B.J. Baldwin leads SCORE Trophy-Truck
MacCachren in Class 1-2/1600, G. Weyhrich in Class 1 tied For Overall point lead after Round 1 of 2006 SCORE Desert Series

15 points separate top 16 Overall leaders; computerized Start draw for 20th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 next Monday

LOS ANGELES Fresh from season-opening class wins at the 12th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, Rob MacCachren and Gary Weyhrich find themselves tied for the Overall SCORE Desert Series point lead after one of six-races. Las Vegas MacCachren, won Class 1-2/1600 in a 1600cc VW-powered Bunderson while Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., captured the unlimited Class 1 in a Jimco-Chevy open-wheel desert race car.

Now, MacCachren and Weyhrich will join over 200 other racers who will be part of next Monday's computerized drawing for start positions for next months 20th Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Nearly 300 entries, competing in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and ATVs are expected to be on the starting line on March 11 in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, for Round 2 of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the world?s foremost desert racing series.

The highly-competitive SCORE Desert Series has 16 racers separated by just 15 points after the first event of the 2006 season.

While I certainly don?t know what the rest of the SCORE season will hold for us, we wanted to get things started in a very positive way as well as prove to our class that a two-seater could do well in a class filled with single-seaters,? said MacCachren, a seven-time SCORE season class point champion. ? We?ve already sold the car we won in, so we haven?t decided all of our plans for the rest of the season other than that we will definitely be driving the No. 4 SCORE Trophy-Truck with Gus Vildosola for the entire season.?

MacCachren and Vildsola, of Mexicali, Mexico, split the driving time in Laughlin and earned a solid fourth-place finish out of a SCORE record 33 starters in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division in the Vildosola Racing Ford F-150.

SCORE points are determined by both finishing positions as well the number of starters in each class and MacCachren, who led from green flag to checkered flag, and Weyhrich, who came from behind after the first day of racing in Laughlin, each of 60 points heading to San Felipe.

Third in overall points with 58 after winning the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800 horsepower unlimited production trucks, is Las Vegas? B.J. Baldwin in the Baldwin Motorsports No. 97 Chevy Silverado. For Baldwin, it was his first SCORE class win and it was also the first race for his new SCORE Trophy-Truck, which is prepped and the race crew is provided by Collins Motorsports of Las Vegas.

Tied for fourth in overall points with 54 each are Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., who is second in Class 1 in another Jimco-Chevy and the team ofArden Dennington, Tracey, Calif./Mike Malloy, Henderson, Nev., who are second in Class 1-2/1600 in a Fraley-VW.

Just four points separate the next five drivers in SCORE Overall points, led by Carl Renezeder, Laguna Beach, Calif., who is sixth overall and second in SCORE Trophy-Truck with 52 points in a Chevy Silverado.

Tied for seventh overall with 50 points are Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., who is third in Class 1 in a Jimco-Chevy and Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, who is third in Class 1-2/1600 in a Bunderson-VW.

Leading Class 10 with 49 points in an AlumiCraft-VW is Darren Hardesty, Ramona, Calif., while 10 overall and third in SCORE Trophy-Truck are Las Vegas brothers Ed and Tim Herbst with 48 points in a Ford F-150.

As if the second-five aren?t close enough, the 11th through 16th in SCORE overall points are separated by just two points after the season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Tied for 11th in Overall points with 47 each are Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. Dave Mason, Valley Center, Calif., who are fourth in Class 1 in a Jimco-BMW and Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, who is fourth in Class 1-2/1600 in a Jimco-VW.

SCORE Lite point leader and ESPN action sports announcer Camerson Steele, San Clemente, Calif., is 13th in overall points with 46 in a Desert Assassin-VW. Steele also races in SCORE Trophy-Truck where he is currently in sixth place in a Ford F-150.

There is a three-way tie for 14th in SCORE Overall points after one race. Each with 45 points, Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, are also fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck in a Ford F-150, Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., are fifth in Class 1 in a Jimco-Chevy and Curt Geer, San Dimas, Calif., is fifth in Class 1-2/1600 in a Lothringer-VW.

Pre-race festivities for the popular Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 will include the colorful SCORE Manufacturers Midway, contingency and tech inspection on Friday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Melacon beachfront

The post-race SCORE Awards Celebration will be held at 9 p.m. on Saturday night on the Melacon in San Felipe.

The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes chase for the $50,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several qualified 2006 SCORE Class point leaders.

The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes the hunt for the annual Toyota Milestone and $12,000 Toyota True Grit Awards. The prestigious Toyota Milestone Awards are presented to every racer who completes every required mile of every race in the 2006 SCORE Desert Series. The $12,000 Toyota True Grit purse is split among the SCORE season point champions who are also Toyota Milestone award winners in several non-factory-backed classes.

Current SCORE official 2006 sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, C.L. Bryant-Sunoco Race Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Suzuki, SignPros, Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzies Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com

story edited by DesertRacing.com