CLICK HERE FOR THE LIVE COVERAGE
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LAST REPORTS: FRIDAY MARCH 14
Racers Lineup at 5:30 AM RaceDay
SATURDAY MARCH 15 in Baja Mexico!
Motos Start 6 AM Trucks Start 9 AM
**There have been reports of Diesel fuel shortages
**Pete Sohren must be having trouble tonight. Asking for a rep from Geiser late tonight and meeting. A reported 'vibration' somewhere in the driveline.
**No surprises at the Drivers Meeting that just let out. All the notations and mentions in the meeting are already posted here at Baja Racing News.com in the Baja 250 San Felipe information sections.
**SCORE PRESS RELEASE:
282 entries, the third-highest total in event history ready
To take green flag at 22nd Baja 250 in San Felipe Baja Mexico
SAN FELIPE, MEXICO—Following Friday's late registration, a total of 282 vehicles, the third-highest total in event history, have entered Saturday's 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race.
Round 2 of the 2008 SCORE Desert Series is being held Saturday in Mexico’s quaint and picturesque fishing village of San Felipe, a noted haven for ‘spring breakers’, located on the East side of the Baja California peninsula along the azure waters of the tranquil Sea of Cortez. From 21 states and six countries will compete in 27 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in the 231.73-mile race. The green flag will drop at 6 a.m. (PST) Saturday, March 15, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed three hours later by the car and truck classes at approximately 10 a.m. (PST) The start line for the race will once again be the landmark San Felipe Arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. The race will finish just south of the Arches, directly behind the Cerveza Tecate building. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, with a 10-hour time limit to become an official finisher.
***BAJA RACING NEWS.com
EXCLUSIVE BREAKING BAJA RACING NEWS!
McMILLIN HOMES PULLS OUT OF MEXICO!
For the last several years, McMillin Homes of San Diego California was the title sponsor of the Mexicali 500, a loop race from Mexicali to San Felipe back to Mexicali, promoted by the Mexicali Tourism Authority. Today, Baja Racing News.com has learned McMillin will no longer sponsor the event and as reported earlier, may not race the Baja 500 or 1000 this year.
After the 2007 Baja 1000, the talented Andy McMillin, called on SCORE to respond to the Baja Crime Wave taking place in Baja Mexico. Andy and Robby Gordon, won the 2006 Baja 1000 to La Paz.
Since the inception of the 'Mexicali 500', McMillin was the title sponsor. From our source, he said, "there may be no races that the McMillin racing interests, enter Mexico, this racing year".
**"The buzz throughout the race teams is no doubt how difficult it is going to be to survive this race course as many race veterans are reporting that the race course is more difficult than they have ever seen in the past. Collins’ Motorsports Driver/Team Owner, Brian Collins, said it was the toughest he’s ever seen and he’s embracing the difficulty of the terrain hoping confident that his MOPAR Dodge Ram will make it to the checkers in the top spot.
Riviera Racing’s Rob MacCachren commented, “We’ve been here for a week and each day the race course is more chewed up. This is no doubt the biggest we’ve seen the bumps as long as I can remember and the team that has no problems will end up on top. The Riviera Racing truck always runs very good at San Felipe and we’ve done our homework. I’m looking for a great finish if all of our cards fall in the right spot.”
Ballastic B.J. Baldwin has been staying in San Felipe all week long and he and his father, Bobby Baldwin, have held a rigorous prerun schedule, although in testing his truck here in San Felipe not long after the truck arrived he suffered a transmission failure in testing and the truck went back stateside for repair. The truck has return to San Felipe and he’s expected to contend amongst the top teams.
Jesse James tested his race truck in the first 30 miles with the new proto-type KING Shock package and he melted the main seals of both rear shocks causing the shocks to lose all fluid and rendering his #54 truck to the trailer until they could repair the KING shocks. James had previously been using FOX Racing Shox and changed to KING’S before the 2007 SCORE Baja 1000, however they have not held up to the rigors of San Felipe here this week.
The 1600 Champion, Dave Caspino, pushed his all black 1600 car through contingency and he hopes to repeat as the class champion with a good race here in San Felipe.
San Felipe weather could not be any better as the temperatures hovered right around the mid-70’s most of the day and the weather is expected to be the same through the weekend with thousands of fans pouring into San Felipe for Saturday’s main event."
**There are three ambulances on call for the Baja 250, one at St. James, one south of town and one at 'three poles'.
**Medical Meeting 6 PM, at St. James--Baja Racing News.com will be there.
**The next 72 hours are the most dangerous. Racing, chasing and the out-of-control race fans going nuts. Some, will stay out in the desert, on the course, all-night-long. Campfires, trucks on the course, it's Baja racing. Stay Tuned HERE, you'll get the WHOLE STORY.
**the Score insurance company rep and the race radio relay rep for the race are having some drinks at Georges Restaurant in a matter of moments, we'll have a reporter there to get the story.
The insurance rep for SCORE reported that at St. James Medical Clinic, there is now enough room for landing choppers, there will be an on-call ambulance on-site and we will report on where the other ambulances will be stationed.
