BULLETIN Baja 500 Results Blowout BULLETIN. Baja 500 2009 Explodes worldwide into SCANDAL!

CLICK HERE- COMPLETE BAJA 500 2009

CLICK HERE FOR THE RACERS ASSOCIATION STORY



UPDATE November 4, 2009

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATES



UPDATE July 23, 2009

Bike Results Just In! (How many months did this take?)

1st (Official)
8th (Unofficial)
STEPHEN LEGATE
260x
12:24:56
HWY SPEED (10) = TOTAL (10)

2nd
6th
ODIN MONCADA Q
274x
12:26:12
HWY SPEED (44) = TOTAL (44)

3rd
12th
CARLOS GRACIDA
271x
13:19:35
HWY SPEED (14) = TOTAL (14)

4th
9th
JEFF LEONARD
255x
13:53:52
COURSE DEVIATION (60) + HWY SPEED (15) = TOTAL (75)

5th
2nd
CRAIG ANSTINE
263x
14:10:24
INSUFFICIENT DATA (60) + NO HWY DATA (110) = TOTAL (170)

6th
10th
ERIK LITZENBERG
259x
14:27:07
HWY SPEED (104) = TOTAL (104)

7th
5th
OCTAVIO VALLE
275x
14:32:59
COURSE DEVIATION (60) + HWY SPEED (113) = TOTAL (173)

8th
15th
ERIC ANDERSON
251x
15:02:54
HWY SPEED (16) = TOTAL (16)

9th
11th
VINCE LEONIS
267x
15:30:40
HWY SPEED (151) = TOTAL (151)

10th
13th
RON TOLMAN
261x
16:04:30
INSUFFICIENT DATA (60) + NO HWY DATA (110) = TOTAL (170)

11th
3rd
CORNELIO GARCIA S.
273x
17:09:31
HWY SPEED (337) = TOTAL (337)

12th
14th
AKIHIRO SAITO
269x
17:17:09
INSUFFICIENT DATA (60) + NO HWY DATA (110) = TOTAL (170)

13th
7th
ALBERT VALENZUELA
256x
18:34:42
HWY SPEED (392) = TOTAL (392)

14th
16th
KEN KOSIOREK
299x
18:38:00
COURSE DEVIATION (60) + HWY SPEED (40) = TOTAL (100)

15th
19th
CLIFF MORGAN
258x
19:46:38
HWY SPEED (51) = TOTAL (51)

16th
1st
ENRIQUE GUERRO J.
278x
DNF
HWY SPEED (553) = TOTAL (553)

17th
18th
MIKE MENSINGER
279x
DNF
INSUFFICIENT DATA (60) + NO HWY DATA (110) = TOTAL (170)

18th
4th
BLAKE RIBBE-TANNER
281x
DNF
HWY SPEED (581) = TOTAL (581)

19th
17th
MARK ADAMS
254x
DNF
HWY SPEED (255) = TOTAL (255)

20th
20th
OSCAR FAZZ
266x
DNF
NO TRACKING DEVICE AT FINISH LINE

21st
21st
DON WADSWORTH
257x
DNF
NO TRACKING DEVICE AT FINISH LINE

22nd
22nd
SALVADOR SAINZ
276x
DNF
NO TRACKING DEVICE AT FINISH LINE

23rd
DNF
KENJI OIKAWA
270x
DNF


24th
DNF
STEPHAN HOFFMAN
280x
DNF


25th
DNF
MIKE MURRAY
253x
DNF


26th
DNF
PETER PENTTINEN
252x
DNF


27th
DNF
WARNER BLOM
265x
DNF


28th
DNF
TIBI IMBUZAN
272x
DNF


28th
DNF
LEVI COLTON
277x
DNF

NOTE: COURSE DEVIATION PENALTY - SAN VICENTE (HALF), MILE 375.


256X, 2006 BAJA 500 RACE REPORT

It was time to get down to Ensenada for the upcoming Baja 500 race. Ready or not we had to depart down South for the weekend. After loading 3 XR 650’s in the truck and all our gear we were ready to leave. We crossed into Tijuana getting the green light and on our way South. It was an awesome day of beautiful sunshine and I could see the Coronado islands off the coast. An uneventful drive into Ensenada and we were off to early registration at the San Nicholas hotel.

After registration we headed South to our rental house out by La Bufadora. We meet up with friends and began unloading the trucks. We had to mount a couple more tires and get organized. More friends showed up and the beginning of good times started to flow.

Up early Friday we loaded the bikes for prerunning, tech and headed into town. We did tech, IRC and checked in with Baja pits before 11:30am. Off to breakfast and get ready to prerun the start a few times. While prerunning the start I got a rear flat, 9 miles from the start. We made our way South to HWY 3. Albert went to Ojos to get the chase truck and I stayed on the side of the road. I was in front of a llantera but he didn’t have any M/C tubes and mine were at the house/along with my tire irons, in la bufadora (rookie mistake). I said I’m here doing nothing I might as well make a sign. I made a sign “Need M/C tube” and held it out for the prerunners. I got a lot of stares but no luck. I flagged down a motorcycle pizza delivery guy and asked about tubes. He brought me one and I thought I was in business. I took off my tire and it had a huge nail in it. Wow I said slime wasn’t going to stop that thing. The llantera only had these very sharp, long tire irons to put the tire back on. Sure enough we stabbed the tube at the valve stem and it wouldn’t hold air. Albert was back with TW and the chase truck so we loaded up and headed to TW’s hotel in town. They went to look for a tube as I took off the tire and the no good tube. They got caught up in traffic and looking for some M/C shops but no luck. When they came back I went over to the Coronado Hotel and asked for a tube. Mason and Cameron gave me a tube they just took out of one of their bikes.

Back to the hotel I got everything together and we were off to prerun again. I needed to ride to clear my head and relax a little. It felt good to get on the bike and ride after a few set backs. It was a good prerun to Ojos, just cruised through and got to know the area and any gotchas. We rode back into town on the HWY. We loaded up and took off to the rental house near La Bufadora.

Race morning I was up early and started getting ready. The rest of the crew managed to wake up and everyone was out the door to the start line. Some headed to Ojos and others to the brick house. We went to our staging area at the Ensenada Inn. I was just about ready to ride to the start line when I heard weatherman announce the race would start in about 8 minutes. I said good bye to the chase trucks and I was off to start The 2009 Tecate Score Baja 500. A little nervous and excited at the same time. When I arrived at the start line all of class 22 was already off. I wasn’t worried because we were 256X, Sportsman class almost at the end of the line. Only Sportsman under and the ATV sportsman would be after us. There were a lot of quads and bikes waiting for their class to start the race when I arrived. However after about 25 minutes it started to thin out. I was getting closer and closer to the start line. It was time to fire up the Big Honda XR 650 and get ready for the green flag. A quick handshake with Sal and I asked him if he heard about any booby traps out there yet. He said nothing that he has heard of. Next a quick picture with the TKT girls and the flag man tells me 5 seconds. A couple twists of the throttle and the flag drops. All nerves are gone and I focus on the street before me, make the turn out on to the street, pass the Coronado Hotel and drop in the sand wash heading out of town. It was so cool to have the big 650 pinned through the wash as the crowd cheers you on. Hit the red bull jump and continue up out of the wash back out to the street. The race was on and I was having so much fun. My plan was just stay at a good pace be careful and make it to Ojos. I was surprised that there was not any fog or mist like most races coming out of Ensenada. My ride to Ojos was fun and relaxing. I passed a few guys and got passed by a couple of guys as well.

I jump out on the pavement and crossed HWY 3. TW and Austin were there with goggles and a pit if needed. I gave them the thumbs up and screamed on through. I had a good time with 258X, he passed me, I passed him, back and forth for a good amount of miles. It reminded me of riding with my friends out in the desert clicking along at a good pace. At one mile he was ahead of me and a 270X something bike came flying by and they both just took off and left me behind. It worked for me because I wanted to stay out of the dust since I was not able to prerun this section. A couple other guys got by me but and I had a pretty good ride to K77 (RM80). I had made it in two hours so I was happy with the 40mph average through there. No falls, bike running good, second rider is off, things were going good.

I passed the bike to Albert and he took of to the Summit. TW and Austin did a visual at around RM 100 and Albert passed just as they got there. Albert was on his own now with Baja pits until he would hand me back the bike at Borrego. TW and Austin headed for Valle de la Trinidad and we went to Borrego after stopping at Independencia for some machaca burritos.
Arriving at Borrego was a like a party with out the beer. A lot of my friends from Mexicali and other racer friends were there. It was nice to see all the other teams and friends waiting for their bikes to show up.

Albert came in and we gassed, checked the oil, changed the air filter and checked the tires. I was off and happy to be in the desert terrain. This is my home and I knew I could make up some time through here. Nice big sandy whoops I love it! Screaming towards San Matias. I passed a few bikes and quads and was back on the hwy. A little rest on the hwy before turning up to the road to Mike’s sky ranch. I was feeling good and having a great time. I came down the mountain into VDT and passed the bike to our third rider Austin. He would ride to the beach, up the coast to Sto. Tomas and back to Ojos. We went and had some lunch, yes more tacos in VDT. We had some time to kill so we took our time relaxing and enjoying our lunch. Next we loaded up an headed back to Ojos Negros. It was getting time for Austin to arrive so I started getting my gear back on. We were listening to weatherman and following the news on where the Trophy trucks were. I knew they were getting closer and closer and there was a good possibility they would catch me before the finish.

