It’s not a remake. It’s not a sequel. But it is an epic glimpse into the passion and brotherhood that unites the brave souls who risk life and limb to compete in one of the oldest and grandest forms of motorsports, off-road racing on the Baja California Peninsula.

In an unprecedented release, Dust 2 Glory will hit theaters nationwide on December 6 for a one-night-only, one-time run coordinated by Fathom Events. You can click on the link here to find out where it is showing near you and purchase tickets to see it. The thing is, if you don’t catch the film on December 6, then you may have to wait a long time before it is available on DVD, making it worthwhile to make the effort to view Brown’s latest Baja epic in its rightful setting, on the big screen.

DirtBikes.com sat down with Brown to discuss Dust 2 Glory, a fascinating work of which he is justifiably proud. In fact, Brown isn’t afraid to claim that it might be the best he has ever done as a director. Produced in conjunction with iconic Baja sanctioning body score, Dust 2 Glory is more than just a film about the competition that takes place in Baja. It’s a true human tale of the triumphs, tribulations and sadly, the tragedies experienced by those who put it all on the line to contest the SCORE Desert World Championship during the 2016 racing season. It’s not just a racing film. It’s a people film. Brown wouldn’t have it any other way.

DirtBikes.com: Congratulations on the completion of Dust 2 Glory. How many feature films that have been released in theaters does that make for you now?

Dana Brown: About a 140… [laughs]. Actually, this is five, I guess. Let’s see, Step Into Liquid, Dust to Glory, High Water, On Any Sunday, the Next Chapter, and now this one.

DirtBikes.com: But what is it about the Baja racing scene that made you decide you wanted to do a second film, Dust 2 Glory?

Dana Brown: Baja is such a big canvas that you can only paint on part of it. You could make a film about that racing every year, and every year it would be different—different characters and different emotions. It’s way bigger than any one movie can really cover, so it seemed like a natural thing to do it again, knowing that I wouldn’t be repeating myself.

DirtBikes.com: It’s hard to believe that it has been 13 years between Dust To Glory and Dust 2 Glory…

Dana Brown: Yeah, kind of. The older you get, the more time flies by, and you move on to other things, but what was really hard for me to believe was that when I did go back down there, to see just how important the first one was to people. It was really surprising. I mean, I knew that people liked it, but I didn’t know that they liked it that much and how much of an impact it had with that community. It made me want to be sure that we did a really good job we did on this one.

DirtBikes.com: That’s true. We know of people who got involved in racing in Baja just because they saw the original Dust To Glory, and it made them want to give it a go.

Dana Brown: Yeah. I’ve had people come up to me and say that I cost them money. [laughs] They say, “Dana Brown, you cost me money, because I saw the movie!” I’ve heard that a lot. You know that racing down there is not the most inexpensive thing to get involved in. Nobody’s really mad at me, though.

DirtBikes.com: You mentioned not repeating yourself. Dust 2 Glory truly doesn’t come off as a remake or a sequel to us. It’s like an entirely different film. The first one was more of a “Heroes of Baja,” documentary, focusing on legends and the top racers in the class. Dust 2 Glory comes off to us as way more blue collar, more about the “Joe Everyman” who spends most of his paycheck and puts in tons of hours just to make the Baja 1000 or maybe race the whole SCORE Desert World Championship.

Dana Brown: I think that’s right. When we did the first one, we only had two months of prep time, and when you go down there that’s who you see and who people push you toward, the big-buck guys with their shiny objects, which is great. They’re great people. But then you experience it and you notice all of the other stories that you didn’t get to film. With Dust 2 Glory, that was the point, to introduce the audience to all of the surrounding stuff as well as the shiny objects. That was how I figured it would be easy to do something different and yet still have it be as interesting as doing one with the fast guys. There’s such a unique thing with that race where the slow guys are just as interesting as the fast guys.

DirtBikes.com: And this time you actually got to experience a little of the dust yourself by racing with one of the teams in a Volkswagen.

Dana Brown: Yes, I did. I just sat in the co-pilot seat for 80 miles with Eric Solorzano. He kind of duped me into that. [laughs] I had a great time. It was just 80 miles, but it was unbelievable. If you’ve never done it, you really should because it’s crazy what you see out there, fans covered in dust and having a great time. I was just watching them and filming a little bit. The racing down there really is one of a kind, and that’s what makes it evergreen.

DirtBikes.com: One of the major challenges with this film that was different than the first one was that in the Dust To Glory you focused only on one race, the Baja 1000. This time around you covered all of the races that make up the SCORE Desert World Championship, including the 2016 Baja 1000.

Dana Brown: And we had a much smaller crew and about the same amount of money to do it. [laughs] But the thought was that this time we would be able to get to really know the people. That’s how we did it, by covering the whole season, and it worked out well. By the time the 1000 came around, we really had access to everybody, and their stories all came together. We weren’t just invested in a few people this time. But I didn’t look at it as a problem of having too much content, and we didn’t end up repeating ourselves. What’s really interesting is that stuff that so many people think is boring in their lives can be really fascinating, and I think that really comes through in Dust 2 Glory. It was really lovely to have the time to experience all of that. I think that’s what makes this film different. It has a lot more depth.

DirtBikes.com: What stands out to you with the regard to the motorcycle segments in Dust 2 Glory? You focused on the Ironman class, which was interesting, but to have to deal with the deaths of motorcycle racers Travis Livingston and Warrior Built team rider Noah Evermann at the 2016 Baja 500 had to be a tough thing. You’d be remiss not to include their stories, but at the same time the challenge is to treat it with the proper perspective.

Dana Brown: Yes, and not so much. When we first announced that we were doing the film at the Off-Road Expo in Pomona, the Warrior Built guys had a booth. I didn’t know anything about them. I was like, “Really? You guys race this thing?” And they said, “Yeah.” They all had their prosthetics on and everything. So we started following them at the start of the season, and then that [accident] happened to them at the Baja 500, and we thought that would be it, that we wouldn’t see them again. But then they came right back for the Baja 1000. They’re just amazing people. Honestly, everything you’d want the military to be is embodied in those guys. I don’t know how they were able to keep smiling all the time. I’d probably be bitter. We couldn’t talk to them for 20 seconds and not realize that we had to tell their story, but then the way it unfolded, it was really a “wow” moment for us.

But I don’t think I make anyone out to be a bigger hero than they are—except for maybe Ricky Johnson. I try to help him out [laughs]. Those Warrior Built guys just really are that big.

DirtBikes.com: You worked with Carlin Dunne again, and fans of On Any Sunday, the Next Chapter might well remember him. He came off as Superman in that film, but he was more Clark Kent in Dust 2 Glory.

