SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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TORTURE AND TRIUMPH By SCORE Journal Staff Photos by Get Some Photo Race Teams Converge On The 54th SCORE BaJa 500 Of the 259 teams that started the BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts, only 67-percent finished the race. It wasn’t the hot temperatures or the distance of the 463.2-mile course, but the technical aspects of it that cut the competition down to only 174 finishers. The largest classes included the SCORE Trophy Trucks (and SCORE TT Legends) with 31 competitors, and the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec class with 32, making this race a spectacular show for SCORE fans who love the roar of these vehicles crossing the Baja desert. This race was the second in the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship Series, after the SCORE San Felipe 250 had its share of fast-paced winners, including Luke McMillin who ran a fast pace to win the race in the SCORE Trophy Truck Class. McMillin was challenged by Bryce Menzies, who was just as fast, but McMillin had a more “perfect” race to win it. This set up a start to the SCORE Baja 500 with two of the fastest SCORE Trophy Truck racers to date. It was the same in Class 1, where the Wilson Motorsports team looked like they had an advantage with Kyle Quinn and Brad Wilson starting at the front of the pack in first and third. In other classes, top racers who finished first in San Felipe got to start first in Ensenada. But the Baja desert had other plans, shaking up many of the top competitors with difficult terrain and obstacles that wreaked havoc on their vehicles. Read our full coverage of each class in the following pages. A SLOW TECHNICAL COURSE In the past, racers have blown through the SCORE Baja 500 in quick time, but this technical course, which began and finished on the Blvd. Costero in Ensenada, was much different. The fact that SCORE fans were welcome once again to watch teams begin and finish their journey, gave racers greater confidence in this race, but the challenges ahead were a huge hurdle. The course ran through the Cordillera de Molina, Coabuso, La Ventana, El Chinero, Mikes Sky Ranch, Santa Catarina, the Goat Trail, El Alamo, La Lagrima, and Ojos Negros, before coming back to downtown Ensenada. Racers had to make sure to go through two physical checkpoints where they had to come to a complete stop, then pass by 175 virtual checkpoints and 10-speed zones, all adding up to a total of 34.59 miles. The Sportsman classes, Class 11 and Class 7SX ran a reduced course of a total of 452.32 miles. AN “IRONMAN” CELEBRATION This year’s SCORE Baja 500 had Ivan “Ironman” Stewart as the Grand Marshal. Stewart is an Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee and a Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee. His race wins in SCORE are legendary with 10 SCORE Baja 500 Overall wins, 17 SCORE Baja 500 class wins, and three SCORE Baja 1000 wins, along with five SCORE Season class points titles including SCORE Overall Points Championships in 1990 and 1993. “My career has deep roots in SCORE racing, especially in Baja, Mexico, and it’s great to return as the Grand Marshal of this year’s SCORE Baja 500– the race that always falls around my birthday,” said Stewart. “With 10 overall victories and 17 class wins, it’s easy to say that I have had more success in the SCORE Baja 500 than any other race in my long career. I appreciate the fact that SCORE would remember me in this way and I am looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends and competitors, and I will be shaking a whole lot of hands.” On Thursday, June 2nd, SCORE had a birthday party for Stewart, who was celebrating his 77th birthday during the race. Held at the Corona Hotel & Spa in Ensenada, Stewart shared some of his favorite moments where he was able to win a SCORE Baja 500 race and celebrate his birthday at the same time. ECONOMIC IMPACT SCORE Baja racing is part of Baja California’s culture and is a part of the tourism culture with the largest calendar of tourism events in Mexico. According to SCORE International’s General Manager, Juan Tintos Funke, SCORE racing brings the largest economic impact to the area out of all the events in Baja California. “A lot of people think SCORE races only benefit hotels and restaurants, but there is a whole production chain that includes everything from contracted services, security, fencing, sound teams and equipment, and volunteers,” says Tintos Funke. “All of the small communities, not just Ensenada, benefit from this and the weeks of pre-running – not just the days of the race.” According to Mexico authorities, they estimated that in the three weeks leading up to and during the 2022 SCORE San Felipe 250, held this past April, the SCORE race generated $12.5-M with promotion through television, social media, SCORE Journal Magazine, and more. CONTINGENCY DAY Perhaps one of the best parts of the race week for fans was Contingency day. It had been two years since fans were allowed to be among racers as they lined up to reach the start/finish ramp to talk with SCORE announcers Rat Sult and Dave Arnold. From the start of Contingency at 8 am Friday, June 3rd, the crowds continued to increase in size to get a glimpse of the vehicles, racers, and teams in attendance. It was also just as exciting for race teams as the line of vehicles from the start/finish ramp continued down Blvd. Costero, around the corner Ave. Floresta, and back up Ave. Adolfo Lopez Mateos, and stretched all the way to the Arroyo Ensenada Wash. Along the way, manufacturer displays lined these streets showcasing the latest race and enthusiast products and providing teams with products and support. Among them, SCORE Official Sponsors such as King Shocks and Raceline Wheels were available to assist with everything from adding a sponsorship decal, to providing last-minute technical support. A CEREMONIAL START Before the start of the BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts, Mexican armed forces and officials joined SCORE International on the start/finish ramp for the opening ceremonies. SCORE General Manager, Juan Tintos Funke, introduced the Mexican dignitaries who were in attendance, including State Secretary of Tourism Miguel Aguiñiga, representing Governor Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, and Ensenada Mayor Armando Ayala who were accompanied by Vice Mayor of Ensenda Ruben Best, City Council Woman Erika Gonzalez P., State Touroperators President Gilberto Gamiño, Admiral Luis J. Robinson Commander of the 2nd Naval Region, Roger abd Elise Norman, Race Grand Marshall Ivan Stewart, Lucia Aguirre Economic Deveolpmnet Director of Ensenada and Ivan Nolasco President of the Ensenada Restaurant Chamber (see photo below). SJ