SCORE PRESS RELEASE
Baja Racing News.com
Following his impressive season-opening victory at the recent 14th Laughlin Desert Challenge, Las Vegas’ veteran desert racer Pat Dean leads the overall and unlimited Class 1 point standings in the 2008 Desert Series while his teammate B.J. Richardson is third in overall points and second in Class 1.
Racing for the Las Vegas Dissemination Company team in near-identical Chevy-powered Bunderson open-wheel desert race cars that are prepped by Valley Performance, Dean has 62 points while Richardson has 53.
Dean, who owns Patrick’s Signs of Las Vegas, and Richardson, a Las Vegas businessman with interests both in real estate and casinos, have been teammates for several years with their vehicles prepped by Valley Performance, which is owned by Pat’s father Butch Dean and is the oldest full-service off-road shop in Southern Nevada.
“We used a borrowed vehicle after I sold my old Class 1 car three weeks before the Laughlin race and the loaner was only a V6 which makes our win and start of the 2008 Desert Series even more impressive,” said Dean, a veteran second-generation baja desert racer with numerous podium finishes in his racing career. “B.J. and I and our race cars have become almost like twins and to start the season with a 1-2 finish in Class 1 is better than we have ever started as a team before.”
Round 2 of the 2008 Desert Series will be the 22nd Annual San Felipe 250, to be held March 14-15, in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. The computerized drawing, by class, for the race, will be held Feb. 15 in Los Angeles. Second overall and leading the Trophy-Truck points after his Laughlin win is Rich Ronco. Another veteran desert racer, Ronco, Peoria, Ariz., is new to the marquee Trophy-Truck racing division and has 59 points in his No. 45 Tatum Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
With desert series points based both on number of starters and placing position within each class, Class 1 had 27 starters in Laughlin while Trophy-Truck had 24. Class 1 has five drivers in the top 10 of Overall points while Trophy-Truck has three.
Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin, the 2006 Trophy-Truck season point champion, is fourth in overall points and second in his class with 53 points in his No. 97 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
Steve Barry, Jamul, Calif., is fifth overall and third in Class 1 with 52 points in a Jimco-Chevy.
Class 1-2/1600 point leader Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., leads the second-five in overall points at sixth with 51 in a Lothringer-VW. Tied for seventh overall with 49 points each are: Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., who is third in Trophy-Truck in his Chevy Silverado and Chuck Dempsey, Oak Hills, Calif., who is fourth in Class 1 in a HMS-Chevy.
Enrique Zazueta Jr., La Paz, Mexico, leads Class 5/1600 in a VW Baja Bug and is ninth overall with 48 points while 10th overall and fifth in Class 1 with 47 points is Dale Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., in a Penhall-Chevy.
The 2008 Desert Series
(Five-race point series in U.S. and Mexico. Through Laughlin Desert Challenge. Remaining point races: 22nd San Felipe 250, March 14-15-San Felipe, Mexico; 40th Baja 500, May 30-June -Ensenada, Mexico; 13th Terrible’s Primm 300, Sept. 5-6-Primm, Nev.; 41st Baja 1000-Ensenada, Mexico).
Top 15 Overall Cars and Trucks
(Position, Drivers, Vehicle-Engine, Class, Points)
1. Pat Dean, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy (Class 1), 62
2. Rich Ronco, Peoria, Ariz., Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 59
3. B.J. Richardson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy (Class 1), 56
4. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 53
5. Steve Barry, Jamul, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 52
6. Cory Boyer/Rick Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 51
7. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 49
7. Chuck Dempsey, Oak Hills, Calif./Mark Levrett, Sparks, Nev., HMS-Chevy (Class 1), 49
9. Enrique Zazueta Jr./Enrique Zazueta Sr., La Paz, Mexico, VW Baja Bug (Class 5/1600), 48
10. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy (Class 1), 47
11. Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 46
11. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvell-VW (SCORE Lite), 46
11. James Scott, Hemet, Calif., RPS-Chevy (Class 1), 46
14. Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, Calif., AlumiCraft-Honda (Class 10), 45
14. Hiram Duran, Chula Vista, Calif., Amplified-VW (Class 1-2/1600, 45
14. Eric Chase, San Diego/Stuart Chase, Burbank, Calif., Penhall-Chevy (CLASS 1), 45
Class Point Leaders
(With Class wins in parenthesis)
Pro Cars and Trucks
TROPHY-TRUCK—1. Rich Ronco, Peoria, Ariz., Chevy Silverado (1), 59; 2. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (1), 53; 3. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 49; 4. Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 46; 5. Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 44; 6. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 28; 7. Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 27; 8. Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 26; 9. Todd Wyllie, New River, Ariz., Chevy C1500, 25; 10. Josh Baldwin, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 24.
