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May 12, 2008 |
 DesertRacing.com > News Archives
B.J. Baldwin leads SCORE Trophy-Truck
39 points separate top 22 Overall leaders heading South To 38th Tecate SCORE Baja 500, June 2-4, in Ensenada, Mexico LOS ANGELES-After driving solo for a pair of podium finishes, Gary Weyhrich assumed the Overall SCORE Desert Series point lead while keeping the top spot in the unlimited Class 1 after two of six races. Weyhrich, 38, of Troutdale, Ore., has 139 points for the season in his TSCO Racing Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car. Planned before the season started that whoever was higher in the points would stay in the Class 1 point championship chase, Weyhrich's younger brother Mark, 36, who drove solo in the team's new Jimco-Chevy for the first two races, will join the class leader to form one team starting with the upcoming 38th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500. Round 3 of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series, will feature over 350 entries, competing in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, will be held June 2-4 in Ensenada, Mexico. The highly-competitive SCORE Desert Series has 20 racers separated by just 39 points after the record-setting 2006 season-opening 12th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and 20th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Both races had race-record starting grids, with 233 leaving the line in Laughlin and 340 starting the race in San Felipe. Driving solo to start the season, Gary Weyhrich won Class 1 in Laughlin and finished second in Class 1 in San Felipe. Following their pre-season plan that whoever was higher in the points after the first two races would be the driver of record for the balance of the season and the brothers would let testing determine which of their new Chevy-powered Jimco race cars to run each race. Gary Weyhrich has 139 points so far this season to lead Class 1 and the 2006 SCORE Overall point standings. "Our goal since we started desert racing in 1999 has always been to win a SCORE Class 1 season point championship and these two races have certainly given us a good start on a great season," said Gary Weyhrich, who along with his younger brother Mark run the family business in Oregon-Tube Specialties Company. "We were second in SCORE Class 1 points in 2000, third in 2003 and sixth last year, so our team is able to compete on the highest level. With two new cars to test and choose from for racing, Mark and I look forward to holding onto our Class 1 point lead for the rest of the SCORE season to win our first SCORE season point title."
Second in overall points with 126 and leading 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. Baldwin, 26, had his first SCORE class win in Laughlin in a race-record field of 33 SCORE Trophy-Truck starters in Laughlin and backed it up with a second place in San Felipe in a race-record field of 24 SCORE Trophy-Trucks. His Chevy Silverado is prepped and the race crew is provided by Collins Motorsports of Las Vegas. After one of three SCORE Desert Series races for motorcycles, the overall motorcycle point leaders are the team of Brian Pinard, Murrieta, Calif./Taber Murphy, Wildomar, Calif., who lead Class 30 for riders over 30 years old, with 62 points on a Honda XR650R. Tied for second with 60 points each are Class 22 point leaders Robby Bell, Murrieta, Calif./Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif. (Honda CRF450X) and Class 21 leaders Kenneth Lopez, Tijuana/Roberto Villalobos, Tecate, Mexico (Yamaha YZF450). The overall ATV point leaders after their season-opening Class 25 victory at the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 is the team of Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Chad Prull, Laveen, Ariz., with 70 points on a Honda TRX450R. Third in overall four-wheel vehicle points with 121 is Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., who is second in Class 1 in another Jimco-Chevy, while fourth in the overall hunt and leading Class 1-2/1600 with 120 points in a Seagrove-VW is Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif. Completing the top five in the overall point standings is the team of Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif./Dave Mason, Valley Center, Calif., with 117 points in a Jimco powered by the only BMW engine in the series. Just seven points separate the next five drivers in SCORE Overall points, led by a tie for sixth overall with 114 points each between Caleb Gaddis, El Centro, Calif., second in Class 1-2/1600 in a Curry-VW, and Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., fourth in Class 1 in a Jimco-Chevy.
