7 of 12 SCORE Trophy-Truck season
champs and 17 drivers with 61 of 77 class race wins
entered in granddaddy of all desert races; Nationally-televised
peninsula run Nov. 15-18 in Mexico from Ensenada, Baja
California to La Paz, Baja California Sur
LOS ANGELES—When it comes to the SCORE Trophy-Truck
division in next month’s 39th Annual Tecate SCORE
Baja 1000 desert race, the favorites list continues
to be led by defending race and season point champion
Bob Shepard, along with the veteran teams of Brian Collins/Larry
Ragland, Ryan Arciero/Mark Miller/Rick Johnson, brothers
Ed and Tim Herbst and current class point leader B.J.
Baldwin. The growing list of serious contenders also
includes Alan Pflueger, Andy McMillin/Robby Gordon,
Mark Post/Curt LeDuc, Carl Renezeder, Gus Vildosola/Rob
MacCachren, Cameron Steele, and rookie Garron Cadiente.
Now, SCORE Trophy-Truck, the high-tech, 800-horsepower
unlimited production trucks that are finishing their
13th season as the premier SCORE racing division, will
have a record field of nearly 40 of these monsters of
the desert attempting to permanently etch their own
names in the granite records of the legendary granddaddy
of all desert races. This year’s odyssey of over
1,000 miles will be a grueling adventure down Mexico’s
mysterious Baja California peninsula starting in Ensenada,
Baja California and finishing in La Paz, Baja California,
Sur. It will be held Nov. 15-18.
An amazing race-record total of 393 vehicles
have officially entered to date and over 400 are expected
by the time late registration closes on race morning.
This year’s memorable adventure will cover 1,047.83
miles of the rugged and tortuous Baja California peninsula,
starting on the Pacific Ocean side and stretching across
and down the majestic peninsula to the Sea of Cortez
side, back to the Pacific before winding back again
to the Sea of Cortez and the finish line.
Over 400 entries from 35 U.S. States and 11 countries,
competing in 26 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars,
trucks, motorcycles and ATVs will be part of this year’s
tribute to the sport of desert racing. The race is the
season-finale of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series,
the world’s foremost desert racing series.
“The concept of the SCORE Trophy-Truck
division that we launched in 1994 was extremely innovating
for our sport, but I am literally awestruck to observe
the development of it over these past 12-plus years,”
said Sal Fish, CEO and President of Los Angeles-based
SCORE International. “They come from all walks
of life and their investment in their teams and their
unbelievable race trucks rivals any other form of motorsports.
Staging and the start line in Ensenada will be one of
the most memorable times in my 34-year tenure in the
sport.”
The motorcycle and ATV classes will start their journey
at 6:30 a.m. (Thursday, Nov. 16) with the car and truck
classes starting at approximately 10:30 a.m., or three
hours after the last ATV leaves the line. Vehicles will
leave in 30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race
and while the fastest finishers are expected to complete
the course in approximately 16 hours. The all-time race-record
for starters, 346, was set 29 years ago in 1977 (Ensenada
to Ensenada), and the race-record for starters when
the race runs the length of the peninsula to La Paz,
307, was set in 1992.
This year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as
a one-hour NBC Sports special for the third consecutive
year, airing at 2:30 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Dec. 10 on
the NBC Television Network. It will also air on a delayed
basis outside of the U.S. on ESPN International.
The competition is so fierce this year
that there have been five different winners in as many
races and only 29 points separate the top four point
leaders in the hunt for the 2006 SCORE Trophy-Truck
season title.
In all, this year’s SCORE Trophy-Truck
entry list features 7 of the 12 SCORE Baja 1000 winners
in this marquee division, 17 racers who have combined
for 39 various class victories in this fabled race,
17 drivers who have combined to win 61 of the 77 SCORE
Trophy-Truck races ever held, and 8 of the 12 All-Time
SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champions. A race-record
36 SCORE Trophy-Trucks have entered so far.
With massive crowds reaching over 300,000
anticipated to again be spread out along the point-to-point
race course, the race will start for the 32nd time in
Ensenada and will finish for the 17th time in La Paz.