Austin brings in the bike and I jump on. He is right behind a quad and another bike is coming also. We are all very close and it’s kind of tight and twisty with some silt from all the traffic. All I think is Robby Gordon is coming and I know he will not be slowing down in first place this close to the finish. I get caught in a rut with silt and can not get out because there is a bike right next to me. I hit the side and it washes me out and I’m down. The motor was still going so I said cool pull in the clutch and get back going. I tell myself that wasn’t good. Keep a cool head, ride steady and don’t make anymore mistakes. I get back going and pass the quad and the motorcycle. I’m now thinking okay 30 miles to the finish a few miles later I hit a big deep rock that almost threw me over the bars. I was literally checking out the front tire. I pulled it back and then I felt the front end washing out badly. Oh DR., a front flat with 28 miles to go and Robby Gordon behind me somewhere. The miles were coming down and I tried my best not to hit the dirt. There were still a few sections of up and down hills to go through and tall the rain ruts and hills to get back to Ensenada. A couple of times I almost did the splits trying to keep the big beast from going down. It was a hell of a work out. Pretty soon you could see the Pacific Ocean, smell the salt in the air and the big Mexico flag of Ensenada. I look back and still no sign of helicopters or Robby. I can do this, almost home. A few more miles and I pop out on the street. I go down make a few turns and I’m back in the sand wash heading to the finish. I look back one more time to see if 77 is coming and it is all clear. I come up and out of the wash salute Roberto from the Coronado hotel and make the turn to the checkered flag. Sal is there and he tells me Welcome Back. I push my bike through the crowd look back and Robby Gordon is here. I just barely made it in front of him.

I see Ivan at the finish line and he immediately hands me a beer and helps me with my bike. The festivities were going strong and I was glad to start celebrating. Our chase crews show up and everyone is all smiles. Another great successful Baja 500 finish. 7th place unofficial, 13th due to 362 minutes of speeding penalties. We will get our info from IRC to find out what happened.

Last note, SCORE sucks for taking so long to get the results out! 256x out



Update June 25, 2009

Baja Racing News.com takes a closer look at those SCORE "penalties":

Course deviation locations as noted on the official results and what the penalties are:

Race Mile 6 = 60.
Race Mile 175 = 60.
San Vicente = 30 for 1/4, 60 for 1/2, 90 for full Uruapan Cemetery = 60.
Race Mile 375 = 60.
Race Mile 426 = 60.
Race Mile 6 and race mile 426 penalties (which are the same location) as there was no way to determine them based on the current penalties given. Listed as 60, but could be 30.












June 24, 2009 Points Update

Baja Racing News.com

Point Standings (After Scandal)
Official Overall Baja 500 2009


OVERALL FOUR-WHEELED VEHICLES

1 HARLEY LETNER 114 9:05:47
2 RICK D. JOHNSON 71 9:08:21
3 NICK VANDERWEY 84 9:15:49
4 ROGER NORMAN 8 9:41:59
5 PETE SOHREN 2 9:56:45
6 TIM HERBST 19 10:03:14
7 BRIAN COLLINS 12 10:11:26
8 ROBBY GORDON 77 10:15:49
9 ARNOLDO RAMIREZ 1605 10:20:06
10 ERIC DURAN 1647 10:22:18
11 B.J. BALDWIN 1 10:22:34
12 RODRIGO AMPUDIA, JR. 801 10:37:59
13 KEVIN CARR 500 10:43:39
14 SCOTT STEINBERGER 7 10:45:46
15 JOSE ARZATE 121 10:46:21
16 CISCO BIO 1606 10:51:56
17 ARMIN KREMER 110 10:59:39
18 BRIAN PARKHOUSE 115 11:01:51
19 JERRY PENHALL 109 11:04:29
20 BRIAN WILSON 1607 11:20:09
21 KYLE CONLON 120 11:21:41
22 MIKEY LAWRENCE 1000 11:23:38
23 BRENT PARKHOUSE 1205 11:23:55
24 BOBBY BALDWIN 96 11:24:39
25 JAVIER ROBLES 1003 11:26:53
26 WILL HIGMAN 1007 11:27:55
27 ROBBIE PIERCE 35 11:36:58
28 DAN CHAMLEE 700 11:46:18
29 JASON VOSS 53 11:57:16
30 RAMIRO ESCOBEDO 1648 11:59:13
31 RON BRANT 119 12:03:15
32 ARTURO VELAZCO 1609 12:07:39
33 HECTOR SARABIA 1603 12:13:05
34 SERGIO SALGADO V. 1002 12:13:17
35 RANDY WILSON 101 12:16:40
36 ED "CLYDE" STOUT 13 12:17:31
37 CODY ROBINSON 1615 12:31:44
38 CAMERON STEELE 16 12:39:33
39 SERGIO GALINDO 1643 12:45:54
40 ARMIN SCHWARZ 102 12:48:54
41 ALAN PFLUEGER 28 12:52:57
42 RANDY SWINK 1549 12:58:39
43 ROB BRUCE 74 12:59:08
44 RAY FILES 1614 13:02:42
45 LEE BANNING 1202 13:16:05
46 MARCOS NUNEZ 550 13:19:08
47 PETER LANG 1400 13:21:09
48 SCOTT GALLEY 1001 13:28:33
49 GLENN SMITH 1401 13:29:18
50 JESUS GONZALEZ A. 1004 13:30:51
51 KEVIN WALSH 1646 13:33:18
52 JULIO HERRERA 104 13:43:07
53 TROY HERBST 106 13:46:20
54 DAVID CASPINO 1602 13:50:08
55 TITO ROBLES 1049 13:56:38
56 JOSH DANIEL 113 14:07:43
57 JOHN LANGLEY 1201 14:08:30
58 KEVIN S. WALSH 1616 14:11:30
59 ROBERT PICKERING 604 14:27:05
60 ALONSO ANGULO 551 14:41:43
61 COREY KEYSAR 1006 14:45:35
62 HEIDI STEELE 602 14:45:41
63 GUSTAVO VILDOSOLA 4 14:47:18
64 DARREN SKILTON 348 15:04:08
65 ADAM HOUSEHOLDER 24 15:12:44
66 ROMAN PEREYRA 1608 15:22:58
67 JOHN HOLMES 758 15:25:15
68 PEDRO ATHIE 553 15:29:11
69 MARIO GASTELUM 1604 15:29:39
70 JUSTIN SMITH 1612 15:43:13
71 MIGUEL ROSALES 576 16:03:03
72 AARON CELICEO 708 16:08:21
73 JOE BACAL 879 16:22:26
74 SHAUN DUNBAR 501 17:00:12
75 SAMUEL ARAIZA 1601 17:01:14
76 GAVIN SKILTON 779 17:13:28
77 OSCAR SOLAIZA 742 17:23:53
78 KEN FRAZIER 1502 17:24:27
79 SERGIO MORENO S. 577 17:40:41
80 GERARDO BARRAGAN 349 17:41:13
81 BILL KUNZ 703 17:42:58
82 ALEX CROSTHWAITE 1009 17:44:13
83 ERIC SOLARZANO 1101 17:50:50
84 REID NORDIN 1803 18:23:42
85 CLYDE STACY 803 18:28:29
86 GREG NUNLEY 11 18:53:10
87 EDGAR ALVALOS E. 1008 19:04:35
88 RENE RODRIGUEZ 1102 19:12:34
89 THOMAS GRAVES 1804 19:15:17
90 IGOR GALVAN J. 707 19:17:34

GENERAL STATISTICS

- 136 four-wheeled vehicle entries
- 90 finishers (66%)
- 46 Did Not Finish (34%)

A CLOSER LOOK AT PENALTIES

- 32% received course deviation penalties
- 61% received speeding violation penalties
- Greatest single course deviation penalty: 150
- Greatest single speeding violation penalty: 385
- Greatest cumulative penalty: 385
- 26 finishers (28%) received no penalties

