Motor Sports: Ensenada, Mexico to host two SCORE Desert Races

Ensenada, Mexico, has been selected as site and host city of two of the oldest and most famous desert races in the world, it was confirmed Thursday by SCORE International, the world's foremost desert racing sanctioning body.

Next month's 35th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and November's season-ending 36th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the granddaddy of all desert races, will both start and finish in Ensenada.

While it was announced last September that the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 would be held in Ensenada, it wasn't announced officially until this week that the venerable Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will be held there as well.

Round 3 of the six-race 2003 SCORE Desert Series will be held May 30 June 1 while the season-finale will be held Nov. 13-16. Ensenada is located on Todos Santos Bay on the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja California peninsula, 60 miles south of the U.S. Border near San Diego.

"SCORE International, Baja California and the city of Ensenada have enjoyed a long and wonderful relationship and SCORE is honored to be presenting both this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in Baja California and in the city of Ensenada," said Sal Fish, the SCORE CEO and President who was part of the first SCORE-produced SCORE Baja 500 in 1974 in Ensenada. "We have witnessed some incredible history together and as SCORE celebrates its 30th anniversary, we know that this year in Ensenada we will add even more incredible memories to our legacy. The world's best desert racers compete in SCORE races in Baja and we all have experienced the warm hospitality of Ensenada."

Host to more SCORE races than any other city on either side of the border, SCORE has made Ensenada the desert racing capital of the world. For the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, which averages about 250 starters, this will be the 30th time it has started and 27th time it has finished in Ensenada. Averaging about 220 starters, this will be the 29th time the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 has started and 17th time it has finished in Ensenada.

Reflecting the sentiments of his city, Ensenada Mayor Dr. Jorge Antonio Catalan Sosa said, "Once again, the people and city government of Ensenada are pleased to host another edition of the world famous Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 this year, and are very thankful that SCORE has made Ensenada the home of the premier desert racing in the world. SCORE International and the County of Ensenada have had a long time relationship of 30 years, and for that we congratulate Sal Fish and SCORE on this important milestone."

Both races, which feature 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, will start adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Convention Center in downtown Ensenada and are scheduled to finish at the end of Avenida Ruiz on the outskirts of the northeast side of the third largest city in Baja California.

The 35th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 will be held May 30-June 1, in Ensenada. The computerized drawing for starting positions, by class, will be held next Friday (May 2) at the SCORE headquarters in Los Angeles. More than 250 vehicles, competing in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, are expected to take the green flag in Ensenada on May 31.

Besides these two races in Ensenada, the 2003 SCORE Desert Series schedule includes two completed races and two additional events. The season began on Jan. 16-19 at the 9th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Laughlin, Nev., and continued March 14-15 with the 17th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in Baja California, Mexico. In between the two races in Ensenada will be two U.S. races in Southern Nevada. The 2nd SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 will be held July 9-12 in Henderson and Boulder City and the 8th SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 will be held Sept. 12-13 in Primm.

SCORE official sponsors for 2003 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Southern California Ford Dealers-official vehicle, 76 Racing Fuel-official fuel and Rental Service Corporation-official equipment supplier. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Bilstein Shocks, Downey Off-Road, Signpros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's, Rancho, Off-Road Innovations and Advanced Color Graphics.

Additional associate sponsors for both the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are Cotuco and Fondo Mixto Turistica de Ensenada.

For more information, contact SCORE at (818) 225-8402, or visit the Score-International website.