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2013 SCORE Desert Series point titles to be decided in Mexico at this week’s 46th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race

November 11, 2013

This week in Ensenada, Mexico Wednesday’s private qualifying for SCORE Trophy Truck, Class 1, Pro Motorcycles and Pro ATVs, pre-race festivities, race tracking, all on

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in Ensenada, motorcycles/ATVs start Thursday at 11 p.m., cars/trucks start Friday at 9 a.m. SCORE completing its 40th year as the world’s foremost desert racing organization

     SAN DIEGO—History will be made in Mexico as a week of firsts will honor the legacy, tradition and charisma of the world’s most legendary desert race as the iconic 46th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race is held in Ensenada, Baja California.
      When qualifying and all the other colorful pre-race festivities end, the green flag drops Thursday night at 11 p.m. PT for motorcycles and ATVs and Friday morning at 9 a.m. PT for cars and trucks, the growing starting grid for the upcoming 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will include 93 racers who have combined for 319 class wins in the granddaddy of all desert races. They part of a field of nearly 300 expected starters from 34 U.S. States, the U.S. Territory of Guam and 22 total countries.
     This year’s legendary desert classic, the final event of the 2013 SCORE Desert Series, will be held this week in Mexico on a brutally-rugged 883.00-mile SCORE signature desert race course. With the rugged course traveling on both sides of the peninsula, the world’s most famous desert race will start and finish in Ensenada, Baja California Norte. It is the longest course in race history for a loop race, starting and finish in the same location.
PRE-RED
      Pre-race festivities on Thursday, for the Baja 1000, including the vastly popular tech and contingency of all vehicles and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.  The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will also be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
     Racer registration will be held in the Casino Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada. Racer registration will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, from Noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Thursday and 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Friday. The BAJA 1000 2013 course closes at approximately 11 p.m. on Saturday and will re-open on Sunday from seven a.m. until Noon.
  POST RED
     As the celebration continues throughout Thursday night, all day Friday and Saturday while official finishers cross the line and tales are added to the legacy of the event, the post-race awards fiesta will be held in the Amphitheater at the Riviera starting at 10 a.m. (PT) on Sunday.
MOTORCYCLE MAGIC
     In motorcycle competition, the storyline is the same as it has been for a decade and a half, who will beat Honda. Honda leads with 23 overall victories in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 including 16 straight years of race championship teams. Leading the JCR Honda No. 1x team is team owner and Baja legend Johnny Campbell, who was part of 11 of those 16 straight wins as a rider and has put together the winning team for the last four years.
     JCR Honda’s red team this year is the team of Tim Weigand, Valencia, Calif./Colton Udall, San Clemente, Calif./David Kamo, Caldwell, Idaho, Honda CRF450X with Campbell listed as a replacement rider, if needed.
     The two primary challengers to unseat the mighty Honda magicmen are factory-supported teams from Kawasaki and KTM.
     The KTM orange challengers is the No. 2x Kurt Caselli, Murrieta, Calif./Ivan Ramirez, Ensenada, Mexico/Mike Brown, Bluff City, Tenn./Kendall Norman, Govita, Calif. on a KTM 450XS-F. The Kawasaki green team is the No. 4x Robby Bell, Glendora, Calif./David Pearson, Panaca, Nev./Steve Hengeveld, Flagstaff, Ariz./Taylor Robert, Scottsdale, Ariz. Kawasaki KX450F.
     While the Caselli team and the Bell team each won a race last year, the Weigand team won last year’s SCORE Baja 1000 and both the  San Felipe 250 and the  Baja 500 this year.
TIME TRAVEL
     This year will mark the 39th time in the first 45 years of the storied race that it has started in Ensenada and it will be the 22nd time it has finished in Ensenada as well.
     It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the mother of all desert races has been run over the mysterious and majestic Baja California peninsula.
HAPPY ’VERSARY SCORE
     This race not only culminates the 2013 SCORE Desert Series, but concludes the celebration of the 40th anniversary year of SCORE International, the world’s foremost desert racing organization.
SCORE FIRSTS
     Completing his first year as the new owner of SCORE International, based in Reno, Nev., Roger Norman has announced a first for SCORE as all Pro motorcycle, Pro ATV and Sportsman Motorcycle and Sportsman ATV classes will start on Thursday night with all the car and truck classes starting an Friday morning, in the elapsed-time race where each vehicle will leave in various intervals.
     This week’s race will cover much of Mexico’s majestic Baja California Norte portion of the peninsula, starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California. Upwards of 300 entries, from nearly 25 countries and 40 U.S. States, competing in 42 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes for cars, truck, motorcycles and ATVs are expected to compete in this year’s international challenge.
     As the World Series is to baseball and the Super Bowl to football, the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 stands as tall at the pinnacle of the motorsports world today as it did when it began 45 years ago.
     Norman has also announced that for the first time in race history, there will be qualifying for start position for several classes. Held on Wednesday and not open to the public because of safety concerns, qualifying will be held for SCORE Trophy and the unlimited Class 1, by class along with all Pro Motorcycle and Pro ATV classes with each division grouped together. It will be held outside of Ensenada on a location that doesn’t include the race course.