OVERALL RESULTS INCLUDING ALL ENTRIES

1 HARLEY LETNER 114 9:05:47
2 RICK D. JOHNSON 71 9:08:21
3 NICK VANDERWEY 84 9:15:49
4 ROGER NORMAN 8 9:41:59
5 PETE SOHREN 2 9:56:45
6 BILL BOYER 103x 10:02:32
7 TIM HERBST 19 10:03:14
8 MIKE JOHNSON 303x 10:06:45
9 BRIAN COLLINS 12 10:11:26
10 ROBBY GORDON 77 10:15:49
11 ARNOLDO RAMIREZ 1605 10:20:06
12 ERIC DURAN 1647 10:22:18
13 B.J. BALDWIN 1 10:22:34
14 NICK NELSON 5a 10:26:24
15 CAMERON CORFMAN 8x 10:28:31
16 RODRIGO AMPUDIA, JR. 801 10:37:59
17 IVAN RAMIREZ 16x 10:43:33
18 KEVIN CARR 500 10:43:39
19 SCOTT STEINBERGER 7 10:45:46
20 JOSE ARZATE 121 10:46:21
21 CISCO BIO 1606 10:51:56
22 SEAN BRADLEY 301x 10:54:38
23 ARMIN KREMER 110 10:59:39
24 BRIAN PARKHOUSE 115 11:01:51
25 JERRY PENHALL 109 11:04:29
26 WAYNE MATLOCK 1a 11:06:23
27 COLTON UDALL 15x 11:09:08
28 BRIAN WILSON 1607 11:20:09
29 KYLE CONLON 120 11:21:41
30 ADRIAN BUTLER 12x 11:22:50
31 MIKEY LAWRENCE 1000 11:23:38
32 BRENT PARKHOUSE 1205 11:23:55
33 BOBBY BALDWIN 96 11:24:39
34 JAVIER ROBLES 1003 11:26:53
35 WILL HIGMAN 1007 11:27:55
36 SERGIO VILLAPANDO 311x 11:28:52
37 SHANE ESPOSITO 106x 11:29:19
38 MARCO BERNALDEZ 151x 11:30:22
39 JAVIER A. HERNANDEZ 307x 11:34:05
40 ROBBIE PIERCE 35 11:36:58
41 MANUEL REYES 153x 11:39:50
42 DAN CHAMLEE 700 11:46:18
43 RYAN PENHALL 2x 11:49:54
44 CONNER PENHALL 5x 11:50:19
45 CRAIG CHRISTY 100a 11:51:53
46 BRIAN HARRIS 107a 11:52:20
47 MARK BRADFORD 17x 11:52:31
48 BARON PICKETT 101x 11:56:39
49 JASON VOSS 53 11:57:16
50 RAMIRO ESCOBEDO 1648 11:59:13
51 KENDALL NORMAN 4x 12:00:03
52 RON BRANT 119 12:03:15
53 SOL SALTZMAN 302x 12:04:55
54 ARTURO VELAZCO 1609 12:07:39
55 JEAN-PAUL CYR 306x 12:10:26
56 HECTOR SARABIA 1603 12:13:05
57 SERGIO SALGADO V. 1002 12:13:17
58 JIM O'NEAL 300x 12:15:20
59 RANDY WILSON 101 12:16:40
60 ED "CLYDE" STOUT 13 12:17:31
61 ELIZAB. KARASAWA 502x 12:24:42
62 JIM O'NEAL 500x 12:28:43
63 CODY ROBINSON 1615 12:31:44
64 CHAD THORNTON 108x 12:36:49
65 GREGG BETZ 203x 12:37:50
66 CAMERON STEELE 16 12:39:33
67 JULIO ABRIL A. 449x 12:41:32
68 KURT FUNK 305x 12:44:13
69 SERGIO GALINDO 1643 12:45:54
70 ARMIN SCHWARZ 102 12:48:54
71 CHARLIE MARSHALL 501x 12:51:44
72 ALAN PFLUEGER 28 12:52:57
73 BRIAN CAMPBELL 404x 12:53:54
74 RANDY SWINK 1549 12:58:39
75 ROB BRUCE 74 12:59:08
76 RAY FILES 1614 13:02:42
77 HECTOR CASTILLO V. 152x 13:06:21
78 TRAVIS DILLON 7a 13:08:39
79 RICHARD JACKSON 609x 13:09:54
80 LEE BANNING 1202 13:16:05
81 MARCOS NUNEZ 550 13:19:08
82 PETER LANG 1400 13:21:09
83 MARC HALDEMAN 310x 13:27:04
84 SCOTT GALLEY 1001 13:28:33
85 GLENN SMITH 1401 13:29:18
86 JESUS GONZALEZ A. 1004 13:30:51
87 KEVIN WALSH 1646 13:33:18
88 TODD MELINN 349x 13:36:45
89 RODOLFO SANCHEZ 448x 13:38:10
90 JULIO HERRERA 104 13:43:07
91 TROY HERBST 106 13:46:20
92 RONNIE WILSON 107x 13:49:55
93 DAVID CASPINO 1602 13:50:08
94 TITO ROBLES 1049 13:56:38
95 ANNA CODY 150x 14:00:06
96 JOSH DANIEL 113 14:07:43
97 JOHN LANGLEY 1201 14:08:30
98 TOM VOGT 406x 14:10:28
99 ADOLFO ARELLANO 3a 14:11:10
100 KEVIN S. WALSH 1616 14:11:30
101 HUMBERTO VALLE 212x 14:11:56
102 EVAN HEATH 110x 14:11:58
103 FRED SOBKE 209x 14:17:30
104 MIGUEL CAETANO 308x 14:24:41
105 ROBERT PICKERING 604 14:27:05
106 ANDY PADULO 309x 14:30:49
107 DON LEWIS 600x 14:33:46
108 JESUS RIOS 155x 14:34:22
109 REID RUTHERFORD 201a 14:37:00
110 ALONSO ANGULO 551 14:41:43
111 COREY KEYSAR 1006 14:45:35
112 HEIDI STEELE 602 14:45:41
113 GUSTAVO VILDOSOLA 4 14:47:18
114 GREG WILLITTS 249x 14:57:58
115 JEREMY PURVINES 109x 14:58:04
116 DARREN SKILTON 348 15:04:08
117 DAN TROY 104x 15:08:19
118 ADAM HOUSEHOLDER 24 15:12:44
119 ROMAN PEREYRA 1608 15:22:58
120 JOHN HOLMES 758 15:25:15
121 PEDRO ATHIE 553 15:29:11
122 MARIO GASTELUM 1604 15:29:39
123 GLEN MCGUIRE 402x 15:32:20
124 ROBERTO RUIZ 108a 15:37:52
125 JUSTIN SMITH 1612 15:43:13
126 MIGUEL ROSALES 576 16:03:03
127 AARON CELICEO 708 16:08:21
128 GABRIEL WILLIAMS 13x 16:12:12
129 JOE BACAL 879 16:22:26
130 MIGUEL MONTENEGRO 201x 16:28:11
131 FRANCISCO TERAN 205x 16:29:28
132 LUIS BERUMEN 109a 16:29:31
133 SCOTT MYERS 400x 16:47:29
134 MARCO CORNEJO 213x 16:51:20
135 SHAUN DUNBAR 501 17:00:12
136 SAMUEL ARAIZA 1601 17:01:14
137 TEREN MONTELONGO 7x 17:04:28
138 GAVIN SKILTON 779 17:13:28
139 JORGE VALENZUELA 110a 17:21:57
140 OSCAR SOLAIZA 742 17:23:53
141 KEN FRAZIER 1502 17:24:27
142 CARLOS CASAS 100x 17:37:30
143 SERGIO MORENO S. 577 17:40:41
144 GERARDO BARRAGAN 349 17:41:13
145 BILL KUNZ 703 17:42:58
146 ALEX CROSTHWAITE 1009 17:44:13
147 ERIC SOLARZANO 1101 17:50:50
148 REID NORDIN 1803 18:23:42
149 CLYDE STACY 803 18:28:29
150 GREG NUNLEY 11 18:53:10
151 EDGAR ALVALOS E. 1008 19:04:35
152 RENE RODRIGUEZ 1102 19:12:34
153 THOMAS GRAVES 1804 19:15:17
154 IGOR GALVAN J. 707 19:17:34
End Baja 500 2009 Official Four Wheel Overall Points



Baja Racing News.com
OFFICIAL MOTO-QUAD RESULTS
BAJA 500 2009 (After Scandal)
We're still waiting on Sportsman > 250cc and Sportsman ATV.

OVERALL MOTORCYCLES:

1 BILL BOYER 103x 10:02:32
2 MIKE JOHNSON 303x 10:06:45
3 NICK NELSON 5a 10:26:24
4 CAMERON CORFMAN 8x 10:28:31
5 IVAN RAMIREZ 16x 10:43:33
6 SEAN BRADLEY 301x 10:54:38
7 WAYNE MATLOCK 1a 11:06:23
8 COLTON UDALL 15x 11:09:08
9 ADRIAN BUTLER 12x 11:22:50
10 SERGIO VILLAPANDO 311x 11:28:52
11 SHANE ESPOSITO 106x 11:29:19
12 MARCO BERNALDEZ 151x 11:30:22
13 JAVIER A. HERNANDEZ 307x 11:34:05
14 MANUEL REYES 153x 11:39:50
15 RYAN PENHALL 2x 11:49:54
16 CONNER PENHALL 5x 11:50:19
17 CRAIG CHRISTY 100a 11:51:53
18 BRIAN HARRIS 107a 11:52:20
19 MARK BRADFORD 17x 11:52:31
20 BARON PICKETT 101x 11:56:39
21 KENDALL NORMAN 4x 12:00:03
22 SOL SALTZMAN 302x 12:04:55
23 JEAN-PAUL CYR 306x 12:10:26
24 JIM O'NEAL 300x 12:15:20
25 ELIZAB. KARASAWA 502x 12:24:42
26 JIM O'NEAL 500x 12:28:43
27 CHAD THORNTON 108x 12:36:49
28 GREGG BETZ 203x 12:37:50
29 JULIO ABRIL A. 449x 12:41:32
30 KURT FUNK 305x 12:44:13
31 CHARLIE MARSHALL 501x 12:51:44
32 BRIAN CAMPBELL 404x 12:53:54
33 HECTOR CASTILLO V. 152x 13:06:21
34 TRAVIS DILLON 7a 13:08:39
35 RICHARD JACKSON 609x 13:09:54
36 MARC HALDEMAN 310x 13:27:04
37 TODD MELINN 349x 13:36:45
38 RODOLFO SANCHEZ 448x 13:38:10
39 RONNIE WILSON 107x 13:49:55
40 ANNA CODY 150x 14:00:06
41 TOM VOGT 406x 14:10:28
42 ADOLFO ARELLANO 3a 14:11:10
43 HUMBERTO VALLE 212x 14:11:56
44 EVAN HEATH 110x 14:11:58
45 FRED SOBKE 209x 14:17:30
46 MIGUEL CAETANO 308x 14:24:41
47 ANDY PADULO 309x 14:30:49
48 DON LEWIS 600x 14:33:46
49 JESUS RIOS 155x 14:34:22
50 GREG WILLITTS 249x 14:57:58
51 JEREMY PURVINES 109x 14:58:04
52 DAN TROY 104x 15:08:19
53 GLEN MCGUIRE 402x 15:32:20
54 ROBERTO RUIZ 108a 15:37:52
55 GABRIEL WILLIAMS 13x 16:12:12
56 MIGUEL MONTENEGRO 201x 16:28:11
57 FRANCISCO TERAN 205x 16:29:28
58 LUIS BERUMEN 109a 16:29:31
59 SCOTT MYERS 400x 16:47:29
60 MARCO CORNEJO 213x 16:51:20
61 TEREN MONTELONGO 7x 17:04:28
62 JORGE VALENZUELA 110a 17:21:57
63 CARLOS CASAS 100x 17:37:30


GENERAL STATISTICS

- 88 Motorcycle and ATV entries
- 63 Finishers (71.5%)
- 25 Did Not Finish (28.5%)

A CLOSER LOOK AT PENALTIES:

- 52.3% of the motorcycle/atvs received course deviation penalties.

- 89% of the motorcycles/atvs received speed violation penalties.