WHY YOU ASK?
San Felipe is notorious for CODE RED situations with every kind of accident, cars, race trucks and lots of injuries. We will have the minute by-minute reporting on Baja Racing News LIVE!
So far, teams are now scrambling to get the 'to do' list done before nightfall, racers have all the prerunning done and are making their way back into town. Most of the time, the goal is to get your mechanicals done by nightfall and your pilots, racers, in to the hotel or camp, in enough time to SSS-shit shower shave and in for some shuteye, to be fully prepped for the 3 or 4 AM wakeup call.
Nightfall has been after 6 PM.
**Moto info Update:
Starting on RaceDay, Saturday March 15, Bikes start staging at 5:30 AM at the Arches. A race rep will check your wristband at he start (and finish, too). A Score official will normally dab your motor with a unique-colored nail polish. If your rear red taillight is not working, you will not be able to race.
"Bike helmets must meet Snell standards, Snell memorial foundation, M2000 or M2005, with a legible Snell sticker attached, FIA Standard 8860-2004, with a legible FIA sticker attached, or BSI 6658 Type A." Tech will peel apart your lining to find the stamps.And you need D-ring helmets, not snaps (if anyone is still racing with snaps).Ratings are explained here: http://www.smf.org/articles/mcomp2.html
**Check out the course notes here and match them up with the race map and LIVE TRACKING BAJA RACING NEWS.com will provide starting at 5 AM local on RaceDay, Saturday March 15:
**From The Pit Meeting:
CHECKPOINT RULES - You are required to enter all four
checkpoints in a single file manner and come to a complete
stop at the stop sign. Entering and exiting checkpoints must
be done in a safe and prudent manner in order to guarantee
the safety of checkpoint workers. Checkpoint signage will
be placed on the right side of the course. NO passing 300
feet before a checkpoint and NO pitting 1/4 mile before.
NO STUB CANS: - Stub Cans will NOT be used.
NO SPEED ZONES - There are no speed controlled zones.
Race Radio Relay- SCORE will use 151.625 for the
main race operations radio frequency. Use this frequency to
report an emergency or ask for help.
TOWING OR PUSHING RULE - Towing is not permitted
within 1 mile of the finish line. Wristbanded vehicle
occupants are permitted to push a disabled race vehicle
across the finish line. Towing is not permitted for more than
1% of the course, or 2.3 miles.
**At the just ended BFGoodrich pit meeting, it was noted that the Checkpoint 3 area, at Valle Chico, where the junction of the race course is, will be one to be watched. Lots of fans are already out at the junction and lots of cross-course trails and racers at speed will make the area an outrageous chance for accidents. More from the BFGoodrich pit meeting loading now...CLICK HERE FOR THE CHECKPOINT 3 LOCATION ON THE MAP
CLICK HERE FOR THE LOUSY TOPO MAP FOR MORE INFO,yes it sucks, but the monkey that makes our maps works for bananas
**Baja Racing News.com has learned McMillin Racing is restructured. The two brothers have split the racing efforts first started by Corky, years ago. The National City shop is being taken apart. Mark and Scott now are divided with each racing with seperate parts of the McMillin family.
Many of the people associated for years with the team are now looking for other efforts. The Baja racing schedule is NOT firm, they may or may not race the 500 and/or 1000.
**The first team meetings are scheduled for noon, local time, we are connected to our reporters via NEXTEL- so we'll get you the reports as the racers get them!
**Cool Photo Show, without the music, its SOS, CCR Rules. Thanks Cody. send your contributions for the LIVE! Show today to:
bajaracingnews@live.com
**The first Pacifico Ballena has been cracked! Welcome to San Felipe!** No trip to San Felipe or LIVE! race coverage from Felipe would be ON! without our first SALUD! to Tony Tellier and CHECKERS! SALUD! Got this from Tony this morning...
""Subject: Old Checkers Tales and Blenders
Speaking of race tales, Peralta with his wild prerun whopper from last week [Lou Peralta-On Baja Racing News.com, on the San Felipe PreRun page] hints to the location of at least one of the old Checkers blenders. The only thing that gave the other occupants in his car the courage to stay alive while trapped the treacherous mudflow was the realization that Checkers Eat Their Dead and Lou was still alive!"" Thanks Tony!
Baja is what it is, because of the great people in OffRoad, like Tony and the CHECKERS!
**Baja Racing News.com EXCLUSIVE RELEASE!
CLICK HERE: NEW BAJA GAME!
**SCORE race radio relay problem, latest update. A diesel issue?
"His truck is a 6.0. A cam sensor will be no help to him. The 7.3 have the problematic cam sensors. He needs to get it to a Ford dealer in the states." OUCH!
Sounds Like Bob will need a ride the rest of the weekend and a trailer back to gringolandia! See this Baja Racing News.com story:
http://bajasafari.blogspot.com/2007/08/racing-in-baja-running-diesel-fuels.html
**One of the team meetings not to miss, will be attended by one of our reporters, we'll get the inside take from the most experienced Baja racing operations, to get you what the real dope is on this 2008 Baja 250, from San Felipe. So far, the word is, this will be a fast race. Pistola Pete Sohren and others, who know Filipe, claim 4 hours finish!
