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Race Includes 234 Starters
Honda's Hengeveld/Campbell/Grider &
Optima Ford's Smith/Ashley Capture Overall Victories
As adventurers continue through Sunday in Baja California
at 35th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
Final round of 2002 Optima SCORE Desert Series
includes racers from 30 States, 10 Countries
(LA PAZ, Mexico) November 22, 2002 - Placing an indelible mark on the history of the granddaddy of all desert races, American Honda motorcycle teammates Steve Hengeveld, Johnny Campbell and Andy Grider along with Optima Ford F-150 teammates Dan Smith and David Ashley enjoyed record-setting performance in capturing the overall motorcycle and 4-wheel vehicle victories as the 35th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 continues through early Saturday.
A total of 234 of 244 adventuresome entries took the green flag Thursday, competing in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs began the arduous 1,017.31-mile down Mexico's exotic Baja California peninsula Thursday in Ensenada and the season-finale of the 2002 Optima SCORE Desert Series is finishing in La Paz.
As the clock ticks away on the 40-hour time limit in the elapsed-time race, smiling survivors continue to cross the finish line in La Paz as official finishers of the granddaddy of all desert races.
Leading the way early Friday was Hengeveld, Campbell and Grider, who blasted their way down the peninsula on a Honda XR650R in an astonishing time of 16 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds, for a record average speed of 62.45 miles per hour.
While
the Honda teammates were the fastest vehicle in the grueling race, Smith and
Ashley in their Enduro Racing Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck nearly beat the
motorcycles in this legendary race for the first time since 1993. The Smith/Ashley
duo fashioned their own history-making run for a four-wheel vehicle, covering
the terrain in the day-night race in 16:19:03, in a record-setting average speed
of 62.34 miles per hour.
For Hengeveld, Oak Hills, CA, the victory was his second straight in this season finale of the Optima SCORE Desert Series while his teammate Campbell, San Clemente, CA, improved his record run in this desert classic to six straight and Grider, Los Olivos, CA, was part of the overall winning team for the first time.
"Winning six in a row is incredible, really awesome," said Campbell. "Of course, it's not really over until the bike is here so it was great to see Steve cross the finish line. You can't do this without great partners and the unbelievable Honda XR650R."
For the patient-driving veterans Smith and Ashley, both of Riverside, CA, their victory in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division was their third straight in this historic motorsports event.
While Hengeveld/Campbell/Grider defeated Smith/Ashley by a mere one minute, 36 seconds, they easily out-raced all other motorcycle competition. Behind the champions by just over an hour on a Honda XR650 was the runner-up motorcycle team of Brian Pinard, Murrieta, CA/Scott Myers, Temecula, CA
Second
overall among four-wheel vehicles was Las Vegas brothers Ed and Tim Herbst,
who covered the picturesque course in their Terrible Herbst Motosports Ford
F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck in 17:04:37. With their finish, the Herbst brothers
became the first team to win three season point titles in the nine-year history
of SCORE Trophy-Truck. They also won the crown in 1999 and 2000.
Third overall and winning the unlimited Class 1 was the team of Mike Julson, El Cajon, CA/Bob Lofton, Westmorland, CA, in a Julson-built Chevy-powered Jimco, just 11 seconds behind the Herbst brothers.
Second in Class 1 and fourth overall was last year's overall winners in this race-Doug Fortin, El Cajon, CA/Charlie Townsley, Las Vegas, in another Jimco-Chevy in 17:36:12.
Overcoming a blown transmission midway through the race, Las Vegas' Troy Herbst made SCORE history by finishing third in Class 1 and fifth overall in 18:09:43 in his Smithbuilt-Ford. With help from co-driver Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, CA, the youngest of the three Herbst brothers, 36, clinched the SCORE Class 1 season point championship for an unparalled sixth-straight year. He also became the first racer in SCORE history to capture the overall season point championship for the fourth time. He has now won the crown four of the last six years (1997, 1998, 2000, 2002).
Among the other early finishers Friday was NASCAR Winston Cup regular Robby Gordon, Orange, CA, who returned to his desert roots to finish third in SCORE Trophy-Truck, seventh overall, in his Cingular Ford F-150 in 18:32:04.
Celebrating
his 65th birthday in a most unique way late Friday afternoon, Rod Hall, Reno,
NV, shared driving duties with his sons Chad and Josh, to increase his record
class win total to 17 in this race. The only driver to compete in a four-wheel
class all 35 years of the event, Hall won the Stock Full class in an AM General
Hummer XLCZ.
Complete results and other class winners will follow.
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
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