Dana Brown: Yeah, which was great. I mean, not for Carlin, but… When he told me that he wanted to do the Baja 1000 in the Ironman class, I knew we were going to follow him. He’s just a good dude with such a great story. Plus, I think the concept of the Ironman class is probably the easiest thing for people not familiar with that racing to understand—one man, one motorcycle. It’s a compelling story, and Carlin just happened to get sick and pull out, but it works. I think it was good to see that he’s not Superman.

DirtBikes.com: It’s like you said, as a storyteller, you can’t go wrong in Baja.

Dana Brown: Right. You don’t have to juice anything up or cover anything up. You just have to say what you saw. There’s just something about that place that will always be wide open and wild.

DirtBikes.com: It seems like there is always that one take-away in these projects where you can say that that one thing made the whole effort worth it. Can you share one from Dust 2 Glory?

Dana Brown: I’m repeating myself, but just getting to know the people in the film. The humanity of that race and that experience, even when you’re down there just filming it, it’s like you’re part of a family. I don’t know how to explain it. There’s something about people with a shared passion that overcomes money, overcomes race, all of it. Everyone down there is involved, and all of the bullshit that everyone thinks is super-important elsewhere just falls away.

DirtBikes.com: You’ve had a few pre-screenings of Dust 2 Glory, and the feedback has been pretty good?

Dana Brown: So far, and I’m really happy with that. I knew I couldn’t go back and just redo what we did with the first one, so to have people tell me they like this one better than the first one is gratifying.

DirtBikes.com: And now the big Dust 2 Glory premiere happens on December 6. It’s going to be quite different than the usual movie premier. Tell us about it.

Dana Brown: On December 6, the movie premiers in 600 theaters across the country, through Fathom Events. It will play at 7:30 p.m., no matter what time zone you’re in, and it plays just for that one time. If everyone shows up, they’ll play it again a week later, and if that goes well then it will be get a regular run. It’s neat because it kind of goes back to the way my dad did it with his surf movies, where he four-walled it [renting the theater space and having viewers come to see it]. In this case, we’re four-walling it 600 times at once. If the tribe comes out to see it, then the word will get out. This fits financially. Phantom Events does a lot of one-off screenings. It’s unconventional, but I think it’s the way to go. People can just go on fathomevents.com and enter their zip code to find out where it is showing near them, and they can buy tickets through the website as well.

DirtBikes.com: Filmmaking is a birthing process, and it seems like whenever someone puts out a film, they are asked what they’re going to work on next. So… What are you going to work on next?

Dana Brown: [Laughs] Right now, I’m just hoping that December 6 works out because that could open up a lot of opportunities. If Wednesday works out well, then I’m a hero, and if it doesn’t, I’m an idiot. Actually, this is my worst time, right now. I love working on films, and I’d much rather be doing that than worrying about things that are out of my control. I just hope people get out and see it. If they think it sucks, well, I can deal with that, but if they don’t get to see it, that would be a bummer.

DirtBikes.com: Could you ever see yourself going back to Baja to do a third film?

Dana Brown: Sure. It would depend on if we had the right people and the right story or stories. I love Baja, and I’d love to do it, but I will say this: I’m really proud of Dust To Glory and Dust 2 Glory, but if we ever do another one, I think we retire the name. [laughs]

The post Dust 2 Glory: The Dana Brown Interview appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Entering into a multi-year agreement with the City of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, the unique-format race will be held Sept. 22-24 with the spectator-friendly start/finish line and pit area located on the southeast outskirts of Tijuana in the popular Casian Ranch area.

With just four months remaining before the historic 50th anniversary race of the iconic SCORE Baja 1000, the City of Tijuana and the Tijuana tourism groups have stepped up and offered SCORE a strong, multi-year contract that moves the race from nearby Rosarito Beach, where it was held last year. Motorcycles, quads and a group of car classes will race in split heats on Friday with the remaining car and truck classes running the first half of their race on Saturday and final half on Sunday.

“We appreciate all that Rosarito Beach did to launch the Baja version of the popular SCORE Desert Challenge, but as they were unable to host this year’s race, we are extremely pleased that the City of Tijuana, which has significantly more resources, is able to welcome this popular SCORE racing event,” comments Roger Norman, SCORE President/CEO. In addition, “Located close to the U.S. Border at San Diego, it will also provide an easier access and departure from the race, making attending and/or participating in this event even easier than the other race events in our SCORE World Desert Championship.”

Tijuana is one of the five largest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas in all of Mexico. The city has also experienced tremendous growth in recent years, attracting investments by electronics, aerospace and medical tourism firms and is also regarded as one of the top cuisine destinations in the world, including craft beer production.

Tijuana has also recorded its best hotel occupancy rate in the last 15 years and has attracted additional hotel chains like City Express, Holiday Inn and the Hyatt Hotels among others.

SCORE is also working closely with the Tijuana Hotel Association to secure room blocks for race teams, sponsors, media and the SCORE staff at five-star accommodations in the city.

SCORE officials have also indicated that these race dates, one week later than originally scheduled, will allow supporting teams and manufacturers to focus clearly on one-event rather than extending resources because of competing trade and consumer shows on the previous race dates.

SCORE Journal
The SCORE Journal, launched in 2015, is published as 12 monthly online digital magazines, which includes four print editions that are available as the SCORE race programs at the four events that comprise the SCORE World Desert Championship along with another print edition for the annual SCORE Awards Night.

The SCORE Journal Monthly Digital Magazine features exclusive editorial, enhanced race action videos, expanded and interactive race coverage, interactive product reviews, insider interviews with drivers, tech stories, driver and team profiles, race narratives and analysis, exclusive long and short form video programming, race results, updated stats, studio photography, class overviews, unmatched access to SCORE’s historical archives and much, much more.

Para Amigos!
The SCORE Journal features a Spanish language edition of the magazine on the SCORE website. Spanish-speaking individuals represent nearly 20% of the SCORE Journal unique reader base. The link may be viewed on the menu of the SCORE Journal Magazine tab on the SCORE Website. The Spanish language version of the SCORE Journal will be posted within the week of the traditional version.

El Rey Network
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience/SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas will all air on El Rey Network in the United States. International distribution is by way of syndication.

El Rey Network is a 24-hour, English-language lifestyle network targeting “Strivers,” viewers who hold strong core beliefs about the importance of family, independence, hard work, craftsmanship, and legacy.

Founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network features action-packed programming, relatable heroes and aspirational stories that embrace today’s America. El Rey’s slate is anchored by signature series including the original drama “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series,” the one-on-one interview program “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair,” and “Lucha Underground,” a lucha libre wrestling series produced by Mark Burnett.

El Rey Network’s lineup also showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and television series including genre, action, and sci-fi/ horror. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.

El Rey Network is available in 45 million homes across the country through cable and OTT providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 341 and Dish Network Channel 253. For more information on how to watch El Rey visit http://elreynetwork.com.

ERN Airtime
Showcasing the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck victory by Andy McMillin, the one-hour in-depth coverage show on the 49th SCORE Baja 500 will premier on Sunday, August 6 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on the El Rey Network.

