SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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SCORE Journal Magazine’s 2020 “Ones To Watch” By SCORE Journal Staff Photos by Jack Wright n3Media Each new season of the SCORE World Desert Championship provides racers with new opportunities to win and take home a championship within their class. The 2020 season brings the dawn of All Wheel Drive vehicles, more than we’ve seen in the past, as well as racers who have honed their experience in past seasons and can showcase their talents. While teams, sponsors, vehicles and driver changes aren’t yet finalized, there are some that we feel are the “Ones to Watch” for the 2020 race season. SCORE Trophy Truck Andy McMillin There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the 2019 SCORE World Desert Overall and Trophy Truck Champion is going to make it difficult to win any race in 2020. With a new AWD truck and experience far beyond his years, Andy McMillin has the potential for a perfect season. Although he won two of the four races last year, he has said he’s coming in full force. With cousins Luke and Dan McMillin also pushing hard this season, we can count that Andy McMillin is going to be at his best form. Luke McMillin 2020 could be the year the McMillin family dominates the SCORE Trophy Truck competition. Luke McMillin came very close to winning several races last year, as well as the class championship. With a new sponsorship from 4 Wheel Parts, Luke knows he can beat his cousin Andy. SCORE fans expect to see him win races this season and will watch a legendary family battle it out in Baja with the rest of the competition. Dan McMillin Although Dan McMillin had some hard luck this past season, he proved over and over he is just as capable of winning races as his brother Luke and cousin Andy. As part of the 4 Wheel Parts team this year, there’s no doubt McMillin will continue to race with everything he’s got and prove he is one of the racers that SCORE Trophy Truck teams must contend with. Ryan Arciero Winning the 51st SCORE Baja 500 was no fluke for Ryan Arciero. He had finished in the top three spots all season until the rain dampened the SCORE Baja 1000. Arciero’s perseverance and experience always seems to put him in the right spot for a win. Any team who sees Arciero behind them, had better not make a mistake. SCORE fans expect to see Arciero take more race wins this season and his consistency could potentially lead him to winning a championship as well. Bryce Menzies Although Bryce Menzies has not won a race in several seasons, his luck is bound to change. With a well-prepared AWD SCORE Trophy Truck, the 2020 SCORE season may lay the chance for a comeback. His raw talent, combined with a well-experienced team, gives Menzies everything necessary to win races this season and to rise to race winning form once again. Rob MacCachren It would be foolish to count out one of SCORE’s most legendary drivers of all time. A stroke of bad luck and rear starting positions, still didn’t keep MacCachren from finishing every race of the 2019 season. As many SCORE fans know, MaCachren isn’t a quitter and he’s far from retiring. So SCORE Trophy Truck teams had better have a plan to be able to keep up with MacCachren from the very first race in San Felipe, to the SCORE Baja 1000 in November. Alan Ampudia Winning his first SCORE Trophy Truck race at the SCORE Baja 1000, put Alan and his brother Aaron Ampudia onto the list of “Ones To Watch.” Along with their short-track experienced brother Rodrigo Jr. have dominated every class they’ve ever entered. Their win last year in the SCORE Trophy Truck class at the SCORE Baja 1000 most definitely won’t be their last. SCORE fans believe the Papas and Beer team is fired up, ready to prove they have what it takes to win and will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Tavo Vildosola Although Vildosola had plenty of vehicle issues during the 2019 season, he managed to finish third at the SCORE Baja 400. The Triple Crown winner will have worked out the bugs on his vehicle this year, and SCORE fans can count he will start the 2020 season in top form. Vildosola’s experience and skills have been well documented over many seasons in SCORE. Hopefully we will see him spraying the champagne during the 2020 season. TT Legends Robbie Pierce & Bobby Patton Owner of Jimco and safety equipment advocate Robbie Pierce is teaming up with Bobby Patton (Dodger baseball team owner) to compete this season in the SCORE Trophy Truck Legends class. Patton competed last year and teamed up with Pierce to compete in this year’s Dakar race. John Swift One of the legendary drivers of the famous Rough Riders team (1991) will be coming back to compete in this season. Swift is the son of Ray Swift who began racing off-road in the early’60s and by 1984 John was driving his own race truck in Baja. Swift drove a 4x4 Ford Ranger and won the SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000 in 1986 in Class 7. He later drove a Ford Explorer and won several Class 6 titles. Dave Westhem With three SCORE Baja 1000 victories and a total of 28 off-road race wins and two season championships, Dave Westhem won his first SCORE Baja 1000 in 1987 in a Class 8 truck. In 2017 Westhem returned to race the 50th SCORE Baja 1000 with John Swift in a Class 8 truck to win the class with an eight-hour lead, after starting in last place. Westhem now returns in a SCORE Trophy Truck Legends vehicle and will bring some heavy competition. John Langley It’s been reported that John Langley of the COPS racing team is moving from