Las Vegas - It will be a busy two weeks for NASCAR Craftsman Truck competitor Brendan Gaughan who will join Phoenix Racing for the upcoming SCORE Baja 1000, November 21st in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Flying to Miami for the final round of this year's Craftsman Truck Series, Gaughan will then head immediately for Ensenada and the start of the Baja 1000.

"I'm really excited about these two weeks. It is going to be a great finale to the year," smiled Gaughan. "I started my racing career in off-road and raced in SCORE, HDRA, SNORE, SODA and CORR. In fact, between 1991 and 1999, we earned 41 wins and five championships. With my current schedule, I haven't been able to do much off-roading, so running with Phoenix Racing in this year's Baja 1000 is definitely going to be a treat."

Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Phoenix Racing is by no means new to the field of off-road racing. Boasting the talents of Roger Gray, this team has more than made their mark in the off-road arena. "Our whole family has been involved in the sport for a number of years and have all taken our turn behind the wheel," explains Gray. I have wanted to compete in SCORE for quite some time now and am certainly excited to be getting on-board for this race. Having Brendan join me behind the wheel in our ProTemp/Orleans Hotel & Casino-sponsored Chevrolet Trophy Truck is definitely special. I can't think of anyone better to drive with and am looking forward to a strong run."

Boasting 1,017.56-miles of tough, rugged terrain, this year's SCORE Baja 1000 will run from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico all the way down to La Paz on the Sea of Cortez. Blasting off the startline on November 21, competitors will have a total of 40 hours to complete the arduous course.

"The plan is for Roger to start the race and then I will get in at the half-way point and finish," explains Gaughan. "I have raced the bottom half of Baja a number of times and it is one of my favorite sections. It should be a great race."

Two extremely competent drivers, a strong Chevrolet Trophy Truck and Goodyear tires combine to make Phoenix Racing one of the top competitors for this year's SCORE Baja 1000.

For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official Optima SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com