Route revealed for SCORE Baja 400

A magnificent race course through classic areas of Baja California, plus some new areas, is the challenge chosen by SCORE President Abelardo Grijalva for the 5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing.

     The official course map is now available for downloading at https://score-international.com/journal_v2.php?pagenum=24.

     The third round of 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship, to be held in Ensenada, Baja California, Sept. 10-15.

     SCORE will feature a 424.96-mile race course for the Pro Trucks and Cars, while the Pro Motorcycles and Quad classes will travel 434.52 miles; for all Sportsman Moto and Quad classes, their race track will be 393.91 miles, and the reduced course for Sportsman 4-wheel vehicles will be 384.35 miles.

     Abelardo Grijalva, SCORE President and Race Director, along with Rodolfo Fernandez, SCORE Co-Race Director, have laid out a route that will be a real challenge for the more than 220 race teams, who will travel next month to “The Cinderella of the Pacific”, from countries Australia, Canada, France, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, New Zealand, the United States, and host Mexico.

     The first motorcycle start will be at 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, September 14 at the Boulevard Costero. Trucks and Cars will receive the green flag on Boulevard Costero at 9 a.m.

     All competitors will have a 16-hour time limit to finish the race, so the fastest car is expected to finish the race in 8 hours, while the first motorcycle should finish the desert adventure in 9 hours.

     The race course will run counterclockwise, starting and finishing on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.

     From the start, the route will pass through Rancho Nelson, Rancho Cascabeles, and then cross the Highway No. 3 at kilometer 33, to head towards Rancho Grijalva in Ojos Negros, and climb towards the mountains of the Uruapan ejido, then take federal Highway No. 1, at the height of the Acambaro market, for 6.56 miles of pavement at controlled speed, until reaching the Santo Tomás for an area of high-speed roads, as well as the beach at Punta Cabras and the ejido Erendira.

     The racers will have to enter the San Vicente wash, to continue to the Lopez Rayon ejido, Malibu Beach, Cerro Solo and the Johnson Ranch, to then go around the Punta Colonet ejido, returning by the highway to Llano Colorado, take the road to La Calentura, Los Llanitos, go to Valle de la Trinidad, go up to the Leandro Valle ejido and exit by the access road to the Mike Sky ranch.

     Again, the race will go on part of the Federal Highway No. 2, to go up to the famous area of ‘The Goat Trail’, then following the route through the ejido Jamau, the ejido Santa Catarina and will take the new highway, at kilometer 78, for a short speed zone, until heading to kilometer 77, going into Cerro Colorado, the stream of El Mezcal, Ojos Negros and until arriving at the Rancho Nelson and back to Boulevard Costero in the heart on Ensenada.

     For the motorcycles, the route will be separated from the cars by 9 miles, with enduro type roads, which will demand the maximum from the riders to try to cross the finish line and finish on Boulevard Costero.

     The race course will have two physical checkpoints, No. 1 will be installed at Ejido 27 de Enero (race mile 196.45), and No. 2 on the access road to Mike's Ranch (race mile 287.51), as well as 307 visual checkpoints and a total of 12 controlled speed zones for a total of 43.59 miles.

      BFGoodrich Tires, the official tire of SCORE, will have two pits for teams registered with them, the first one before reaching Cerro Solo (mile 136.55) and the second one in San Matías (mile 288.25).

    Summer break for the 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship is over, as registration continues for in the 5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing.  Round 3 of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization will be held Sept. 10-15 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, a colorful port city known as ‘The Off-Road Capital of the World’.

     On Friday, Sept. 13, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Ensenada's Boulevard Costero, the contingency row will take place, a totally family-friendly event with free admission to the public.

     The awards celebration will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15 at the Cathedral Room of the Riviera del Pacifico Center at 11:30 a.m., an event that will be broadcast live on SCORE's different internet platforms and will be hosted by Rat Sult, the official voice of SCORE for the last nine years.

     San Diego’s Doug Robertson, a legendary Class 5 SCORE champion driver, has been selected by SCORE to be the Grand Marshal for next month’s 5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing.

     Robertson, and his late brother Don Robertson, built their own Class 5 unlimited VW Baja Bugs and together they were both stellar racers in the late 1970s.

     Sponsored by the Bilstein shock absorber company that was just starting to grow in the United States after starting decades before in Germany, the Robertson brothers were admired in their Bilstein race cars.

     Among their individual Class 5 victories were the 1977 and 1979 SCORE Baja 500 and the 1976, 1977 and 1979 SCORE Baja 1000.

     Doug Robertson now spends his time working on his collection of cool ’50 and ’60s cars.

     SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend and Trophy Truck Spec classes will hold the Method Race Wheels Qualifying session on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Starting with at 7 a.m. PT at a private venue, this event is closed to the public.

     The Method Race Wheels Qualifying will determine the starting order in those three classes for the race, as this is the first time in the history of this that all SCORE four races will hold a qualifying session.

     SCORE Live will air the Method Race Wheels Qualifying through the SCORE website.

     Media can register now for coverage of the 5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing, just access the following link, https://score-international.com/score-media/index.php, to complete the registration form and be part of the third date of the 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship.

     This year, the first two SCORE rounds have been attended by more than 180 media outlets, which speaks to the increased interest in covering the sport, with press from countries such as the United States, Mexico, Japan, Bolivia, Italy, Ecuador, Venezuela, Australia, and Canada.

     Here are the dates for the two remaining 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship which are being held in Baja California, Mexico for the ninth consecutive year:

·       5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing—

September 10-15, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

·       BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 1000—

November 11-17, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

     Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and Race Title Sponsor, Ford-Official Truck and SUV, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber and Race Title Sponsor, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, VP Racing-Official Fuel and race presenting sponsor, Optima Batteries-Official Battery, Rugged Radios-Official Radio Communication, Sylvania Off-Road-Official Light, Method Race Wheels-Official Wheel and Race Qualifying sponsor, Lasernut-Official Custom Metal Fabricator, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.

     SCORE Official Partners: The Satellite Phone Store, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance.

     Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Baja California Secretary of Tourism, MEXICO Secretary of Tourism, San Felipe Foundational Municipal Council, Ensenada Municipal Government, San Felipe Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Hotel and Motel Association, Proturismo Ensenada, and Cruz Roja Mexicana.

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

1pm-5pm                 Chassis Inspection Qualifying Teams—By Appt 619.572.8245
1pm-7pm                 Media Registration             Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
1pm-7pm                 Racer Registration             Qualifying Classes only—Salon Rojo, Riviera CC

7am                        Qualifying                          SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend,
                                                                        Trophy Truck Spec
9am-5pm                 Media Registration             Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
12pm-6pm               Racer Registration             Qualifying Classes only—Salon Rojo, Riviera CC
                               No new entries after 5 p.m.

8am-5pm                 Racer Registration       Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural CenterNo new entries after 4 p.m.
9am-5pm                 Stella bracket purchases, check & Install-By start/finish ramp
9am-5pm                 Chassis Inspection—By Appt 619.572.8245
9am-5pm                 Media Registration       Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico CC

8am-4pm                Racer Registration -      Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico CC

No New Entries after 3 p.m.
8am-5pm                 Contingency Row         Blvd Costero, adjacent to Riviera del Pacifico CC
8am-6pm                 Tech/Transponder Check/Stella device installation—end of contingency row
9am-5pm                 Media Registration       Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico CC

5pm                        Aircraft/Drone Pilot Meeting via Zoom call
6pm                         Mandatory Racer Meeting  Cathedral Room, Riviera CC

3:45am-11pm          SCORE Media Center   Salon Rojo, Riviera del Pacifico CC
START/FINISH: 424.96-mile course; adjacent to Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center (434.52-Motos/Quads; 393.91-SPT MC/Quads, Class 11, Class 7SX; 384.35-4WV)

4:15am         RACE START: MOTOS/QUADS(subject to change)—
Pro Moto Unltd, Pro Moto 30, Pro Moto Ltd, Pro Moto 50, Pro Moto 40, Pro Moto 60, Pro Moto Ironman, Pro Moto Adv, Pro Quad, Pro Quad Ironman, Pro Baja-e Moto/Quad, SPT Moto, SPT Quad
(Start Intervals: Pro Moto Unlimited-60 second split, all other classes start one every 30 seconds)
8:15am         Honor Guard and Salute to the Flags Ceremony  Start/Finish line ramp
9am    RACE START: CARS/TRUCKS/UTVS (subject to change)—
TT/TT Legend, 1, TT Spec, 10, Pro UTV Open, Pro UTV FI, 7, SL, Pro UTV NA, 5, Pro UTV Unltd, Pro UTV Stock, 1/2-1600, 8, Heavy Metal, Heavy Metal Ltd, Hammer Truck, 3, 5-1600, BC, Stock Mid-Size, 7F, 7SX, SF, TL, Baja-e Truck, Baja-e Car, Baja-e UTV, 2, 11, SPT Truck, SPT Open-Wheel, SPT UTV
  (TT, TT Legend, 1, TT Spec one every 60 seconds. All other car/truck/UTV classes start 30-second splits)