookies in SCORE competition. “The silt in the race mile 50 to 55 section is legendary, and we saw our share of dust and carnage in the June race in this section. The rain just 2 days before had made all the difference in the world!” Don Moss continues, “You could have driven a Cadillac through there with ease!” Whether by chance or planning, rookie driver and Crew Chief, Dave Grundman recorded the fastest segment speeds for the team, at 56 and 47 miles per hour average. Although flats are exceedingly rare on the Moss Bronco, all have happened while Ken Moss was driving – until now. In the upper half of the course, Don Moss reported, “This is the first BFG tire I have changed on the course myself during a race since the 2000 race! That’s 8 years without changing a flat, not a bad record!” The Black Bronco crew had their share of adversity when they were challenged to get to the Bronco near El Datil (on the beach) at race mile 800. The rear ring and pinion gears on the Bronco had exploded, snapping the ear off the driveshaft yoke in the longest, most remote section of the course. Ken Moss limped the Bronco into the next BFG pit where the crew met them and made the repairs. During the down time, the Moss Brothers lost the lead. It took the team another 200 miles to get it back and once they had it, they never looked back.
This year, with the team’s start and finish times, the greatest percentage of the race was run in the dark. That would’ve been a huge handicap had the team not secured their new sponsor – KC HiLiTES, just prior to this race and were equipped with a full set of HID lights. KC’s HID lights were a huge improvement over the hand-me-down halogens the team was previously running.
Moss Brothers Racing once again thanks all their sponsors for their continued support – BF Goodrich tires, American Racing ATX Wheels, River City Differential, West Coast Broncos, Deaver Suspension, King Shocks, and Bronco Driver Magazine. A big thanks to Class3Racing.com and Web Wheeler Cam for promoting the class and helping to increase the number of entries.
Television coverage of this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 will air on NBC Sports as a one hour special on December 30 at 3 pm ET. The Outdoor Channel will also be airing coverage of the race. Check on line at www.thebajaunlimited.com for the latest television updates.
Contact: Michelle Read
Sacramento, CA –For the first time since the 2000 Baja 1000, SCORE Class 3 had a record tying nine entries. SCORE had 424 entries start the historic 40th annual SCORE Baja 1000 race and 239 (or 56%) finished in the time allotted. The Moss Brothers entered their undefeated ‘79 Black Ford Bronco and gathered their 25th class win and sixth SCORE Baja 1000 Class 3 victory. The near 1300 mile race across the Baja Mexico peninsula came down to two vehicles in Class 3 and after 40 hours they were still dueling at the finish. The Moss Brothers crossed the finish line first at 40 hours, 41 minutes and an average speed of 31.85 miles per hour, just an hour ahead of their competition.
With a crew of 20, the Moss Brothers headed to Baja intent on finishing the grueling course and hopefully securing a sixth class championship. Even though the Moss Brothers have won three of the five races in the series, the Donahoe/Evans team was able to steal the championship by virtue of entering and starting one more race. It all came down to the last few miles of the last race of the year and both teams relished in the challenge. Don Moss had nine driver/co-driver changes scheduled along the course to keep everyone fresh. One driver and three co-drivers were rookies in SCORE competition. “The silt in the race mile 50 to 55 section is legendary, and we saw our share of dust and carnage in the June race in this section. The rain just 2 days before had made all the difference in the world!” Don Moss continues, “You could have driven a Cadillac through there with ease!” Whether by chance or planning, rookie driver and Crew Chief, Dave Grundman recorded the fastest segment speeds for the team, at 56 and 47 miles per hour average. Although flats are exceedingly rare on the Moss Bronco, all have happened while Ken Moss was driving – until now. In the upper half of the course, Don Moss reported, “This is the first BFG tire I have changed on the course myself during a race since the 2000 race! That’s 8 years without changing a flat, not a bad record!” The Black Bronco crew had their share of adversity when they were challenged to get to the Bronco near El Datil (on the beach) at race mile 800. The rear ring and pinion gears on the Bronco had exploded, snapping the ear off the driveshaft yoke in the longest, most remote section of the course. Ken Moss limped the Bronco into the next BFG pit where the crew met them and made the repairs. During the down time, the Moss Brothers lost the lead. It took the team another 200 miles to get it back and once they had it, they never looked back.
This year, with the team’s start and finish times, the greatest percentage of the race was run in the dark. That would’ve been a huge handicap had the team not secured their new sponsor – KC HiLiTES, just prior to this race and were equipped with a full set of HID lights. KC’s HID lights were a huge improvement over the hand-me-down halogens the team was previously running.
Moss Brothers Racing once again thanks all their sponsors for their continued support – BF Goodrich tires, American Racing ATX Wheels, River City Differential, West Coast Broncos, Deaver Suspension, King Shocks, and Bronco Driver Magazine. A big thanks to Class3Racing.com and Web Wheeler Cam for promoting the class and helping to increase the number of entries.
Television coverage of this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 will air on NBC Sports as a one hour special on December 30 at 3 pm ET. The Outdoor Channel will also be airing coverage of the race. Check on line at www.thebajaunlimited.com for the latest television updates.
Contact: Michelle Read