‘PICK-SIX’ SCORE TROPHY TRUCK SHOWDOWN
     With nearly 35 SCORE Trophy Trucks entered, leading the way in the battle for the season point championship are six racers separated by just 15 points heading into the season finale in Baja. SCORE Trophy, created by SCORE in 1994, is the marquee racing division in the sport for high-tech, 850-horsepower, unlimited production trucks.
     The top-six point leaders entering the season-finale are: Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas/Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., No. 70 Menzies Motorsports Red Bull Ford F-150 (196 points); Gustavo Vildosola Sr/Gus Vildosola Jr, Mexicali, Mexico, No. 21 Vildosola Racing Red Bull Ford F-150 (190); Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas/Andy McMillin, San Diego, No. 11 MacCachren Motorsports Rockstar Ford F-150 (185); B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Monster Energy Chevy Silverado (184); Tim Herbst, Las Vegas/Larry Roeseler, Boulevard, Calif., Terrible Herbst Motorsports Monster Energy Ford F-150 (183)and Juan C. Lopez/Carlos Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, No. 18 RPM Racing Speed Energy Chevy Silverado (181).
OLYMPIC CELEB SIGHTING
     In the race where everyone is a celebrity, another cross-over athlete has been added to the record list of the mover visible celebs as racing in Class 8 with Derek Fletcher for RPM Racing will be U.S. Olympic snowboarder and two-time X-Games medalist Nick Baumgartner of Iron River, Mich.
BFGOODRICH TIRES UNMATCHED
     In 2013, BFGoodrich Tires is celebrating its 38th year as a major player in SCORE Baja racing. In addition to being the official tire of SCORE International for nearly four decades, BFGoodrich Tires has produced the tire of choice for 25 of the overall 4-wheel vehicle winners in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, including 25 of the last 27 years along with a record-run of 20 straight from 1986 through 2005.
     BFGoodrich Tires also provides unmatched pit support for pre-registered racers using their tires with seven full-service pit areas along the race course out of and back into Ensenada along with complete radio relay the entire 883.0 miles.
SCORE IRONMAN CLASS
     This race will mark the debut of the SCORE Ironman class, where eight Pro motorcycle entries to date will compete against each other and the clock as they attempt to complete the entire course under the time limit while riding solo. To date, a total of nine racers, have entered the class with the intent to ride the entire race solo in their quests to earn a SCORE Ironman award.
AWARDS LIKE NO OTHER
     Iconic GRAHAM-Watchmaker of Switzerland, has returned as the Official Timekeeper of SCORE International. GRAHAM has designed and produced for the second year a high-end SCORE Baja 1000 collector’s timepiece that will also be one of two unique and special awards to be presented to the overall winners of the race. One of the unique collectible timepieces will be awarded to each of the three overall race division winners—the overall 4-wheel vehicle and overall motorcycle champions at this year’s granddaddy of all desert races.
     In addition to the once-in-a-lifetime GRAHAM SCORE Baja 1000 timepieces, the overall champions in the race will also receive, like they have for over 20 years from SCORE, the specially-designed bronze statue of Cuauhtémoc, the last of 11 Aztec emperors from early Mexican history, one of the most revered figures in the history of the country.
MORE AWARDS…
    In addition to season class point championships and World Championship titles, the racers are also competing for part of the nearly $400,000 in cash purse and contingency postings each race. There are also the numerous annual SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year Awards. Drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also attempting to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the race season.  With 44 racers still in the hunt, these awards are being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 28th consecutive year.


