SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1532538
AWARDS NIGHT GALA Honoring Those Who Made The 2024 Season Great By SCORE Journal Staff Photos by Get Some Photo T he San Diego Air and Space Museum was the location of the 2024 SCORE Awards Gala, held on January 18th, and was hosted by SCORE Emcee Rat Sult, and industry media entrepreneur Dan McGranahan. The event marks the end of the 2024 season by honoring the Overall Points and Class Champions, as well as the individuals and companies behind the scenes, who contributed to a successful season. The event opened with prayers led by Dennis Hollenbeck honoring those individuals, racers, friends, and legends, who passed away this season, and are a part of SCORE’s off-road racing legacy. Those individuals included Parnelli Jones, John Rettie, Anibol Lopez, Alex Xydias, Malcolm Smith, Mary McGee, and John Alessio. SJ SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva and SCORE General Manager Juan Tintos Funke recognized several Mexican government officials including the Governor of the State of Baja California Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, Baja California State Secretary of Tourism Miguel Aguiniga Rodriguez, and Claudia Agaton Muniz, Mayor of Ensenada. Additional recipients included San Quintin Mayor Miriam Elizabeth Cano Nunez, San Felipe Mayor Jose Luis Dagnino Lopez, President of Proturismo of Ensenada Andres Martinez Bremer, Baja California Secretary of the Environment and Sustainable Development Monica Juliana Vega Aguirre, and Ricardo Javier Cardenas Gutierrez, Head of the Baja California Office of the Secretary of the Environment of Mexico. ANDY KIRKER SCORE PERSON OF THE YEAR SCORE Motorcycle Liaison Andy Kirker was honored as SCORE Person Of The Year. A SCORE motorcycle champion and competitor for nearly 50 years, Kirker has advocated for moto racers and became SCORE’s Motorcycle liaison in 2020. Kirker was honored with the award because of his significant contributions in that role, which led to many safety changes and increased payouts for moto and quad race winners. Kirker joins the honorable list of past recipients of the SCORE Person of the Year Award including, Walt Lott, Ivan Stewart, Malcolm Smith, Walker Evans, Frank DeAngelo, Michael Gaughan, Cameron Steele, Rob MacCachren, and Nico Saad. “Andy has been a strong voice for the motorcycle competitors as well as the overall organization and safety of our events,” said Jose Abelardo Grijalva, SCORE President and Race Director. “We are very pleased to be able to name him as the 2024 SCORE Person of the Year for everything he has done, is doing, and will continue to do to help SCORE advance even further into the world motorsports arena.” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD For their 12 years of service to SCORE International, Christine Wait and Lawton Shank were given the SCORE Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, both Wait and Shank were brought in as part of the original key management team with Roger and Elise Norman after having worked with the Normans during the two-year history after re-introducing the High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) in 2012 and 2013. Among the many areas they contribute include, developing insurance waiver forms for racers, staff, sponsors, VIPs, and media. They also provide details and negotiations surrounding SCORE racer insurance coverage, multi-page racer briefs for each event, racer email bulletins, maintaining and amending the SCORE Rule Book, Racing Timing oversight, and so much more. “Christine and Lawton do so many things for SCORE, it’s impossible to narrow it down, so it’s better to say that they do almost all of the above on the administrative side of our operation,” said Jose Abelardo Grijalva, SCORE President and Race Director. “Their commitment is unparalleled. Their passion is unequaled and their service is unreachable. Individually, they have both done so much to support the operation and administrative side of SCORE that we are forever grateful.” OFF-ROADSMAN AWARDS SCORE’s annual Off-Roadsman Awards are for those individuals and companies who contributed to the success of racers or the SCORE organization during the 2024 season. Some awards were decided by nearly 11,000 online votes from SCORE members and fans for those nominees in each category. Others are decided by points earned throughout the season from finishing positions after each race. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Eva Star Malabanan, of El Cajon, California was voted as Rookie Of The Year. The 17-year-old third-generation desert racer had a spectacular season in the SCORE Pro UTV N/A Class during the 2024 season. Driving the No. 1919 Polaris RZR XP 1000 with her father Sean Malabanan as her navigator, coach, and mechanic, she climbed to a second-place finish in the class season point standings, which included a second-place finish in the SCORE San Felipe 250. After a mechanical DNF in the SCORE Baja 500, Malabanan came back to finish second at the SCORE Baja 400 and finished in fifth place at the SCORE Baja 1000. This was Malabanan’s first full-season racing in SCORE after her racing career began when she was 11 years old. Her story was first featured in the May 2024 issue of SCORE Journal Magazine: SJ TEAM CATEGORIES Mechanic - Dave Castelan, Papas & Beer Racing Team Manager - Rodrigo Ampudia Sr., Papas & Beer Racing Pit Support Team - BFGoodrich Tires MEDIA CATEGORIES Media Impact - Austin Farner, Fishgistics.com Photographer - Daniel Curiel, Daniel Curiel Photographic Videographer - Sergio Mejia, Rada Media MANUFACTURER POINTS CATEGORIES UTV Manufacturer - Can-Am Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer - Mason Motorsports Engine Builder - Dougan Racing Engines Open Wheel Chassis Manufacturer - Alumicraft Racecars Motorcycle Manufacturer - Honda Contingency Company - Baja Designs