CLASS 1—1. Pat Dean, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy (1), 62; 2. B.J. Richardson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 56; 3. Steve Barry, Jamul, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 52; 4. Chuck Dempsey, Oak Hills, Calif./Mark Levrett, Sparks, Nev., HMS-Chevy, 49; 5. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 47; 6. James Scott, Hemet, Calif., RPS-Chevy, 46; 7. Eric Chase, San Diego/Stuart Chase, Burbank, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 45; 8. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif./Tom Ridings, Los Alamitos, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 29; 9. Jeff Farris, Kerman, Calif., HMS-Chevy, 28; 10. Brian Hudson, Westminster, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 27.
CLASS 1-2/1600—1. Cory Boyer/Rick Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer-VW (1), 51; 2. Hiram Duran, Chula Vista, Calif., Amplified-VW, 45; 3. Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Mirage-VW, 41; 4. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 38; 5. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif./Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico, Curry-VW, 36.
CLASS 3—1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco (1), 40.
CLASS 5—1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, VW Baja Bug (1), 40.
CLASS 5/1600—1. Enrique Zazueta Jr./Enrique Zazueta Sr., La Paz, Mexico, VW Baja Bug (1), 48; 2. Marcos Nunez/Norberto Rivera, Ensenada, Mexico, VW Baja Bug, 42.
CLASS 7—1. Dan Chamlee, Summerland, Calif., Ford Ranger, 25.
CLASS 7SX—1. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Tim Lawrence, Santee, Calif., Ford Ranger (1) 25.
CLASS 8—1. Todd Wyllie, New River, Ariz., Chevy C1500, 25.
CLASS 10—1. Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, Calif., AlumiCraft-Honda (1), 45; 2. David Rodriguez/Sergio Rodriguez, Santa Fe., N.M., Kreger-VW, 24; 3. Mike Lawrence, Brea, Calif./Chris Lawrence, Los Alamitos, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 20, 4. Robert McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 17.
LITE—1. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvell-VW (1), 46; 2. Tom Watson, El Centro, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Prill-VW, 40; 3. David Callaway, Menifee, Calif./Scott Mapes, Riverside, Calif., Dunrite-VW, 36; 4. Steve Mamer, Holtville, Calif., Raceco-VW, 33; 5. Hector Garcia Jr., Chino, Calif., BajaMotorsports-VW, 31.
CLASS 11—1. Ramon Fernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, VW Sedan (1), 40; 2. Todd Lucero, Anaheim Hills, Calif./Richard Nicols Jr., Placentia, Calif., VW Sedan, 34.
STOCK FULL—1. Chad Hall, Reno, Nev., Hummer H3 Alpha (1), 40; 2. John Griffin, Mission Viejo, Calif./Jeremy Spirkoff, El Cajon, Calif., Ford F-350, 34.
STOCK MINI—1. Rod Hall, Reno, Nev., Hummer H3 (1), 40; 2. Steve Kovach, Tempe, Ariz./Chip Carr, Gilbert, Ariz., Ford Ranger, 34.
PROTRUCK—1. Jason Voss/Rich Voss, Cupertino, Calif., Ford F-150 (1), 40.
Class Winners
14th Laughlin Desert Challenge
Laughlin, Nevada • Jan. 26-27, 2008
Total Starters: 141 Total Finishers: 41
Cars & Trucks
TROPHY-TRUCK—Rich Ronco, Peoria, Ariz., Chevy Silverado
CLASS 1—Pat Dean, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy
CLASS 1-2/1600—Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer-VW
CLASS 3—Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco
CLASS 5—Kevin Carr, San Diego, VW Baja Bug
CLASS 5/1600—Enrique Zazueta Jr., La Paz, Mexico, VW Baja Bug
CLASS 7—No Finishers
CLASS 7S—No Starters
CLASS 7SX—Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger
CLASS 8—No Finishers
CLASS 9—No Starters
CLASS 10—Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, Calif., AlumiCraft-Honda
SCORE LITE—Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif. Duvell-VW
CLASS 11—Ramon Fernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, VW Sedan
STOCK FULL—Chad Hall, Reno, Nev, Hummer H3 Alpha
STOCK MINI—Rod Hall, Reno, Nev., Hummer H3
PROTRUCK—Jason Voss, Cupertino, Calif., Ford F-150
CLASS 17—No Starters
Baja Racing News.com