SCORE MEDIA CONTACT – Dominic Clark, 702/298-2242, Room 1210

January 15, 2006

G. Weyhrich wins Class 1

Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin wins Overall &
SCORE Trophy-Truck Titles
Over record 233 racers at 12th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

MacCachren masters Class 1-2/1600, Steele grabs SCORE LIte,
Hardesty wins Class 10 in race-record field of 233 starters

LAUGHLIN, Nev.—Wanting to start the new year in a positive way, Las Vegas desert racer B.J. Baldwin pulled off a stunning come-from-behind Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory at the 12th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge which concluded Sunday in Laughlin, Nev. Baldwin led a race-record field in his Chevy Silverado by covering six laps of the abbreviated 8-mile course two consecutive days in a combined elapsed time of one hour, 45 minutes and 44 seconds, averaging 54.48 miles per hour.

With a record crowd of more than 40,000 enthusiastic desert-racing fans on hand, Baldwin won by 30 seconds to earn his first SCORE race win as well as helping launch the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the world’s foremost desert racing series.

Second overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck was first-day leader Carl Renezeder, Laguna Beach, Calif., in another SCORE Trophy-Truck. Third overall and third in SCORE Trophy-Truck were Las Vegas brothers Ed and Tim Herbst, 33 seconds behind Renezeder and one minute, three seconds behind Baldwin in their Ford F-150.

Completing the top five overall finishers list were the brothers Weyhrich, of Troutdale, Ore. Both driving near-identical Jimco-Chevy race cars, Gary Weyhrich, 37, was fourth overall and second in Class 1 with a time of 1:37:53 while Mark Weyhrich, 34, was fifth overall and third in Class 1 with a time of 1:38:30, 37 seconds behind his older brother.

The event featured a race-record 233 entries from 12 States, Mexico, Canada and Japan, competed in 17 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks for nearly $400,000 in prize money and contingency postings during the four day SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. The classes were split into seven groups in Laughlin, each running as part of one of seven races of three to six laps each over the much-abbreviated 8-mile loop each day.

For Baldwin, 26, the victory was his first SCORE race win and it came in his first race in his new race truck and in SCORE Trophy-Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 800-horsepower unlimited production trucks, Baldwin led a SCORE-record field of 33 SCORE Trophy-Trucks in Laughlin, pulling ahead midway through the second day of racing with a 72-second edge over Renezeder.

Baldwin was 11th overall after Saturday’s first 48-mile sprint and steadily climbed to the top of the ladder during Sunday’s final day.

Fourth overall while winning the unlimited Class 1 was Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., with a time of 1:40:09 in a Jimco-Chevy while finishing just six seconds later to place fifth overall and second in Class 1 was Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., in another Jimco-Chevy.

Leading the second five overall finishers was Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., who was sixth overall and third in Class 1 in 1:50:25 in yet another Jimco-Chevy. Seventh overall and fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck was the team of Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico, and Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren with a time of 1:51:05 in a Ford F-150.

Class 10 winner Darren Hardesty, Ramona, Calif., was eighth overall in an AlumiCraft-VW (1:51:52) while ninth overall was SCORE Lite winner Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., with a 1:52:47 clocking in a Desert Assassin-VW. Steele, who doubles as an ESPN action sports announcer, also finished 22nd overall and sixth in SCORE Trophy-Truck in a Ford F-150.

Completing the top 10 overall finishers group was Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., who was fourth in Class 1 in a time of 1:54:24 in a Jimco-BMW.

MacCachren raced in three classes. Besides his fourth place in SCORE Trophy-Truck with Gus Vildosola, he won Class 1-2/1600 in a Bunderson-VW and finished 12th in Class 10 in a Dunrite-Honda.

Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., and his brother Kenneth Moss, Marysville, Calif., won Class 3 for the fifth consecutive year in Laughlin in his sturdy Ford Bronco.

Among the other class winners crowned Sunday were: Victor Herrera Jr., Tijuana, Mexico, Ford Ranger (Class 7), Danny Ledezma, El Centro, Calif., VW Baja Bug (Class 5/1600); Michelle Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif./Michael Loomis, Del Cerro, Calif., unlimited VW Baja Bug (Class 5/1600), Tyler FOX, Ramona, Calif., Ford Ranger (Class 7S), Greg Foutz, Mesa, Ariz., Ford F-250 (Stock Full), and Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico, Toyota Tundra (Protruck).

The race also began the chase for the $50,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several 2006 SCORE Class point leaders along with the run for the $12,000 Toyota True Grit and Toyota Milestone Awards.

The stadium seating area included the immensely popular SCOREvision large-screen LCD display, showing live footage from various locations around the race course.
The Laughlin Events Park with grandstand seating, vendor’s village and food court included an infield full of switchbacks, whoop-t-doos, minijumps and the Laughlin Leap. Over 10,000 spectators watched from this part of the course.

Round 2 of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series will be the 20th Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 10-12 in Baja California, Mexico.

The 12th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge was sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Committee, the Laughlin Visitors 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, C.L. Bryant-Sunoco Racing Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Suzuki, SignPros, Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, McGraw Insurance, Lucas Oil and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information, 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.

TOP OVERALL FINISHERS

1. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1 hour, 45 minutes 44 seconds, 54.47 miles per hour

2. Carl Renezeder, Laguna Beach, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:46:14, 54.220

3. Ed Herbst/Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:46:47, 53.941

4. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:47:09, 53.756

5. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:47:15, 53.706

6. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif, Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:50:25, 52.166

7. Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:51:05, 51.853

8. Darren Hardesty, Ramona, Calif., AlumiCraft-VW, Class 10, 1:51:52, 51.490

9. Cameron Steele/Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Desert Assassin, SCORE Lite, 1:52:47, 51.071

10. Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif./Dave Mason, Valley Center, Calif., Jimco-BMW, Class 1, 1:54:24, 50.350

11. John Cooley, Santee, Calif., AlumiCraft-VW, Class 10, 1:54:27, 50.328

12. Ron Dalke, Tucson, Ariz., Tatum-Toyota, Class 10, 1:54:33, 50.284

13. Jason Batulis/Jeff Lothringer, San Clemente, Calif., SCORE Lite, 1:54:45, 50.196

14. Rick Ellison, Selma, Calif./Bill Witt, Henderson, Nev, Jimco-Honda, Class 10, 1:55:03, 50.065

15. Tim Noe/Tom Watson, El Centro, Calif., Jimco, SCORE Lite, 1:55:21, 49.935

16. Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif./Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif., Jimco, SCORE Lite, 1:55:54, 49.698

17. Will Higman, Newport Beach, Calif., Kreger-Honda, Class 10, 1:55:59, 49.662

18. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 1:56:08, 49.598

19. Bill Gasper, Chino Hills, Calif./Dave Gasper, Goleta, Calif., Porter-Honda, Class 10, 1:56:23, 49.492

20. Bob Shepard, Phoenix, Chevy CK1500, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:56:36, 49.400

21. Dan Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Porter-Chevy, Class 1, 1:56:51, 49.294

22. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Ed Stout, Irvine, Calif., Ford F-150, SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:57:32, 49.007

23. Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico/Bryan Freeman, Henderson, Nev., Toyota Tundra, ProTruck, 1:58:07, 48.765

24. Dale Ebberts, Canyon Lake, Calif./Ernie Castro Jr., Newport Beach, Calif., Jimco-Toyota, Class 1, 1:58:13, 48.724

25. Ken Stroud, Alpine, Calif./Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, Calif., Jimco, SCORE Lite, 1:58:22, 48.662