EXCLUSIVELY on Baja Racing News.com
**PRESS RELEASE:
"Monster Energy-Backed Johnny Campbell Is The Favorite Heading Into This Weekend’s SCORE Tecate 250The “King of Baja.com “will be rockin’ the Monster M-claw logo this weekend in San Fillipe, Mexico, for Round Two of the ’08 SCORE International Series
Corona, Ca - 3-13-08 – Monster Energy-backed Johnny Campbell, known widely as the most successful Baja motorcycle racer of all time, will boot up this weekend to contest the SCORE Tecate 250 in San Filipe, Mexico, Round Two of the 2008 SCORE International off road racing series.
Campbell, the current Baja champion and Team JCR/Honda owner, is gunning for his 9th SCORE Tecate 250 win (in 15 tries) on what’s considered to be the most dangerous of all the SCORE series races due to its hidden sand-covered boulders and ultra long whoop stretches.
“I will do whatever it takes to put my team on top,” said Campbell. “It’s all on the line when the dust settles and the checkers have dropped – it needs to be Robby Bell and I standing there. I have the best bike, best pit program, best racers and, of course, the best sponsor in off road-racing Monster Energy Drink.
“But Baja is Baja so I’m not going to claim anything. As I’ve stated before: ‘You just expect to win.’”
“I’m stoked to have Johnny and his whole team down in Baja representing Monster Energy. Johnny is an Icon down in Baja and we are honored to have him on the team.” Said Joe Parsons Sr MotorSports Marketing Manager for Monster Energy Drink.
For more information on the motorcycle division of the 2007 SCORE-International Tecate 250.
**Heading into this weekend’s 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in Mexico and following one of five races in the 2008 SCORE Desert Series. The Baja 250 2008 in San Felipe, is being held March 15 on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, located on the East side of the Baja California peninsula. With over 283 entries from 20 states and six countries expected to compete in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in the 232-mile race, the Famous green flag will drop at 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 15, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed three hours later by the car and truck classes at approximately 10 a.m. The start line for the race will once again be the landmark San Felipe Arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. The race will finish just south of the Arches, directly behind the Tecate building. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, with a 10-hour time limit to become an official finisher.
**Baja Racing News.com would like to send out SPECIAL THANKS to El Rancho Fish Taco House(we'll be there for the race) Loncheria La Playa(Pedro) today's LIVE Coverage, Sandra at the Mexicali Tourism Trust and our "Ironman Internet" connection via 'The Peoples Gallery' in San Felipe and Mobile Iridium Link, for all the mobile reports. And Steve for all our NEXTEL stuff. Unbreakeable!
**Pre-race festivities at the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 will include the colorful SCORE Midway and tech inspection on the Malecon beachfront in downtown alongside the azure waters of the Sea of Cortez from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday.
**Today, there are numerous pit, team and other race meeting scheduled all over town, we have a local stringer-reporter getting those stories and we are also getting reports at our email address. Baja Racing News.com will have one Satellite link in town to the internet and two reporters on the course.
Lets get started:
Weather nominal for race day, partly cloudy and 79 degrees F, forecast.
-Three teams Withdrawn, so far
-Vanderway Team in town with new Trophy Truck.
-Childress and Hengeveld Privateers on Honda
-SCORE radio stuck
-Roberto Ross Class 1 For Sale
-Baja Racing News.com "Pete Sohren can take 2008 Baja 250 in San Felipe".
