SCORE Journal

SCORE-Journal-March-2023

SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing

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SCORE is excited to announce a new Sponsor Partnership with communications industry leader, Rugged Radios, as the Official Radio Communications for the SCORE World Desert Championship series. “SCORE’s partnership with Rugged Radios will provide continued radio and communication needs along with its quality product lines for all SCORE racers, team communications, and for the global SCORE off-road performance lifestyle enthusiast fan base. Rugged Radios’ strong industry presence and radio product lines will help elevate SCORE communications along with its strong marketing presence. This will also elevate the overall series and racer exposure for the 2023 and season and beyond,” said Jim Ryan, SCORE V.P. Marketing & Sales Greg Cottrell, Founder, and President of Rugged Radios has a long history with SCORE racing and is excited his company is now an official SCORE sponsor. "I grew up hearing about my dad racing Class 11 in Baja and will never forget the stories of him going down the summit. When SCORE International asked us to partner with them, it only took a few days to agree to the conditions and commit to a long-term partnership,” said Cottrell. “Rugged is proud to be part of the SCORE family now, and our team looks forward to helping anyone and everyone at the first race of the year. See you in San Felipe!” Look for the Rugged Radios working display areas at all SCORE race events for products, repair services, and technical advice. NEW HEAVY METAL LIMITED CLASS SCORE International added a new Heavy Metal Limited Class for the 2023 season. This class is open to all full-size and mid-size pickups and SUVs such as Ford’s Bronco DR and must have a production-appearing body with an original production frame. Must be a V8 crate engine and must match the body. There is no limit on engine displacement. SHARLENE SKOCZYLAS MOVES TO RACING FORCE USA Off-Road racing industry manufacturer representative and racer Sharlene Skoczylas, is the new Off-Road Motorsports & Events Manager of Racing Force Group, for the West Coast. Skoczylas was formerly with PCI Race Radios for nearly 10 years and has also volunteered for many racing venues as well as the Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame during her 15-year career. “I’ve always learned something from every race that I’ve worked, pitted, chased, or raced,” says Skoczylas. “I’ve witnessed or been involved in racing accidents, fires, rollovers, and breakdowns, and because of this I know that having the proper safety equipment and safety knowledge is crucial.” As the new representative for Racing Force Group, Skoczlas will showcase a variety of safety products to racers such as Bell helmets, OMP racing safety equipment, and Zero Noise & Racing Spirit Apparel. “These companies are well-known in the road racing industry of Formula 1, NASCAR, Rally and Kart Racing, and the Racing Force Group wanted to branch out into the off-road market. I’m proud to be implementing these quality products into the off-road industry and educating the importance of safety.” JIMCO RACING ACQUIRED BY RAFAEL NAVARRO FAMILY From a joint venture originally structured in late 2022, the Rafael Navarro family completed the acquisition of Jimco Racing Inc. from former owner Robbie Pierce’s estate on February 22, 2023. The Navarro family and Pierce had designed a multi-year ownership transition and mentorship alliance but it was pushed forward with the untimely death of Pierce from a scuba diving accident in January of 2023. According to the company, Jimco Racing Inc. will continue to conduct all business operations in the same facility in Santee, California, and retain Barry Karakas as Director of Operations/R&D as an integral part of the company’s structure and growth plan. The Navarro family, Rafael Navarro II, Rafael Navarro III, and Rafael Navarro IV, have a long racing career in SCORE and other racing venues and own the legendary Pete’s Camp seaside resort in San Felipe, Baja Mexico. Jimco was originally founded by Jim Julson in the mid-1970s, a former Navy civilian engineer, building race cars out of his home garage in El Cajon, California. Julson’s son Mike took over the business in 1989 after his father retired. In 2018 Mike Julson sold Jimco to Robbie Pierce. Jimco Racing has earned 25 SCORE Chassis Manufacturer Of The Year Awards and continues to be one of the most successful manufacturers of off-road racing vehicles in the history of the sport. Hail and Farewell to our friend Jim Ober Legendary Hall of Fame Photographer by dominic clark SCORE is genuinely grieved with the word that Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame off-road photographer has passed away suddenly at his home in Simi Valley, Calif. He was 76 at the time of his passing. “Jim Ober was at the top of his profession for nearly 50 years and while he had been retired since 2016, his irreplaceable work will live on, truly forever,” reflected Jim Ryan, SCORE Vice-President of Sales and Marketing. His work, from when he started Trackside Photo in 1978 until he drove off into the sunset after the 2015 season is a collection of masterpieces for the ages.” “SCORE was honored to consider him a friend whose every accolade was well-deserved and whose still images are irreplaceable. And no photographer has deserved more to be enshrined in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.” Ober pioneered the profession of off-road photo journalism and was voted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in the Pioneer category as part of the class of 2016. He was honored an untouchable record 17-times in his career as the SCORE Photographer of the Year. Ober started Trackside Photo was started in 1969, while he was a staff photographer at the old Los Angeles Herald Examiner newspaper. While still a staff photographer for the Herald (shooting murderers, fires, social events and celebrities, sometimes all in the same day) Ober started shooting road racing on weekends at Riverside Raceway and Laguna Seca, but quickly moved on to Off-Road racing when, in his own words “I got tired of shooting through the same hole in the fence that other ‘photogs’ had to use”.  Trackside Photo was also the official photographers for the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group for 14 years (Mickey Thompson Off-Road Championship Gran Prix of stadium off-road races) Ober left the newspaper business in 1978 to pursue Trackside Photo full time and over the years he hired some very talented shooters many of whom went on to become well known Photographers and journalists. Most notable would be Art Eugenio of GetSome Photo, the official photographer of SCORE for the last decade. Ober was an active member of the Press Photographer Association of the Greater Los Angeles area and served as the group’s president in 1984. He served in the U.S. Army and remained in the Army reserve for over 20 years. A plethora of his magnificent photographic off-road word can be found at www.TracksidePhoto.com. SCORE sends sincere condolences to his wife of 35 years, Jeanette, and the entire Ober family. A memorial service and a Celebration of Life for Ober are pending. Rugged Radios Signs on as the Official Radio Communications for the SCORE World Desert Championship

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