NASCAR’s Robby Gordon
flies his SCORE Trophy-Truck 152’ 2”
For longest jump in Thursday’s $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap

LAUGHLIN, Nev. –NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon nearly set an event-record in winning Thursday’s SCORE Laughlin Leap competition, a prelude to this weekend’s season-opening 14th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Laughlin, Nev.
Always colorful, Gordon thrilled the standing-room only crowd of over 5,000, winning the large truck division by sending his powerful No. 77 Chevy CK1500 SCORE Trophy-Truck off the six-foot dirt jump for a distance of 152 feet, 2 inches. A total of 17 of the 29 SCORE Trophy-Trucks entered in this weekend’s race competed in the optional SCORE Laughlin Leap.
Gordon came close to the event record of 160’ 6” set in 2004 by Mark Post and nearly topped in 2006 when Carl Renezeder won with a leap of 159’ and Marty Coyne jumped his SCORE Trophy-Truck 157’ in 2005. Second in the large truck division was Todd Wyllie, New River, Ariz., who jumped his Chevy C1500 SCORE Trophy-Truck 136’ 3”.
Las Vegas Dissemination Company teammates B.J. Richardson and Pat Dean, both of Las Vegas, took the top two spots in the large cc open wheel class. Driving near-identical Chevy-powered Bunderson Class 1 race cars, Richardson’s vehicle went airborne for 138’ 10” while Dean’s was right behind at 138’ 4”. Class 1-2/1600 racers Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., in a Mirage-VW and Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., in a Lothringer-VW had leaps of 93’ and 88’ 6” respectively.

Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Bruce Woodbury Drive at Casino Drive will be tech and contingency day for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge as the over 150 cars and trucks entered in the race go through the colorful manufacturer’s midway. The Laughlin Events Park is the spectator area for the race and it is also where the pits and infield portion of the 6.25-course is located. The unique race, split into two parts, will be held Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the 17 classes divided into five race groups running multiple laps each day. The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will race at 1 p.m. each day followed by the unlimited Class 1 cars at 3 p.m.

14th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
$16,000 Laughlin Leap, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008
Top Finishers
Big Trucks
Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse
1. 77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 152 feet, 2 inches ($3,000)
2. 85 Todd Wyllie, Ariz., Chevy C1500, 136’ 3” ($1,000)

Small Trucks
Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse
1. 703 Chris Taylor, El Centro, Calif., Ford Ranger, 117’ 11” ($3,000)
2. 1548 Dan Vance, Huntington Beach, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 115’ 6” ($1,000)

Large c.c. Open Wheel
Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse
1. 118 B.J. Richardson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 138’ 10 ($3,000)
2. 107 Pat Dean, Las Vegas-Chevy, 138’ 4” ($1,000)

Small c.c. Open Wheel
Pos. Vehicle No.-Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Distance, Purse
1. 1609 Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Mirage, 93’ ($3,000)
2. 1600 David Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif., Lothringer, 88’ 6” ($1,000).

14th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Round 1, 2008 SCORE Desert Series

Friday, January 25, 2008
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.--Course Pre-running (Racers Only)-Official Race Course-Laughlin Events Park
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.--Driver Registration-Antigua Banquet Room, River Palms Hotel
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.--Media Registration-River Room, River Palms Hotel

Saturday, January 26, 2008
6 a.m.--Late Registration & Tech Inspection-Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.--Media Center Open-Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park

Sunday, January 27, 2008
6 a.m.--Late Registration & Tech Inspection-Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park
6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.--Media Center Open-Start/Finish Line area-Laughlin Events Park

DAILY RACING SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
7 a.m.--RACING STARTS (5 groups each day) Start/Finish Line-Laughlin Events Park
80-minute time limit for each group
Starting intervals--two vehicles every 15 seconds
7 a.m.--Group 1-Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), 11 (3), SPT Car (6)
9 a.m.--Group 2-Classes 8 (6 laps), Protruck (6), 7 (6), 7SX (6), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPTTruck(5)
11 a.m.--Group 3-Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7)
1 p.m.--Group 4-SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps)
3 p.m.--Group 5-Class 1 (8 laps)

The Start/Finish Line area is located at the Laughlin Events Park At the corner of Thomas Edison Drive and Bruce Woodbury Way