Next week in Mexico Herbsts, Collins, MacCachren, Baldwins, Richardson/Dean, Halls, Johnson, Gaughan leading 31 Nevadans to 40th SCORE Baja 1000

Nearly 450 entries expected at 1,296.39-mile internationally-televised Adventure down Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula ENSENADA, Mexico—Motorsport adventurers from 43 U.S. States and 16 countries are heading to Mexico and 31 entries from Nevada will be part of the massive starting grid for next week’s 40th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race, the granddaddy of all desert races.

With pre-race activities starting Sunday, this year’s historic 40th anniversary odyssey of the world’s longest non-stop and most famous desert race will be a grueling and memorable 1,296.39 mile adventure down Mexico’s mysterious Baja California peninsula starting in Ensenada, Baja California and finishing in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Sur.

The motorcycle and ATV classes will start their journey at 6:30 a.m. (PST) next Tuesday (Nov. 13) with the car and truck classes starting at approximately 11 a.m. (PST), or three hours after the last ATV leaves the line. Leading the talented group of Silver State racers to Mexico are: Ed, Tim and Troy Herbst, Brian Collins, Rob MacCachren, Bobby and B.J. Baldwin, B.J. Richard and Pat Dean, Rod, Josh and Chad Hall, Brendan Gaughan and Jack Johnson. The season-finale of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series will feature nearly 450 entries from 43 U.S. States and 16 countries. From weekend warriors to Hollywood actors and producers, the famous and not-so-famous will compete in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. While all the rugged regulars in the world’s foremost desert racing series will be in Mexico, the lure of this amazing race also attracts crossover racers as well as adventurers from all walks of life.

Ed and Tim Herbst will be among the favorites in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division while Troy Herbst (all from Las Vegas) and teammate Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., will be attempting to win an unprecedented fourth straight victory in the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars. Ed and Tim Herbst share driving time in the No. 19 Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150 while Troy Herbst and Roeseler will split the wheel time in the No. 100 Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford-powered Smithbuilt desert race car. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, another second-generation Nevada desert racer, splits time behind the wheel of the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Dodge Ram with veteran Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz., in SCORE Trophy-Truck. The team picked up a third driver, Chuch Hovey, Escondido, Calif., to run this race with them.

Rob MacCachren, the veteran six-time All-America racer, currently leads the SCORE Trophy-Truck and 2007 SCORE Overall points, splitting the driving time with team owner Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150. They have two race wins this year so far and lead Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin, the defending SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion in the No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado. B.J. Baldwin picked up Las Vegas' Danny Anderson to drive part of this race.

Bobby Baldwin, B.J.’s father who is a prominent Las Vegas hotel executive, will be driving the No. 96 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Bobby Baldwin will have Las Vegas' Tommy Bradley Jr., drive part of this long race for him. Racing for the Las Vegas Dissemination Company team in separate vehicles in most races, Las Vegas’ B.J. Richardson and Pat Dean are teaming up for this race. They will split driving in the No. 103 Bunderson-Chevy in Class 1. With more combined wins than any other family in this race, Reno’s Hall family have a total of 26 class wins in this race and father Rod and his sons Josh and Chad will each be driving their own Team Hummer vehicle next week. Rod Hall, the winningest racer in the history of this race, will drive the No. 760 Hummer H1 in the Stock Mini class while both his son will race in the Stock Full class. Josh (three class wins) will drive the No. 866 Hummer H2 while Chad (five class wins) will drive the No. 863 Hummer H3. All three Halls are listed as co-drivers on each others vehicles, helping insure a greater possibility of a Hall in the winner’s circle again.

Rod Hall was also selected as one of three Grand Marshals for this year’s race as the only person who has raced in all 39 previous races in a car or truck. Gaughan, son of prominent Las Vegas casino owner Michael Gaughan, is a NASCAR Truck Series regular who will be racing in Class 1 in the No. 119 South Point Racing Kreger-Chevy.

Johnson, of Boulder City, has 11 class wins in this race and his riding in Class 50 this year on the No. 549x Honda XR650R. NASCAR Nextel Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., whose roots are in SCORE desert racing, returns as defending overall 4-wheel winner in the Team Gordon No. 71 Chevy CK1500 in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Gordon will pull double-duty, driving the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 before flying to Homestead, Fla., to race in the NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale.

Also returning to their racing roots are NASCAR Truck Series regular Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas (Class 1), and NASCAR Grand National West Series regular Brian Ickler, Poway, Calif. (SCORE Trophy-Truck).