- Only two motorcycle/atv teams received ZERO penalties: BILL BOYER (103x) and ADRIAN BUTLER (12x)

- Class with most course deviation penalties: Class 22 (979)
- Greatest individual course deviation penalty: 400x (330)

- Class with most speeding violation penalties: Class 24 (1821)
- Greatest individual speeding violation penalty: 19x (914)

- Class with least course deviation penalties: Tie between Sportsman under 250cc and Class 20 (60)
- Class with least speeding violation penalties: Class 60 (73)

COURSE DEVIATION PENALTIES
Class 22 979
Class 21 750
Class 40 390
Class 30 240
Class 50 210
Class 60 150
Class 24 120
Class 25 90
Class 20 60
Sportsman under 250cc 60

SPEED PENALTIES
Class 24 1821
Sportsman under 250cc 1653
Class 22 1622
Class 21 1480
Class 25 1009
Class 40 454
Class 30 297
Class 50 176
Class 20 118
Class 60 73

MISC PENALTIES (no hwy data, IRC, illegal pit, etc.)
Class 21 540
Class 24 360
Class 20 290
Class 30 280
Sportsman under 250cc 160
Class 40 40
Class 25 10
Class 22 0
Class 50 0
Class 60 0

TOTAL PENALTIES
Class 21 2770
Class 22 2601
Class 24 2301
Sportsman under 250cc 1873
Class 25 1109
Class 40 884
Class 30 817
Class 20 468
Class 50 386
Class 60 223
END BAJA 500 2009 MOTO-QUAD RESULTS



June 22, 2009
SCORE Scurries to hide their own Official response
to Robby Gordons published protest letter

Merely days after posting a public response to Robby Gordons public protest to SCOREs actions surrounding the Scandal Baja 500 2009 revised results, SCORE hides their own release.

This document has been removed from the SCORE website:

"SCORE Responds to R. Gordon Press Release
Published on June 12 2009
Gordon Received Penalty for Fueling on Highway Section

#77 Robby Gordon issued a press release today stating that his stationary pit near race mile 290 at the recent Baja 500 was in compliance with SCORE rules.

SCORE has NOT called into question the legality of the stationary pit. However, the manner in which the race vehicle was actually serviced is clearly illegal.

Highway 1 is the major north/south highway on the Baja Peninsula. The highway is not closed during the race, but remains open to local traffic. SCORE receives permission from the Mexican Federal Highway Police to incorporate transitional highway sections into the race course. This permission is subject to a 60 MPH speed limit, as well as safe
and prudent conduct by racers while running on the various highway sections.

Video of the incident shows that Gordon came to a complete stop directly in the middle of the northbound lane of the highway and members of his pit crew ran onto the highway and fueled his race vehicle with a portable fuel container and performed visual checks.

For obvious reasons, this type of behavior is completely unacceptable. Needless to say, it creates a very dangerous situation to have pit crew members running around with fuel on the public highway servicing a race vehicle that has stopped in the middle of the highway lane.

The highway in the area was the actual race course and it is illegal under SCORE rules to make a pit stop on the race course. All pitting should have occurred in Gordon's legal fixed stationary pit, which was apparently a mere 50 feet away.

We wonder how NASCAR would respond if Robby stopped on the track during a race at the California Speedway and his crew ran onto the track to service his race vehicle?

Aside from the serious potential safety consequences, this type of behavior also aggravates SCORE's relationship with the Mexican Federal Highway Police.

Video of the incident can be viewed at: Link To YouTube Video"

End SCORE 'hidden' press release

Here is the location of where the press release was, until yesterday:
http://www.score-international.com/254/newss/SCORE_Responds_to_R__Gordon_Press_Release.aspx



Robby Gordon protests SCORE decision to yank Baja 500 win

Tire Business Magazine staff report

The 2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 500 landscape was more pitted with ruts and hazards than off-road racer Robby Gordon may have imagined.

He had barely raised his arm in victory in the 41st running of the legendary race when SCORE International Off-Road Racing, the off-road sanctioning body in the desert racing sport, yanked his victory after hitting the first six finishers in the event with penalties that jumbled the race’s results.

Mr. Gordon, piloting his Robby Gordon Motorsports Chevrolet Trophy Truck/No. 77 Monster Energy, had clinched the top spot in the 41st running of the race, held June 4-7 in Ensenada, Mexico. Shod with Toyo 37x13.50R17 Open Country M/T-R race tires, his truck spanned the punishing 432.51-mile off-road race in a time of 8:35:49, hitting an average speed of 50.3 mph.

After tallying penalty points for various rules infractions, SCORE’s official results dropped him to seventh place and gave the victory to driver Rick Johnson, who originally had finished in seventh place.

Reacting to his change in fortunes, Mr. Gordon issued a statement saying his team was “deeply disappointed with SCORE’s decision” and rejects its claims “in the strongest possible terms. We plan an immediate appeal of this unjust decision.”

He went on to refute the assessed penalties one by one, including: “First, SCORE assessed a speeding penalty because it claimed that there was no IRC data between kilometer 77 and kilometer 78. The IRC device on our vehicle worked properly during all other sections of the race course, and Steve Myers from IRC has no explanation why no IRC data exists from that section alone. Our race team has footage of the entire race, and the video…proves that we were not speeding during the section in question.”

Mr. Gordon said his No. 77 Trophy Truck has a speed control device connected to the engine management system that does not allow it to exceed 60 mph. His team posted a video (at www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0HG8Wwk9PQ) which he claimed shows that it took his vehicle “longer than 72 seconds to travel the 1.2 miles of highway between km 77 and 78, which is less than a 60 mph average allowed by the rule. Please note that you can hear the pit speed control set at 59 mph.”

Several pit violations for which his team was penalized “are equally invalid,” Mr. Gordon said, noting his team’s stationary pit “was in compliance with SCORE International’s 2006-2010 Off-Road Racing Rules & Regulations Book.”

In his press statement, Mr. Gordon went on to refute other penalties that SCORE said knocked him from the victory circle.

“My win at Baja was made possible by the hard work of my team and the support of my fans and sponsors,” Mr. Gordon said.

“I want to assure all of these people that I will do whatever it takes to rebut these charges, clear my name and have my first place finish restored.”

Since his collaboration began in 2005 with Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., Mr. Gordon has won multiple races on the tires, including the 2006 Baja 1000 and a third overall finish in the 2009 Dakar off-road rally.

After his short-lived victory in the Baja 500, Mr. Gordon had commented that he was “really excited with the way that the Toyo tires performed,” noting he had “zero flat tires and very good wear management. With a tire that performs like this, it is going to make it tough for the competition to beat us.”

Toyo’s Open Country lines include the Open Country H/T for highway driving, Open Country A/T for all-terrain use and the off-road capable Open Country M/T.

A Toyo racing spokesman said the company had no comment regarding the disputed race results.

SCORE races are held in U.S. and Mexico. The competition was founded in 1973 by legendary race driver Mickey Thompson, who went on to launch Stow, Ohio-based Max-Trac Tire Co. Inc., which does business as Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. The company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co."".
End Tire Business Magazine Story


June 28, 2009

FROM Anonymous Racer

"We are ALL Cheaters! According to SCORE 165 of 187 teams scored so far are now labeled cheaters. That's 89%. Friggin' lame! Are we just going to take this laying down?
I feel we have been ambushed and wronged. I am angry and do not want to just lay down a chalk it up to progress. This is not for personal gain, cause we are still leading the points, this for principal. Join us, there is more power in a large organized group than a couple of people making individual phone calls."


FROM Omar Nunez

"Score does look kind of incompetent. No course cutting, no speeding, but 2 weeks later?"


FROM Micah Anderson, Fiberwerx, Santee Ca

"This is the BIGGEST BADDEST FAIL in off-road racing history!"


FROM Scott at PCI Race Radios:

"The data has taken to long, but Score is not Nascar and has limited personal! IRC needs to write some software so results can be given at the awards? Back to Score, in my opinion Sal and Paul must be wiped out, and in some need of some time off? I herd from a friend that Sal's Dr. even told him he needs some time off??? Be patient, the race will pan out, systems will be modified to work better, and the playing field has been leveled. Thank you Score!"

FROM Todd Cunningham REPLIES TO Scott

"You('re) right SCORE is not NASCAR and is a long way from ever being, and yet Sal used NASCAR as an example in his reply letter regarding the RGM Press Release. Why SCORE ever publicly responded to an RGM Press Release is beyond me. It did not help SCORE's case. If Score was planning on actually using the IRC data for what it has been intended for then he needs to get more personnel. It's not the racers problem that SCORE does not have enough resources. And who is actually looking over all this data, IRC or SCORE?


June 18, 2009
Baja Racing News.com Publisher Weighs In

The last two things SCORE had on June 10, 2009 were (1.) the lore of racing in Baja Mexico and (2.) the offering of immediate gratification at the Finish Line of racing in Baja, Mexico. Today, only the lore is left.

No wonder why NORRA and the Mexican 1000 is such a threat! They haven't even produced a race yet and they have the lore and the offering.

When the producer of "Born in Baja", says in public, the recent SCORE moves are "Bull S***", FORD Trucks and the new Raptor have weighed in on the matter. So much for desert racing being good for testing or marketing major off-road products!


Robert Johnson (racer): "THEY TOOK CASH"........

Britt Burgos (Volunteer) responds: "TIME OUT!! YOU of all people better not be complaining. Seriously??? I will be emailing you about Ridgecrest but seriously Robert Johnson? Please next time dont come in at 10 o'clock at night wasted and wanting to pick up your box and harass me! I will post your email here with your apology for how you acted at IRC if you want? Im tired of all the big talk here on the computer, say your opinions at the trailer when you come to get your box. No one (has) complained to me. IRC won't know your opinions unless you tell them not ONLINE. I for one AM NOT a employee of IRC, however i am i racer who has had to use IRC during a race and grew a great appreciation for it after wards that i now VOLUNTEER my time to help them at races." Photo of Brittney Burgos

Britt is my person of the year! Some desert racers are the biggest jokes on the globe. Thank goodness they talk in public. Volunteers and workers getting no respect. Very glad to see Britt not only standing up for herself, but also, for race workers everywhere. Some racers just don't get it. And THEY wonder why no-one cares about off-road racing?