Rounding out the top 10 in the 2006 SCORE Overall point standings are Rodrigo Ampudia Jr./Rodrigo Ampudia, Ensenada, Mexico, who are third in Class 1-2/1600 with 109 points in a Fraley-VW and Bob Shepard, the reigning SCORE Trophy-Truck season champion who is second this year with 107 points in his Chevy CK1500. As if the second-five aren't close enough, the 11th through 222nd in SCORE overall points are separated by just seven points after the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Tied for 11th with 106 each are Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif./Dan Worley, Encinitas, Calif., the SCORE Lite point leaders in a Jimco-VW and Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., sixth in Class 1 in a Jimco-Chevy. With 104 points each, tied for 13th overall are Carl Renezeder, Laguna Beach, Calif., third in SCORE Trophy-Truck in a Chevy Silverado, and Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., fourth in Class 1-2/1600, in a Jimco-VW. Tied for 15th overall with 103 points each are Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas/L.J. Kennedy, Orange, Calif., fifth in Class 1-2/1600 in a Jimco-VW and Pat Dean, Las Vegas, seventh in Class 1 in a Bunderson-Chevy. A current four-way tie for 17th overall with 101 points each is between Ed Herbst/Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck in a Ford F-150, Dan Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., eighth in Class 1 in a RaceCo-Olds, Matt Gumz, Barstow, Calif., sixth in Class 1-2/1600 in a Homebuilt-VW and Brian Kirby, ninth in Class 1 in a Kirby-Chevy. Tied for 21st with 100 points each are Jason Batulis/Jeff Lothringer, San Clemente, Calif., second in SCORE Lite in a Lothringer-VW, and Eric Duran/Hiram Duran, Tecate, Calif., seventh in Class 1-2/1600 in a Neth-VW. Four SCORE drivers have started the season with class wins in both Laughlin and San Felipe, giving them a significant edge in the chase for their respective class point championships. The four undefeated class leaders after two rounds of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series are: brothers Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif./Kenneth Moss, Marysville, Calif., (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Victor Herrera Jr. and his father Victor Herrera, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico/Bryan Freeman, Henderson, Nev. (Protruck, Toyota Tundra) and Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 11, VW Sedan). Among the other 4-wheel vehicle class point leaders after two rounds are: Brent Shermak, Bullhead City, Ariz. (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja Bug), Glen Greer, Green Valley, Ariz. (Class 8, Dodge Ram 1500), Mike Horner, Mission Viejo, Calif. (Class 7S, Toyota Tacoma), Noe Sierra, San Bernardino, Calif. (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Sigal Greenberg, Desert Hills, Ariz. (Class 9, Safari Challenger), Ron Dalke, Tucson, Ariz. (Clas 10, Tatum-Toyota) and John Griffin, Mission, Viejo, Calif. (Stock Full, Hummer H2). Class 10, in particular, epitomizes the tight competition in this year's SCORE Desert Series as just three points separate the top four racers. Behind Dalke's 97 points, Adam Wik, Las Vegas and defending Class 10 season point champion John Cooley, Santee, Calif., are tied for second with 96 points each while in fourth place is Bill Gasper, Chino Hills, Calif., with 95. Among the other motorcycle class leaders after one race, Jim O'Neal, Chatsworth, Calif., and his team, lead Class 40 for riders over 40 years old on a Honda XR650R and with another group of riders, O'Neal is second in Class 50, for riders over 50, behind the Honda XR650R of the team led by rider of record Doug Smith, Upland, Calif. Following a post-race review, SCORE officials have ruled to deduct 25 championship points from Mark McMillin (Class 1) and Nick Moncure (Class 7S) for towing their vehicles within one mile of the finish line 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 champions. 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, Sunoco Race Fuels/C.L. Bryant-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Airstar America-official space lighting provider. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, 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, McKenzie's Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics. 2006 SCORE Desert Series Point Leaders
TOP 22 OVERALL CARS & TRUCKS
2006 SCORE Desert Series CLASS POINT LEADERS
Pro Cars and Trucks
Pro Motorcycles
Pro ATVs
Sportsman
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