Dust2Glory
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Dana Brown, Dust2Glory has chronicled each of the four races in the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship. Brown’s original Dusty to Glory, released in 2005, became an iconic classic showcasing the legendary SCORE Baja 1000. D2G, which began shooting at the 2015 SCORE Baja 1000, continued up close and personal coverage capturing the robust racers in their amazing adventures in Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula through all four spectacular 2016 races. Dust2Glory is scheduled for release later this year.
SCOREscope

The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship and for the second time all four are being held in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the complete 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
• 31st SCORE San Felipe 250, March 30-April 2, San Felipe, Mexico
• 49th SCORE Baja 500, June 1-4, Ensenada Mexico
• Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge, Sept. 22-24, Tijuana, Mexico
• 50th SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.14-18, Ensenada, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico

For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCOREInternational.com.

The post SCORE Desert Challenge Moves to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Formed by former JCR riders Colton Udall and Mark Samuels, Ox Motorsports pretty much picked up where JCR left off, which makes sense because both men were on the team when JCR pulled the plug on its Baja program. The Ox team suffered a loss in the 2014 Baja 1000 while getting its own program up to speed, but Udall, Samuels and Company have enjoyed pretty smooth sailing since then. The team has racked up wins in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the event as well as the SCORE Desert World Championship both years. The 2017 season started off as business as usual for the team when it came out and won the 2017 San Felipe 250. A crash in the Baja 500 ended the team’s win streak, but they’re still even money for the Baja 1000 in November.

Why? Because in addition to featuring the talents of such riders as Udall, Samuels, Damon Skokie, Ryan Penhall, Nic Garvin and Ray Dal Soglio on the team, Ox Motorsports has its Honda CRF450X-based race program down to a science.

While Honda has released the much higher-tech CRF450RX in 2017, Ox Motorsports continues on with one of the most tried-and-true models in Big Red’s off-road line-up, the carbureted, EPA-legal CRF450X. So, why not change to the newer model? As Udall, who has nine years of experience with the CRF450X puts it, why would the team want to change from a known winner in the CRF450X to an unknown quantity in the CRF450RX?

“We have a contract with American Honda, and they provide us with CRF450X’s,” Udall said. “The CRF450RX was developed more for GNCC racing. We had a meeting with them, asking them if they wanted us to race the RX this year, and they said they wanted us to continue to push the X until they felt that the RX was the bike to race in Mexico. Honda moves deliberately. Besides that, the X is the ultimate motorcycle for Baja. Its chassis is, by far, the most stable I’ve ever ridden. It is tremendously flexible. It eats up the bumps, and it is more nimble than anything else in its weight class.”

Naturally, prepping Honda’s green-sticker-legal, open-class CRF450X takes some work—the machines that OX Motorsports rides into battle aren’t merely warmed-over stock machines. Each bike headed for Baja is thoroughly disassembled, and a host of trick, although mostly obtainable, parts and pieces are included to transform the CRF450X from a mild-mannered trailbike into a fire-breathing, ground-gobbling off-road endurance beast.

“It pretty much goes into a million pieces, really,” Udall said of each race bike the team readies for racing. “The motor, the transmission, everything just goes all the way down because we want to check things like the set screws on the main bearings [in the engine]. They are always tight, but you have to be sure. We just rebuild everything from there.”

To achieve the reliability the team requires for the brutal Baja races, the stock crankshaft is trued and rebalanced before a stock rod is fitted to it and it is placed back in the thoroughly examined engine cases. Udall said that lately the team has been experimenting with some different parts for its forthcoming rally efforts, but the Baja bike prep has pretty much followed the same blueprint for years.

“The stock cranks last a long time—certainly for 1000 miles,” Udall said.

As for the top end, there are more changes made, although even they aren’t as radical as Ox Motorsports’ win record.

“We run the stock compression ratio,” Udall said. “We can run on pump gas, but we run a 75/25 mix of F&L SP-3 race gas and 91 Chevron pump gasoline. That’s what Honda’s chemists suggest and that’s I learned from Johnny [Campbell]. But the cylinder head is from a 2008 Honda CRF450R because the intake porting is much larger than the X head, and the valves are like 1mm larger. The camshaft is from the 2002 Honda CRF450R because it gives the engine good mid-range and really good overrev. You can hold it wide open without hitting the rev limiter, and it is more of a free-revving motor whereas the stock motor feels a little bound up when you get on the gas.”

The stock airbox is also cut up to more closely resemble the openings of a CRF450R airbox, and the stock carburetor is re-jetted with a 45 pilot jet, a 178 main jet and an NCYS needle in the middle position. There is also a pink wire that gets swapped in the harness to free up even more revs. Even so, Udall added that the engine changes don’t make the 450X into some unruly animal.

“It’s not some radical powerband,” Udall said. “KTMs probably pull harder, but this is a package that was developed by Johnny to be useable and to put the power to the ground.”

Part of that power comes from a well-proven Pro Circuit exhaust system that the team has been using for years.

“They actually call it the JCR Race Edition, and it definitely adds horsepower compared to other exhaust systems we’ve tried. The Pro Circuit exhaust rips from the bottom all the way to the top. There are some things in that exhaust that are unique.”

The stock CRF450X transmission is also taken apart, carefully inspected and put back in the cases. There are no internal mods, such as ratio changes, but the final gearing is altered to suit the terrain.

“We use 15/47 most of the time,” Udall said. “Stock is 13/51. The motor pulls the 15 countershaft pretty good most of the time. It is a very comfortable feel. You can run a 48 [on the back], but we feel that 47 is the ideal gearing. It won’t quite pull a 46 out of the corners the way we like, and the 48 is a little too tight. Sometimes we will put a 48 on there, though.”

Beyond that, the team adds small things such as heat tape on the radiator hoses to better combat any potential coolant boiling issues and chicken wire over the radiators to prevent damage when striking a bush.

Ox Motorsports utilizes AHM Factory Services to dial-in the suspension on its racebikes. The fork and shock are torn down, inspected for any flaws and then re-valved, sprung with the stock Honda CRF450X springs and rebuilt to Ox Motorsports specs, incorporating Showa A-Kit suspension internals.

“We’re pretty much looking for a soft setup where we can use all the stroke,” Udall said. “You want it to be pretty plush, but you also want it to stand up through some of the G-outs and the hard hits. If you go too stiff it becomes deflective in high-speed sections. If you go too soft, it wallows. Johnny used to always tell the suspension guy that he’d like it to bottom once per mile. [laughs] Most of the time you’re going in on the clickers. We’re heavier riders, and I ride the bike really hard. It’s all about finding happiness by using the high-speed adjusters.”

When the night falls, the team relies on Baja Designs for its lighting needs.

“We base our lighting off of their power package off their rewound stator, but we do change a few things.”