Among the other cross-over racers who are entered to date include World Rally champion Armin Schwarz of Germany, NHRA Top Fuel drag racers J.R. Todd and Morgan Lucas, NASCAR Nextel Cup racer Boris Said, 2007 Dakar Rally overall motorcycle champion Cyril Despres of France, former IndyCar star Danny Sullivan, former NASCAR and open-wheel racer turned TV commentator Wally Dallenbach, actor/racer Patrick Dempsey, star of the ABC TV hit show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, former IndyCar racer Scott Atchison, Supercross motorcycle legends Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Johnson, father and son Pike’s Peak Hill Climb champions Rod and Rhys Millen (who is also a Drifting point champ) along with fellow PPHC champion Gay Smith, former Sprint Car turned stock car racer Erin Crocker, Indy Pro Series team owner/driver Ken Losch, Rock Crawling star Tracy Jordan, Snowmobile racers Paul Thacker and Chris Burandt, Snowboarder Luke Trembath, Rally racers and X Games stars Ken Block and Tanner Foust (also a Drifting point champ), TV show creator/producer Bud Brutsman, and Freestyle MX, XGames Gold Medalist Kyle Loza.

In his first full season in the SCORE Desert Series, TV personality Jesse James, of Monster Garage fame, will drive his new No. 54 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck. Among the other very notable entries are Rod Hall, Reno, Nev., and Ron Bishop, Escondido, the only two individuals who have raced in all 39 previous Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 races.

The legendary Hall, of Reno, Nev., who will turn 70 on Nov. 22, has a race-record 18 career class wins in this race (including the 1969 overall 4-wheel vehicle title) and is the only driver to have competed every year in a car or truck class. Hall returns this year as the defending season point champion in a Hummer H3 in the Stock Mini class. His son’s Chad and Josh will complete the Team Hummer entry, each driving different Hummers in the Stock Full Class. Bishop, 64, who will lead a five-rider team as rider of record this year in Class 22, is the only racer who has competed every year on a motorcycle. He will be racing on a KTM 525XC motorcycle.

Besides Hall, among the other racers entered with significant class wins in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are: Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Class 1 (15), Chris Haines, Dana Point, Calif. Class 50 (12), Haines’ teammate Jack Johnson, Boulder City, Nev. Class 50 (11), Johnny Campbell, San Clemente, Calif., Class 22 (9), Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., Class 22 (9, five straight motorcycle overalls), Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, Class 11 (9), Mark McMillin, Chula Vista, Calif., Class 1 (8), Malcolm Smith, Riverside, Calif., Stock Full (8), and Ted Hunnicutt Jr., Temecula, Calif., SCORE Trophy-Truck (7). In what has shaped up as a movie-script duel between the ‘veterans’ Mark Post and Rob MacCachren and young gun B.J. Baldwin, the showdown in Mexico will decide the overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck point championships of the 2007 SCORE Desert Series. With a single point separating the top two SCORE Trophy-Truck teams of 2007 an epic showdown is expected.

After five of six events in the 2007 SCORE Desert Series, Post, 50, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and MacCachren, 42, of Las Vegas, have two wins, one second and two fourths to compile 359 points to date in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford-F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Baldwin, 28, of Las Vegas, is the reigning SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion in the No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado. Just one point behind Post/MacCachren, Baldwin has one race win this year, one second, two thirds and one fourth to remain in position to become the first back-to-back SCORE Trophy-Truck point champion since Ed and Tim Herbst of Las Vegas did it in 1999 and 2000 and again in 2002 and 2003.

A total of just 33 points separate the top 10 overall point leaders after September’s 12th SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300. Third in SCORE Trophy-Truck points and third overall is Garron Cadiente with 338 points after his SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300 victory.

Leading Class 1-2/1600 and fourth overall with 334 points is Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., in a VW-powered Lothringer open-wheel desert race car. Tied for fifth overall with 332 points each are the team of Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz./Brian Collins, Las Vegas and brothers Bill Gasper, Chino Hills, Calif./Bill Gasper, Santa Barbara, Calif.. Ragland/Collins are fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck points in the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Chevy Silverado while the Gaspers lead the unlimited Class 1 in their Porter-Chevy.

SCORE points are determined both on final finishing position and number of vehicles that started the race within the individual class. Seventh overall and second in Class 1-2/1600 with 331 points is the team of L.J. Kennedy, Orange, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas in a ChenoSPF-VW. In a three-way tie for eighth overall and tied for second in Class 1 with 316 points heading to Mexico’s massive season finale are Larry Roeseler/Troy Herbst, Ronny Wilson and Eric Chase and his father Stuart Chase. Wilson drives a Jimco-Chevy while the Chases pilot a Penhall-Chevy.