Now, desert racers are fighting over $250 and the sanctioning body is counting on more racing inscriptions for making things "fair". It's obvious to most, with everything going against racing in Baja, Mexico, do they realize, the 'winners' will no longer be found at the Finish Line, but in the conclusions of SCORE ownership.

Baja racing is DEAD. Long Live Baja Racing!
Publisher

Want some real Mexico racing experiences?
cabo500.com cabo1000.com



BULLETIN Baja Racing News.com


UPDATE! June 18, 2009

SCORE action on Baja 500 2009 Goes Out Of Control. Even Cameron Steele goes off the farm...see comments below>>>"BS SCORE International!"

IS SCORE OVER-REACTING TO THIS SITUATION FROM THE SAN FELIPE 250? CLICK HERE

"Baja Cheats"

Shortcuts result in long faces for Baja cheats
By Bill Center
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. June 18, 2009

As it turned out, there were no winners in the SCORE Baja 500 off-road race.
Scratch that. There were a few winners.
Kudos to Harley Letner.
The buggy driver finished the June 6 race without speeding in restricted areas or deviating from the course. When the dust and protests settled, he became the overall and open buggy winner of the 41st annual event.
High marks also for TrophyTruck drivers Rick D. Johnson and Nick Vanderwey, who wound up 1-2 in the official results when the majority of the superstars in the division – including Robby Gordon – were caught cheating.
But SCORE today finds itself dealing with a scandal that is off-road racing's parallel to steroids in baseball.
For more than three decades, SCORE turned a blind eye to allegations that many racers were illegally short-cutting sections of courses and speeding in controlled zones.
But in the days leading up to this year's Baja 500, SCORE President Sal Fish warned everyone that the rules would be strictly enforced for this year's race. This time, Fish had GPS and speed-monitoring technology in place to back up the threat.
So when the unofficial results were posted June 7, they came with a notation that SCORE would be reviewing the path and speeds followed by every finisher in the race.
The fallout has given almost everyone associated with the Baja California race a black eye, including SCORE.
Sixty-eight of the 81 finishers reviewed thus far have been penalized. Only four of the winners in the nine classes examined to date were the same as those posted in the unofficial results.
Gordon went from being the overall winner in the race to seventh in the TrophyTruck class. B.J. Baldwin went from second to eighth. Both drew more than 100 minutes in penalties. One motorcyclist drew almost 800 minutes in penalties.
The original results posted by SCORE were rendered meaningless – giving SCORE a bigger problem.
How can it expect the news media to pay attention to its races in the future? SCORE has to find a way to make its decisions immediate, and there are ways.
Deviate from the designated course and you are immediately disqualified. Speed and you are disqualified. One violation and you are out. That way, the results could be posted immediately – and be meaningful.
Gordon and Baldwin railed against SCORE's ruling. Baldwin's argument was almost humorous in its stance.
“I am not a cheater and nothing has changed the way I drive the course that I have taken in the past five years,” said Baldwin. “I think this decision to penalize 85 percent of the unlimited classes makes us all look like fools in the sport and makes SCORE International look bad . . . I think SCORE has handled this in an unprofessional manner.”
What, the professional manner would have been for SCORE to look the other way – again?
Two racers from San Diego County caught in the dragnet backed SCORE.
Robbie Pierce of Santee was hit with the largest penalty in the TrophyTruck class and fell from fourth to 11th. But he took the high road.
“I told (Fish) I whole-heartedly believed that credibility needed to be restored to the sport and if I was to be penalized for any violations, so be it,” said Pierce.
And Roger Norman, who teamed with Larry Roeseler in November to win the overall title in the Baja 1000, was penalized for a course deviation after being one of the more vocal advocates of rules enforcement.
“Wow, I'm in shock,” said Norman. “But my hats off to SCORE and Fish. Even though I was penalized 60 minutes, I'm happy to see it. Sal needed to take us all out to the woodshed.” End Story.



Baja 500 Now reported World-Wide as
SCANDAL!

The original source of this story headlined was "SCORE International Bites Back"

"Worldwide press now headlined: ""Baja 500 scandal - SCORE changes results, Gordon 7th""".

After much speculation and five days of review, words can´t explain the absolute astonishment the Scene felt upon hearing the official results of the 2009 Baja 500. Finally Sal Fish, President of SCORE International, has followed through on his promise of "putting teeth back into the sport." The official results of last week’s Baja 500 were announced this morning and there were some major changes in the finishing order and results.

It looks like the proverbial silt has hit the fan at SCORE International! After the well-publicized review of the IRC Tracker data, sixteen of nineteen finishers in the Trophy Truck Class have been penalized for course deviations or exceeding the mandated highway speed limit of 60 MPH. Course deviation penalties, according to the SCORE website, were located at "one or more of-San Vicente (full or half), Uruapan Cemetery, Mile 375."

With fingers pointing at the leaders, Robby Gordon and BJ Baldwin, it is now apparent that others were in violation of the rules as well. In all fairness, some may have been following a competitor into the "cheater" lines and were unaware of their wavering from the course. Speeding violators really have no alibi - the IRC data does not lie.

In Monday’s announcement, Robby Gordon was handed down a 90 minute penalty for the video-documented "illegal pit" on the highway section near Llano Colorado and a 10 minute penalty for exceeding the 60mph highway speed limit. After factoring in the penalties, Robby Gordon’s No. 77 Monster-sponsored ride swapped finishing positions with the No. 71 General Tire truck of Rick D. Johnson. Officially, Rick D. Johnson is now the winner of the Baja 500 Trophy Truck class while RG now claims the seventh position.

"I think it is going to bring integrity back to the sport and it is something that needed to happen. It is a bittersweet victory. This isn’t exactly how I would have liked to have claimed first place but I feel confident that we will all be on a level playing field from this point forward" remarked Rick D. Johnson (RDJ) and he further added, "I still cannot believe it. When one of the guys told me this morning that we had won the Trophy Truck class of the Baja 500, I thought they were kidding!"

Of the nineteen finishers in the Unlimited Truck Class, six gained position, seven lost position and six remained unchanged. Kudos to the Trophy Truck drivers of the No. 84 truck of Nick Vanderway / Curt LeDuc, the No. 24 of Adam Householder, and the No. 11 of Greg Nunley for running the entire course with no apparent violations!

Nick Vanderwey, owner of the easily identifiable No. 84 "Got Milk" Trophy Truck, traded off driving duties with brother, Larry Vanderwey and long-time desert and short course racer, Curt LeDuc. Earning a second place podium finish, the lack of apparent rules violations is impressive considering the driving duties were shared by three separate racers. "We are all very excited with the 2nd place finish! Prior to the race it seemed as though SCORE was putting an emphasis on rule violations and we would all be closely watched. Larry, Curt and I made sure to keep our truck within the limits. I believe today’s announcement will be good for the sport and the 60mph highway speed limit is necessary for the safety of the racers and local traffic," commented Vanderwey.

Despite a sixty minute penalty for course deviation, the driving team of Roger Norman and Larry Roeseler maintained their respectable third place finish. Looking back at this year’s San Felipe 250, Norman was the most prominent and vocal protester of Robby Gordon’s alleged course cutting and Roger’s penalty for the same violation was quite a surprise. A review of the IRC tracking data would be interesting to determine if it was Norman or Roeseler who deviated most from the course resulting in the penalty.

An official statement by Roger Norman reads:

"Wow, I’m in shock. My hats off to SCORE, Sal Fish and all those involved. I did not think for a second that they would go to this level of enforcing the current rules. At San Felipe I was one of many who came forward regarding something that has been a big issue for many decades - major course cutting that can change the results of an event in a big way.

Going into the Baja 500 there were some changes to the rules regarding speed on the highway but I do not think anybody knew that the rules were going to be so well enforced for this event. Before the start of the Baja 500, Andy Grider (Gordon’s co-driver) and I spoke to Sal about major short cuts and their locations to make sure there would be a DQ for anyone who used them. Sal confirmed that anyone who used them would be disqualified. I never thought to ask about lines that do not make a difference on time. At the vineyards in San Vincente I was behind BJ and I saw him on the lower road. I followed him on the second half of it because it paralleled the course. Again, even though I was penalized 60 minutes for it, I am happy to see it. Sal just needed to take us all out to the woodshed it’s all good. One thing is for sure, I will not make that mistake ever again.


This was a tough issue that needed to be dealt with and SCORE put a lot of time into it. I’m sure there will be changes coming for the rulebook regarding grey areas, contradictory rules, media helos versus non media helos and Mexico standards versus US standards. I’m sure we will all pay closer attention to Sal at the driver’s meetings and attention to the rules will give everyone an equal shot at winning."

Included in Norman’s official statement was a Google Earth image of the alleged course cutting with Roger’s comment, "The photo I attached is of the area where I deviated from the marked course."

Rising to an official fourth place finish was the No. 2 Trophy Truck of "Pistol" Pete Sohren. When asked about his thoughts on the results Pete remarked, "From tenth to fourth place really means nothing to me but the fact that SCORE is enforcing the rules to even the playing field for the different size budgets is a step in the right direction. I don’t like to wait almost a week for the results but if that is what it takes to analyze the data and keep people from cheating then I am all for it. When I win, I won’t have to worry about the wait!"

In discussions with RDJ yesterday (prior to the official results announcement) he mentioned he had not intentionally or knowingly cut course but there was one section of the highway where he may have gone over the posted speed limit. "When you are in race mode it is hard to keep it under 60mph on the asphalt but for the most part I think we ran a clean and honest race. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow."