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 Radar Tires heads into the final SCORE International race

"In its rookie season of off-road motorsports, Radar Tires heads into the final SCORE International race next week with the Class 10 Unlimited points lead, courtesy of driver Mike Johnson and the Bronson Motorsports team. Johnson leads his competition by a small margin – just two points.

It’s a tiny lead on the field, but Johnson is determined to secure the Class 10 Unlimited Championship title. Johnson and Mike Majesky co-drove during the SCORE Baja 250 in March to a third-place finish. During the Baja 500 in May, Johnson drove solo and won the Class 10 race, which was Radar Tires’ first long course, off-road racing win.

Looking to maintain the podium result and secure the championship, Johnson, Bronson Motorsports and Radar Tires are preparing and assembling the buggy to withstand the grueling November endurance race.
“We ran great at both the 250 and 500, and we’ve got that momentum to keep us going,” Johnson said. “The first two SCORE races this season were flawless, and that’s our goal for the 1000. I know our Radar tires can take the pounding in the desert; we just need to minimize our pit stops and driver changes. We have the points lead heading into the race, and our plan is to keep that lead and get that championship. We’re ready for it.”
Last month, SCORE International officials announced the starting order and course map. Johnson along with co-driver Majesky are scheduled to start the No.1031 Radar Tires Racing Buggy from the fourth position of the 16-entrant class. The racing machine is an Alumicraft chassis, Class 10 buggy with special non-DOT size 33X10.50R15 Radar Renegade R5 race tires.

“Starting fourth is a good, but anything can happen at the Baja 1000,” Johnson continued. “This course will be challenging and travels much farther south than previous years. We’ll be in Ensenada early in the month of November, so the Bronson guys and I can set our strategy and logistical plan.”

The 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will take place on Nov. 13-17, and is being touted as one of the toughest courses in series history. The 900-plus mile event starts in Ensenada, treks southeast through the Baja California peninsula in the Baja Norte state from Ensenada on the Pacific Ocean, then over to San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez, travels south through Coco’s Corner, kisses the Pacific Ocean near Punta Blanco, vectors north into the mountains again through Mike’s Sky Ranch, before finally finishing in Ensenada.

The four-wheel start is set for 9 a.m.,on Friday, Nov. 15. The Bronson team projects the race to take 22 to 24 hours.

“We really won’t have accurate time projections until we get down there pre-running,” stated John Hoffman, Bronson Motorsports crew chief and team manager. “But we plan to do our homework and we’ll be prepared for almost any eventuality.”

Radar Tires chose off-road motorsports to showcase the Renegade R5 M/T tire, which features open blocks for mud dispersion, deep tread blocks and reinforced shoulders. This tread pattern and rigorous construction is ideal for the surfaces encountered on short course tracks such as Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., and Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz. as well as the open desert of Baja California in the legendary SCORE Baja 1000, the most iconic of all off-road races."

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 "The Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) Racing4Research (R4R) program will expand its program to off-road racing in a big way this year when former Baja winners Rafael Navarro IV and Vic Bruckmann join top American sports car road racer Patrick Long in the CTF/R4R Pete’s Camp Racing SCORE Lites Jimco-VW buggy in the 46th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, November 14 – 17.

