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Set for Nov. 10-16, internationally-televised
granddaddy of all desert races
Will be a Baja California, Mexico,
peninsula run; Pre-race activities in Tijuana,
start in Ensenada and finish in Cabo San Lucas

LOS ANGELES—American Suzuki has renewed its associate sponsorship of the SCORE Desert Series to again include a special award for the 2007 SCORE Rookie of the Year as well as a unique program to help enhance the extensive SCORE Medical operations for the upcoming 40th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, it was announced recently by Sal Fish, President/CEO of Los Angeles-based SCORE International.

Suzuki, in the third year of its current sponsor program with the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series, will provide the 2007 SCORE Rookie of the Year with a choice of either a Suzuki RM-Z450 Motocross motorcycle or a Suzuki QuadRacer™ LT-R450 ATV.
Further, Suzuki has donated to SCORE an additional Suzuki QuadRacer™ LT-R450 ATV for the distinct purpose of being raffled off with all proceeds going to expand the resources, equipment and overall operations of the highly-regarded SCORE Medical and Rescue team for November’s granddaddy of all desert races in Mexico. This year’s season finale of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series will be an intense endurance race down the Baja California peninsula, with pre-race festivities in Tijuana, starting in Ensenada and finishing in Cabo San Lucas. It will be held Nov. 10-16.

The legendary race will again be televised in the U.S. as a one-hour sports special on NBC TV for the fourth consecutive year and for the first time, through the efforts of SCORE TV production partner Aura360, will be televised worldwide on ESPN International. It is scheduled to air on NBC on Dec. 30.

“American Suzuki has been a wonderful sponsorship partner with SCORE for nearly three years and we salute the unique program and pro-active support seriously enhances the quality of the SCORE Desert Series,” said Fish, who has been at the helm of SCORE since shortly after it was founded in 1973. “It will be very special to again honor our SCORE Rookie of the Year with this very special bonus. Additionally, our SCORE Medical and Rescue team, which already is as good as it gets in the world of motorsports, will benefit significantly from this valuable Suzuki donation.”

SCORE Trophy-Truck driver Garron Cadiente of Mesa, Ariz., received the 2006 SCORE Rookie of the Year award and was the first recipient of the special Suzuki bonus prize. The SCORE Rookie of the Year is determined annually by vote of the more than 3,000 members of SCORE International.

The Motorcycle/ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Brea, Calif., was founded in 1963 by Suzuki Motor Corporations. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries.

“The growing and continuing relationship between American Suzuki and the SCORE International Desert Series is a solid and relevant program in our overall marketing plan, “ said Mel Harris, Suzuki’s Vice President of Marketing. “ SCORE International is the premier desert racing organization in the world and there isn’t a better place for American Suzuki to be to reach this sizeable market demographic.”
The Suzuki RM-Z450 Motocross Motorcycle won the 2006 AMA National Motorcross and Supercross championships and the Suzuki QuadRacer™ LT-R450 ATV captured the 2006 WPSA ATV Series crown.
Suzuki’s continuing on-site presence at SCORE events remains intact, including banners, inflatables and numerous trash receptacles The trash containers help SCORE maintain its program of leaving the desert areas they use cleaner than they were before each event.

With more than 300 anticipated entries from 40 U.S. States and 15 countries, competition will be held in 27 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. Cabo San Lucas is located the Southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. When finalized, the complete route for this year’s race will cover nearly 1,300 miles of the mysterious and foreboding Baja California peninsula.
The race will finish in Cabo San Lucas for just the second time, the first being for the once-in-a-lifetime Tecate SCORE Baja 2000 held to celebrate the new millennium in 2000.

Besides this race from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas, the 2007 SCORE Desert Series schedule includes four completed races and the upcoming 12th SCORE Terrible’ s Primm 300 on Sept. 7-8 in Primm, Nev.
The races already completed this year began on Jan. 18-21 at the 13th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Laughlin, Nev., and continued March 9-11 with the 21st Tecate SCORE Baja 250, the 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in Baja California, Mexico (June 1-3) and the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup III (July 20-21) at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 2007 SCORE Desert Series also includes the chase for the $75,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several 2007 SCORE Class point champions along with the run for the $12,000 Toyota True Grit and Toyota Milestone Awards.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/Bryant Petroleum-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Volkswagen-official vehicle, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, American Racing ATX Series-official wheel, Slime-official tire sealant, Airstar America-official space lighting provider, Red Bull--official energy drink and Bosch Power Tools-official power tool.

Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Communications, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bendix, American Suzuki, NAPA Chassis, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.