When it comes to the chassis, the team uses triple clamps from two different sources, XTrig and BRP. Other departures from stock parts include BRP chain sliders, Pro Taper sprockets and DID chains. Fuel is carried in IMS tank, and the team uses a Moto Seat with a pocket in the front to carry its SpotTracker. IMS footpegs are used to secure the rider’s feet. A P3 carbon skid plate protects the undercarriage. MSR Hard Parts handguards protect the rider’s knuckles.

Oh yes, and A’ME grips.

“Right,” Udall said. “I’m a huge advocate of full-waffle grips. Some people don’t like them, but they sort of create a suspension all their own, which helps reduce fatigue. Also, Jamie Campbell at RACECO helps us out by doing things like fabricating the brackets for our transponders.”

Besides the clamps, the only really noticeable departure from the stock CRF450X frame can be found on the swingarm, which has an extra horseshoe-shaped gusset just ahead of the rear wheel. Udall didn’t want to talk about it, but it’s obvious that the gusset is intended to stiffen up the chassis for the warp speed velocities the team hits when racing in Baja.

Tires are Michelin Desert Racer models. The rear tire measures 140/80-18, and the front measures 90/90-21.

“Stock rear is like 110/100-18, but the Michelins are sized differently, so they are not as wide as they sound,” Udall said. “We use the stock brake components. We really don’t want too much bite, and the stock pads and rotors work really well.”

But even though the Ox Motorsports Honda CRF450X race bikes don’t feature a mountain un-obtanium trick parts, Udall said that most people don’t need to even go as far as the team does in order to wind up with a good-running CRF450X from any year.

“What most people would really want to do is what I would call a ‘pre-runner’ package,” Udall said. “Cut the airbox. Get the carb jetting dialed-in. Get a smog block-off. Get a Scott’s steering stabilizer and a triple clamp with a 22mm offset. Otherwise, leave it alone. As far as durability, it’s a great bike. It’s just very well developed, and you can’t really go wrong with it.”

That’s a sentiment shared by fellow Ox Motorsports team member, Mark Samuels, Ryan Penhall, Nic Garvin and Ray Dal Soglio.

“It’s a really comfortable bike,” Penhall said. “It doesn’t have that snappy torque like a motocross bike, and you really don’t want that because it just saps your energy. It’s really stable, it’s fast, and it’s really reliable.”

Dal Soglio said that with the experience he’s gained on the CRF450X, he has actually had a tough time getting used to the new CRF450R that he uses at local GPs and the like.

“The X just tracks so well,” Dal Soglio said. “It’s really predictable, and it handles really well.”

“Obviously, the motor and chassis are the best quality, and the components that we add just make for a really good package,” Samuels said. “It’s one of the best bikes built for desert racing. It’s over 10 years old, and yet it still competes with and beats bikes with much newer technology. It’s one of the best off-road bikes ever, and it is the best off-road bike for Baja.”

It also doesn’t hurt that the Ox Motorsports Honda CRF450X is campaigned by one of the best teams ever to turn a tire on the Baja peninsula.

The post Ox Motorsports Honda CRF450X Feature: Baja Dominator appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Savedra, a fixture in desert racing for nearly 40 years, was the owner of A.R.T.S (All Race Tech and Safety) of Las Vegas and worked with SCORE International in the tech department of its desert racing series since 1980 and held the position of SCORE Tech Director since 2012.

“Words don’t come easy at times like this and Art impacted so many of us in desert racing in multiple ways that his loss truly leaves a gaping hole in our hearts and in our sport,” commented Roger Norman, SCORE CEO/President. “One of our sport’s greatest friend passed away last night. Art volunteered himself selflessly to SCORE and many other organizations for 38 years.

“Three years ago Art became Tech Director of SCORE after being a part-time Tech volunteer for 33 years. He was co-tech director with Jake Velasco for two years and the man in charge at SCORE Tech for the last three years. I personally will never forget how many times he told me he was so very proud to be the SCORE Tech Director. We have lost our best friend.”

Born in Wilmington, Calif. on July 20, 1954, Savedra graduated from Banning High School in 1972 and also took advanced classes at Harbor College. With a deep and lasting interest in racing and race vehicles, he also took special automotive classes at Riverside International Raceway and Willow Springs Raceway.

Savedra started A.R.T.S. right out of high school and a near fatal vehicle accident that left him with third and fourth-degree burns over 85 percent of his body didn’t change his life direction. It served to make him even more passionate about not only the technical side of racing but also the all-important safety aspects of the sport and industry.

Since his accident, Savedra worked tirelessly to express the importance of safety, especially in the area that affected his life so much. Savedra had 56 surgeries to help his recovery and he spent countless hours, days, weeks and months since speaking to students and professional groups regarding fire safety. His talks with children emphasized ‘stop, drop and roll’ fire safety and to the parents he spoke strongly regarding burn care and burn prevention.

Savedra gravitated to desert racing in 1980 and through his company (A.R.T.S.) became a highly-valued friend of both racer and racing organizations as he worked with several groups up to the time of his passing.

With SCORE, Savedra had a significant role in developing both technical and safety changes in the current SCORE rule book which is the standard for the sport. Known by many as ‘The Tech Dude’, Savedra’s many special sayings included, “Have fun, be safe and see you in the desert.” As well-loved as he was in the desert racing community, his grandest legacy he has left behind is his loving caring family.

Although he traveled extensively in his work, he was at home with his family when he passed away on Thursday night. In addition to his countless friends and extended family, Savedra leaves behind his loving wife Suzie, his son Guy, his daughter Ivy, his daughter-in-law Lucy and his three grandchildren—Amber, Andre and Quinn.

The post SCORE International Mourns Passing of SCORE Tech Director Art Savedra appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Though four other teams kept attacking and nosing into the lead during the first half of the 516-mile course that looped from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, and hit both sides of the peninsula, Arredondo and teammates Shane Esposito, Justin Morgan and Roberto Villalobos dominated the last half of the race, starting with the always tough San Felipe loop. By the time they got back to the finish in Ensenada, they’d stretched out their lead to almost 30 minutes, officially, taking the checkered flag in 11 hours, four minutes and 53 seconds after the post-race review of tracking data assessed them a 10-minute penalty.

Esposito and Morgan had both won the 500 for other teams previously, but this was the first time for Arredondo, though his squads have flirted with victory many times.

“We’ve obviously got the speed,” Morgan pointed out. “We’ve got good equipment. We’ve had a couple freak mechanical failures [in the past], like the solder blowing off at the 1000 [last year while we were leading, killing our lights]. But we just keep going.”

The key to beating the two Ox Motorsports Honda teams who finished second and third appeared to lie in the strong showing Morgan put on in San Felipe where temperatures topped 100 degrees but didn’t reach the extreme 120-plus like last year.