Both the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) Racing4Research (R4R) program and Long will be experiencing the legendary Baja off-road race for the first time. The CTF and the unique R4R initiative is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by Neurofibromatosis, a common yet under-recognized genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. Neurofibromatosis – known as NF – can lead to blindness, bone abnormalities, cancer and excruciating and disabling pain. Donations to CTF/R4R can be made directly at www.Racing4Research.org. Found in one of every 3,000 children born, NF is a more common disorder than many more widely known illnesses, including cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The CTF/R4R program raises awareness and funds for research in the fight against NF through a busy and diverse racing program that includes annual participation in the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car road race and a variety of racing series.
Long, 32, is one of the leading sports car road racers of his generation and the only American factory Porsche race car driver. He has won the Rolex 24 and every other major endurance road race in the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. He was among the drivers in the No. 73 CTF/R4R Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at this year’s Rolex 24 and has continued to support the CTF with the Park Place team all season co-driving with Patrick Lindsey.
“I had always hoped that my sports car career would be able to pave the way to drive in other disciplines,” Long said. “To be able to win the Rolex 24, and to win Le Mans, Petit and Sebring, the Baja 1000 would be right up there with my big endurance victories. It’s a huge race, it carries a lot of weight, the Baja 1000 has been on my racing bucket list for a long time.”
For his off-road debut, Long will partner with 2011 SCORE Lites Champion Navarro IV –who is better known in racing circles as “Cuatro” or simply “R4” – and Vic Bruckmann. Cuatro and Bruckmann won the Score Lites class in the Baja 500 earlier this year and in 2011, and now hope to add a victory in the legendary 1000 with Long to their list of accomplishments.
“So far, we have got the 500 down, we have got the formula down perfect for the 500,” Navarro said. “For the 1000, we really haven’t got that figured out yet and I am hoping this will be the year. If you had to choose between the 500 and the 1000 I would definitely really want to have both of them on my list of career accomplishments.”
While “Cuatro” is only 20 years old, he and Bruckmann will actually be the ones helping Long through his first off-road race. Bruckmann is actually the senior member of the team and knows what it takes – both in preparation and behind the wheel – to win Baja.
“Having Patrick onboard is really cool, I look up to him, he is kind of my hero,” Navarro said. “He is a Porsche factory driver and it is going to be kind of funny turning around and giving him pointers, but he is going to pick it up real fast. He is going to do a great job and be a key part of team getting the car to the finish in first place.”
Cuatro’s first connection with CTF came last summer when he was competing in his first year of Traxxas TORC Series Pro Lights.
“Racing for CTF is very special,” Navarro said. “The first time a family came out to one of my races, one of the ‘NF Heroes’ Tyler was amazing, it really made an impression on me. It is a great cause to be supporting, and seeing these kids come out to the race and have constant smiles on their faces is just incredible, so touching.”
Additional 2013 CTF/R4R programs include the full-season GRAND-AM Rolex Series GT effort of Long and Lindsey, a championship-contending Pirelli World Challenge effort with GMG Racing and James Sofronas and the ST-class series runner-up Compass 360 Honda team with Ryan Eversley in GRAND-AM’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series. The CTF/R4R program has also been active in regional NASCAR K&N Pro Series stock car competition for the second season with Daniel Graeff. The TELMEX/Chip Ganassi Racing team is also carrying the CTF logo on its winning Daytona Prototype this year, in addition to the Rolex 24 GX-class winning Napleton Racing Porsche Cayman S.
“It has been an outstanding season on and off the track for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and our Racing4Research partner teams and drivers,” said Children’s Tumor Foundation Racing4Research National Program Director Jill Beck. “Now, to have the chance to end it with yet another endurance racing example for our young ‘NF Heroes’ at a legendary race such as the Baja 1000 with three great drivers and a top team is just fantastic.”
Aptly named for their tireless courage in fighting the disorder, “NF Heroes” are the brave young people battling NF who instantly become an amazing source of inspiration for the teams and drivers racing in their support. Hundreds of “NF Heroes” and their families have attended CTF/R4R supported races this year."


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"Among the newest classes on the directory of SCORE desert racing, Class 19 for stock Pro UTVs. 