The official results grid reflected a minor 5 minute penalty handed down to Johnson for exceeding the highway speed limit. The two major offenders of the highway speed limit were the No. 74 Trophy Truck of Rob Bruce with a 140 minute penalty while the No. 28 Trophy Truck piloted by Alan Pflueger was handed down a 71 minute violation for the same infraction. Johnson’s minor penalty pales in comparison to the above named offenders. I would almost guess RDJ’s violation truly was a mere oversight (as he claimed) while Bruce’s and Pflueger’s were apparently intentional.

Winning some and losing some seems to be the theme for General Tire as SCORE International "Unleashed the Fury" with the unexpected penalties for rules violations. General’s newly sponsored driver, BJ Baldwin, has fallen from an unofficial second place podium to an official eighth place finish. Tony Talbert, Light Truck Product Manager of General Tire, declined to comment on either sponsored driver or the official results, "Until the dust settles."

After the race and prior to the official results announcement, BJ Baldwin stated, "I took the exact same lines as I did in last year’s 500." In a follow-up conversation, BJ was very candid with his thoughts on the SCORE ruling. "I am not ashamed of my performance. I am not a cheater and nothing has changed in the way I drive and the course that I have taken in the past five years of racing the Baja 500. I think this decision to penalize 85% of the Unlimited Classes makes us all look like fools in the sport and makes SCORE International look bad. I have a professional team and we are professional racers and I believe SCORE has handled this issue in an unprofessional manner. The lines I took that were off the beaten path were not necessarily shorter or provided me an advantage. I was following Robby Gordon’s dust most of the day and took the necessary lines to try and pass him. How does an established trail with no wrong way markings become a deviation from the course? I also do not think that Robby Gordon should be penalized for his pitting violation. There were numerous pitting infractions by many of the other teams and unless you are going to penalize everyone equally then it is an unfair ruling. Regardless of the actions by SCORE, I would like to extend my congratulations to both Harley Letner for earning the overall and Rick D. Johnson for the trophy truck win!"

Robbie Pierce, driver of record for the No. 35 Trophy Truck, was handed down the largest penalty of 150 minutes for course deviation. In sharp contrast to BJ Baldwin’s sentiments, Pierce stated, "I spoke with Sal Fish yesterday and he seemed distraught with the controversy. I told him I whole-heartedly believed that credibility needed to be restored to the sport and if I was to be penalized for any violations, then so be it. I support SCORE’s ruling 100% and will race how they want - whether that is checkpoint-to-checkpoint or by IRC data."

The unprecedented action by SCORE International creates a barrage of unanswered questions and controversy. Was Robby Gordon’s 90 minute "illegal pit" penalty for fueling on the highway and while on course? Was the ruling a combination of one or two violations and what was the exact formula for these time penalties?

According to an excerpt of Rule GP3 of the SCORE rule book:

"The following schedule of penalties is a guideline used by SCORE in levying penalties to competitors. These guidelines are a minimum only."

(9) Intentional Short coursing.
***Disqualification.

(10) Illegal stationary pit or illegal support crew violation.
***One (1) position.

(11) Pitting in restricted area.
*** Disqualification.

Following the letter of the law of the SCORE rule book, RG’s pitting violation is grounds for disqualification. Intentional short coursing is also grounds for disqualification according to schedule item No. 9 of GP3. One could only imagine the repercussions of DQing 11 of the 19 competitors in the premier Trophy Truck class! However the penalties were arrived at, one thing is for certain – SCORE International did not play favorites.

Highway speed infractions are specifically outlined on the SCORE International website. The details of the penalty grid can be seen at:SCORE International Highway Speed Limit for Baja 500 One point, which can be argued by race competitors, is GPS units are not accurate gauges of actual ground speed. While I do not recall the exact disclaimer on the popular Lowrance GPS unit used in many of the race vehicles, I do know the gist of the disclaimer states the information provided is "for reference only." Will race vehicles be forced to install accurate speedometers to gauge actual race speeds in order to abide by the rules?

What constitutes "short coursing" is not as clearly outlined in the SCORE rule book and this grey area provides room for additional controversy. Is there an allowable deviation for obstacles blocking the official race course? The No. 11 Unlimited Truck piloted by Greg Nunley created an early bottle-neck at race mile 17 and forced competitors to deviate from the course in order to navigate their way around the course block. The chosen line around Nunley’s broken truck could easily be argued that it was not a "cheater line" but instead a necessary detour.

The age old question as to which is the faster of two four-wheeled Unlimited classes still remains unanswered. Harley Letner claimed the overall win in his No. 114 Class One with a 2 minute and 34 second lead over Rick D. Johnson’s No. 71 Trophy Truck. Letner completed the Baja 500 with an elapsed time of 9 hours, 5 minutes and 47 seconds while Johnson earned a first place finish in the Trophy Truck class and second overall finish with an elapsed time of 9 hours, 8 minutes and 21 seconds. Eliminating the five minute speed penalty, Johnson would have also taken the overall. In any case, Letner’s hard-fought finish and his overall title are well-deserved considering he ran an apparently clean race and successfully navigated his way through the ranks of the Trophy Trucks and early race obstacles.

As the remainder of the IRC tracking data is reviewed and the official results are posted, it will be interesting to see how the next few days play out. Posting only the official four-wheel Unlimited Class results, the SCORE International website indicates, "More Classes Soon as Review Continues." Will the Honda bike teams experience the same results shake-up the Trophy Trucks and Class Ones experienced? Anyone who has seen Dana Brown’s acclaimed documentary, "Dust to Glory" can attest to the Honda team’s creative course selection.

Further commenting on the results and the course deviation issue, BJ Baldwin remarked, "It scares me to think about tomorrow and the penalties the lower classes and motorcycles will be awarded. The celebration at the finish line by the racers and the crew has been replaced with going back to the hotel room, showering and waiting five days for results. How do we have awards ceremonies? Does Robby Gordon need to ship back his trophy? Why would enthusiasts (who cannot make it to the races) sit at home and track the dot on the screen when the results can change overnight?"

Whether you agree with the penalties or not, for many teams it is a "careful what you wish for lesson." It is now obvious Baja racing will never be the same. The technology to track the alleged course cutting and speed violations is now available and apparently will be an integral part of future SCORE desert races. 2009/06/17 | 12:09 CET" "SCANDAL" GOES WORLDWIDE VIA PRESS REPORT END



OUR FAVORITE COMMENTS ON THIS (The Scandal):

FROM Jay Young (BJ), June 19

"It's disturbing to know that the organization that we love to race with has single handedly destroyed the integrity of the Baja 500? Will they slaughter the Baja 1000 too? Thanks Klaus."


FROM Cameron Steele, June 18, 2009 1:13 PM (13:13 Pacific)

"How can you call the San Vicente cut that gains 10 seconds and has been a part of the course prior with no penalty now a 90 minute penalty and a box that isn't recording data at all a 60 min penalty. That is BS and I'm calling it out. 90% of the racers are cheaters...LAME." "It is a stupid formula.....no data and only 60 for deviation? Man I could really spice this up but I won't because I don't want to but geezzz...NO box data should equal way more than 60 min penalty for deviation.....what ever I am bitter and have a one sided view but yes I did..."


FROM Sal Fish SCORE

Our new rules enforcement, "put teeth back into the sport". [For the first time in 30 years, put teeth back into SCORE, to bite selected racers]

FROM Brian Burgess

"Come on everybody had to know that the hammer was getting dropped at this race. Since when does SCORE post penalties before the race?" [Never, until this race, the Baja 500 2009, "The SCANDAL"]


FROM Chris Wilson

"It seems like SCORE cracked down ONLY where there was political pressure to do so in order to be allowed to continue to run SCORE events.

I think Sal is under great pressure from the highway patrol to insure the races are conducted in a safe manner when using public highways that are open during the race. Thus the stiff enforcement for highway speeding and the very public mid-highway pit stop of Robby Gordon.

I also think Sal is under great pressure from land owners in certain areas and I'll bet the San Vicente area was one of them. Failing to strictly enforce course deviations in this area might have spelled the end of the line for racing in this area (just speculating).

The problem is, after 30 years of accepting deviations like this, SCORE should have specifically pointed out this area as a strict enforcement area. Obviously SCORE did not enforce course deviations like this in other areas of the track that were not listed as either/ors (Tres Hermanos wash, desert washes, switchback cut-offs)."



FROM Lou Peralta [We're not worthy! Mucho Respecto Amigo!]

"There are two areas of responsibility here:
1.) The promoter[The Sanctioning Body][Editors Note: The course should be marked well enough to NOT use a GPS for ALL competitors] MUST mark the course well enough so that there is no question as to which line to take. (Now with GPS trails it's even less.)
2.) The racer MUST keep ribbons and/or arrows as close as possible to the driver's/rider's right shoulder. Period."


FROM Andy Megaw, Banning Motorsports

"THIS SHIT WITH SCORE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE GOT PENALIZED 150 MINUTES BECAUSE OUR IRC QUIT WORKING.
IT WASNT OUR FAULT. THE ANTENNA WENT BAD. IT WORKED FOR THE FIRST 145 MILES THEN QUIT.THIS SOULD NOT BE OUR FAULT, OR ANYBODYS FAULT BUT MAYBE IRC. WE ALSO RUN "IONEARTH" IN OUR CARS. I HAVE DATA FROM IONEARTH THAT SHOWS THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH OUR EQUIPMENT. THERES NOTHING IN THE RULES OR ANYWHERE ABOUT THIS SO WHY 150
MINUTES?? IRC ALSO SAID WE COULD HAVE A INTERFERENCE BETWEEN IRC AND IONEARTH, BUT NOBODY ELSE DID!!

I AM ASKING FOR HELP.... WE CANT LET SCORE DO THESE KIND OF THINGS!"


FROM Josh Caster

"I believe that many of the other racers feel as I do about this subject and I am tired of hearing about all the "cheaters". There are alot of racers out there like us, that consider ourselves to be professionals and work very hard to win races in a professional way. I work very hard to win races and receive the best possible finish I can and don't appreciate being called a cheater.