Shepard, 49, of Phoenix, who is coming
off his second career SCORE Trophy-Truck class win in
September at the SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300, is the defending
SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion and 2005 Tecate
SCORE Baja 1000 winner in his class. He is also currently
in second place in this year’s class point standings,
by just six points, in the No. 1 Shepard Racing Chevy
CK1500.
Brian Collins, 44, of Las Vegas with three
and Larry Ragland, 62, of Phoenix with nine have a combined
12 career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins and will split
driving in the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
The legendary Ragland has a record four SCORE Trophy-Truck
wins in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 (1995, 1996, 1997
and 1999). Ragland also won Class 8 in this race in
1991.
The inventive team of Ryan Arciero, 33,
Foothill Ranch, Calif./Mark Miller, 44, Carefree, Ariz.,
class winners in this race both in 2003 and 2004, added
a third key driver this year in Supercross legend Rick
Johnson, 42, Trabucco Canyon, Calif., in their No. 81
Arciero/Miller Racing Chevy Silverado.
Las Vegas brothers Ed Herbst, 45, and
Tim Herbst, 43, are the all-time winningest SCORE Trophy-Truck
drivers with 11 career race wins and the season point
titles in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003, but are still looking
for their first win in this marquee racing division
in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in their Terrible Herbst
Motorsports No. 19 Ford F-150. With a third and two
fifths this year, the brothers are in third place in
the current SCORE Trophy-Truck point standings, 28 behind
B.J. Baldwin. The brothers finished third in this race
last year, fourth in 2004 and second in both 2003 and
2002.
B.J. Baldwin, 27, of Las Vegas, is the
current SCORE Trophy-Truck point leader and won this
year’s season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
in January in his No. 97 Chevy Silverado. He also has
a second, two fourths and a sixth this year in the featured
SCORE racing division. He also drew the coveted first
starting position for this year’s race.
Hawaii’s Alan Pflueger, 39, has two career SCORE
Trophy-Truck race wins in his Pflueger Racing No. 28
Monster Energy Chevy Silverado and in the SCORE Baja
1000 he won the Protruck class in 2002. He was second
in last year’s race to Bob Shepard. This year
he is fourth in class points, one behind the Herbsts.
NASCAR Nextel Cup team owner/driver Robby
Gordon, 37, Charlotte, N.C., whose roots are in SCORE
desert racing and is a two-time overall winner in this
race, drew the 31st starting position in SCORE Trophy-Truck
in the Team Gordon No. 83 Red Bull Chevy CK1500. Gordon,
will again pull double-duty, driving the the Tecate
SCORE Baja 1000 before flying to Homestead, Fla., to
race in the NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale. Driver
of record for the team this season is Andy McMillin,
19, Poway, Calif
.With four career SCORE Trophy-Truck race
wins each, the team of Mark Post, 49, San Juan Capistrano,
Calif. and Curt LeDuc, 51, Cherry Valley, Calif., are
always in the hunt in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford
F-150. With Post recovering from extensive knee surgery,
the team did not race in September’s SCORE Las
Vegas Primm 300, but the pair finished fourth in this
race last year and third two years ago. Their best finish
so far this season was a fifth in SCORE Trophy-Truck
in March’s Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.
Carl Renezeder, 42, Laguna Beach, Calif.,
who keeps in shape for racing as a successful triathelete,
is seventh in class points this year, won Class 1 in
this race in 1994, and has a second and a third this
season in his No. 17 Chevy Silverado. He is also a champion
short-course racer in the CORR series.
Always a local favorite, Vildosola Racing
with team owner Gus Vildosola, 53, Mexicali, Mexico
and three-time AARWBA All-America Rob MacCachren, 41,
Las Vegas, has struggled this year with three straight
did not finishes after opening the season with a fourth
place in Laughlin. MacCachren has four career SCORE
Trophy-Truck race wins, including one in 2003 with Vildosola,
and was the 1994 SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion.
Known world-wide as an action sports and
Champ Car racing television sports commentator, Cameron
Steele, 38, San Clemente, Calif., is a proven desert
racer with a 2003 Class 1-2/1600 win in this race, but
hasn’t cracked the podium yet in SCORE Trophy-Truck.