Also know as Side By Side Utility Vehicles, Class 19 has 14 entries so far, a SCORE record for the new class, in next month’s season-ending 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the legendary granddaddy of all desert races. This year’s epic journey will start and finish in the heart of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, and features a brutally rugged 883-mile course, the longest loop race in the storied history of one of the top 10 motorsports events held annual in the world.

Derek and Jason Murray, of Eastvalle, Calif., and Cory Sappington, 48, Peoria, Ariz., all part of the Can-Am X-Team, race together in the No. 1917 Can-Am Maverick 1000R while Sappington, known by many as the godfather of UTV racing, is the driver of record in the No. 1904 Can-Am Maverick 1000R."

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"The Children’s Tumor Foundation Racing4Research program will participate in its first Baja 1000 in just a few weeks, and Oakley will support the effort and the ongoing CTF/R4R mission to raise funds for research in the fight against Neurofibromatosis.

Former Baja winners Rafael Navarro IV, Vic Bruckmann and Rafael Navarro III will be joined by top American sports-car road racer Patrick Long in the CTF/R4R Pete’s Camp Racing SCORE Lites Jimco-VW buggy in the 46th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Nov. 14 – 17.
The Baja effort is being organized by the CTF/R4R motorsports initiative that is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by Neurofibromatosis -- known simply as NF -- which is a common yet under-recognized genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body.

Found in one of every 3,000 children born, NF is a more common disorder than many more widely known illnesses, including cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and can lead to blindness, bone abnormalities, cancer and excruciating and disabling pain. 

Oakley has also joined in on the CTF/R4R Baja 1000 campaign by offering another way to donate to the cause and receive a pair of Oakley Jupiter Squared Sunglasses. The limited edition glasses are finished in matte black with the CTF logo engraved on the left of the CTF-blue tinted lenses. Each side of the glasses also features a custom Oakley icon in CTF blue. Only 50 pairs of the glasses have been made and donated by Oakley, and CTF/R4R supporters committing $1,000 or more through the Baja 1000 campaign will automatically receive a pair.
Additionally, every donation made in honor of the Baja 1000 race will be entered in a drawing to win one of the limited edition CTF Oakleys."

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"On Nov. 14, more than 200 racers from 31 states and 16 different countries will tackle the granddaddy of all off-road races, the SCORE-International Baja 1000.

The 46th running of the Baja 1000 will once again be a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, and at nearly 900 miles will be the longest loop race in Baja history.

“We’ve put together a great course this year, a true challenge to the racers,” said Roger Norman of SCORE International. “This is not a watered-down version of the peninsula run. It will be as tough or tougher than any Baja 1000 to date.”

For the first time in its 46-year history, the Baja 1000’s starting order will be decided by qualifying in lieu of its traditional lottery drawing.

Qualifying will not only include the powerful Trophy Truck division and Class 1 Unlimited buggies but will also be open to the pro motorcycle and quad classes.

In an effort to further separate the motorcycles and quads from the trucks and buggies for safety reasons, SCORE has moved the start time up for all moto-classes to 11 p.m. the night before its traditional start time.
This is to lengthen the start gap between the last bike and first truck up to eight hours.

“Safety is my greatest concern at this event. There has been a long history of close calls with motorcycles and trucks at this race. Starting the bikes the night before and giving them a huge lead over the trucks will help,” said Norman. “It will be late in the race before the trucks catch the bikes and by then the bikes will be able to see them coming with the amount of light the trucks put off.

There will be no question on what is coming up behind them and we’ll have plenty of time to get out of the way of the trucks racing for the overall win. It’s going to be expensive but the goal is to eventually have them start the day before.”

“I’d like to invite everyone for this year’s Baja 1000, we are going to have a lot going on in Ensenada,” said Norman. “We have several big parties that are open to the public. There will be a Monster Energy street party at Papa’s and Beer on Wednesday, the Baja 1000 Goes Green kick-off party for the bike and quads start and also for the first time anywhere we’ll have short-course racer Adrian Cenni attempting to do a 360-degree barrel-roll jump.” "

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Jesse will be the first Double Amputee in History to ride a motorcycle in the 2013 Baja 1000 on Nov 14th- Nov 17th.