“Justin’s the one who made a lot of time,” Esposito insisted. “We started seventh; I got us into physically first around [mile] 60 and [the] 3X [Ox Motorsports team of Derek Ausserbauer/Ray Dal Soglio/Nic Garvin] was staying pretty close.”

Morgan was scheduled to ride from Morelia Junction (about mile 278) to Ojos Negros (mile 480), but after running out of water, the team made an on-the-fly decision to pull him off the bike so he could rehydrate and rest a little. He confessed, “It was really rough. It was hotter than I thought it was going to be. I was struggling for a minute there, I really was. I did [mile] 278, Morelia Junction or before there I got on and I rode to Via del Sol road. Shane rode the 15 miles up to Valley T, then I got on at the Goat Trail and went into Ojos, just at the Highway [3 crossing] he got [back] on, then I rode the pre-runner back into town.”

For “Espo,” the win was a great way to celebrate his 43rd birthday; he said, “It feels good [to finally get the win with this team], but I’m just here for the fun.”

On the other hand, the 500 turned into a frustrating day for the Ox Motorsports Honda crew. Both the 1X and 3X teams had some personnel changes due to rider availability, and this time the 3X trio enjoyed the better finish—a nice turnaround from their DNF at San Felipe.

“There were about four bikes within 10 minutes of each other at the halfway point, so it was definitely a battle,” Dal Soglio said. “At the halfway point we were about a minute off the leader, then 1X was not too far behind that and I believe 100X was in there. There were quite a few bikes all battling in there.San Felipe makes or breaks a lot of people. We kind of started gapping the rest of the field [there]; 45X started gapping us a little bit, but really started separating through San Felipe. That’s really what started making the race.”

They finished in 11:30:26.

As for the 1X Ox Motorsports trio of first-time Baja racer Jason Potter, Ryan Penhall and Mark Samuels, San Felipe bit them when Samuels hit an unseen rock and crashed hard, losing a lot of time while the team helicopter landed to make sure he was okay.

“It was a big bummer and a big-time loss,” Samuels lamented. “I was riding really well and went from 11 minutes back to two and a half minutes back, and then that happened.”

But Samuels managed to eventually deliver the bike to Penhall, who took it to the finish in 11:35:29.

Though third to the finish physically, the Lake Powell Offroad Association/Fastheads/Monarch Honda CRF450X trio of Kadin Guard/Tommy Harris/Skyler Howes had to settle for fourth in 11:36:33. That was still noteworthy considering Howes had jammed his thumb severely in the first half and the bike had no front brake from mile 80 to 240, where they did a complete service.

“We started off the line in sixth,” Howes shared. “I was able to pass all the up into the lead. As I was trying to pass Nic Garvin for first overall, we were coming down this really gnarly, rocky hill and he had no clue I was there. He just kind of kicked a rock straight to my front wheel and I went down real hard.”

But he still had the San Felipe loop to tackle so he prepared for it as best as time allowed, saying, “I did some serious icing on my hand and I was supposed to take the San Felipe loop from, basically, Mike’s [Sky Rancho] road all the back to Mike’s road, so about 130 miles of gnarliness, just relentless stuff. Kadin Guard gave me the bike and we were physically fifth, and when I got back off the bike we were physically third, I believe. I’m not really sure what happened to 45X or whatever; the next bike ahead of us was 3X. Kadin got back on to give me a little break—let me get a drink of water—and 1X got back by. I got back on the bike and checked it and took it from K77 [on HIghway 3] there at the ‘Honda house’ and did the last part through Ojos and all the way to the finish. I got around 1X and charged into the finish.

“Penhall was on the bike, and he had quite a gap on me, and I didn’t catch his dust until almost Ojos, the reason being there were tons of people on the course, driving head-on [at me]! I almost had at least five head-ons! It was a tough, tough day and scary—tons of people driving on the course—so he checked up for a lot of that, and I think I lucked out and just kind of timed it right. It ended up he stopped at a pit just to get a splash of fuel, and I got him there and charged in for the finish. That’s Baja—you’ve just got to power through it and get it in [to the finish].”

Fifth bike overall belonged to Pro Moto Limited (under 401cc) winners Morgan Crawford/Justin Morrow/Kevin Murphy/Jim O’Neal on their Monkey Business Cleaning Products/PCT/HP Race Development Husky FE 350 in 12:08:26. Third overall halfway into the race, their bike developed an injector issue, forcing them to stop several times over the last half to clean it.

Other class winners included Jim Holley/Ryan Senacal/Jason Thomas/Kenjiro Tsuji/Tony Wenck in Pro Moto 30 (riders over 30 years old) in 12:50:12 on their Hicklin Powersports YZ450FX; Jeff Kawell/Jano Montoya/Alberto Ruiz/Francisco Septien in Pro Moto 40 in 12:22:47 on their PB Brown KTM 450 XC-F; Robert Gates/Chris Goolsby/Bob Johnson/David Potts/Doug Smith/Steve Williams in 13:12:36 on their HelmetKits.com KX450F; Dennis Greene/Mark Hawley/Andy Kirker/Dennis McLaughlin/Bill Tarling in Pro Moto 60 in 16:10:49 on their Tivoli CRF450X; Josear Carrasco in Pro Moto Ironman in 15:14:47 on his Too Much Fun Promotions RMX450Z; and Jose Galvan/Adan Garcia/Cornelio Garcia/Fermin Vargas in Sportsman Moto in 13:40:43 on their Pirelli-backed YZ450FX.

Results
www.score-international.com

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The son of On Any Sunday director Bruce Brown, Dana Brown has already enjoyed an illustrious career that includes the epic surf film Step Into Liquid (2003), Dust to Glory (2005) and On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter (2014). Brown also recently put together a short film entitled Baja: Lost and Found (2016) in conjunction with Yeti Coolers. Dust2GLory marks his return to Baja California, Mexico, to capture not just the legendary SCORE Baja 1000 but the entire 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship season, chronicling all of its glory and tragedy.

Brown and his team have been editing Dust2Glory for the past several months with the plan to have it ready for release in the Fall of 2017 as SCORE International celebrates its 50th anniversary

“It’s kind of amazing how Baja pulls you in,” Brown said. “I have made so many friends down there, and we have gathered so many amazing stories to tell that it is almost embarassing. I don’t know how we’re going to be able to tell them all.”

That may be true, but one thing is certain: Whatever stories Brown does tell in Dust 2 Glory will range from the heroic to the humorous to the heartbreaking, and it will be another chronicle of the men, women and machines that still give the race such a tremendous aura.

The post Video: Watch the Dust 2 Glory Movie Teaser appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

SAN FELIPE, Baja California, Mexico – Looking to add to his record-setting class win total, SoCal’s veteran age-group motorcycle racer Jim O’Neal will lead 61 racers who have combined for 159 class wins among over 200 racers expected to start Saturday’s 31st SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race.  O’Neal, 72, the noted apparel manufacturer from Simi Valley, Calif., has 16 class wins in San Felipe and will be the rider of record on a team in the Pro Moto Limited class in the season-opener of the internationally-televised four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship.