the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec class to the SCORE Trophy Truck Legends class. Langley is a long-time SCORE racer and has proven himself by being in the top ten of many races over the years. Langley will add some heavy competition in this class against RPM Off-Road’s Clyde Stacy and veteran racer Rolf Heland, who have battled in the class last season. Class 1 Brad Wilson The competition in Class 1 was so difficult that any mistake cost racers a win. For Brad Wilson, he brings a new Jimco Hammerhead buggy that will most assuredly have all the bugs worked out. The 2018 Class Champion finished in the top three of every race last season until the SCORE Baja 1000. Nevertheless, SCORE fans expect to see him comeback more determined than ever, especially with tougher competition expected in this class for the 2020 season. Shelby Reid, Cody Reid The mom and son team have reportedly joined forces, moving Cody from Class 10 to help Shelby in Class 1. This decision can change the class as both racers have been top competitors and will bring a much higher level of competition to the class. Mason Cullen The 2019 Class Champ can’t be counted out now that he’s proven he’s consistent enough to win it. Finishing in the top four every race last season gave Cullen and his team the confidence they needed to prove they have what it takes to be competitive in this class. Brock Dickerson The former Class 10 champion is said to be returning to Class 1 this season. Dickerson was unstoppable in Class 10 during the 2016 and 2017 race seasons. His level of skill will add to the extremely high level of competition in the class that will make it very difficult for anyone to win a race this season. tt spec Charles Dorrance Finishing in the top four last season, Dorrance was tough competition for Sara Price and A.J. Jones, who finished second in points for a championship. Dorrance finished third in the championship, but has proven he’s competitive, especially after winning the SCORE Baja 500 last year. Pro UTV FI Marc Burnett Narrowly missing the 2019 Championship, Marc Burnett is back to top racing form. He battled throughout the 2019 season with Wayne Matlock and will not let that happen again during the 2020 season. SCORE fans expect to see Burnett finish first in more than one race this season. Wayne Matlock What more can you say about the guy who has dominated the Pro UTV FI class, except to expect even more from the 2019 champ. Matlock can win from starting dead last and the factory backed racer is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. Pushing the boundaries of what a UTV can do, Matlock is always fun to watch and we can expect he will be dominating the field this season as well. Craig Scanlon Scanlon proved he was competitive in this class by winning the Lucerna SCORE Baja 500 last year. With his Polaris RZR, Scanlon got a taste of victory, and knows he can be competitive in this class against some of the best veteran UTV racers in the world. He will be out to prove it again. Wes Miller Finishing first at the Lucerna SCORE Baja 400, Wes Miller is another racer that has proven he is competitive in a class of veteran UTV champions. Miller’s finished 8th at the SCORE San Felipe 250 and 4th at the SCORE Baja 1000, proving he’s capable of winning races. He will definitely be one UTV racer who will take a race win during the 2020 SCORE Season. Pro UTV NA Kristen Matlock The queen of SCORE’s Pro UTV NA Class didn’t have the season she would have liked to have had last year. Nevertheless, she still won two of the four races last season, finishing with a big win at the SCORE Baja 1000, a race she had never won before. For the 2020 season, Matlock is poised to have a perfect season if her luck holds out, and she’s definitely one to pursue that running Ironwoman style. Kaden Wells The 2019 Pro UTV NA Champion can’t be counted out. While in the shadow of a popular Kristen Matlock, Wells brought himself into the spotlight by winning the SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 400 last season, securing the championship in the process. Pro Moto Unlimited Justin Morgan For the foreseeable future, there’s no reason to question if Justin Morgan and his team of highly talented riders won’t be seeking another championship season. The original 2019 1X team of Morgan, Mark Samuels, and Justin Jones was plagued with injuries from Jones at the beginning of the season, and with Samuels at the very end. So the team may be back together for the 2020 season and dominate the class. Santiago Creel Without a doubt, Santiago Creel is the only racer with a team of seasoned riders who stand a chance at winning a SCORE race against Morgan and his team. Creel came close at the SCORE Baja 400 and the SCORE Baja 1000 last year and will hopefully be in top form during the 2020 season. Pro Quad Said Sanchez One of the racers that brought back some excitement to the Pro Quad division, Said Sanchez lost his championship crown in 2019, but will be more determined than ever to win it back during the 2020 season. Although there were several riders in the class at each race, the battle in the desert was epic between Sanchez and Adolfo Arellano. Adolfo Arellano The 2019 Pro Quad champ will have to fend off 2018 champions Said Sanchez for the 2020 season. SCORE fans loved the action between the two and admired both of their racing skills on a quad. Arellano managed to beat Sanchez for the championship by only four points, leaving quad fans and teams with a nail-biting finish at the SCORE Baja 1000. Arellano has proven he’s a top competitor in this class and will hopefully be able to repeat.