"Jesse grew up racing motocross, playing football, and baseball. He was raised by his mother Tarri, father Shane, and step dad Steven along with his three sisters who all graduated from Monroe High School.
Jesse graduated from Monroe high school, after High School Jesse joined the Marine Corps. Jesse attended boot camp in San Diego Ca. and after three months attended School of Infantry for two months. After graduation he was assigned to 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines in Kaneohe bay Hawaii. There he cross trained to become a machine gunner. He deployed to Afghanistan and in March of 2009 was wounded in August of 2009. He was medically evacuated to German and then on to the Bethesda hospital in Maryland. He was then sent to the Naval Medical Center San Diego (Balboa) where he continued his medical care.
Persevering through numerous surgeries the doctors were unable to save his legs and he is now a double amputee.
Jesse Williamson served in the Marines and was injured in Afghanistan, 2009. Jesse now helps operate “Warrior Built” https://www.facebook.com/warriorbuilt232 which is a grassroots organization that provides vocational and recreational therapy for wounded warriors and combat veterans. “Building Spirits, Souls and Machines”.
Jesse will be the first Double Amputee in History to ride a motorcycle in the 2013 Baja 1000 on Nov 14th- Nov 17th."

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"With his last Boot Camp in the books and one round left in the 2013 MotoGP World Championship, NGM Mobile Forward’s Colin Edwards has one more thing to check off his list for 2013 – the 46th annual SCORE Baja 1000.

The former World Superbike Champion and his Team Texas Tornado Boot Camp teammates will head south to Mexico after his return from Valencia this weekend to take Baja, November 14-17.
For nearly 20 years, Edwards and his friend and Boot Camp director Mike Myers have dreamed of racing Baja and now the time is near.
“When we ran out of stories around the fire at the Boot Camp, I knew it was time for a new adventure,” Myers said. “So I said, ‘let’s start with something small like the 1000.’ Thanks to Colin and the team for helping get this project off the ground. Here’s to finishing the race in style.”
In order to deal with past safety issues, SCORE has adopted a new format for this year’s race with the motorcycles starting a full day ahead of the trophy trucks.   Also, for the first-time ever, “Pro-Class motos” will be qualifying for starting position and this includes Edwards’ Team TTBC in the Pro-Class 21. Scheduled to start on November 14 at 11 p.m. in downtown Ensenada, this event is projected to draw close to 250,000 race fans into the streets.
In just a few days’ time, with the backing of Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and additional sponsors, the “Boot Camp Six” will be hitting the Mexican trail and officially “pre-running” the mapped 2013 race-course.
Guiding Edwards’ and team on their pre-run will be Team Race For The Wounded, a grass-roots non-profit organization comprised of former United States military veterans. Their mission - aiding wounded U.S. combat vets through extreme off-road competition.
Completing this challenging race is Team TTBC’s ultimate goal. Appropriately, Edwards will be picking up the last-leg of the 1000 and leading Team TTBC to the finish line. 
Along with his rag-tag bunch of Texans, soon the Tornado will be storming through the Baja Peninsula – Edwards, Myers, Prussiano, Bodak, Scherb, and Fouchek - each representing the Texas Tornado Boot Camp.
“Really looking forward to the six of us, all of the instructors of the Boot Camp, on this adventure,” Edwards said. “We've been talking about this race for years and years, and it’s finally coming true. All of the preparation and hard work, especially on Mike’s side of things. All of the long hours he’s put in, logistically, to put this thing together while I've been away traveling and racing all year.  Looking forward to finally getting there and doing it. We did 500 miles on our pre-run last month, but I won’t see my section until I go racing. Really, I’m just so looking forward to stop talking about it and let’s go racing.”"

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"Soften spoken and easy-going, Dan Chamlee usually lets his racing speak for itself.

Chamlee, 51, of Cupertino, Calif., has earned eight SCORE Class 7 season point titles in his career, including straight and eight in the last nine years. Chamlee drives the No. 700 Factory Appliance Ford Ranger in the SCORE open mini-truck class where he has been near the top of the leaderboard for the last nine years.