Entries to date from 25 U.S. States, host Mexico, Australia, Austria, Canada, Egypt, Germany and Guatemala are entered thus far. The event will be held Wednesday to Sunday in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, the quaint fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif.

Entries are being accepted in classes for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads. The start and finish line area will be on the malecon in the heart of San Felipe for the first time in the history of the San Felipe 250.

30-PLUS YEARS

Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the youngest of the three legendary SCORE Baja races, pre-race festivities for this popular ‘Spring Break’ race will be held in San Felipe Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with race day Saturday concluding with the post-race awards fiesta next Sunday morning on the Malecon

The Monster Energy SCORE Kickoff Welcome Party will be held from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. PDT Thursday (March 30) at the Hotel El Cortez.

GOLDEN SCORE 2017

The 2017 season also marks the golden 50th anniversary celebration of the legendary season-ending SCORE Baja 1000, the iconic Granddaddy of all Desert Races to be held in mid-November. The SCORE Baja 1000 is the oldest and longest continuously held desert race in the world.

REGISTRATION/MANUFACTURER’S MIDWAY

Racer registration will be held at the Hotel El Cortez from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (PDT) on Wednesday, from Noon to 8 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PDT) on Friday.

Media registration will be held at the Hotel El Cortez from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PDT) on Friday.

The pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway, contingency and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday. Contingency will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) and tech/transponder check from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.

BREAKING IT DOWN…

The field includes racers from last year’s overall motorcycle winner as well as the last seven overall 4-wheel vehicle winners in San Felipe. Also entered are 12 Pro class winners from last year’s race and 15 of the Pro class point champions from the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship.

Billy Wilson, Corpus Christi, Texas is the defending overall and Trophy Truck  race winner and Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif., returns to defend the overall motorcycle title he and the now injured Colton Udall won last year.

Trophy Trucks have won 20 overalls in San Felipe in the 23-year history of the class. Southern California’s Mark Post/Jerry Whelchel in 1997, San Diego’s son/father team of Andy and Scott McMillin (2005) and Armin Schwarz (Germany)/Martin Christensen (Denmark) (2010) have the only three Class 1 overall wins since SCORE created the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division in 1994.

In the first 30 years of this race, Honda has earned 19 overall motorcycle victories (including 17 of the last 20 years), Kawasaki has seven, KTM has three and Husqvarna has one.

ELITE EIGHT

Among the 24 entries to date in the marquee Trophy Truck division are eight racers who have combined to win the featured class in the SCORE San Felipe 250 a total of 13 out of 23 years the class has been offered included the last seven straight and eight of the last 10 San Felipe class winners.

The eight drivers are Las Vegas’ Ed Herbst, Las Vegas’ Tim Herbst, Las Vegas’ Mark Post, Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Sr, Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren, Jesse Jones of Phoenix, Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr and Texas’ Billy Wilson.

Leading the way for the returning Trophy Truck race winners are Las Vegas brothers Ed Herbst/Tim Herbst who won in 1999, 2000 and 2001 when the raced as a team. This year Ed Herbst is racing with Las Vegas’ Mark Post who won Trophy Truck in 2004 with Jerry Whelchel and in 2007 with Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren. Post and Ed Herbst have a third driver, four-time Lucas Oil stadium racing champion Kyle LeDuc.

Tim Herbst is driving solo this year.

MacCachren has won his class in this race four times (2003 with Gus Vildosola Sr, 2007 with Mark Post, and 2011, 2012 driving solo). Vildosola Sr has won twice (2003 with MacCachren and 2013 with Vildosola Jr) and Vildosola Jr has won SCORE Trophy Truck three times in San Felipe (2013 with his father and solo in 2014 and 2015). Jones won in 2010 and Billy Wilson won Trophy last year in this race.

THE CHALLENGERS

Out to defeat the elite eight former race winners, the other challengers in Trophy Truck will be led by Mexico’s two-time defending season point champion Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez. Also among the key challengers will be four-time SCORE World Desert Championship winner B.J. Baldwin of Las Vegas.

Joining that short list will be World Rally Championship veteran Armin Schwarz of Germany, San Diego’s Luke McMillin and his brother Dan McMillin racing in separate trucks, RPM Racing’s Justin Matney of Bristol, Va., Mexico’s Juan C. Lopez, veteran desert racer and TV action sports announcer Cameron Steele, former Sports Car Racing champion Larry Connor of Miamisburg, Ohio and veteran  desert racer Robbie Pierce of Santee, Calif.

OTRO MAS, POR FAVOR….

Leading the gregarious group of 36 racers with at least two class wins in this race entered this year are Jim O’Neal (Pro Moto Limited) with a SCORE race-high16 class wins (age group motorcycle) wins–all in the last 16 years, and Eric Solorzano with 10 Class 11 wins in this San Felipe race. Rob MacCachren has eight class wins (SCORE Trophy Truck), Adam Pfankuch has seven class wins (Class 10) and Gus Vildosola Jr has five wins (SCORE Trophy Truck).

With four class wins each in San Felipe are Chad Broughton (Trophy Truck Spec), Tim Herbst (SCORE Trophy Truck), Ed Herbst (SCORE Trophy Truck), Donald Lewis (Pro Moto 60), Ricardo Malo (Class 1), Wayne Matlock (Pro UTV FI), Cody Robinson (Class 1/2-1600), Roberto Romo (Class 1/2-1600) and Francisco Septien (Pro Moto Unlimited).

O’Neal has raced in all 30 previous SCORE San Felipe 250 races and he has a SCORE-record 16 career season class point titles, including last season in Pro Moto 50 as a co-rider on the over-50 years-old motorcycle team led by Mark Winkelman.

ENTRY LEADERS

To date, the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division has the most entries with 24 followed by Trophy Truck Spec with 17 entries, Class 10 with 15 entries, unlimited Class 1 and Pro UTV FI with 14 each and SCORE Lites with 12.

Leading the motorcycle entries so far is Pro Moto Unlimited with seven entries.

QUALIFYING FIRST

For the first time in the history of this race, SCORE will hold a qualifying session on Thursday, March 30 to determine the starting positions within each class for the SCORE Trophy Truck/Trophy Truck Legend, Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec classes.

Qualifying first in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division for high-tech, 850-horsepower, unlimited production trucks will be veteran racer/chassis builder Damen Jefferies, Yucca Valley, Calif.

Drawing the first qualifying position in the unlimited Class 1 was veteran SCORE female champion racer Shelby Reid, Apple Valley, Calif., whose son Cody Reid is a champion racer in Class 10.

First to make a qualifying run in Trophy Truck Spec will be Las Vegas’ Bill McBeath, a prominent casino executive and former SCORE Trophy Truck racer.

