The Official BajaRacingNews.com Review of the qualifying proceedings here at Las Vegas:
1) Practice was very disorganized, as usual for Roger Normans SCORE. No one knew or communicated how many laps were allowed.
2) The official timing had malfunctioned during the first few trucks, so they went to "hand-stop-watches". The official/final times, are suspect.
3) One racer was allowed to have a "re-do" lap, due to truck malfunction.
4) Racers were allowed to use different truck set-ups, that will differ than their actual race day package.
5) All of the mistakes resulted in the event announcer being confused, misinformed and sounding like he was out of his mind.
The entire Tuesday afternoon was shot. The 4PM Drivers Meeting should be rescheduled next year to 9 AM in the morning, with the parade out to the track at 10AM.
The 3PM press conference was a massive waste of time, another joke! Not a 'press conference'. It was a high school cheer meet for SCORE. Sad.
Everyone who showed at 3PM were again shocked on how unprofessional and useless the meeting turned out. Why not do the quals in the afternoon? Again, at night? What are these people (SCORE) smoking?
Carlos cigarettes?
The event crowd spent their time laughing at the proceedings and wondering who was doing what. Qual times were confused, racers running were never fully explained and no one cared about the mindless co-drivers wife discussion and related disconnected announced topics. Embarrassing, really.
The local paper carried nothing of the results. Nor did any of the rest of the modern media in a major metro like Las Vegas, carry anything about SCORE, the Baja 1000 or the Qualifying event at the local speedway.
This event didn't make it to the level of a bad circus. It was a little kid clown show, not even a birthday party, with clowns. If we were a sponsor, we would pull our support, now, before a little gust of wind, blows over the umbrella.
Qualifying wrap: the quality of the product is in serious question.
(NOTE: Entries that elected not to qualify had a separate random drawing today, Nov. 4, to determine their starting order and they will start after the vehicles that qualified in their respective classes).
LAS VEGAS, Nev., USA—Helped by a huge assist from legendary Supercross Hall of Fame co-driver Ricky Johnson, RPM Racing’s Justin Matney has earned the first starting position in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division in this month’s 48th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000.
2015 Baja 1000 Qualifying, presented by BFGoodrich Tires was held on a purpose built, very technical 3.6-mile course that started and finished on the Off-Road Track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In front of an appreciative capacity crowd at the LVMS Off-Road Track on Tuesday night, Johnson, who won 38 Supercross races and seven season championships in his Hall of Fame motorcycle career, blistered the dirt and asphalt covering the course in three minutes, 46.11 seconds with an average speed of 57.32 miles per hour in Matney’s new No. 4 RPM Racing four-wheel drive Chevy Silverado built by Geiser Brothers of Phoenix. He was quickest among the 23 trucks out of the 32 entered in the race that elected to participate in the optional qualifying event.
Johnson, driving Matney’s SCORE Trophy Truck, finished nearly two seconds faster than the runner-up qualifier as all of the top 10 qualifiers finished the course in less than four minutes.
The 3.6-mile qualifying course at LVMS incorporated off-road, dirt and asphalt elements, utilized two race courses including one lap around the paved LVMS stock car short track, and required the drivers to use their lights and qualify in the darkness of the Las Vegas night.
With long-time SCORE sponsor BFGoodrich Tires claiming the top four positions and nine of the top 10 qualifiers, second was Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr who covered the course in 3:48:00 (56.84mph) in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford Raptor, while third was Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies (3:49.74, 56.41mph) in the No. 70 Menzies Motorsports Ford F-150 and fourth was Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren (3:50.41, 56.24mph).
Earning the fifth qualifying spot despite suffering a flat tire near the end of his run was last year’s top qualifier, Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C. (3:51.00, 56.10mph) in the No. 77 Gordon Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
Leading the second five top qualifiers in sixth was Mexico’s Carlos Lopez (3:54.00, 55.39mph) in the No. 5 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck while seventh was Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif. (3:55.17, 55.11mph) in the Mark Racing Ford F-150, eighth was Jesse Jones, Phoenix (3:55.344, 55.05mph) in the No. 76 Jones Motorsprots Ford F-150, ninth was Mexico’s Eduardo Laguna (3:57.00, 54.69mph) in the No. 17 RPM Racing Chevy Silverado and completing the top 10 qualifier list was Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (3:57.18, 54.64mph) in the No. 16 Desert Assassins Chevy Silverado.
With Matney receiving the Fastest Qualifier Award, 23 SCORE Trophy Trucks and two Class 1 open-wheel race cars participated in the optional qualifying for starting positions within their respective classes. SCORE Trophy Truck is the marquee racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks. With late entries accepted up toThursday, Nov. 19, SCORE Trophy Truck has 32 official entries to date at Class 1 has 14 total entries so far.
The SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying was part of the massive celebratory SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience that is a spotlight attraction this week at the annual SEMA Show trade gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Both special activities were presented by BFGoodrich Tires.
With some teams in the race using multiple drivers, several co-drivers actually drove for qualifying. Fastest qualifier in Class 1 was Steven Sells, Phoenix (4:28.05, 48.35mph) in the No. 142 Chevy-powered MCM open-wheel desert race car.
The vehicles that elected not to qualify for starting positions were part of a random draw today at the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience to determine their starting order behind all of the vehicles that elected to qualify on Tuesdaynight.