Last SCORE REPORT:
""Led by last year’s overall winners Mark Post/Rob MacCachren and Robby Bell, four of the last five overall 4-wheel champs and the last 10 motorcycle winners are ready for a unique ‘spring break’ this weekend at the 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race. Round 2 of the 2008 SCORE Desert Series will be held Saturday in Mexico’s quaint and picturesque fishing village of San Felipe, a noted haven for ‘spring breakers’, located on the East side of the Baja California peninsula along the azure waters of the tranquil Sea of Cortez. Featuring the third-most entries in the event’s 22-year history, over 280 entries from 20 states and six countries will compete in 27 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in the 232-mile race. The green flag will drop at 6 a.m. (PST) on Saturday, March 15, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed three hours later by the car and truck classes at approximately 10 a.m. (PST) The start line for the race will once again be the landmark San Felipe Arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. The race will finish just south of the Arches, directly behind the Cerveza Tecate building. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, with a 10-hour time limit to become an official finisher. Following January’s season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, America’s Foremost Desert Racing Series will visit Mexico for the first of three races in 2008. Post, Laguna Beach, Calif., and MacCachren, Las Vegas, are the defending overall and 4-Wheel winners of the popular spring race in the No. 1 Riviera Racing Ford F-150 in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division for 800-horsepower, hi-tech, unlimited production trucks while Bell has been the overall Motorcycle and Class 22 winner the last two year’s on the No. 1x Honda CRF450X. Between them, team owner Post (with three) and MacCachren (6) have nine class wins in this race, and they have been part of four overall titles. Post won this race Overall in Class 1 in 1998 and in 2004 in SCORE Trophy-Truck with Jerry Whelchel as his second driver and last year with MacCachren as his second driver. MacCachren, who was recently honored as the 2007 Dirt Sports Magazine Driver of the Year, also won as the second driver for Mexico’s Gus Vildosola in 2003 when that pair captured the overall. This will be Riviera Racing’s first trip back to Baja since winning last year’s amazing 40th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the arduous adventure with 424 starters that covered 1,296 miles from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas. The win clinched both the 2007 SCORE Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championships for the Southern California-based Riviera Racing team. Bell, Sun City, Calif., won the motorcycle title in this race the last two year’s with injured teammate Kendall Norman. Replacing Norman as the second rider for this race is team owner Johnny Campbell, San Clemente, Calif. (Johnny Campbell Racing), who has seven class wins, including six overalls with three different co-riders. Garron Cadiente, Mesa, Ariz., won this race overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck in 2006 as a SCORE rookie in the No. 38 GNR Racing Ford F-150 and Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., won the motorcycle and Class 22 race in this event four times. In 2001, Hengeveld won with Jonah Street as his co-rider and repeated in 2002, 2003 and 2004 with Campbell has his co-rider. Quinn Cody, Buellton, Calif., won the motorcycle and Class 22 race in San Felipe in 2005 with Chris Blais and Andy Grider on a KTM, breaking the eight-year win streak of the factory Honda teams. This year he will lead a team on the No. 2x Red Bull KTM 530XCRW with David Pearson, Las Vegas and David Kamo, New Plymouth, Idaho, as co-riders. Vildosola, Mexicali, is racing this year as the second driver for his son Gus Vildosola Jr., in the No. 4 Red Bull Vildosola Racing Ford F-150 in the SCORE Trophy-Truck division. Among the other racers entered this year who have been very successful in this race are Jim O’Neal, Eric Solorzano, Donald Moss, John Griffin and Adam Pfankuch. O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif., is an age-group motorcycle rider who has put together eight winning teams in the last seven years in San Felipe. O’Neal is the all-time co-leader for class wins in this race, tied with Dan Smith. Going for double class wins again (he won two in 2005), O’Neal will lead teams in both Class 30 and Class 50 this year on Hondas. Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, has seven wins in Class 11 for stock VW Sedans while Moss, Sacramento, Calif., has five wins in the last six years in Class 3 in his sturdy Ford Bronco. Griffin, Mission Viejo, Calif., in Stock Full and Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., in Class 1-2/1600, both have four class wins in San Felipe. This year, Griffin will again race with Jeremy Spirkoff, El Cajon, Calif., in a Ford F-350, while Pfankuch will drive a VW-powered Mirage. Arizona veteran desert racer Pete Sohren and Southern California’s rising star Robby Bell received the pole positions for four-wheel and two-wheel vehicles in the computerized drawing for starting positions in late February. Sohren races in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division while Bell competes in Class 22 for open motorcycles. Drawing the first starting slot for the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars is defending season point champion Billy Gasper, Chino Hills, Calif. Riding the first ATV off the line will be defending SCORE Overall ATV and Class 25 point Champion Danny Prather, Ramona, Calif. Sohren, 43, of Glendale, Ariz., is a veteran SCORE desert racer who has won Class 5 (unlimited VW Baja Bugs) twice in this race (1997 and 2001). He now drives the No. 2 Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck, finishing eighth in season points last year after a solid fourth-place finish in the 40th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. With 20 entries so far, Sohren will lead a strong field in SCORE Trophy-Truck that features many of the world’s top desert racers. SCORE Trophy-Trucks have won the overall in San Felipe 12 times in the 14-year history of the marquee racing class. To date, Class 1-2/600 has the most entries with 29 followed by SCORE Trophy-Truck and, Class 1 with 20 each, SCORE Lite with 17 and Class 5/1600 with 12. Late registration will be accepted up until race morning.""
More loading...
**As mentioned on wednesday, we'll be pumping race content LIVE! faster and more complete on RaceDay, bigger and better, with three years of Baja Racing News.com in San Felipe, you'll get some great stories, images and the ONLY LIVE FEED direct from San Felipe Baja Mexico!
We are at the Loncheria La Playa-Beach Lunch on the Malecon, so if you are in San Felipe c'mon over- we are hammering morning fish tacos and coffee and loading stories and images for the World Wide audience and we'll answer your questions from safari2002@cox.net
**Baja Racing News.com is LIVE! at San Felipe Contingency- Most of the racers will show up later today - 10 AM and later into the day, as they line-up for technical inspection on the Malecon- watch the LIVE FEED IMAGE which refreshes every 15 minutes, you'll see the racers lineup. More loading NOW...
**SCORE Radio Relay Stuck at La Ventana!
The person in charge of all the race radio communications relay services for the SCORE race organization is Stuck! Looking for help, though this is a minro problem, we will follow the story, they have under 24 hours to solve the problems, the race starts at 5 AM local time - Saturday.
