“Number one! Back to back, baby!” exclaimed a jubilant Arciero while standing atop his Chevy Silverado. “It was hot out there. The truck was phenomenal, it ran so good. I think I ran it harder the last 20 miles than I did the whole race, and it kept asking for more. I was second behind Robby (Gordon, 31) by about 20 minutes when I took over. By Constitucion I was about 12 minutes behind. Then around 10 miles past Constitucion Robby was broken down. The fans out there were really good. The jumps they built were small and we had no problems with them. The fans were scattered all over the course. It’s a dream come true – this sport is my passion.”

Dan Smith / Dave Ashley (8) edged out Mark Post / Curt LeDuc (3) by 1:13 for second place in the featured division. Ashley drove from the start to San Ignacio, while Smith ended the race.

“Dave had one flat tire and I think that’s the only trouble he had,” Smith stated. “I had no problems. We got a real bad starting position so we didn’t have big expectations. I was expecting to finish about 3:15 (a.m., race time), but we came in a little after 2:30.

Unofficially, Jason Baldwin (66) won the coveted season points title, despite the fact he did not win a race and had just one second-place this year. Post / LeDuc were hoping to catch him, but needed to win the race (based on where Baldwin finished) to overtake him. LeDuc also was entered in Class 8, placing sixth in that class.

“Hopefully we’ll get a little luck and end up winning it,” Post said when he came across the finish line in second place physically. “We are at least in second place though. We were setting a pace to finish strong. It ran really well today, but it was a long road. I wish it wasn’t at night so that I could have seen it – that was a great course.”

CLASS 1
For the third time this year, Troy Herbst / Larry Roessler (109) were the first to take the checkered flag in this class. This veteran team was the fastest four-wheel vehicle to complete the 1,013.57 mile-course, averaging 62.17mph. However, unofficially they finished in second place in the season point race to a team that did not win a race this year (John Marking / Chris Harrold / Bob Lofton). Herbst claimed his third Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 victory, as he also won in 1999 and 2000, and his first overall four-wheel vehicle championship. Roessler was victorious for the 13th time in this prestigious race, and the 11th time he has been an overall champion.

“We saw Robby’s (Gordon, 31) truck broken,” Herbst said. “At Santa Rosa, we were four minutes down and I said ‘We can do this.’ It was a fantastic race and a fantastic course. Putting the black boxes in the truck is the best thing Sal (Fish, CEO / President of SCORE) ever did. There were times that I would be going 63 miles an hour for a little bit, so I slowed down to 57 for a while to show that I was watching it. We were having problems with our clutch at the very end. I missed a turn near the end and I thought if I lose this race by 30 seconds I am going to be so upset.”

CLASS 1/2-1600
Rob MacCachren / Bruce Fraley / Vic Bruckman (1604) won their class, as MacCachren / Fraley did in 2001. MacCachren was also part of this year’s SCORE Trophy Truck race, in which he finished sixth. MacCachren has now won the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 for the fourth time in two different classes.

CLASS 3
Donald Moss / Kenneth Moss (300) won their class for the third straight Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 race. The Moss brothers finished the season with a perfect five-for-five showing, winning their class in each race of the year. This marks their sixth straight SCORE title, with their current streak starting with last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 competition.

CLASS 5
George Seeley Jr. (500) won his fourth Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 title in Class 5 (also finished first in 1996, 1997 and 2001). That means he tasted victory in Baja Sur for the first time as his other three Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 wins all came in races that began and ended in Ensenada. This season he was victorious in three races in his class, as he also won the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and the Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

CLASS 5/1600
Dave Gasper / Billy Gasper (575) reclaimed the championship they won in the 2002 SCORE Baja 1000. The brother tandem is another team that prefers just to race in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000’s, as they did not compete in other events on this season’s SCORE Desert Series.

CLASS 7
Francisco Chavez (707) won his first SCORE race in a big way, with a class win in the 2004 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

CLASS 7S
Nick Moncure (739) got his first Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 win, ending a string of back-to-back SCORE races that did not have an official finisher in this class. Moncure’s win also means that in the last 11 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 races, this class has had different winners nine of those years.

CLASS 7SX
Pepe Rodriguez (741) became the second winner of this new class that was introduced to the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 last year.

CLASS 8
Todd Wyllie (809) was the first Class 8 finisher. His win means that there has been a different winner in each of the last eight Tecate SCORE Baja 1000’s in this class. Wyllie’s win also moved him ahead in the season point standings, as he entered the race down by one point. He also took the class’ checkered flag in the SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 in September.

CLASS 9
Eliseo Garcia (949) managed to break the three-year stranglehold that Eric Fisher (900) held on titles in this class at the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Fisher had also won the past three events in the 2004 SCORE Desert Series. Garcia ended his journey after 8:00 pm local time on Friday night after leaving Ensenada right around noon on Thursday.

CLASS 10
Martin Christensen / Dave Mason (1000) were the first Class 10 finisher. Christensen started and drove to San Ignacio and Dave Mason finished. Christensen was excited about his second win in a row for Class 10 and claimed the race went really well and he had no major problems.