With pre-running continuing on the nearly 840-mile race course, nearly 250 entries, from 30 U.S. States and 20 countries competing in Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads are expected to take the green flag on Friday, Nov. 20 for this year’s 48th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000. The granddaddy of all desert races will be held in Baja California Norte on Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula, starting and finishing in the seaside port of Ensenada.
QUALIFYING RESULTS:
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (22) (Unlimited Production Trucks) (32 Total Entries)
(Position, Vehicle number, qualifying driver/driver of record if different, hometown, vehicle, elapsed time, miles per hour)
1. 4 Ricky Johnson, Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (Driver of Record-Justin Matney, Bristol, Va.) Chevy Silverado, three minutes, 46.11 seconds (57.32 miles per hour)
2. 21 Gus Vildosola Jr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Raptor, 3:48.00 (56.84mph)
3. 70 Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 3:49.74 (56.41mph)
4. 11 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 3:50.41 (56.25mph)
5. 77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy Silverado, 3:51.00 (56.10mph)
6. 5 Carlos Lopez, Tecate, Mexico Chevy Rally Truck, 3:54.00 (55.39mph)
7. 83 Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Ford F-150, 3:55.17 (55.11mph)
8. 76 Jesse Jones, Phoenix, Ford F-150, 3:55.44 (55.05mph)
9. 17 Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico, Chevy Silverado, 3:57.00 (54.69mph)
10. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 3:57.18 (54.64mph)
11. 93 Chris Kemp, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:00.00 (54.00)
12. 59 Burt Jenner, Los Angeles (DOR-Craig Potts, Scottsdale, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 4:01.14 (53.75mph)
13. 9 Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore. (DOR-Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore.), Ford F-150, 4:01.39 (53.69mph)
14. 44 Kyle Jergensen, Oak Hills, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:02.09 (53.53mph)
15. 14 Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif. (DOR-Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif.) Chevy Silverado, 4:04.87 (52.93mph)
16. 1 Armin Schwarz, Austria (Germany) (DOR-Steven Eugenio, Vista, Calif.) Chevy C1500, 4:05.46 (52.80mph)
17. 23 Dan McMillin, La Mesa, Calif. Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:05.91 (52.70mph)
18. 91 Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif. (DOR-Troy Herbst, Las Vegas) Ford F-150, 4:06.91 (52.49mph)
19. 50 Zak Langley, Santa Monica, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:13.09 (51.21mph)
20. 75 Todd Pederson, Orem, Utah (DOR-Mike Cook, Orem, Utah) Chevy Silverado, 4:20.74 (49.70mph)
21. 42 Jesse Hooker, Newhall, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:38.85 (46.48mph)
22. 19 Larry Roeseler, Boulevard, Calif. (DOR-Tim Herbst, Las Vegas) Ford F-150, Did Not Finish
Additional SCORE Trophy Truck race entries not qualifying:
12 Kent Kroeker, 48, Valley Center, Calif./Darren Skilton, 48, Long Beach, Calif., Chrysler Minatour
25 Brian Ostrom, Surprise, Ariz., Chevy Silverado
28 Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado
36 Glen Greer, Green Valley, Ariz./ Thom Greer, Tucson, Ariz./Chad Hancock, Green Valley, Ariz., Dodge Ram1500
38 Eric Hustead, St. George, Utah, Ford F-150
39 Ron Whitton, Mesa, Ariz./Chas Dana, Mesa, Ariz, Ford F-150
45 Gary Magness/Devin Housh, Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Ford F-150
47 James Bult, Monee, Illinois/Gerardo Iribe, Santa Ana, Calif., Ford F-150
57 Mike Palmer, Denver, Spencer Steele, Chevy Silverado
97 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
CLASS 1 (2) (unlimited single or two-seat open-wheelers) (14 Total Entries)
(Position, Vehicle number, qualifying driver/driver of record if different, hometown, vehicle, elapsed time, miles per hour)
CLASS 1
1. Steven Sells, Phoenix, MCM-Chevy, 4:28.05 (48.35mph)
2. Danny Ebberts, Corona, Calif., (DOR-Shelby Reid, Apple Valley, Calif.), Custom-Chevy, 4:35.71 (47.01mph)
Additional SCORE Class 1 race entries not qualifying:
101 David Hunter, Orem, Utah/Nate Hunter/Jim Hunter/Sam Hunter, Jeffries-Chevy
104 Rob Archibald, Lakeside, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
117 Stephen Squires, Driftwood, Texas/Shane Squires/Max Squires, HMS-Chevy
127 Cody Parkhouse/Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
138 Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./John Herder, Tucson, Ariz., Jimco-Chevy
142 Steven Sells/Nikki Nolen, Phoenix/T.J. Flores, Las Vegas
145 Yuichi Takashi, Fresno, Calif. (Japan)/Mike Boone, Garden Grove, Calif., WickedCreations-Chevy
147 Pat McCarthy, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Langley Kersenboom/Rob Smith, Jimco-Chevy
153 Brian Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Kyle Quinn, Irvine, Calif., Jimco-Chevy
160 Victor Barreda, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Armando Boheme, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Juan Cota, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jimco-Chevy
168 Shelby Reid, Apple Valley, Calif./Darren Ebberts, Corona, Calif./Dale Ebberts, Custom-Chevy
175 Jaime Huerta Jr, Calexico, Calif./Otoniel Huerta/Alberto Ritchie, Racer-Chevy
185 Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., Porter-Chevy
189 Jon Walker, Tamuning, Guam/Corey Keyser, Colorado Springs, Colo., Kreger-Chevy
BajaRacingNews.com
No comments:
Post a Comment