Pre-race festivities will be held in Ensenada next Sunday and Monday. The post-race Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Award’s Celebration will be held during the SCORE Fiesta at the Playa Cascadas (adjacent to the Villa del Palmar Resort) at noon on Friday, Nov. 16 in Cabo San Lucas.

The four-wheel vehicle classes with the most entries to date are SCORE Trophy-Truck (32), Class 1 (31), Class 1-2/1600 (25), Class 5/1600 (23), SCORE Lite (19), Baja Challenge (18), Class 8 (14), Protruck (13), Stock Full (12) and Class 5 (11).

The motorcycle classes with the most entries so far are: Class 22 (24), Class 40 (16) and Class 30 (11). Leading the six Sportsman classes in the race is Sportsman Motorcycle over 250cc which has 54 and Sportsman ATV with 17 entries to date.

It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the mother of all desert races has been run over Mexico’s mysterious Baja California peninsula.

This year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour NBC Sports special for the fourth consecutive year, airing on Dec. 30 on the NBC Television Network. It will also air on a delayed basis outside of the U.S. on ESPN International.

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, 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. Additional associate sponsors, for the 2007 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are: Cotuco de Ensenada, Fideicomiso Publio para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, the government of Baja California Sur, the State Tourism Department of Baja California Sur the city tourism fund of Loreto and the city tourism fund of Los Cabos.

PRE/POST RACE SHEDULE
SUNDAY, Nov. 11, 2007-Ensenada--(All times PST)
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.--Media Registration, Grand Ballroom, San Nicolas Hotel
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.--Racer Registration, Grand Ballroom, San Nicolas Hotel
1 p.m.- 10 p.m.—El Vigia Autograph Fiesta, La Ventana al Mar

MONDAY, Nov. 12, 2007-Ensenada--(All Times PST)
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.--Racer Registration, Grand Ballroom, San Nicolas Hotel
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.--Media Registration, Grand Ballroom, San Nicolas Hotel
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.--Contingency Row, adjacent to San Nicolas Hotel
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.--Technical Inspection, End of Contingency Row
11 a.m. – SCORE pre-race Media Conference, Cathedral Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
7 p.m. --Mandatory Racer Meeting-Cathedral Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center

MONDAY, Nov. 12, 2007-Cabo San Lucas--(All Times PST)
12 Noon – 5 p.m.--Media Registration, Convention Area, Villa del Palmar Resort

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, Nov. 13-16, 2007-Cabo San Lucas--(all times PST)
9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 – Noon, Friday, Nov. 16—BFGoodrich Tires/SCORE Media Center open, Villa del Palmar Resort
Posting of Passing Times/Unofficial Results—Race in Progress, Villa del Palmar Resort

THURSDAY, Nov. 15, 2007-Cabo San Lucas--(all times PST)
7 p.m.--Posting of FINAL UNOFFICIAL Results—Villa del Palmar Resort
8 p.m.--Competition Review Board—Villa del Palmar Resort

FRIDAY, Nov. 16, 2007-Cabo San Lucas--(all times PST)
Noon-- Awards Celebration-Playa Cascadas

RACE DAYS SCHEDULE TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, Nov. 13-16,2007--(all times PST)
(1,296.39-mile course)
START: Adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, Blvd. Costero-Ensenada
FINISH: Campos de Futbol “Yenecamu” soccer fields-Cabo San Lucas

TUESDAY, Nov. 13, 2007-Ensenada—(all times PST)
5:30 a.m.--Late Registration, Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
5:30 a.m.--Late Tech, Start Line
6 a.m.--Media Registration, Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
RACE STARTS: (Tuesday, Nov. 13-Ensenada):
6:30 a.m.--Motorcycles and ATVs
10:30 a.m. (approx.)--Cars and Trucks

STARTING ORDER
(Subject to change): (One vehicle every 30 seconds)
Motorcycles and ATVs--22, 30, 40, 21, 20, 50, 60, 25, 24, Sportsman M/C>,
Sportsman M/C, Sportsman ATV
Cars and Trucks--TT, 1, 10, SL, 8, PT, 1-2/1600, 5, 7, BC, 5/1600, 7S, 7SX, SF, SM, 9, 3, 17, JS, Sportsman Truck, Sportsman Car, 11, Sportsman UTV
TIME LIMIT: All vehicles will have a 53-hour time limit from the time they start.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14, 2007-Cabo San Lucas—(all times PST)
3: a.m. (approx)—Finish Line opens-Campos de Futbol “Yenecamu” soccer fields