“Coming onto the payment there was a bunch of local trucks so I got off the course and clipped a rock. I had a flat but three miles away was the pit and it was fixed immediately,” Christensen stated. “Dave had the steering ram break loose but everything worked out. It was a very crazy day, rough and fast in many sections.”

SCORE LITE
David Callaway/Scott Mapes (1206) was the first SCORE Lite finisher. Callway started and drove to El Crucero. Scott Mapes then got in the vehicle but could only be on the course for a short time due to eye problems. Callaway jumped in again and finished.

“We only had one flat and a sticky throttle but it was definitely a smooth ride,” stated Callaway. “Because of all the dust and fog there was so much dirt and Scott had something fly in his eye, hopefully he will be ok.”

CLASS 11
Eric Solorzano (1101) claimed his eighth title in a Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 race, with seven of those coming in the last eight years (the only exception in that span was 2003, when there were no finishers in that class). With the win, Solorzano completed his perfect season, winning all five races.

STOCK FULL
Chad Hall (861) apparently does not like “short” races, that is to say anything under about 800 miles. He did not compete all year on the SCORE Desert Series, but showed up for this race and won the class for the fifth time (fourth consecutive win).

STOCK MINI
Kreg Donahoe followed up his victory in the SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 with a class win in the 2004 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

PROTRUCK
Rick L. Johnson (236) won this class after his victory in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in June.

CLASS 17
No official finishers.

BAJA CHALLENGE
Michel Jourdain Jr. / Michel Jourdain Sr. / Bernard Jourdain (BC4) won the Centrix Financial Baja Challenge Class, presented by BFGoodrich Tires. With much excitement for racing in the TECATE SCORE Baja 1000, Bernard Jourdain finished the race. Michel Jourdain Jr. started with Bernard as his co-driver. Michel Sr. took over for about 500 miles and then Bernard got his chance at the wheel.

“I had an almost trouble free race after encountering a few problems with the front end,” claims Jourdain. “It was very bent and we had to stop and weld it for awhile. It was an extremely fast course with much sand and silt. We had great BFG tires and had no flats over all the miles! They helped us be out in front of everyone and catch others without any problems. Most importantly, we had fun.”

MOTORCYCLES
CLASS 22
Steve Hengeveld / Johnny Campbell (1x) won their 10th consecutive SCORE race and won the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 for the fourth time together this decade. For Campbell, this marks the eighth consecutive motorcycle victory in this race, while Hengeveld notched his fifth win. The duo bettered the speed record they set in 2002 by averaging 63.51mph. Campbell started the race and rode until six miles South of El Percero, when Kendall Norman rode, and he handed the reigns to Hengeveld.

“It was a great race, very fast,” Hengveld said at the finish line. “Two years ago we had a lot of work done on the bike – a lot of down time. This year we really didn’t have any problems. We thought we’d be slower actually. Johnny started out and got passed in the morning but he got the lead back. I had the lead by about 12 minutes when I got on at La Parisma. It was great – all the fans cheering. It was nice and warm for me, an awesome day.”

“I was more nervous today, maybe it was starting first,” Campbell said. “We’ve had big successes. I’ve been doing it for so many years I’m just wondering when I’ll get beat. Every time you do it the odds are stacked up against you more. I rode kind of tight to start with. 3x (Mike Childress) passed me early, just before Ojos Negros. He fell down and I passed him after San Mateo wash, so I trailed him for about 100 miles. He caught me again and he led all the way until sliding off the road around mile 250. The bike was flawless all day except a rear brake failure – it was a really clean ride.”

Chris Blais (8x) finished second in Class 22, but still ahead of the first SCORE Trophy Truck by just under three minutes. Blais was part of a four-member team that used a new KTM bike in an effort to unseat the defending champions. Blais also has connections with two other top competitors in this class. Blais works for the company sponsoring 3x (Mike Childress) and used to ride with Johnny Campbell.

“There were a few mishaps, a learning experience on a new bike,” Blais said. “I was second when I got on about 5:15 pm. We got a bad batch of fuel on the last pit and I barely made it. I slowed up the last 60 miles to make sure I made it – if it would have been five more miles I don’t think I would have finished. The last section I passed about 30 people driving towards me in the silt with their headlights on. We did try to win – we needed a little bit of luck and we didn’t get it, but we came in second and that’s not bad. I’m going to win this race someday.”

Kent Richardson (2x) finished 9th overall is Class 22 but accomplished his milestone and completed the course solo. A mild mannered but enthusiastic Richardson was very willing to discuss his victory. The conditions were perfect and the weather was great,” states Richardson. “Just a little rain at the top of the course but it helped with the dust and that was excellent. I did not have an opportunity to prerun the course but the markings were wonderful and I did not get lost once. That is quite a testimonial to Sal’s crew. It was a great course and a fun ride. It was my first solo attempt. I talked about it with my friends but now I finally did it.” Richardson who said he only took a few silly spills followed by fatigue and lack of coordination was happy to have participated in such a great event. Inspired by the scripture verse Isaiah 40:31 of which he memorized and stated over and over through the 1,016.3 miles will definitely return but will probably not tackle it solo again.