"We were on our way down to San Felipe and found the WEATHERMAN stranded in La Ventana. His tow vehicle (2005 F-350) is broken down.He needs a code reader and mechanical assistance. Not sure on what the problem is, but the truck doesn´t run any longer!!! If anybody is coming down tonight or tomorrow morning contact PCI. Please send a code reader or possible parts needed to the parties headed down to San Felipe.Thanks for your help and assistance as the WEATHERMAN needs help!" "Ford Superduty trucks have problems with the Cam Timming Sensor. If anyones is heading down I would suggest picking one up at adealer. They're only about $30. When they go bad the vehicle will just shut off like you turned off the key. Sometimes the truck will restart but eventualy you have to replace it. It is located right under the main pully and only takes a few minutes to replace.""And whether its a gas or diesel makes a difference."
Bottom**********LIVE FRIDAY****************
Chrysler Talking Off-Road
Brian Collins, driver and co-owner of the Collins Motorsports No. 12 Mopar® Dodge Ram Trophy Truck, refuses to bow in the face of bad luck. The Collins Motorsports team has endured unfortunate breaks recently, including mishaps during both days of competition at January’s SCORE Desert event in Laughlin, Nev. But Collins’ resolve hasn’t wavered. The Las Vegas resident remains confident he can manufacture his own good luck with help from Mopar power at the upcoming 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. The San Felipe will be on March 15 in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
“I’m really not big on the good luck/bad luck talk,” said Collins. “We’ve had some misfortunes, but that’s just racing. To have them two days in a row is really unfortunate, but you work through it.”
Barring any problems, Collins will drive the entire 232-mile race course solo (his Collins Motorsports co-drivers, Chuck Hovey and Larry Ragland, will be on hand for back up and support). The team was scheduled to begin testing in San Felipe on Saturday, March 8, with plans to pre-run the entire course each day up until race day, making small changes all the while to the Mopar Dodge Ram Trophy Truck.
Although hungry for his first victory under the Team Mopar banner, Collins remains one cool customer, thanks in part to reassurance gained from having Mopar in his corner for the long haul.
“That’s one thing that’s nice about having Mopar and Dodge on board for the long-term. We don’t have to panic,” said Collins. “We can stick to our plan. We’ve teamed up with Mopar and Dodge in fine-tuning some odds and ends. We’ve also been working with Kevin Kroyer [supplier of Mopar R5 aluminum blocks for the team, as well the on-track powertrain advisor]. We’re constantly fine-tuning and updating to make the Mopar Dodge Ram Trophy Truck better after each race. We’re going to just keep moving forward and hopefully those wins will come.”
“Each event that the Collins Motorsports team competes in serves as a test bed for our new ‘Trail” initiative – Mopar Performance Parts for Jeep® vehicles and Dodge trucks,” said Rob Richard, Director of Mopar Parts, Sales and Service Marketing, Chrysler LLC.
Mopar’s “Trail” initiative was announced at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas in October 2007.
“The team’s assistance in testing and developing Mopar’s new off-road parts has been invaluable. It’s only a matter of time before Brian and his talented team places Mopar in the winner’s circle for the first time since the brand’s return to off-road racing.”
Collins Motorsports team views the 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 as challenging funThe second event in the 2008 SCORE Desert Series, the 22nd annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, features a looping course that begins near the landmark San Felipe Arches and finishes 232 miles later just south of the Arches. One of more than 250 entries in 28 Pro and six Sportsman classes, the Collins Motorsports team will begin the race in the 11th position of the Trophy Truck class. The team is no stranger to the rugged San Felipe off-road trail.
“San Felipe is always a fun race to go to,” said Robbie Goerke, team manager and co-owner of Collins Motorsports. His brother, Billy Goerke, is also a co-owner, as well as the team’s crew chief. “We’ve had our ups and downs there. We’ve had a chance to win, and a flat tire 10 miles from the finish line took us out. The track is a really fast track. You’ve got to have your suspension really dialed in to go racing.”
Goerke added, “The rough there is like rough you have never seen before. Even in the United States, there is nothing comparable to it. There’s a 20-mile section that travels the Zoo Road, and if you don’t set up your truck right, you’ll burn your shocks in the first 20 miles of the race. Our shocks get to over 400 degrees all through that section.”
“I’ve done pretty real [in the past] at San Felipe. It’s a great track,” said Collins. “It’s one of the more off-road tracks. We don’t run on a lot of roads, like we do in the Baja 1000. It’s really rough, really tough, and it’s good for our team.”
Said Goerke, “Right now, we have definitely got the truck to beat. We’ve been doing so much testing, and [Kevin] Kroyer has been developing the engine more and more. It’s just all really coming together.”
Information about the 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250The green flag will drop on the 22nd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 on Saturday, March 15. Pre-race festivities, including the SCORE Midway and tech inspections, will take place on Friday, March 14. The awards celebration will take place in the Plaza on the Malecon on Sunday, March 16. For more info on the SCORE Desert Series, visit http://www.score-international.com.