With Steele’s race savvy and team owner Ed Stout’s
driving patience, the No. 16 Desert Assassins Ford F-150
is always colorful as it continues to climb the podium
ladder. The high-adrenaline Steele will once again attempt
a triple, racing not only in SCORE Trophy-Truck, but
the unlimited Class 22 on the No. 19x Honda XR650R motorcycle
and on the No. 1147 charity team in Class 11 in a stock
VW Sedan. Needless to say, he has a lot of good driving
partners who help him in his unique quest for the desert
trifecta.
The SCORE Trophy-Truck surprise driver
of the season has been rookie Garron Cadiente, 31, Mesa,
Ariz., who won this year’s Tecate SCORE San Felipe
250, finished fifth in the No. 38 G&R Racing Ford
F-150 in June’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and is sixth
in season points. Cadiente’s father-in-law, Ron
Whitton, 62, Mesa, Ariz., is the R in G&R Racing.
Whitton, the oldest SCORE rookie, was fourth in San
Felipe, 11th at the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and is currently
11th in SCORE Trophy-Truck points in the No. 39 G&R
Racing Ford F-150.
Besides Gordon, the other cross-over racers who are
entered so far include NASCAR’s Boris Said and
World Rally champion Armin Schwarz, 2004 Indy 500 champion
Buddy Rice, XGames legend Travis Pastrana, former IndyCar
star Roberto Guerrero, CORR short-course champion Johnny
Greaves and actor/racer Patrick Dempsey, star of the
ABC TV hit show ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’
Besides the lengthy favorites list, other
entries in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division include
Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz. (No. 2-Ford F-150), Josh
Baldwin, Newport Beach, Calif. (86-Ford F-150), Chad
Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz./Danny Anderson, Las Vegas
(80-Chevy Silverado), Jesse Jones, Phoenix (76-Ford
F-150), Japan's Ikuo Hanawa (14-Toyota FJ Land Cruiser),
Marty Coyne, El Centro, Calif. (5-Ford F-150), Bobby
Baldwin, Las Vegas (96-Chevy Silverado), Mike Julson,
Descanso, Calif./Bob Lofton, Westmorland, Calif. (20-Chevy
Silverado), Todd Wyllie, New River, Ariz. (85-Chevy
Silverado), Juan C. Ibarra, Ensenada, Mexico (32-Ford
F-150) and Kory Sheeler, Las Vegas (51-Chevy Silverado).
In just his fourth SCORE race, TV personality Jesse
James, of Monster Garage fame, will debut his new No.
54 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck. As compared to
the truck he raced in his SCORE debut last, this year’s
truck the popular James will drive will not be last
year’s made-for-TV overnight special.
The Pro 4-Wheel classes with the most
entries to date are SCORE Trophy-Truck (36), Class 1
(26), Class 1-2/1600 (28), SCORE Lite (20), Micron Technology
Baja Challenge and Protruck (19 each), Class 5/1600
(16), Class 10 (12).
In the Pro Motorcycle classes, the unlimited
Class 22 has 23 entries so far while Class 30 (riders
over 30 years old) has 16 and Class 40 (riders over
40), has 11.
Leading the six Sportsman classes in the race is Sportsman
Motorcycle over 250cc which has a race-record 41 entries
to date.
It’s the oldest and most well known
of all desert races, and it remains as the single most
appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the
mother of all desert races has been run over the mysterious
Baja California peninsula. Pre-race festivities on Wednesday,
Nov. 15, for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, including tech
and contingency and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway
will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. across from the
San Nicolas Hotel. The pre-race mandatory driver/rider
briefing will be held Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Riviera
del Pacifico Cultural Center. Racer registration will
be held at the San Nicolas from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on
Tuesday, Nov. 14 and from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday,
Nov. 15.
While entries will be accepted up to race
morning (Nov. 16), late entries will be assigned the
next available number and starting position within each
class.
The post-race Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Survivor’s
Celebration will be held during the SCORE Fiesta on
the Malecon beachwalk in La Paz, which starts at noon
on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The 2006 SCORE Desert Series includes
chase for the $50,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus
to be awarded to several qualified 2006 SCORE Class
point champions.