While qualifying is optional, 44 of the 58 total entries in the three classes, including 23 of 24 in SCORE Trophy Truck, have committed to qualify for their starting positions. The non-qualifiers in each class will start after all the qualifiers in their respective classes in the order they were drawn in the start drawn held on March 16 for all of the remaining classes.

A MASTERFUL COURSE

SCORE President Roger Norman and SCORE Race Director Jose A. Grijalva have worked with the government officials and ejidos of the Mexicali and San Felipe areas to develop a memorable SCORE San Felipe 250 race course of 271.9 miles.

This year’s grueling race course will be another beauty to behold but a tough challenge to race on. It runs in a counter clockwise direction running over high-speed dry lake beds, through low-speed winding, rock-strewn, twisting canyons and trails, along quick-paced dirt roads and through three of Baja’s most infamous washes in Chanate, Huatamote and Amarillo.

There will be two full stop checkpoints in addition to the start/finish line which will be located for the first time in the history of this race on the Malecon in the heart of San Felipe. Checkpoint 1 will be located at El Chinero and the second will be at Morelia Junction.

The course will also pass through La Ventana, Saldana and Borrego as well as the Diablo dry lake bed.

There will be two road crossings, both on Highway 3. The first will be going north at km 192 after checkpoint 1 and the second one coming south near Borrego, crossing at km 179 on the highway.

The start line and celebratory finish area will be on the SCORE ramps in front of the Rockodile night club on the Malecon.

TROPHY TRUCK LEGEND

SCORE has introduced a new class starting with this race called Trophy Truck Legend. The new class will use the same rules as the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division with the exception that all drivers in each vehicle in Trophy Truck Legend must be at least 50 years old.

SCORE has long had popular age group motorcycle classes for riders over 30, 40, 50 and 60 years old and over but this is the first class SCORE has developed for four-wheel vehicles.

SPRING BREAK HAPPENING

For over three decades, the annual motorsports festival that has brought the largest economic impact of any single event held annually in this lightly-populated portion of the ruggedly rough and bountifully beautiful Baja peninsula has been the SCORE San Felipe 250.

SCOREscope

The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship and for the second time all four are being held in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:

• 31st SCORE San Felipe 250, March 29-April 2, San Felipe, Mexico
• 49th SCORE Baja 500, June 1-4, Ensenada Mexico
• Rosarito Beach 21st SCORE Desert Challenge, Sept. 14-17, Rosarito Beach, Mexico
• 50th SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.14-18, Ensenada, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico

EL REY NETWORK

The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience/SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas will all air on El Rey Network in the United States. International distribution is by way of syndication. The season-ending 50^th SCORE Baja 1000 will have a two-hour show produced while the other race shows will each be one-hour telecasts.

El Rey Network is a 24-hour, English-language lifestyle network targeting “Strivers,” viewers who hold strong core beliefs about the importance of family, independence, hard work, craftsmanship, and legacy.

Founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network features action-packed programming, relatable heroes and aspirational stories that embrace today’s America. El Rey’s slate is anchored by signature series including the original drama “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series,” the one-on-one interview program “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair,” and “Lucha Underground,” a lucha libre wrestling series produced by Mark Burnett.

El Rey Network’s lineup also showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and television series including genre, action, and sci-fi/ horror. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.

El Rey Network is available in 45 million homes across the country through cable and OTT providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 341 and Dish Network Channel 253. For more information on how to watch El Rey visit http://elreynetwork.com.

SCORE SPONSORS…

Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Raceline Wheels-Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, El Rey Network-Official Television Partner, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.

SCORE Official Partners: PCI Race Radios, 4 Wheel Parts, Coca Cola, The Satellite Phone Store, Satellite Del Norte, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, CETTO Vineyards.

Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Baja California Sur Secretary of Tourism, Mexicali Ayuntamiento, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.

Rosarito Beach SCORE Desert Challenge Special Partners: Ayuntamiento de Playas de Rosarito, Cotuco de Playas de Rosarito, Comite de Mercadatecnia Playas de Rosarito.

For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCOREInternational.com.

The post SCORE San Felipe 250: Veteran Jim O’Neal Leads Top Race Winners appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

     Early entries from 21 U.S. States, host Mexico, Austria, Canada, Germany and Guatemala are preparing for the popular season-opener of the four-race internationally-televised 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship. The event will be held March 29-April 2 in San Felipe, the quaint fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif.

SCORE has also announced that it has finalized a major new U.S. television agreement which will be announced prior to the upcoming race.

The deadline for entering to be included in the start draw within each class is Wednesday, March 15, the drawing is Thursday, March 16 and pre-running will open on the magnificent course of nearly 265 miles on Saturday, March 18. Online registration will continue until Sunday, Sept. 26 and on-site, late registration will be held March 29, March 30 and March 31.

The 2017 season also marks the 50th anniversary celebration of the legendary season-ending SCORE Baja 1000, the iconic Granddaddy of all Desert Races to be held in mid-November. The SCORE Baja 1000 is the longest continuously held desert race in the world.

30-PLUS YEARS

Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the youngest of the three legendary SCORE Baja races, sometimes referred to as the SCORE ‘baby Baja’, entries continue to be accepted on the SCORE website (www.SCOREInternational.com) for Pro and Sportsman entries for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads.

The drawing for starting positions within each class will be held on Thursday, March 16 for all vehicles officially entered by 11 p.m. PT on Wednesday, March 15.

Pre-race festivities for this popular ‘Spring Break’ race will be held in San Felipe on March 29, March 30 and March 31 with race day on Saturday, April 1 concluding with the post-race awards fiesta at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 2.

     The Monster Energy SCORE Kickoff Welcome Party will be held from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. PDT on Thursday (March 30) at XXXXXXXXX.

REGISTRATION/MANUFACTURER’S MIDWAY

Racer registration will be held at the Hotel El Cortez from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (PDT) on Wednesday (March 29), from Noon to 8 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PDT) on Friday (March 31).

Media registration will be held at the Hotel El Cortez from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday (March 30) and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  (PDT) on Friday (March 31).

The pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway, contingency and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday (March 31). Contingency will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) and tech/transponder check from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.

A MASTERFUL COURSE

SCORE President Roger Norman and SCORE Race Director Jose A. Grijalva have worked with the government officials and ejidos of the Mexicali and San Felipe areas to develop a memorable SCOE San Felipe 250 race course of approximately 270 miles.

This year’s grueling race course will be another beauty to behold but a nightmare to race on. It runs in a counter clockwise direction running over high-speed dry lake beds, through low-speed winding, rock-strewn, twisting canyons and trails, along quick-paced dirt roads and through three of Baja’s most infamous washes in Chanate, Huatamote and Amarillo.

There will be two full stop checkpoints in addition to the start/finish line which will be located for the first time in the history of this race on the Malecon in the heart of San Felipe. Checkpoint 1 will be located at El Chinero and the second will be at Morelia Junction.