70 Years of MoparWhen Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler Engineering standards.
Visit Chrysler’s Media Services Web site at www.media.chrysler.com for additional Chrysler news. For additional information about Mopar, log on to www.mopar.com or www.moparspeed.com.
Harrah's SPEED Technlogies Press, Awesome!
Speed Technologies, one of the nation’s largest and foremost off-road race teams, will be competing March 14th & 15th in the Tecate SCORE Baja 250 for the first time since the team’s inception in 2006. The race, taking place in small village of San Felipe, Mexico, tackles a mixture of moguls, sand, silt, canyons, washes and rocks over the entire 232 mile course.
“Mexico takes some extra preparation,” said team crew chief Phil Johnson. “We’re taking over 40 people, two race cars, two race bikes and plenty of extra parts to make sure that we’re ready to tackle all that the Tecate SCORE Baja 250 has to offer.”
Speed Technologies will be racing the Dominator and the HMS Avenger in the Class 1 section as well as a 250 and 500 CC bike in the motorcycle section of the race. Team owner, John Harrah, along with John Hearder will be racing the Dominator and drivers Chuck Dempsey and Mark Levrett will be racing the HMS Avenger. The 500 will be driven by Cody Wallace, Adam Thissen and Robert Underwood and the 250 will be driven by Cody Knight, Martin Kite and Ryan Toomey. The team will have nine chase trucks at the race—as safety is always a first priority for Speed Technologies.
“We feel very confident about the Tecate SCORE Baja 250, “said team owner and driver John Harrah. “We’ve been preparing for this race and feel confident that we’ll start out strong and finish this challenging race.”
About Speed Technologies
Established in 2006 Speed Technologies is owned by John Harrah and headquartered in Reno, NV at Ranch Harrah. The team operates both an off-road racing team and motocross team. Competing in both the SCORE Desert Series and the Best in the Desert, Speed Technologies is a full-time operation supported by a full time staff as well as additional chase and safety crews. Speed Technologies is committed to safety both on and off the track. For more information on Speed Technologies please visit www.speed-technologies.com.
Baja Racing News.com LIVE! From Wednesday, March 12....
Gracias El Rancho! Three hours and still going strong. 4:30-7:30 PM
**Thanks for all the emails the Baja Racing News.com Team is ON-IT! for the next four days, there will be big news from here. San Felipe ALWAYS has big off road race news, so check our schedule and be HERE for the LATEST. *****
**Over 280 racers as of today, check out the "RaceDay page" UPDATED and we have one last message to forward, a lost item call out:
""Rigsby Racing lost a spare tire, pre-running. 35" BFG, Yellow tape on Tire. Not flat. Blue or Black Bead Lock.Contact Rigsby Racing at Race Freq. 150845, Or Mamouse518@msn.com""
**Another course question: Whats the terrain like on the entire course? We'll post a topo map of the region Thursday to display the terrain, the northern course is dominated by the Devils Dry Lake to the East, in the lee of the San Pedro de Martir escarpment. Baja's tallest mountain, the Spirit of the Devil, at above 10,000 feet, is to the west of the dry lake. Racers must move north to a crossover trail then cut south on a access road on the east of the dry lake. Valle chico, a broad valley extends south and brings the racers into a great maze of canyons. look at the map, you'll notice the canyon names. Lots of rocks in these canyons and lots of whoops (grande permanente) whoop-de-doos, big rounded bumps and pot holes.
As mentioned, these are not graded roads, so, thirty and forty years of driving use with no blading. At some points on the course, these whoops are SO BIG, they swallow vehicles, you CANNOT SEE THEM inside the holes. Not kidding.
**OK, here is the San Felipe Fish Taco Recipe...easy, just have lots of cerveza for libation! From the kitchen of the El Rancho:
San Felipe Fish Tacos
Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, (juice of 2 limes)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 1/2 pounds halibut steaks, (four steaks)
4 flour tortillas, 10-inch diameter)
2 cups pinto beans, canned, or made from scratch
1 cup salsa
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
16 oz. sour cream
Directions
In a large zip-lock plastic bag or dish with cover, combine lime juice, oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano and pepper; stir well. Add fish to lime marinade and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Prepare grill (medium-high heat) and oil the rack so fish will not stick. Place fish on the hot grill and cook 4–5 minutes per side or [BBQ over ocotillio wood for authentic taste!] until fish flakes easily when teated with a fork. While fish is cooking, wrap tortillas in foil and place on grill to heat. (you have the option of using canned refried beans here, that way you can pay more attention to the race and the cervezas)Place pinto beans in a microwave-safe dish, cover and heat in the microwave. When fish is done, place it in a dish and flake with a fork. Assemble tacos by spooning beans into the center of each tortilla, add flaked halibut and top with cheese and salsa.
Broiler option: Preheat oven broiler, coat broiler pan with vegetable oil spray and broil fish 4–5 minutes per side.
For white sauce: use sour cream with a bit of lime juice.