In the three SCORE Baja races, Chamlee has won his class 12 total times including five each in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and twice in the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.
This year has been challenging for Chamlee without a race win, yet his determination and consistency, along with the benefits of having a great race crew to work with him, he is leading Class 7 heading into next week’s season-ending 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in Ensenada, Mexico. Chamlee finished third out of five starters in the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in March and second out of seven starters in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in June."

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"Darren Skilton and the Baja Automotive team will bring the single seat Honda V6 powered Pilot out one more time to the grueling 46th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The unique Pilot, built by Darren and the Fab School’s Troy Johnson was built for double-duty. It was designed to race to the clouds in the Pikes Peak hill climb and to compete in Class 7200 in the SCORE Desert Series.

Class 7200 rules are simple. The vehicle must resemble a production vehicle, have a track width not to exceed 87 inches and be powered by an engine with no more than six cylinders. Most of the trucks competing in the class are heavier with the engine in front and a solid axle in the rear. Darren’s Honda is a lightweight mid-engine design with independent rear suspension. The independent rear suspension provides substantial ground clearance and the Powerful HPD (Honda Performance Development) modified 3.5 liter V6 production based engine gives the truck an incredible power to weight ratio. With top quality components from Honda, General Tire, Baja Designs, King Shocks, Method Race Wheels, Sunoco Race Fuels and TCS the combination has been proven successful with a win at the Baja 500 in 2012 and a fourth place finish in last year’s peninsula run at the Baja 1000.
The Baja 1000 course this year is an arduous loop race that covers 883 miles of the toughest terrain the peninsula has to offer. It’s a very tough course with many new sections that are difficult to chase and support. The Baja Automotive team will have four support trucks manned by a core group that has been racing together for eight years. Their goal is to assist Darren in winning his 7th Baja 1000 class win. Darren plans to drive the race solo but has desert racer and Dakar Rally veteran Skyler Gambrell as a confirmed back-up driver just in case.

“This course is well suited to our Honda,” says Darren, “The Pilot is lightweight, maneuverable and extremely fast. On the narrow, twisty mountain passes we will have a significant advantage over the bigger heavier trucks in class 7200.”

Darren and the Baja Automotive team will be relying on their years of racing experience to achieve victory in their Honda Pilot November 12-17 in Ensenada, Mexico at the 46th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000."

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ALL GERMAN MOTORSPORTS TRIES TO RECOVER AFTER TWO YEARS OF VERY BAD RESULTS

A state of excitement buzzes in and around Ensenada once again this coming weekend, when tens of thousands of racing fans flock to the Mexican coastal city for the annual highlight of the desert racing season: the legendary "Baja 1000". Armin Schwarz, Martin Christensen and their All German Motorsports team are also ready and raring to finally tackle this iconic race. For them as well, this infamous classic is the highlight of the year – and it’s the ultimate test for their AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck in the distinctive yellow and green Schaeffler Racing Design. The Baja 1000 marks the final round of the 2013 SCORE championship, and organiser Roger Norman was anything but timid in his choice of the route. He has combined tried and true turf with passages that have long been removed from the Baja 1000. The result is an extremely selective circular route of about 900 miles in length, where just about everything that makes the Baja racing so infamous is thrown at competitors: tortuous bumps, rock-hard washboards and high-speed passages through the desert. The Baja 1000 starts on Friday (15 November) in Ensenada. 

From there, the route heads towards San Felipe and along the Gulf of Mexico to the south, before crossing over to the Pacific and Punta Blanco. This section is new territory for many Baja 1000 contenders, including Armin Schwarz who will contest his seventh desert classic next week. From the Pacific coast, the route heads back inland. At race mile 400, the AGM team makes its driver change, where Armin Schwarz and co-pilot Bryan Little hand the yellow and green “Desert Lizard” to their teammates Martin Christensen/Tyler Irwin. From there, the route winds over another 400 miles back to Ensenada. The AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck faces anything but than a walk in the park. “The first 200 miles alone are over really tough terrain,” states Armin Schwarz. And it doesn’t get any better after that, the pilots have just a moment to catch their breath. 

