SCORE announces associate race sponsorship with Micron
Technology for 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race

 

LOS ANGELES—Micron Technology Inc., one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions, has become an associate sponsor of the event and title sponsor of the Baja Challenge class for November’s 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race, it was confirmed today by SCORE International. 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.
In addition to its associate sponsorship of the race and title sponsorship of the Micron Technology Baja Challenge class, Micron, with world headquarters in Boise, Idaho, will field four race vehicles with Micron DigitalClarity™ image sensors and Lexar Professional CompactFlash™ memory cards to capture and store video of the more than 1,000-mile race. Lexar is a Micron subsidiary. Leading the team of Micron executives in the identically-equipped Subaru-powered Baja touring cars in the Micron Technology Baja Challenge class will be Steve Appleton, Micron Chairman, CEO and President.

This year’s memorable adventure will cover approximately 1,052 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.

Nearly 400 entries from nearly 35 U.S. States and 10 countries, competing in 28 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 granddaddy of all desert races is the season-finale of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the world’s foremost desert racing series.
“Having Micron Technology join us as a sponsor of this legendary race is great, but to have Micron use the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 as a platform for cutting-edge technology research and development is nearly immeasurable,” said Sal Fish, SCORE CEO and President. “SCORE has been the leader of the sport of desert racing for over three decades and having Micron, the leading supplier of CMOS image sensors in the technology industry today, involved in technology research will benefit SCORE and our sport for decades to come. SCORE is honored to have a company of this stature link with us to help build our sport to the next level.”
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.

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.
“If our industry-leading image sensors and NAND flash memory solutions are durable enough to perform in conditions like the SCORE Baja 1000, the technologies will operate seamlessly in today’s automotive, mobile phone, consumer electronic and computing devices,” said Appleton,a professional aerobatic pilot and motocross racing enthusiast. “With our NAND flash memory drives with solid-state technology and no moving parts, there is no fear that the data will be lost in the action of the competition.”

For the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Micron is equipping its four Micron Baja Challenge vehicles with two specially designed automotive imaging solutions mounted to the frame of the vehicles. One imaging chip will record images that the drivers and co-drivers will view through the front of the vehicles, while the other will record the drivers and co-drivers themselves in action inside the race cars. With high dynamic range and low-light capabilities, Micron image sensors are the ideal solution for a broad range of environmental and lighting conditions.
Additionally, Micron’s NAND flash memory recorders installed in the race cars will contain a series of 8-gigabyte Lexar Professional CompactFlash memory cards. Trusted by professional photographers, the memory cards provide a high-speed, high-capacity storage solution that brings out the ultimate performance in digital still and video recording equipment.

Micron is the title sponsor of the Micron Technology Baja Challenge class in the event. Considered the largest “arrive and drive” professional motorsports class in the world, it will feature a race-record 20 vehicles this year. The race is a natural fit for Micron, a company that is no stranger to the highs and lows of competition. Since 1978, Micron has competed globally in the volatile memory industry, and the company is the last United States-based memory manufacturer.

“For Micron, the challenge of competing in the SCORE Baja 1000 is an odyssey that combines our competitive spirit with our drive to engineer the most advanced digital technology solutions in the world,” Appleton added.

Micron will have a special race section this year on its website at www.baja.micron.com.
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. 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.

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 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 ATX Wheels-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.