SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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A TRIFECTA OF GRAND MARSHALS Three Grand Marshals Honoring This Special SCORE San Felipe 250 By Dominic Clark and Dan Sanchez At this year’s King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250 Presented by Baja Vida Snacks, SCORE International begins its 50th Anniversary celebration by adding some special people as Grand Marshals for this event. As a part of the 50th celebration, the first of these Grand Marshals is former SCORE President and Owner Sal Fish, who was announced as the Grand Marshal for all four SCORE races during this celebratory season. “I am truly humbled and blessed by this opportunity,” said Fish, 83, who splits his time with his wife Barbara between their home in Malibu, Calif., and their condo in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. “For those that know me, you know how much I love Baja and the passion I have for SCORE and all the people that have been involved with SCORE for 50 years now. SCORE is an amazing international motorsports treasure and I am fired up to shake some more hands and tell some more tales of a lifetime of memories.” Fish’s role in desert racing was the strategy he pursued to insure the survival of SCORE International during 1991-92, termed by economists as the worst recession since World War II. Choosing between the needs of high-profile factory racing teams and grassroots competitors, Fish chose the latter as having the most trouble coping with the economy while still racing. The policies Fish developed turned out well. Entries increased; the sport weathered the recession and is still growing. THE SAN FELIPE DEVELOPER The American developer who created San Felipe’s El Dorado Ranch, Pat Butler, also plays a part as Grand Marshal for this year’s King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250 Presented by Baja Vida Snacks. Butler was an international vice president with Marriott Corp., then became the executive and minority owner of the Affinity Group, owners of the Good Sam Club, Coast to Coast, Camping World, and other holdings. Located a short distance North of San Felipe, the 35,000-acre El Dorado Ranch is Butler’s latest project which is built to protect the natural landscape and wildlife across 50 percent of this ranch. The other areas are master-planned communities that have been developed since Butler purchased the property in 1994. When SCORE Races were held during COVID, the El Dorado Ranch was the central race operations for the 34th SCORE San Felipe 250 in 2021 and will be the location for SCORE operations for this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250, with the start/finish line and Contingency held on the Malecon in downtown San Felipe. THE FIRST WINNER Most SCORE racers know Dan Cornwell as the SCORE Tech Director, who has a team of inspectors checking the vehicles and equipment of teams to ensure they meet SCORE’s safety guidelines. But Dan Cronwell was also the very first Overall winner of the SCORE San Felipe 250 race, making him another addition to this year’s list of Grand Marshals. Cornwell was one of 232 entries into this new race started by Sal Fish in 1982, and entered it in a VW-powered Chenowth in Class 1. “Everything back then was on a budget and it was exciting to win that race,” said Cornwell. “My son Eric had just been born, so it was a happy time. Back then, the course was much better. The Chenowths were tough vehicles back then. We could roll over end-over-end in it, land on the wheels, and drive away.” “Dan was a young kid at the time,” said Sal Fish recalling Cornwell’s win. “He and many other racers really enjoyed this first race as it was intended for it to be fast, fun, and over quickly so the teams and families could have time to enjoy what San Felipe had to offer. My tech director at that time was Bill Savage, and in 2016 Dan came to be SCORE’s tech director, and he is still in that position today.” SJ