Organiser Roger Norman has included the notorious “San Felipe Whoops”, with vehicles having to traverse extreme bumps. Afterwards on the route south, an even greater challenge awaits man and machine. “That is the nasty ‘Puertecitos Road’. It is really rough and tough. At times you reach 180 kph over steps that are 30 to 50-centimetres high. It’s easy to get a puncture and this bone-shaker of a road is truly unpleasant for both driver and vehicle,” explains Armin Schwarz. The main thing for him is to stay focused to the last mile, particularly as the last 50 miles before the driver change are also testing. “I’ve never actually driven this part of the route before. These 50 miles are marked on the map as a speed zone, and Martin told me many times that you drive through deep sand and dust the entire time. I’m very curious to see what challenges are waiting for me there.” AGM has prepared intensively for the ultimate test – with support from strong partners. 

Armin Schwarz and his team were on site at the Development Center of the Schaeffler subsidiary, LuK USA in Wooster, Ohio. Communicating directly with LuK engineers, the torque converter was further optimised. “We fined-tuned some details and changed the angles and the oil flow for instance. In this way we have improved the performance,” reports Armin Schwarz. “Once again I’d like to send my special thanks to Wooster and Herzogenaurach for the excellent cooperation, and belated congratulations from AGM for winning the 2013 DTM with Mike Rockenfeller.” Extensive testing was then on the programme in the desert near Las Vegas. Not only the torque converter that was further developed with Schaeffler und LuK was tested. “We tuned the car once again and made final changes to the suspension. Thanks to our partner Fox who helped us with the final set-up and also to Eibach. They custom-made some new springs for us that we would otherwise never have managed to get so quickly.” Great support also came from tyre manufacturer Michelin. The subsidiary BFGoodrich, another long-term partner of AGM, supplied new tyres that underlined their endurance and durability under testing. “We drove the car hard for two days and not only worked on durability but also found some more speed,” Schwarz concludes. Last week, the Trophy Truck again visited Las Vegas. At the SEMA Motorshow, the “Lizard” proved a real eye-catcher at the stand of AGM partner Liqui Moly, which supplies the squad with special, desert-proof oils and lubricants. For the Baja 1000, Armin Schwarz and his team have gained a new partner: “I would also like to thank Oerlikon, which we have on the car this time. Oerlikon is a specialist in the field of drive technology and surface coating. They are using the chance to see what possibilities there might be to work alongside us as a race partner. 

It would be fantastic if this could develop into a long-term partnership.” And now the countdown is on. With the last test in Mexico, AGM moves into the final preparations for the ultimate Baja classic, and on Friday things get serious. AGM will tackle the Baja with cautious aggression. “Our main goal is to finish well without incident. We’re not going to let ourselves get carried away with some crazy tactics,” explains Armin Schwarz. “It goes without saying that our whole team has the racing spirit. We’re not concerned about just driving and finishing, in fact quite the opposite. We want to finish as far up the front as possible, and we are aiming for a top placing.” Armin Schwarz and his AGM team are not alone in their anticipation of the Baja 1000. 

They have a very special guest in Mexico: Thomas Kraizcok from Cologne, the winner of the Schaeffler IAA Rally Experience. At the International Automobile Show at the Schaeffler stand, he beat all the other 2680 participants in the Schaeffler Baja Simulator. The reward for his performance is an unforgettable experience to witness the Baja 1000 with Armin Schwarz. “We’ll fly together to LA, drive to the team in Escondido, load up the prerunner and everything else we need for the prerun, and then head off to San Felipe to begin the prerun,” outlines Armin Schwarz. “Thomas will be a passenger in the chase support, in the prerunner, and in the final Trophy Truck test. Because he is with us for ten days, he will get to know all the Baja areas. During the race he will assist the team. Thomas is an engineering student and so he’s somewhat predestined for this. We’re looking forward to having him with us at the most legendary Baja rally ever.” 

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