SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1488532
THE 55TH BFGOODRICH TIRES SCORE BAJA 1000 PRESENTED BY 4 WHEEL PARTS Teams Gather For A Rough Ride By Dan Sanchez Photos By Get Some Photo As the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship Season drew closer to its final race, teams were ready to go all-out and prove they could conquer Baja in all its harshness. In total, the 55th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts brought out 276 official starters from 37 U.S. states and territories, along with racers and teams from 18 different countries, including the host country of Mexico. While SCORE officials and the host city of Ensenada, Mexico were preparing for the most prestigious and well-recognized off-road race in history, teams were already several weeks into pre-running in what would become one of the most brutal SCORE Baja 1000 courses. The 828.25-mile course started in downtown Ensenada in front of the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center and headed east towards Ojos Negros and up over the Cordillera de Molina, straight to La Ventana where it turned south to the El Chinero road crossing at Hwy 3. From there, racers headed South past San Felipe until race mile 280 where the course turned north through Matomi Wash and around Azufre wash and continued North East to Huatamote. Racers then headed north back to El Chinero where the course turned west towards San Matias and then turned South West through Mike’s Sky Ranch and Santa Cruz. From here, the course headed back North West through Jaramillo and up to Punta Colonet and San Antonio Del Mar where it linked back North around Valle de La Trinidad at around race mile 680. From there, the course headed east around El Alamo and back to the finish line in Ensenada. For safety reasons, it was decided that all Sportsman classes, along with Class 11 and Class 7SX four-wheel classes, would run a reduced course of 695.79 miles. The cut-offs were along the East coast side of the race course in designated areas. MOTO LEGEND AS GRAND MARSHAL SCORE fans and fans of off-road motorcycle racing know that legendary racers such as Scot Harden have some impressive stats to their names. With a career that began in the 1970s and includes two SCORE Baja 1000 overall wins, three SCORE Baja 500 wins, two SCORE Parker 400 wins, and a 1979 SCORE Pro Moto Unlimited Class Championship, SCORE selected Harden as the Grand Marshal for this event. “Scot Harden’s efforts to continue the promotion and legacies of off-road racers are essential for new motorcycle racers to know whose shoulders they are standing on,” says Jim Ryan, SCORE VP of Marketing. “Preserving the past and strengthening the future of motorcycle racers in Baja racing is important to SCORE and we are proud that Scot has accepted the Grand Marshal honors for this race, allowing us to honor him as he does others.” Harden’s career in SCORE also includes setting a record for consecutive SCORE motorcycle overall event wins with five straight during 1977-78 with riding partner Brent Wallingford. Outside of SCORE, Harden is a three-time International Six-Day Enduro (ISDE) medalist. He finished sixth in the 1996 Pike’s Peak Hill Climb in Colorado, earning Rookie of the Year honors, and continued to compete professionally in SCORE events until 2007, ranking in the top ten of his class at many races. Harden also served in managerial and executive positions with a variety of OE motorcycle manufacturers, including race team manager for KTM and Husqvarna and helping champions such as Dan Smith, Dan Ashcraft, Danny Hamel, and many others to the podium in places like Dakar and Pike’s Peak. Harden was inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Hall Of Fame (AMA) in 2008, inducted into the Trailblazers HOF in 2020, and the Hot Shoe HOF in 2020. SCORE LIVE STREAM Leading up to this year’s race was SCORE’s investment into the Starlink satellite systems for the live streaming of events before, during, and after the race. Produced by Aaron Laub of SCORE Media House, the live stream began on Contingency Days with Rat Sult and Dave Arnold hosting interviews with racers and teams that lined up the Boulevard Costero. All live streaming of race week was viewable on the SCORE International website, app, Facebook, and YouTube pages, as well as the SCOREMediahouse.com website. During Race Day the SCORE Media House team started the live streaming again from Boulevard Costero, beginning with the Moto and Quad classes during their pre-dawn start, through the opening ceremonies, the start of the SCORE Trophy Trucks and four-wheel classes. As the race began, the live stream also captured some race action at several key locations along the course. In addition, some race vehicles also had in-vehicle cameras that allowed viewers to see real-time action at different times. Along with greater coverage of the course, the SCORE Media House team had Austin Farmer from Fishgistics give hourly updates on class leaders and teams using SCORE’s Live Tracking to see where racers were on the course, as well as providing any extra information and updates from the PCI Race Radio Weatherman. The live stream also included segments from ORMHOF inductee Bob Bower who was accompanied by former Honda team manager and multi-time SCORE Baja moto race winner Chuck Miller, and by former moto racer and owner of Schampa, Andy Meyers. The three gave commentary on the areas of the course that racers would face, along with their accounts of racing in the SCORE Baja 1000. CONTINGENCY DAYS With a total of 276 official starters to the 55th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts, Contingency was held over two days on Wednesday, November 16, and Thursday, November 17th. Hosts Rat Sult and Dave Arnold were busy interviewing and showcasing numerous racers from all classes. From the beginning of the first day of Contingency, crowds gathered and increased to witness their favorite vehicles and racers head down the Boulevard Costero and up to the finish line ramp to be interviewed. All along the boulevard and around the corner of Ave. Floresta, manufacturers had numerous racing products showcased for both enthusiasts and racers. Many companies such as PCI Race Radios, King Shocks, Raceline Wheels, and others, also offered teams tech support for their products, helping with installations, upgrades, and more. GOVERNOR OF BAJA CALIFORNIA’S WARM WELCOME Baja California Mexico’s Governor Marina del Pilar Avila gave SCORE racers and fans a warm welcome to the state of Baja California and thanked everyone for continuing to conduct off-road races like the SCORE Baja 1000 that have not taken place anywhere else in the world. Governor Pilar Avila got her first experience riding in a SCORE Trophy Truck, the No. 21L of Gustavo Vildosola Sr., and thanked everyone for the experience and wished all the participants a safe and enjoyable race that the state of Baja California is very proud of. A CEREMONIAL START Before the start of the 55th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts, Mexican armed forces and officials joined SCORE International on the start/finish ramp for the starting ceremonies. The Mexican Military band played the Mexican National Anthem sung by local talent Juliancito, followed by the National Anthem of the United States. SCORE General Manager, Juan Tintos Funke, introduced the Mexican dignitaries who were in attendance, including the Mayor of Ensenada Armando Ayala Robles, Enrique Angel Rodriguez Secretary of Tourism Baja California and representative of the Governor of Baja California, SCORE International’s Roger and Elise Norman, Grand Marshal Scot Harden, Vice Mayor of Ensenada Ruben Velasco, and other City Councilwomen, representatives of the Governor, City Council Members of Ensenada, and representatives of Secretary Of Economy and Tourism of Baja California. SJ