CLASS 21
Joe Desrosiers / Jesse Sharpe / Julian Guerra (100x) won, giving Desrosiers and Guerra their second straight class win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The duo upped their average speed from last year’s race by almost two miles per hour in scoring the win.

CLASS 30
Gerardo Rojas / Sergio Vega (305x) won for the second consecutive time, winning with a five-hour margin over the next closest competitor in this class. The win completed the season sweep for the duo, who have now won four straight SCORE races. Vega started the race and went until Coco’s Corner, and several rider changes later, Rojas finished the race.

“It was a very fast course,” Vega said at the finish line. “There were lots of booby traps between the start line and Ojos Negros.”

CLASS 40
Jim O’Neal (400x) recorded his first win in this race, sharing the duties with several others, including Jeff Kaplan. Kaplan won the 1979 edition of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 (with Rick Finger) in Class 21, when the race also went from Ensenada to La Paz. O’Neal also competed in the Class 50 division, placing second in that class.

“I got on at San Ignacio for the first time, and off at La Parisma,” Kaplan said. “I got on again in Santa Rita. The bike ran great, the course was pretty fast, pretty uneventful – everything went smooth. We went a long way before it got dark. It was a party the last 50 miles. It was incredible, there were so many people.”

CLASS 50
Chris Haines / Jack Johnson / Malcolm Smith (548x), competing in Class 50 this year for the first time, won the class handily. The win extended Haines’ streak to six consecutive Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 titles, and 11 since 1987. Johnson won his 10th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 victory, while Smith claimed his eighth. Smith won the very first year this race was held, the 1967 competition that went from Tijuana to La Paz. All told, these three riders have combined for 29 class wins with this victory.

“I was thinking ‘What’s an old man like me doing out here?’” said the 63-year old Smith after the race, in which he rode three sections, including the finish. “After a few turns I said ‘Oh yeah, now I remember.’ Jack was fifth or sixth but then had two flats. I just rode around on my usual pace. Jack Johnson is the hero though.”

GENERAL NOTES
RECORD FINISH
The 198 official finishers set a Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 record for having the most finishers in this grueling desert race. The previous record was set in 1992, in which 189 contestants finished the trek from Ensenada to La Paz (out of 307 starters). The closest that mark has come to being broken was the 2000 Tecate SCORE Baja 2000, which took the 262 entrants from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas – 184 were official finishers in that classic race. This year marked the second-highest percentage of finishers , as 69.7% of the starters completed the course in the given time allowance. The highest ever was the Tecate SCORE Baja 2000 in 2000, when 70.2% finished.

MUCHOS STARTERS
In this year’s race, 284 cars, motorcycles and ATVs left the start line. That figure represents the most at any Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 since 1992, when 307 took the green flag. The record was set way back in 1977, when 346 attempted a loop course from Ensenada (only 123 finished that year). In the 37 years of this race, five editions have featured at least 300 starters.

NO HELP, THANKS
Malcom Smith, an eight-time winner in Baja 1000 races, and SCORE are proud to introduce the SCORE Malcolm Smith IronRider award for motorcycle and ATV riders who complete the course as a solo rider. Eleven individuals were brave enough to try this feat, and seven of them have succeeded. Below is a list of the seven (with vehicle number and time):
(5x) Robert Barnum, Phelan, CA, Honda XR650R – 23:00:14
(2x) Kent Richardson, San Diego, Honda XR650R – 26:03:29
(405x) Tatsushi Murata, Japan, Honda XR650R – 28:25:09
(295x) Steve Luly, Escondido, CA, Honda XR650R – 32:41:03
(294x) Don Robbins, Phoenix, Husaberg 600 – 32:41:34
(296x) Jorge Lizarraga, Tecate, CA, Honda XR400 – 33:34:54
(264x) Masanobu Kameda, Japan, Yamaha WR450F – 35:54:41

RECORD SPEED
The fastest overall winner was Steve Hengeveld /Johnny Campbell / Kendall Norman (1x), who completed the trek with an average speed of 63.505 mph, the highest ever in a Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The four-wheel vehicles were also fast, although not to record proportions. Troy Herbst / Larry Roeseler (109) averaged 62.167 mph, which is the second highest in race history

CONGRATULATIONS
Yukiya Watanabe (301) was the driver of record for a specially-equipped car for a team of paraplegic drivers. Joining Watanabe was Jon Snyder, and their mechanic drove the car for a short segment of the course as well. The car was rigged to work exclusively with hand controls. This team finished the race with a time of 37:17:01

TO WIN AGAIN
There were 26 Pro (and five Sportsman) classes which comprised the field of the 37th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Of the Pro classes, six saw last season’s winners successfully defend their class titles and win again this year. Those six were SCORE Trophy Truck (Mark Miller / Ryan Arciero), Class 3 (Donald Moss), Stock Full (Chad Hall), Class 21 (Joe Desrosiers / Julian Guerra), Class 22 (Steve Hengeveld / Johnny Campbell) and Class 30 (Gerardo Rojas / Sergio Vega).

For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official Optima SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com