The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also involves the hunt
for the annual Toyota Milestone and $12,000 Toyota True
Grit Awards. The prestigious Toyota Milestone Awards
are presented to every racer who completes every required
mile of every race in the 2006 SCORE Desert Series.
The $12,000 Toyota True Grit purse is split among the
SCORE season point champions who are also Toyota Milestone
award winners in several non-factory-backed classes.
SCORE official 2006 sponsors are: BFGoodrich
Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/Bryant Petroleum-official
fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico
Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, American
Racing-official wheel, Airstar America-official space
lighting provider. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer,
Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst
Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, NAPA Chassis,
Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bendix, American Suzuki, SignPros,
P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products
and Advanced Color Graphics.
Additional associate sponsors, for the
2006 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are Micron Technology, Red
Bull North America, Cotuco de Ensenada, Fideicomiso
Publio para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, the
government of Baja California Sur, the State Tourism
Department of Baja California Sur and the city tourism
fund of Loreto.
For more information on the Tecate SCORE
Baja 1000, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters
818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2006
SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.
OFFICIAL ENTRIES
SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
(Unlimited Production Trucks)
(By Class Starting Order-as of 10/19/06)
97 B.J. Baldwin, 27, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
62 Mike Voyles, 43, Temecula, Calif., Ford F-150
12 Brian Collins, 44, Las Vegas/Larry Ragland, 62, Cave
Creek, Ariz., Chevy Silverado
3 Mark Post, 49, Laguna Beach, Calif./Curt LeDuc, 51,
Cherry Valley, Calif., Ford F-150
49 Valerio Gonzalez, 39/Jose Cota, 38, San Jose Del
Cabo, Mexico, Ford F-150
2 Pete Sohren, 43, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150
54 Jesse James, 37, Long Beach, Calif./Tom Geviss, 45,
Alpine, Calif., Chevy CK1500
76 Jesse Jones, 40, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Jeff Quinn,
Anaheim, Calif., Ford F-150
96 Bobby Baldwin, 56, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
16 Cameron Steele, 38, San Clemente, Calif./Ed Stout,
40, Irvine, Calif., Ford F-150
32 Juan C. Ibarra, 30/Victor Valdez, 24, Ensenada, Mexico,
Ford F-150
38 Garron Cadiente, 31, Mesa, Ariz./Jeff Geiser, Phoenix,
Ford F-150
86 Josh Baldwin, 30, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford F-150
30 Todd Clement, 44, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Roger
Norman, 44, Reno, Nev./Jerry Whelchel, 46, Rancho Santa
Margarita, Calif., Ford F-150
53 Jeff Stowers, 46/Jeff Broughton, 46, Mission Viejo,
Calif., Chevy C1500
69 Francisco Cervantes, 40/Marco Robles, 36, Ensenada,
Mexico, Chevy El Camino
99 Nick Baldwin, 52, Laguna Hills, Calif., Ford F-150
1 Bob Shepard, 49, Phoenix, Chevy CK1500
20 Mike Julson, 48, Descanso, Calif./Bob Lofton, 48,
Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado
17 Carl Renezeder, 42, Laguna Beach, Calif., Chevy Silverado
14 Ikuo Hanawa, 46, Japan, Toyota Land Cruiser
81 Ryan Arciero, 33, Foothill Ranch, Calif./Rick Johnson,
42, Trabucco Canyon, Calif./Mark Miller, 44, Carefree,
Ariz., Chevy Silverado
5 Marty Coyne, 50/Travis Coyne, 27, El Centro, Calif.,
Ford F-150
4 Gus Vildosola, 53, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren,
41, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
7 Scott Steinberger, 39, Signal Hill, Calif./, Ford
F-150
73 Jose Flores, 43/Valente Vega-Lausas, 44, Culiacan,
Mexico, Chevy Silverado
80 Chad Ragland, 36, Phoenix/Danny Anderson, 46, Las
Vegas, Chevy Silverado
28 Alan Pflueger, 39, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado
