SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1495435
THE SEASON OPENER A Preview To The King Shocks SCORE San Felipe 250 Presented by BaJa Vida By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo The 50th Anniversary of SCORE International begins with the King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250, Presented by Baja Vida Snacks. This race held along this beautiful seaside town has become a favorite of many racers due to the location, the fast pace, and the opportunity to earn a top starting spot for the SCORE Baja 500 race in June. While the SCORE San Felipe 250 was initially touted as having a 250-mile course, its actual mileage has varied over the decades depending on which areas it weaves around on the Baja Peninsula. No matter the mileage, however, the race will undoubtedly incorporate sections known as “whoops,” with large washboard areas of the course that can test the limits of any vehicle’s suspension. While all the race action takes place in the desert, the town of San Felipe is what many SCORE fans and racers enjoy most. Located on the East side of the Baja Peninsula, San Felipe’s Malecon is the heart of the town and main boardwalk. It is the location of the race’s start and finish line and for the Contingency Days that allows racers and fans to intermingle and become a part of the pre-race celebrations. The center of SCORE operations will be in the Pavilion at El Dorado Ranch. Developed by Pat Butler of the affinity Group, this 35,000-acre facility was home to SCORE Operations for the 2020 and 2021 seasons during the COVID Pandemic. While the ranch features a master-planned community of homes and vacation properties, it is also developed to protect the natural landscape and wildlife in the area. All registrations for racers and media for the 2023 San Felipe 250 will take place in downtown San Felipe, at the Centro Comercial Plaza Armex No. 1 starting March 10 through March 24th. The start and finish line and Contingency will take place in the center of town on the El Malecon on Thursday March 30th through April 1st. RACE WEEK When the 36th running of the SCORE San Felipe takes place March 28-April 2nd, the week will begin with racers pre-running the approximately 262.80-mile course weeks in advance. All this will lead to Qualifying sessions on Wednesday, March 29th, at an undisclosed location known only to the racers. Qualifying will be for SCORE Trophy Truck, Trophy Truck Legend, and Trophy Truck Spec classes. On Thursday, March 30th and 31st, SCORE will host Contingency Day on the Malecon in downtown San Felipe. Here, fans can intermingle with racers, teams, and other fans to take photos, get swag, and see race vehicles up close. SCORE will Live Stream Contingency Day across SCORE’s social media platforms hosted by emcees Rat Sult and Dave Arnold. They will be busy interviewing hundreds of racers over the two days as the teams prepare for the start of the race. Saturday, April 1st is race day, and the green flag will start for the Moto and Quad racers early at 6 a.m. to give them a good gap ahead of the four-wheel vehicles. By 8:30 a.m., Opening Ceremonies will take place with race officials and government officials on hand to start the race festivities. By 9am the SCORE Trophy Trucks will start the four-wheel vehicles off the Malecon, followed by the rest of the classes. All racers will have 14 hours to complete the course from the time they start the race. SCORE’s live streaming of the event will begin with Qualifying and continue through Contingency Days and Race Day until late Saturday evening, when the remaining racers cross the finish line to complete the event. Points Of Interest in San Felipe Take a Walk on the Malecon Many spend time people-watching or enjoying the street performers on the Malecon boardwalk. During the day, people stroll to eat or shop, while at night, they check out the party/bar scene. At the northern tip of the Malecon, there’s a small bluff where you can walk up to the Virgin of Guadalupe Shrine at the top and get a 360-degree view of the area. To the north, there is a lighthouse, and to the south, you can see the whole village and the beach. Mike’s Sky Ranch SCORE racing fans must visit Mike’s Sky Ranch, a historical stop for SCORE racers where they stay for races like the SCORE Baja 1000. It has a large swimming pool, rustic accommodations, and a small restaurant with a basic menu of home-cooked-style food. Take Mexico Highway 3 to the turnoff sign; it’s near the town of Trinidad, about 40 miles from El Dorado Ranch. Pristine Beaches There are miles of pristine beaches both north and south of San Felipe. The beach is ideal for long walks, and the sea is usually quiet and warm enough year-round for a swim. You can also enjoy riding a variety of water vehicles, such as jet skis or a banana float, or simply do nothing but relax and enjoy the sun. Puertecitos About 50 miles south of San Felipe is the little privately owned beach town of Puertecitos. There are sulfur hot springs and a really nice inlet beach. You can swim off the rocky area near the hot springs and can see lots of fish. This is also a good place to bring fins, a mask, and a snorkel, but area residents recommend going out at high tide and when the winds are calm. Lynn Chenowth Ranch And Museum The Chenowth Legacy Lodge is a resort and museum just south of San Felipe in Baja California, where legendary vehicle builder Lynn Chenowth has lived for the past 35 years. The museum currently displays 12 Chenowth cars. It’s being branded as a Chenowth exploration experience and offers fully customized guided off-road excursions. Visiting the ranch and museum offers an opportunity to get the full picture of the history of Chenowth designs up close and personal. REWIND: 2022 WINNERS Every SCORE San Felipe race has its own highlights, and last year’s race was no exception. It was the first time fans were allowed back on the Malecon after two years of COVID restrictions prevented them from Contingency and watching racers start and finish. The course was 277 miles, and 276 competitors attempted to finish and win the race in a variety of classes. After qualifying, Bryce Menzies got the first starting position for the race as the top qualifier with a time of 6:10.408 seconds. He was followed by Justin Lofton, who finished with a time of 6:15.001. The third-place starter was Luke McMillin, with a qualifying time of 6:49.219. Within the SCORE Trophy Truck Legend class, Ricky Johnson, DOR for Gus Vildosola Sr., qualified to start first in their class, while Ryan Hancock qualified first in the SCORE TT Spec class. The fastest qualifier in Class 1 was Conner McMullen, and the rest of the classes and moto classes got their starting positions from a draw. After all the teams were onto the course, it wasn’t long before the first motorcycles came to the finish line. Winning in the Pro Moto Unlimited class was the 10x team of Juan Carlos Salvatierra, Arturo Salas Jr., and Shane Logan. Within the SCORE Pro Moto Ironman class, Brandon Wright on the 7850x Husqvarna took the victory, as did Puerto Rican Falley Lopez in the Pro Quad Ironman class on his No. 83a Honda TRX50R. Also winning his first SCORE San Felipe 250 was Luke McMillin, who also earned BFGoodrich Tires its 100th Baja Overall Win. Finishing first in the SCORE TT Legends class was Gustavo Vildosola Sr. with Ricky Johnson, while in Class 1, Kyle Quinn in the No. 138 Wilson Motorsports buggy took first place. Young Christopher Polvoorde in the No. 204 truck won the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec class.