I am going to bring up a well known area that many of the races run through. It is called Tres Hermanos. As you enter this area you make a left turn around a little hill and then the course enters a large wash. Just after entering the wash SCORE had a course marker pointing strait ahead. Just a 1/4 mile into this wash there were multiple lines going left, strait and right. Every line had well worn tracks going up every line.

The line to the left split up another little wash before coming back to the right and joining up with the others before the course went up the rocky vally. It was obvious this line had been used before because it was filled with huge whoops. There was no ribbon from SCORE in this area, only others. There were no other SCORE markers on this line, wrong way, right way or any other.

The line that went up the middle also split up into more multiple lines well outside of 50' from either side of the center of the wash. All these lines ended up in the same spot at the end of the valley. It was obvious again that the whole wash and every line in that area had been used before because again there are huge whoops and visable signs of an old course there. There were multiple lines in this area with ribbon but none from SCORE. There was also no other SCORE markers, either wrong way, right way or any other.

The line that went to the right crossed out of the wash and up onto the hard pack ground. It moved over to the right side of the valley and crossed some small dry creeks before meeting up with the others at the end of the valley. Again it was obvious this line had been used before because of the whoops and ruts on this line. There was no ribbon from SCORE on this line. There was also no other SCORE markers, either wrong way, right way or any other.

As you can see, all the lines in this area have been used before and none of them had any markers other than at the beginning before the lines split.

Now let's just say you are racing in this area and you are told that you can not stray from 50' of the course. Which line would you pick? How do you know the line you pick is the correct one? There are many areas on the course like this and San Vincente was one of them. Now maybe you can see where the confusion is coming from.


I, like many others don't have a problem with SCORE enforcing the rules. I say bring it on! The more level the playing field the better. However I believe SCORE needs to clarify a few things before penalizing those of us who were playing by the rules. They warned us about the speed limit and our team didn't speed. Why not a warning for the 50' rule so we could clarify all the questionable areas such as the one I discribed above, before the race so we don't find out we are penalized a week after the race?


You also said it is your guess that the rules have not changed. Why should we have to guess about the rules? They should be black and white so we know exactly what we can or can not do and what we will and will not be penalized for. If you can find anywhere in SCOREs rulebook or website about how they are penalizing racers for course deviations I would sure like to see it. So far I have not found anything. Why are we being penalized with unwritten rules?"

Not a single racer that took the line in San Vincente believed they were taking an illegal line. If any one believed it was illegal and that they would be chancing a penalty or possible DQ then not a single racer would have taken it. Racers aren't stupid.

It has been mentioned a bunch of times already that this alternate line has been used at previous races just like many other alternate lines all over Baja. No one has ever been penalized for taking this line before.

"The racers that used this line [San Vincente] did not cheat or cut the course in any way. Not one of them has to justify any wrong doing because they did nothing wrong. If you are to perform to a certain standard then you need to know what standard that is. The racers simply followed the standard that has been set by SCORE for many years. If SCORE is going to raise this standard then the racers will need to know BEFORE the race so they can make sure they meet this new standard. If this had been done by SCORE then we would not be discussing any penalties for course deviations.

You will have a hard time convincing me that the majority of the racers in SCORE are cheaters. Cheaters? No. Uninformed? Yes."


From Kent Kroeker

"All the races up to this point were the ones that didn't count. They were important to those who participated, for the personal adventure, the man vs. nature bla bla. But it was never really "racing" until now. Previously Baja was just marginally-regulated insanity.

Those who have been racing in Baja for a while know that it's always been a joke. On the bikes, we used to pay ranchers to open gates and we would burn lines all over the place - put a little reflective tape in a bush at night to find the single track - anything and everything to cut seconds off - or take us away from locals and their booby traps and beer bottles. Before the race we would tell our buddies about the trick line that was going to make all the difference and how we brushed down our tracks and put a bush over the entrance, so nobody could ever find it. The only people who followed the rules were JIMs, non-Mexican Sportsman, and total noobs.

Friggin' Johnny Campbel and Team Honda would cut off an entire wash at San Felipe - beating everyone by like two hours -blatant and ridiculous. Everyone knew they did it and knew where their line was, but nobody would take the line due to the favoritism. In the past it's always been joke racing - more of PP-measuring and corporate posturing than anything you could take seriously. It may be disturbing to think of all the racers who have been injured and killed in the pursuit of what many consider to be an essentially meaningless, hollow form of racing. But there are those of us who have always embraced the senseless mayhem of it all..."


From Crazy Doug

"What I can't understand is how Sal and SCORE held an awards ceremony at the San Nicolas Hotel on Sun. AM and he acted like all was just fine... haha.... he should have gotten up there and said.... "most of you are in deep sheet, a few of you are not. Awards will be given out in one week in Vegas... the bar is open."

From Sean Malabanan

"Drink a beer, roll a joint, sniff a line, married men doing mexican hookers on race night, planning on cutting course, speeding on highway, Class 11 using the highest grade fuel (Eric) not pump gas, using highway(sombrerito racing), too many goons! We are all guilty! Like there isn't enough to worry about in Baja already! ROBBY GORDON IS THE CHAMP OF BAJA 2009! Rick Johnson and his charity 1st place, yeah right, your a slug TT!!!

Baja is for MEN!! Not Wussies!! Wussies race NASCAR, drive in circles and get penalized for voicing they're opinion!!! Now we no why VW wanted out!!! ROBBY IS THE CHAMP!!! Go put a IRC tracking device on your wife SAL!"

Send your comments to: safari2002@cox.net


MORE EDITORIAL NONSENSE

The Baja racing season is at the halfway point and SCORE drops the bombshell.

At the start of the season, we predicted the growth of American off-road races and a wierd mention of the "flu". The WHO officially named the Mexican Pig Flu a "Pandemic" today.

CLICK HERE Here's the mention of the start of the 2009 racing season. The bombshell dropped on June 11, 2009 by SCORE will live forever, in infamy.

As for the action SCORE took. The only good thing about it, 'cold turkey' may work. But, the problem was SCORE, not the 'Baja racers' or racing. To act like it did, mid-season all at once, with Robby Gordon being damaged like everyone, is a tactical mis-step that can further damage the sanctioning body.

How should have the sanctioning body done it? You don't have the money.

Long-term, strategically, the safety benefits are limitless. Now, the graphic results need to be opened for all to see. Pay-per-view? Whatever, just make it work.

Now, SCORE must step-up its responsibilities to the racers, like more race safety people out on the course, directing, adjusting course markers/barriers and traffic control. Did you see the Baja 500 2009 (2) video posted today?

More course people, more course people and more course people.

The teams that don't prerun enough will be unfairly penalized if the course is not structured correctly. A clear course and instructions are the responsibility of the sanctioning body, when the little, ticky-tacky rules are going to be enforced.

Transparent tracking will increase the Baja racing fan base and the amount of pre-running required to win races. More fans? More pre-running? Baja Racing News.com likey. Gary Newsome, Editor.



Robby Gordon Still Holding Aces Off-Road

AP-June 11, 2009

"Robby Gordon is having a so-so season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series, but the versatile driver is the man to beat off the pavement. Owner-driver Gordon, who began his racing career in the desert, drove his trophy truck to a victory last weekend in the SCORE Baja 500 and holds a solid lead in the desert series championship.

Gordon won the SCORE season-opener at the Laughlin Desert Challenge and then finished second at the San Felipe 250. He was also third overall in the 2009 Dakar rally."

BEGIN BULLETIN June 11, 2009:

SCORE RELEASES OFFICIAL RESULTS

MORE CLASSES SOON AS REVIEW CONTINUES

2009 TECATE SCORE BAJA 500

OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS AFTER COMPLETE TRACKING REVIEW

FOUR WHEEL VEHICLE CLASSES

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK:
OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL DRIVER VEH TIME PENALTIES IN MINUTES (XX)


1st 7th RICK D. JOHNSON 71 9:08:21 HWY SPEED (5) = TOTAL (5)
2nd 8th NICK VANDERWEY 84 9:15:49 NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES
3rd 3rd ROGER NORMAN 8 9:41:59 COURSE DEVIATION (60) = TOTAL (60)
4th 10th PETE SOHREN 2 9:56:45 HWY SPEED (4) = TOTAL (4)
5th 5th TIM HERBST 19 10:03:14 COURSE DEVIATION (60) + HWY SPEED (11) = TOTAL (71)
6th 6th BRIAN COLLINS 12 10:11:26 COURSE DEVIATION (60) + HWY SPEED (12) = TOTAL (72)
7th 1st ROBBY GORDON 77 10:15:49 ILLEGAL PIT (90) + HWY SPEED (10) = TOTAL (100)
8th 2nd B.J. BALDWIN 1 10:22:34 COURSE DEVIATION (90) + HWY SPEED (12) = TOTAL (102)
9th 13th SCOTT STEINBERGER 7 10:45:46 HWY SPEED (6) = TOTAL (6)
10th 11th BOBBY BALDWIN 96 11:24:39 COURSE DEVIATION (90) = TOTAL (90)
11th 4th ROBBIE PIERCE 35 11:36:58 COURSE DEVIATION (150) + HWY SPEED (15) = TOTAL (165)
12th 9th JASON VOSS 53 11:57:16 COURSE DEVIATION (90) + HWY SPEED (36) = TOTAL (126)
13th 16th ED "CLYDE" STOUT 13 12:17:31 HWY SPEED (9) = TOTAL (9)
14th 12th CAMERON STEELE 16 12:39:33 COURSE DEVIATION (90) + HWY SPEED (42) = TOTAL (132)
15th 14th ALAN PFLUEGER 28 12:52:57 COURSE DEVIATION (60) + HWY SPEED (71) = TOTAL (131)
16th 15th ROB BRUCE 74 12:59:08 HWY SPEED (140) = TOTAL (140)
17th 17th GUSTAVO VILDOSOLA 4 14:47:18 COURSE DEVIATION (90) + HWY SPEED (43) = TOTAL (133)
18th 18th ADAM HOUSEHOLDER 24 15:12:44 NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES
19th 19th GREG NUNLEY 11 18:53:10 NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES
DNF DNF MARK POST 3 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
DNF DNF JAMES BULT 47 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
NOTE: COURSE DEVIATION PENALTY AREAS WERE ONE OR MORE OF - SAN VICENTE, URUAPAN CEMETERY.

