SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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THE SCORE PARKER 400 One Of SCORE’s Original Races By Dan Sanchez Photos by Trackside Photo During SCORE’s inception in 1973, Mickey Thompson was approached with the opportunity to take over promotion and operation of the Parker Dam races in Arizona. It was a well-established race with a long history dating back to 1911, when one of the area’s pioneers Joe Bush, staged a race from Parker to Wenden in order to promote his ferry service across the Colorado River. Historical accounts indicate that the official off-road race began in 1971 with the Dam 500, organized by the Parker Dam Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA). According to “The Off-Road Racer” by Norman T. Johnson and Gordon Grimmis, both of whom were early participants in the sport, various sources reported that in 1973, members of the Chamber of Commerce recognized the need for a change in the event’s promotion, and approached Mickey Thompson to take over the event. “The people at Parker knew Mickey because he owned some land there, and once hearing about him starting SCORE with the Riverside RV Spectacular Race, they approached him about taking over the Parker race,” said SCORE former owner Sal Fish. Thompson agreed to promote the Parker Dam event for 1974, making it known as the Parker 400. It was at this same time when the Mexican government also approached Thompson to take over the Mexican 1000 and Baja International (Baja 500) races from the Baja Sports Committee. Thompson agreed and brought in Sal Fish to be the President and SCORE and its four new races. “Initially, Mickey never wanted to be a full-time promoter,” said Fish. “He just wanted to race, but he couldn’t see these important races go away, so he stepped in and hired me to run them.” The first Parker 400 race under the SCORE banner was in January 1974 and consisted of a 120-mile loop on the Arizona side and a 129-mile loop on the California side. Racers would take two laps in Arizona and one in California. The race had 227 entries and could be seen on both sides of the state line. “It was gratifying to see those cars and bikes take off that morning,” said Mickey Thompson in an interview after the race. “I knew right then that SCORE was going to be successful and off-road racing had a big future.” Among some of the winners of that race were Edgar Venable and A.G. Fulkerson in a Funco VW, winning in Class 1. Rod Hall and Jim Fricker won in Class 3 driving a Ford Bronco, Walker Evans and Jimmie Bird won in Class 8, Curt Skinner and Donald Feldsher on a Honda 125 won Class 20, and Al Baker with Steve Holladay on a Kawasaki 400 won Class 22. The Parker 400 continued under SCORE, growing in popularity and race entries. By 1977 there were more than 404 entries, and the crowds were estimated around 70,000, according to Joan Travis of the Parker Pioneer news agency. “The Parker 400 race had grown and was attracting more spectators and racers,” said Fish. “I ultimately developed great relationships with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the local Chemehuevi Tribe, and the Parker Arizona Chamber of Commerce. Individually, they loved what we did with the race and our ability to keep it going. It helped that Mickey Thompson was also friends with people in the Chamber of Commerce, as he and his sister Coleen had a trailer by the Colorado River with race boats and other toys he would house there.” By 1978, personnel changes at the BLM were now focusing on land use and they became more involved in the areas SCORE would be allowed to plot a racecourse through. “They began putting restrictions,” said Fish. “Parker was an ideal place at the time, but there was also a lot of misinformation that emerged asking why SCORE was allowed to race over sacred tribal lands and other false accusations. Despite my efforts, the Parker Chamber of Commerce, and community members, it became increasingly difficult to get the proper permits for the 1978 Parker 400 race.” After additional delays from the BLM to get the proper permits and the deadline approaching, Fish moved the 1978 Parker 400 race to Mexicali and called the Mexicali 300. This ultimately transitioned into the SCORE San Felipe 250. The following year, 1979, SCORE mended relationships with the BLM, and the SCORE Parker 400 returned. By 1985, SCORE and HDRA had joined forces to unite the sport, bringing more popularity and national recognition to the Parker 400 race. Impositions on the area and course continued, making it increasingly difficult to put on the race. By 1989, the BLM forced the closure of the California lap of the race due to wildlife, and in 1990, the race was only held in Arizona from then on. Entries for the race declined, and in 1993, when SCORE had acquired HDRA, it continued to put on the race until 1997, when SCORE finally suspended the Parker 400 due to the many land restrictions and low entries. The race was picked up by Whiplash Motorsports until 2003 when it was taken over by Casey Folks and the Best In The Desert Racing Association. In 2023, the race changed hands to Unlimited Off-Road Racing and continues on. SJ