BajaNews - 3-2-2006 at 01:29 PM
http://www.score-international.com/press/pressRead.ihtml?id=...
March 1, 2006
Next Saturday in Mexico
LOS ANGELES?No longer that ?our little secret? spring break desert race in Mexico, next Saturday?s 20th Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 has
erupted into one of the top races in the world, attracting a record field of 328 entries from 20 U.S. States, Canada, Columbia, England and Mexico.
Round 2 of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the World?s Foremost Desert Racing Series, will be held March 11 in the quaint fishing village
of San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
And while it may be quaint, San Felipe will be anything but sleepy ?next week? as tens of thousands of ?adult spring racers? head South to the
majestic Baja California peninsula. The stage is clearly set for a classic desert duel alongside the peaceful azure waters of the Sea of Cortez, 120
miles South of the U.S. border at Calexico, Calif.
?This is remarkable, a testament to how prominent SCORE desert racing is in the world of motorsports,? said Cameron Steele, an ESPN action-sports
announcer and SCORE regular who has entered in three classes in San Felipe. ?We have already been down to San Felipe once to identify our pit
locations and there are already people all over the place. I?ve competed in this event many times and I came down here as a kid when my dad raced,
and I have never seen this kind of excitement. It?s always been a very good race, now it will become legendary.?
Completing its second decade as the ?baby Baja brother? to it?s older and more well-known Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and Tecate SCORE Baja 500
siblings, the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 now appears ready to make it?s own significant name in the incredible and storied 33-year history of SCORE
Baja racing.
The race annually provides a greater economic impact to San Felipe than the entire month-long ?Spring Break?.
As racers continue pre-running the course, setting up pit locations and finalizing race strategies along the 240.34-mile course, a race-record of
over 330 entries are expected to compete in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes. The green flag will drop at 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, for the
motorcycle and ATV classes, followed by the car and truck classes two hours later at approximately 8:30 a.m.
The start and finish line area for the extended loop, point-to-point course will once again be the landmark San Felipe arches on Highway 5 on the
outskirts of San Felipe. All vehicles will have a 10-hour time limit in the elapsed time race and vehicles will start in 30-second intervals.
To date, a race-record of 328 official entries from 20 States and five countries have officially entered the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, led by
Class 1-2/1600 with 41, followed by the unlimited Class 1 with 38, the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division with 28, SCORE Lite with 22, Class 25 with
21 and Class 10 with 18. So far, 219 of the entries are cars or trucks and 109 are either motorcycles or ATVs. Late registration will be accepted up
until race morning, virtually guaranteeing a final starting grid of more than 300 for the first time in the colorful 20-year history of the popular
race. The previous entry record of 291 set last year has been toppled by 37 so far, a growing increase of nearly 14 percent.
Pre-race festivities at the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 will include the colorful SCORE Midway and tech inspection on the Malecon beachfront in
downtown alongside the peaceful waters of the Sea of Cortez from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday (March 10).
At 9 p.m. on Saturday (March 11), the awards celebration will be held in front of The Beachcomber Night Club on the Malecon.
The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes chase for the $50,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several qualified 2006 SCORE
Class point leaders.
The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes the hunt for the annual Toyota Milestone and $12,000 Toyota True Grit Awards. The prestigious Toyota
Milestone Awards are presented to every racer who completes every required mile of every race in the 2006 SCORE Desert Series. The $12,000 Toyota True
Grit purse is split among the SCORE season point champions who are also Toyota Milestone award winners in several non-factory-backed classes.
Current SCORE official 2006 sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/C.L. Bryant-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official
shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Airstar America-official space lighting provider. Associate sponsors are: Tecate
Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Suzuki, SignPros,
Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie?s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
Associate sponsors for the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 are the Tourism and Convention Bureau of Mexicali/San Felipe, Cotuco and El Dorado Ranch.
For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series at
www.score-international.com.
F A C T S H E E T
2006 Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250
WHAT: 20th Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 Desert Race
Round 2 of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series
WHEN: Saturday, March 11, 2006
WHERE: San Felipe-Baja California, Mexico (120 miles south of U.S./Mexico Border)
WHO: Race-record of over 330 entries from 20 U.S. States, Canada, Columbia, England and Mexico
COURSE: TOTAL MILEAGE: 240.34 miles (5 checkpoints). Appearing roughly like a flopped ?B?, the course has two large separate loops joined by a
high-speed graded road with a twisty, rugged long stretch on the east side adjacent to the Sea of Cortez. Course will start and finish in the shadow
of the famed San Felipe Arches northwest of town, running in a counterclockwise direction. Course runs both north and south of town. The challenging
course runs on the edge of the Diablo Dry Lake, at the base of the rugged San Pedro Martir Mountains and through three major washes in the area:
Huatomote, Chanate, and the legendary Matomi wash. Matomi with its jagged rocks, and narrow passes between walls of rock, is considered to be 27 miles
of ?Baja at its best.? The final nine miles is a contradiction of beauty with the azure Sea of Cortez on the right with the reality of racing over
narly, twisting, rock-strewn trails, filled with turns. Course runs in a counter clockwise direction. Same course as 2005.
PRE/POST RACE SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, March 10--(All times PST)
Racer Registration, El Cortez Hotel, 8:30a.m.-4:30p.m
Media Registration, El Cortez Hotel, 9a.m.-5p.m
Contingency Row, Downtown on the Malecon, 10a.m.-5p.m.
Safety Inspection, Downtown on the Malecon, 10a.m.-6p.m.
Mandatory Driver/Rider Meeting, Poolside, El Cortez Hotel, 7p.m.
SATURDAY, March 11--(all times PST)
Posting of Unofficial Results-S/F Line (Los Arcos Hotel)-M/C & ATV 1 p.m., Cars/Trucks 4 p.m.
Competition Review Board-Los Arcos Hotel, 8 p.m.
Awards Celebration, Downtown on the Malecon, 9 p.m.
START/FINISH: START/FINISH: at the San Felipe Arches
RACE DAY SCHEDULE:
SATURDAY, March 11--(all times PST)
Late Registration & Tech, start line, 5:30 a.m.-8a.m.
Media Center Open, start line, 5:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
RACE STARTS: Motorcycles, ATVs-6a.m.; Cars, Trucks-8:30 a.m. One Vehicle starts every 30 seconds.
CLASS STARTING ORDER:
Motorcycles/ATVs--22, 40, 30, 21, 50, SPT M/C>, SPT M/C<, 25, 24, SPT ATV.
Cars/Trucks: TT, 1, 10, 8, PT, SL, 1-2/1600, 5, 7, 7S, 7SX, 5/1600, SF, SM, 9, 3, 17, SPT Car, SPT TRK, Class 11
TIME LIMIT: All vehicles will have a 10 hour time limit, from the time each vehicle starts, to complete the course.