CLASS 1 UNLIMITED:
OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL DRIVER VEH TIME PENALTIES IN MINUTES (XX)
1st 1st HARLEY LETNER 114 9:05:47 NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES
2nd 8th JOSE ARZATE 121 10:46:21 NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES
3rd 3rd ARMIN KREMER 110 10:59:39 HWY SPEED (90) = TOTAL (90)
4th 9th BRIAN PARKHOUSE 115 11:01:51 NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES - NO PENALTIES
5th 6th JERRY PENHALL 109 11:04:29 HWY SPEED (44) = TOTAL (44)
6th 10th KYLE CONLON 120 11:21:41 HWY SPEED (11) = TOTAL (11)
7th 7th RON BRANT 119 12:03:15 COURSE DEVIATION (90) = TOTAL (90)
8th 11th RANDY WILSON 101 12:16:40 HWY SPEED (13) = TOTAL (13)
9th 2nd ARMIN SCHWARZ 102 12:48:54 HWY SPEED (221) = TOTAL (221)
10th 12th JULIO HERRERA 104 13:43:07 HWY SPEED (60) = TOTAL (60)
11th 4th TROY HERBST 106 13:46:20 COURSE DEVIATION (210) + HWY SPEED (33) = TOTAL (243)
12th 5th JOSH DANIEL 113 14:07:43 COURSE DEVIATION (90) + HWY SPEED (152) = TOTAL (242)
DNF DNF RONNY WILSON 103 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
DNF DNF RICHARD BOYLE 105 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
DNF DNF JOSH RIGSBY 107 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
DNF DNF DALE LENK 108 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
DNF DNF TODD ROMANO 111 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
DNF DNF ENRIQUE BUJANDA 118 DNF DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF - DNF
NOTE: COURSE DEVIATION PENALTY AREAS WERE ONE OR MORE OF - SAN VICENTE, URUAPAN CEMETERY, MILE 375.

End BULLETIN RESULTS

May 28 Race Briefing 2009 SCORE Baja 500

[Quote]
1) The Competitors Meeting will be held on Friday, June 5th at 7:00pm in the Cathedral Room of the Riviera Convention Center.
2) All competitors are reminded that off road racing is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or even
death. YOU MUST BEAR THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY.
3) The roads used for this race course are open to the public. You must expect at all times to encounter oncoming traffic.
Be advised that spectators may engage in malicious activity. When approaching a group of spectators, slow down and be alert.
4) The speed limit for all race vehicles on all highway speed zones is 60 mph. This speed limit will be enforced with the IRC
tracking device. Passing on the highway sections must be made on the left-hand side only and within the 60 MPH speed limit.
All participants MUST possess a valid driver license while operating the race vehicle.
5) HIGHWAY SPEED ZONES - The five locations and penalty information can be found on the reverse side of this bulletin.
6) All competitors must do their part to protect and preserve the Baja ecological environment. Please instruct your team that it
is very important to properly dispose of all solid and liquid waste. Do not litter, start fires or drive cross country.
7) The race course is marked with orange/white ribbon, yellow reflective tape, orange directional arrows, green wrong ways,
and mile markers every five miles. SCORE cannot guarantee that course markings will still be in place on race day. It is the
responsibility of each competitor to race in a controlled manner and be able to slow down to avoid danger spots.
8) Four Wheel vehicles that are in a position to pass a motorcycle or atv MUST NOT ATTEMPT TO PASS UNTIL THE RIDER
HAS MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE COURSE. Motorcycles and ATVs must remain aware of approaching traffic and move
over as quickly as possible. Four Wheel vehicles are ultimately responsible for the safety of passing. USE YOUR HORN!!!
9) SCORE will use 151.625 (Weatherman Relay) for the main race operations radio frequency. Please use this frequency to
report an emergency or ask for help.
10) Stub Cans WILL NOT used at this race. You are required to enter the four checkpoints in a single file manner and come to
a complete stop at the stop sign. The checkpoint corridor is not considered part of the race. Entering and exiting all checkpoints
must be done in a safe and prudent manner in order to guarantee the safety of all checkpoint workers.
11) Passing is not permitted 300 feet before a checkpoint. Pitting is not permitted within 300 feet before and 100 feet after a
checkpoint. Pitting is not permitted within 100 feet before or 100 feet after a paved highway crossing. No towing, pushing or
pulling through a checkpoint or greater than 1% of the course, which at this race is 4.3 miles.
12) Towing is NOT permitted within one mile of the finish line. However, wristbanded vehicle occupants are permitted to push a
disabled race vehicle within one mile of the finish line.
13) A competitor who is late for his assigned start time will start at the back of the class that is currently starting. The elapsed
time of a late starter begins with his DESIGNATED START TIME, not the late start time.
14) All classes have 20 HOURS from their designated start time to complete the race, provided that each checkpoint is cleared
within the scheduled closing time. Checkpoint locations and closing times are as follows:
CHECKPOINT 1 – SANTA CATARINA CATTLE GUARD / MILE 87.3 – SATURDAY @ 11:00PM.
CHECKPOINT 2 – BORREGO HWY 3 CROSSING / MILE 199.2 – SUNDAY @ 3:00AM.
CHECKPOINT 3 – SAN VICENTE VINEYARDS / MILE 296.8 – SUNDAY @ 5:00AM.
CHECKPOINT 4 – WEST OF OJOS NEGROS / MILE 389.8 – SUNDAY @ 6:00AM.
15) The race will Start and Finish in front of the Riviera Convention Center on Boulevard Costero.
16) Motorcycle and ATV classes will report to staging at 5:30AM for a 6:00AM start. One every 30 seconds in the following
order: 22, 30, 40, 21, 50, 20, 60, 25, 24, SPTMOTO>, SPTMOTO<, SPTATV, 26.
17) There will be a three hour gap between the last ATV starter and the first SCORE Trophy Truck starter.
18) Four Wheel vehicles will begin staging at 9:00AM and will start at APPROXIMATELY 10:00AM. One every 30 seconds in
the following order: TT, 1, 10, SL, 8, PT, 1/2-1600, 5, 6, 7, 5-1600, 7SX, SF, SM, 9, 3, SPTK, SPBG, 11, SPUTV.
19) FOUR WHEEL CLASS STAGING TIMES - TT(9:00AM), 1(9:10AM), 10(9:15AM), SL(9:20AM), 8(9:25AM), PT(9:30AM),
1/2-1600(9:35AM), 5(9:40AM), 6(9:45AM), 7(9:50AM), 5-1600(9:55AM), 7SX(10:00AM), SF(10:05AM), SM(10:10AM),
9(10:15AM), 3(10:20AM), SPTK(10:25AM), SPBG(10:30AM), 11(10:35AM), SPUTV(10:40AM).
20) LATE REGISTRATION at the Start Line will open on Saturday morning at 5:30AM inside the Riviera Convention Center.
21) A technical protest MUST be filed no later than 30 minutes after the first finisher out of the money in your class.
22) Results will become OFFICIAL after all IRC tracking data has been reviewed. The review process will take several days to
complete and official results will be posted on the SCORE website.
23) All of the following will take place at the San Nicolas Hotel. Unofficial Results will be posted at 8:00AM. The Competition
Review Board will meet at 9:00AM. The Awards Ceremony will be held poolside at 10:00AM.

2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 500
60 MPH Highway Speed Zone Information
IRC devices generate approximately 10 data points for each mile of highway section.
A penalty will be assessed for each data point that exceeds 60 MPH. The penalty
will be 30 seconds for each MPH that exceeds 60 MPH. The following example of
speed data will result in a 24 minute penalty:
56 - 58 - 60 - 59 - 60 - 62 - 63 - 65 - 68 - 70 - 71 - 66 - 63 - 60 - 60 - 59
A competitor who finishes the race with NO DATA or MOSTLY INCOMPLETE DATA
will receive the time penalties shown below. It is the responsibility of each competitor
to ensure that the IRC device is properly installed.
OJOS NEGROS - 60 MPH
1 On Pavement @ Junkyard Race Mile - 35.74 1.07 Miles
1 Off @ HWY 3 / KM 39 Race Mile - 36.81 10 Data Points
NO DATA PENALTY = 10 MINUTES
SANTA CATARINA - 60 MPH
2 On @ HWY 3 / KM 77 Race Mile - 78.27 1.18 Miles
2 Off @ HWY 3 / KM 78 Race Mile - 79.45 11 Data Points
NO DATA PENALTY = 10 MINUTES
SAN MATIAS - 60 MPH
3 On @ HWY 3 / KM 142 Race Mile - 223.74 2.43 Miles
3 Off @ HWY 3 / KM 137 Race Mile - 226.17 24 Data Points
NO DATA PENALTY = 20 MINUTES
SAN VICENTE - 60 MPH
4 On @ HWY 1 / KM 102 Race Mile - 291.95 4.02 Miles
4 Off @ HWY 1 / KM 96 Race Mile - 295.97 40 points of data
NO DATA PENALTY = 30 MINUTES
SANTO TOMAS - 60 MPH
5 On @ HWY 1 / KM 51 Race Mile - 350.25 6.79 Miles
5 Off @ HWY 1 / KM 41 Race Mile - 357.04 67 points of data
NO DATA PENALTY = 40 MINUTES
TOTAL HIGHWAY 15.49 MILES
MAXIMUM NO DATA PENALTY = 110 MINUTES
[/Quote]

Baja Racing News.com
Gary Newsome, Editor