SCORE Journal

SCORE Journal-August 2019

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

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400 Miles To Go The Inaugural Lucerna SCORE BaJa 400 Set To Be A Fast-Paced & Challenging Race By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo September 18th-22nd will mark a historical event in SCORE International’s history, with the launch of the Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 race.  It will also be the first time in SCORE’s race history that three Baja desert racing events will be held and hosted by the city of Ensenada, Mexico. The city’s mayor, Marco A. Novelo believes hosting this race and SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000 are events he, the city and local government is proud to be a part of. “It has truly been an honor and a privilege for our Municipal Government to have been a part of the growth and progress that SCORE International race have achieved,” said Novelo. “This includes having celebrated the 50th Anniversary editions of both the SCORE Baja 1000 and SCORE Baja 500, which attracted hundreds of thousands of fans, as well as a great deal to our regional economy, as well as celebrating three races here in our beautiful port city during the 2019 season.” The race was the concept of SCORE President and Race Director Jose A. Grijalva, who had been wanting to create a fourth race for several years, one that he believes meets what the racers wanted and with a course that met the distance and challenges racers preferred in a desert off-road competition.  For racers and teams, the Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 will have some familiar aspects to the SCORE Baja 500, such as the return to the start and finish line in Ensenada, as well as Contingency taking place in town. Yet, Grijalva and the SCORE International staff have indicated that the race is not another SCORE Baja 500. “Since the course starts and ends in Ensenada, there will be several sections that racers will find familiar,” said Grijalva. “But there are many sections that are included in the Lucerna SCORE Baja 400, that have not been raced on for more than 10 years.”    Grijalva believes racers and teams will love this course and that it will indeed include some very high-speed sections that racers love, but also some extremely technical sections that will challenge even veteran racers. “I believe once the green flag drops, racers will drive pedal-to-the-metal until they see the checkered flag,” said Grijalva. With this type of action, SCORE fans will undoubtedly be witness to a spectacular race that captures all of the traditions, sights, and great viewing areas of SCORE’s historic races, but with a new fast-paced challenge that this race will deliver.   Celebrations And Events  The Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 officially begins with on-site chassis inspections and registration starting Wednesday, September 18th. Chassis inspections will be at the Playa Hermosa Beach, and SCORE fans are encouraged to visit the area to get an up-close look at the vehicles and see the safety efforts imposed to ensure a safe race. SCORE International’s headquarters will be at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center where registrations will be on-going until Friday, September 20th at 3 pm.   Contingency Days are another team and fan-favorite event in which everyone will gather on the Boulevard Costero, next to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, to see the first round of race vehicles that will be participating in the race. Contingency is spread over two days, beginning Thursday, September 19th from 9 am to 5 pm, with the second day continuing September 20th from 9 am to 5 pm. During both days, SCORE emcees Rat Sult and Dave Arnold will be hosting an interviewing several racers on the start and finish line podium, that will be shown on the SCORE Vision screen for fans to see and hear, as well as broadcast live on the SCORE International website and the SCORE app. Fans can also walk down to the end of Contingency Row, to Avenue Las Dunas to see the huge vendor and manufacturer display area. After Contingency Day ends on Friday, September 20th, the Monster Energy Papas Y Beer SCORE Street Party will take place on Avenida Ruiz from 6 pm to Midnight. It’s a fantastic time for everyone to gather and celebrate before the race, enjoying music and food that is walking distance from most local hotels in the area.   Race Day  The inaugural Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 race begins with the Motorcycle and Quad classes lining up at 6 am, Saturday, September 21st adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Blvd. Costero. The first teams off the starting line are the Pro Moto Unlimited division racers that take the green flag at 6:20 am with a 60-second split between racers. All other classes start one vehicle every 30-seconds. Following the launch of the Motorcycle and Quad classes, the Mexican Flag Ceremony takes place at 8:30 am at Ventana Al Mar Plaza. This is a special occasion that brings out representatives of the various armed forces in Mexico to salute the flag and raise it in honor of the SCORE Lucerna Baja 400 race. Following the flag racing, the Honor Guard and Flag Salute Ceremonies take place at 9:15 am, celebrating both the United States and Mexico flags with bands playing the national anthem.  After a gap of three hours, the cars, trucks, and UTVs gather to the starting line at 10 am. Starting with the SCORE Trophy Truck class, SCORE officials will launch one truck every 60-seconds. The remaining classes will start one every 30-seconds. Watching the various classes leave off the starting line is an exciting an integral part of watching a SCORE race. Once all the vehicles are gone, fans can grab some lunch at a variety of local restaurants or from local street vendors and enjoy the amenities that the city of Ensenada has to offer. Fans typically return in the early afternoon to see the motorcyclists come in from when their journey started before sunrise, and witness the first winner of this event. A few hours later, the SCORE Trophy Trucks will cross the finish line, but fans are aware that penalties for missing a virtual checkpoint or exceeding speed limits where there are restrictions, will alter how these vehicles officially finish the race. Those fans watching the SCORE Live Streaming feed and live tracking information, will be able to calculate who the eventual winner may be, but awaiting for SCORE officials to make the call is always a great celebration with the victors showering themselves with champagne and fans cheering for the occasion. For those fans that stick around until Sunday morning September 22nd. The SCORE Awards Celebration honors all of the first through third place racers in every class.SJ

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