Pacifico Cervezas suggested.
**More course talk! We've received several more race course questions. Stan in Michigan, the course is chewed up not because of the terrain, but, because of the beating these trails have taken over the years, with NO GRADING! Baja North has a tradition of NOT grading. In southern Baja, where there are more working ranches, the roads are constantly repaired.
**In the old days, there were no strip clubs in conservative San Felipe. The gringos seeking adventure wandered into the broken bars behind the main drag-west and ended up in real dumps, the kind of bars you would see in the B-films. Today, with some club action, the fisherman and spring breakers along with the racers, have something to do at night, not just hammer the booze. over and over and over, cases and cases of cerveza(beer)
Felipe is known for its great desert, seas and future.
**We GO LIVE! Friday time TBD, then Saturday at 5 AM!!!
**RaceFans! Be sure to checkout the newly posted San Felipe race vids, very hot. Also stay tuned through Thursday, we'll post updated race news as we get it, here in Felipe. We are expecting several teams to withdraw, motor issues and Drunk Pirate Lance Clifford will report on his "Miramar experiences!" Can you say, electricity and tequila DO MIX!
**Pete Sohren predicted a 4 (four) hour race and the moto guys Cambpell and Bell figure a tad over the same time.
**Heres the Moto Smack for the Baja 250!!
1x Robby Bell, Sun City, Calif./Johnny Campbell, San Clemente, Calif. Honda CRF450X Johnny making sure the kid knows.
2x Quinn Cody, Buellton, Calif./David Pearson, Las Vegas/David Kamo, New Plymouth, Idaho, KTM 530XCRW. KTM putting on the heat with 3 riders?
5x Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., Honda CRF450X. Oh well. Red Bull vs Monster, who won? Doesn't Steve's dad own a KTM dealership in Arizona? Good timing that Trophy Truck #7 ain't ready for SF. Would the real KTM team please stand up (or sit down)? Stand up or sit down? Stand up or sit down? Repeat.
8x Caleb Gosselar, Valencia, Calif./Timmy Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif., Honda CRF450X. New Honda B team?
10x, 12x. Outcasts of the Desert Asses. Let's ride, dude. Got free pits?
179x Anna Cody, Spring Valley, Calif./Stacy Doerkson, Apple Valley, Calif./Cathy Duncan, Los Alamos, Calif./Sarah Kritch, Bakersfield, Calfi., Honda CRF250X. Wow. Girls-Girls-Girls. And I don't mean The Paris. Guys, DONT get passed by this team! Or just stop at RM 167 and head to Percebu for some cazuelas.(Head Hooter, where are you?)
301x Einar Myhrer, San Diego/Josh Berlin, Oceanside, Calif., Honda XR650RFirst time dark horses. Good Luck to you guys.
305x Chris Parker, Newport Beach, Calif./Collie Potter, El Cajon, Calif./Tim Bina, Irvine, Calif., Honda CRF450X. Your 450 brackets are paying for your E-Track fee. Cha-ching!
300x Jim O’Neal/Jimmy O’Neal Jr., Simi Valley, Calif./Jason Trubey, Mohave Valley, Ariz./Luke Dodson, Castaic, Calif./Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico, Honda CRF450X. 5 riders for a 232 mile race? Those 46 miles must qualify you for a Rice n Beans margarita. You MUST get wasted the night before!
307x Scott Myers, Sun City, Calif./Steve Garnet, Carson City, Nev./Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico, Kawasaki KLX450. Pancho wearing green. Nothing against Nino, eh?
400x Brett Helm, Poway, Calif./Jon Ortner, Santa Barbara, Calif./Lou Franco, Sherman Oaks, Calif./Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, Calif., Honda CRF450X. Brett will invent "virtual racing," where he won't have to show up at all. Cha-ching!500x Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Mike Sixberry, Bullhead City, Ariz./Andy Kirker, Santa Ana, Calif./Dan Dawson, Agua Dulce, Calif./Paul Needels, Westlake Village, Calif., Honda CRF450X. SIX riders? Drop 2 from this entry and this would be a really competitive class!
600x Donald Lewis, Marlborough, Conn./Gene Dempsey, Apple Valley, Calif./Sam Dempsey, Lake Balboa, Calif./Bob Gates, Hesperia, Calif./Mike Harper, Landers, Calif./Charles Koistra, Menifee, Calif., Honda CRF450X. OK, they can race with 6 dudes. Try this at 60 years of age!