The course will also pass through La Ventana, Saldana and Borrego as well as the Diablo dry lake bed.

There will be no road crossings, both on Highway 3. The first will be going north at km 192 after checkpoint 1 and the second one coming south near Borrego, crossing at km 179 on the highway.

The start line and celebratory finish area will be on the SCORE ramps in front of the Rockodile night club on the Malecon.

SPRING BREAK ‘MUCHO DINERO’

For three decades, the annual motorsports festival that has brought the largest economic impact of any single event held annually in this lightly-populated portion of the ruggedly rough and bountifully beautiful Baja peninsula has been the SCORE San Felipe 250.

SCOREscope

The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship and for the second time all four are being held in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:

• 31st SCORE San Felipe 250, March 29-April 2, San Felipe, Mexico
• 49th SCORE Baja 500, June 1-4, Ensenada Mexico
• Rosarito Beach 21st SCORE Desert Challenge, Sept. 14-17, Rosarito Beach, Mexico
• 50th SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.14-18, Ensenada, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico

SCORE SPONSORS…

Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, Bud Light-Official Beer, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Raceline Wheels-Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.

SCORE Official Partners: PCI Race Radios, 4 Wheel Parts, Coca Cola, The Satellite Phone Store, Satellite Del Norte, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, CETTO Vineyards.

Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Baja California Sur Secretary of Tourism, Mexicali Ayuntamiento, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.

Rosarito Beach SCORE Desert Challenge Special Partners: Ayuntamiento de Playas de Rosarito, Cotuco de Playas de Rosarito, Comite de Mercadatecnia Playas de Rosarito.

For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCOREInternational.com.

The post SCORE San Felipe 250 Final Preparations Underway appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

The following is from SCORE, organizers of the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship:

Televison coverage of the 48th Annual SCORE Baja 500 will air on the CBS Sports Network July 24.

The one-hour show, with multiple repeat airings scheduled, will debut Sunday (July 24) at 9 p.m. ET on the popular CBS Sports Spectacular show. The race coverage will be handled by Dianna Dahlgren and off-road racer Casey Currie.

Riding the 1x Ox Motorsports Honda CRF450X, Colton Udall of Yucca Valley, California, roared to his second straight overall motorcycle victory this season. Riding the first and last thirds of the race while teammate Mark Samuels, also from Yucca Valley, riode the middle third, the duo finished the grueling race in 9 hours, 18 minutes and 18 seconds, averaging 51.33 mph. The team started the year by winning the season-opening SCORE San Felipe 250 in February. The win was also the 18th overall motorcycle victory for Honda in the SCORE Baja 500.

All races in the four-race 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship, along with the special SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and qualifying for the SCORE Baja 1000 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway are once again airing in the USA and Canada on the CBS Sports Network. The shows feature not only SCORE Trophy Truck coverage, but also top action and highlights from many other classes of trucks, cars, UTVs, motorcycles and quads–making sure that the most exciting footage and most compelling stories continue as part of each race event broadcast.

Capping off the 2016 broadcast season, the SCORE Baja 1000 broadcast on CBS Sports Network will air as a full two-hour special for the second straight year.

2016 CBS Sports Network Original Broadcast Schedule (subject to change, check local listings)
• SCORE San Felipe 250 (first telecast-Sunday, April 17, 9 p.m. ET)
• SCORE Baja 500 (first telecast-Sunday, July 24, 9 p.m. ET)
• Rosarito Beach SCORE Desert Challenge (first telecast-Sunday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m. ET)
• SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying @SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience (first telecast-Sunday, Dec.18, 9 p.m. ET)
• SCORE Baja 1000 (two-hour special) (first telecast-Sunday, December 25, 9 p.m. ET)

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

The post 2016 SCORE Baja 500 to be Telecast July 24 appeared first on Dirt Bikes.

Story and Photos By Mark Kariya
Since breaking the news last month about being diagnosed with leukemia, Destry Abbott has received an incredible amount of support. He’s currently undergoing aggressive chemo at a facility in Texas with the regimen expected to run five months after which the doctors will evaluate progress.

Naturally, insurance will cover only part of it and would bankrupt the family were it not for several fundraising efforts, the latest of which took place at Pole Position Raceway in Corona, California, June 21.

Pole Position Aceway is an indoor kart-racing track that’s hosted a number of fundraisers for injured racers over the years, which is no surprise as its founder and many of its investors are in the industry. Does the name Jeremy McGrath ring a bell? He’s one of the investors as is Chad Reed, NASCAR star Kurt Busch and several others.

Being in the SoCal heart of the motorcycle industry, it’s not surprising that a lot of Abbott’s longtime sponsors got behind the fundraiser in a big way. Kawasaki sent a crew with old race bikes to display and dozens of items to be auctioned off. FMF printed 1000 “DA8 Strong” T-shirts for the fundraiser’s volunteer staff as well as those who wished to purchase.

Most of the donations seemed to come from racers with signed jerseys the most common auction item, but there were other things as well: a helicopter flight for two over the Las Vegas strip, four tickets and post-concert backstage passes for a Lyle Lovett and His Large Band show, a set of handheld PCI Race Radios and a two-day desert shooting clinic furnished by a retired Navy SEAL.

Walking around Pole Position provided attendees to spin a few laps on the track, study the auction items (plus the beautiful KX500 that Destry himself built and is raffling off for $10 per ticket with the drawing held on July 13, Destry’s birthday) and chat with lots of like-minded moto family.

And family takes care of its own. At the end of the night, between the KX500 raffle, the general merchandise raffle, the silent auction and the live auction, Ken Faught of Pole Position estimated the event raised approximately $40,000. Purvines Racing Beta team owner Ron Purvines walked away with the most items, easily having spent the most money. (He bought $2000 in KX500 tickets alone.)

Why spend so much? It’s not because he wanted to warm up his credit card but because Abbott’s DA8 Training is one of his team’s sponsors and Purvines is in a position to be able to give back in that way. Further demonstrating that he wasn’t simply amassing a collection of moto-memorabilia all for himself, Purvines said, “I probably gave away a half-dozen things on my way out.” Among those items was the Lyle Lovett concert package, which he’d won after outbidding EnduroCross announcer Laurette Nicoll (a cancer survivor herself) who recalls him tapping her on the shoulder and saying, “This is for you.” Confused, she remained speechless for a few moments trying to process what was going on before she was could stammer, “Thank you!” It was a perfect summary of the night, one where getting was sort of an excuse for giving.

The fundraising for Abbott will continue on several fronts. There is the GoFundMe account at https://www.gofundme.com/24pwufw plus the KX500 raffle at www.road2recovery.com/da8kx500. Though no other fundraisers are planned at this time, a website to sell T-shirts and other merchandise is in the works. In addition, AMA District 37 plans to sell anything left over from the Pole Position fundraiser via eBay in the near future.

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