39 Ron Whitton, 62, Maricopa, Ariz., Ford F-150
83 Andy McMillin, 19, Poway, Calif./Robby Gordon, 37,
Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500
85 Todd Wyllie, 40, New River, Ariz., Chevy Silverado
50 Jerry Larimore, 30, Escondido, Calif./Buff Harmon,
32, Raniba, Calif., Ford F-150
51 Kory Scheeler, 44/Mike Costello, 41, Las Vegas, Chevy
Silverado
35 Robbie Pierce, 47, Santee, Calif./Bill Varnes, 50,
Santee, Calif., Ford F-150
19 Ed Herbst, 45/Tim Herbst, 43, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
34 Jeff Haneline, 42/Joey Russo, 24, Murrieta, Chevy
CK1500
Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
SCORE Trophy-Truck All-Time Winners
1994—Jimmy Smith
1995—Larry Ragland
1996—Larry Ragland
1997—Larry Ragland
1998—Ivan Stewart
1999—Larry Ragland
2000—Dan Smith/David Ashley
2001—David Ashley/Dan Smith
2002—David Ashley/Dan Smith
2003—Mark Miller/Ryan Arciero
2004—Mark Miller/Ryan Arciero
2005—Bob Shepard
SCORE Trophy-Truck®
(debuted in 1994, for 800 horsepower unlimited production
trucks-
75 total Desert races, 2 Stadium-short course)
All-Time SCORE Trophy-Truck Race Winners
(through SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300-Sept. 9, 2006)
Wins Driver(s), Years
11
Ed/Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1997, 1998, 1999(3),
2000(2), 2001, 2002, 2003(2)
9
Dan Smith/David Ashley, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150,
1998(2), 2000, 2001(3), 2002(3)
Ivan Stewart, Alpine, Calif., Toyota SR5, 1994(3), 1995(2),
1997, 1998(2), 1999
Larry Ragland, Phoenix, Chevy, 1995(2), 1996, 1997,
1999, 2000, 2002 (w/ Mark Miller), 2005 (w/Brian Collins),
2006 (w/Collins)
6
Robby Gordon, Mooresville, N.C., Ford F-150, 1996(4),
Chevy CK1500, 2005, 2006*
4
Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Jeep Grand Cherokee,
1995, 1997(3)
Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1994, 1996(2),
2003 (w/ Gus Vildosola)
Mark Miller, Carefree, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 2002
(w/ Larry Ragland), 2003(2), 2004 (w/ Ryan Arciero)
Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford F-150,
2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 (all w/ JerryWhelchel)
Paul/Dave Simon, Fallbrook, Calif., Ford F-150, 1994(2),
1995(2)
Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Ford
F-150, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 (all w/ Mark Post)
3
Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Chevy Silverado,
2003(2), 2004 (w/ Mark Miller)
Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 2001, 2005
(w/Larry Ragland), 2006 (w/Ragland)
2
Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado, 2004(2)
Bob Shepard, Phoenix, Chevy CK1500, 2005, 2006
1
B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 2006
Jason Baldwin, Laguna Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 2005
Garron Cadiente, Mesa, Ariz., Ford F-150, 2006
Brian Coats, Huntington Beach, Calif., Chevy C1500,
1997
Marty Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 2005*
Gary Dircks, Anthem, Ariz., Ford F-150, 2004
Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif, Chevy Silverado, 2005
Juan C. Ibarra, Ensenada, Mexico, Chevy C1500, 1998
Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Chevy K1500, 1999
Jim Smith, Orange, Calif., Ford F-150, 1994
Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico, 2003 (w/ Rob MacCachren)
*non-points stadium-short course race
12 Years of SCORE Trophy-Truck Season Champions
1994--Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
1995--Ivan Stewart, Alpine, Calif., Toyota SR5
1996--Robby Gordon, Orange, Calif., Ford F-150
1997--Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Jeep Grand
Cherokee
1998--David Ashley/Dan Smith, Riverside, Calif., Ford
F-150
1999--Ed & Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2000--Ed & Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2001--David Ashley/Dan Smith, Riverside, Calif., Ford
F-150
2002--Ed & Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2003--Tim & Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
2004--Jason Baldwin, Laguna Beach, Calif., Ford F-150
2005--Bob Shepard, Phoenix, Chevy CK1500