Bajaboundmoto said:
2x Quinn Cody, Buellton, Calif./David Pearson, Las Vegas/David Kamo, New Plymouth, Idaho, KTM 530XCRW. KTM putting on the heat with 3 riders?Sounds like Quinn isn't up to speed (post knee op), will only ride very minimum, and Kamo got the late call to ride. Felipe whoops should be an eye opener for the Idaho lad.5x Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., Honda CRF450X. Oh well. Red Bull vs Monster, who won? Doesn't Steve's dad own a KTM dealership in Arizona?They own a couple shops which I believe both carry all 5 brands. Who knows what will happen when his Honda contract expires March 31100x Carlos Casas/Noe Ibarra, Chula Vista, Calif., KTM 450CXF WOW, switched brand. Interesting.101x Mariano Escobar/Victor Gomez, Ensenada, Mexico/Chris Villalobos, Tecate, Mexico, Yamaha YZ450106x Robert Gustine, Valley Center, Calif./Bryan Gustine, San Diego/Greg Bruning, Carlsbad, Calif., Honda CRF450XThis should be a good battle.179x Anna Cody, Spring Valley (?), Calif./Stacy Doerkson, Apple Valley, Calif./Cathy Duncan, Los Alamos, Calif./Sarah Kritch, Bakersfield, Calfi., Honda CRF250X. Guys, DONT get passed by this team! Or just stop at RM 167 and head to Percebu for some cazuelas. (Head Hooter, where are you?)No Head Hooter on this team this year.152x Larry Perkins, Strafford, Mo./Craig Goldsberry, Springfield, Mo./Malcolm Wood, Bolivor, Mo./Gabriel Hinshaw, Olathe, Kansas, Honda CRF250XDriving from MO to race the Felipe whoops. Um, ok.601x Paul Lussier, West Greenwich, R.I./Michael Murdock, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Honda XR650RI saw Paul last weekend and he said they are only using 2 guys. Come'on, they're 60+! Damn!! SPT M/C<250cc--really> class. But what would I know.
**This is the first Johnny Campbell company race. Bell is running with Campbells team.
**Also got a second pick tonight, the Black, Class 11 will take the event on Saturday. Hoping he'll run with the sombrero, the big hat on top of his stock VW bug.The only class 11 to finish the Baja 1000 in november 2007!
**Got some Henhouse Horseshit via email, lets set this rumor out to pasture, no Herbst and McMillins are NOT in Felipe this time around. They are missed.
**ZooRoad will be safer this year, more security, race controls and machine guns will be present, count on it. A good jump with grading before and after the jump, the racers will appreciate not having wall-to-wall people blocking the course.
**More Breaking race news! Pfluegar reported not making this race...what's up! Alans old truck for $350K up for sale!
**The racers list has been updated now, go to the 'RaceWeek' section, current racers list as of today!
**Dark Skies hit town at 6 PM local time and dawn hits at 5:30 AM with Sunrise at 5:45 AM, local time for the question from Fresno, thanks for the email!
**Harrah also said he 'preferred the second half of the course, I'm a technical (driving) guy'. Pistol Pete comments many of the race lines have been narrowed, from years past. There's outside lines that are better, its the corners that are a challenge for the Trophy Trucks'.
**BIG THANKS El Rancho Fish Taco House! Bring on the Pacificos!
You know the locals use TECATE to put out the BBQ!!!!
**Harrah also commented on his new co-dog, John Herder.
**John Harrah talked about his big V-10, 'working good, still working through issues'. Big power and tires through CV joints, being one of the challenges with the V-10 brute at Speed Technologies out of Reno.
**The first few miles, mellow, then the whoops hit. John Harrah in town thinks at 3.6 miles an 'ow my God Hole! Harrah said he end over ended his Bronco.
**OK, now the food. FISH TACOS, deep fried paradise! In the old days, the shrimp were BBQ'ed over ocotillio wood, TRUE! Before propane. The ocotillio wood gove the seafood a special taste, try it sometime. OLD SCHOOL San Felipe!
**The same comments all around, the same shock burndown San Felipe is known for! Whoops Whoops Whoops
**Baja Racing News.com picks Pistol Pete to take the race this weekend. 200 miles of whoops!
**On RaceDay, Saturday March 15, Baja Racing News.com, will expand our LIVE! race info with a new stream to get the most info out sooner to you, the great fans of off-road racing!
**Big Props to SCORE- what a great set-up at the San Felipe arches and for the first time in a long while, everything is well planned and prepared. Folks, this is going to be a great race.
**Another question, this one from South Africa! John, yes, San Felipe is within the Sonora Desert, in a section called the Colorado or northern Gulf section. Yes, big cactus south of town and a large rain shadow mountain complex, the largest in Baja, to the west, blocks weather fronts like the one making its way down south, sending in the high clouds you see in the live shot above^
**Here it is, the final race briefing from SCORE.
**Friends of San Felipe and Baja Racing News.com are here, we received lots of questions about the race over the last several days...we'll post in 5 minutes the just released RACE BRIEFING, that will be instructed to the racers, on last minute race rules and tips...
Baja Racing News.com will be LIVE-ONLINE from the Baja 250 in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, starting Wednesday March 12 at 4:30 PM San Felipe-Mountain Time/ 5:30 PM Pacific Time West Coast Time. At the El Rancho Fish Taco House, on the Sea Of Cortez. We'll close up after 2 Hours on Wednesday.
We'll go LIVE! ONLINE again on Friday for contingency on the Malecon(stay tuned for actual time, to be determined)
On Saturday, RaceDay, we'll go LIVE! at 5 AM, San Felipe Time.
Baja Racing News LIVE!