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| Category | Off-road racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States Mexico |
| Inaugural season | 1973 |
| Official website | score-international |
SCORE International (Southern California OffRoad Enthusiasts) is an off-road racing sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing. Founded by Mickey Thompson in 1973, SCORE International was purchased from Sal Fish[1] in late 2012.[2] and is run by its current president and race director Jose A. Grijalva and General Manager Juan Tintos.
The sanctioning body's premier series is the SCORE World Desert Championship, which consists of four races in Baja California peninsula: the San Felipe 250, Baja 500, Baja 400, and Baja 1000.[3]
Vehicles are released from the start line individually, in gaps of 60 seconds between Trophy Trucks and Class 1 racers then 30 seconds for all other classes.[4]
Baja races include motorcycles and quad bikes; which start staging at 5:15am and later released around 6am. Four-wheel vehicles start releasing approximately five hours later at around 11am. Race results are determined by calculating a finish time for each vehicle. The finish time for a vehicle can include time for penalties such as speeding. GPS tracking devices are used to enforce speed regulations and penalties on federal highways and highly congested areas.
Awards are given for the winner of each class (if a vehicle in the class finishes) as well as an overall winner across classes, overall four-wheel and overall motorcycle/ATV.
Points are awarded based on class finishing position. The racer with the most points at the end of the season is the overall class winner. In the following race season, the vehicle number will end in two zeros "00" to indicate that racer as the class champion. For example, the vehicle number for the Class 1 champion would be No. 100 while the Trophy Truck champion can run No. 1. The starting order is generally determined by a random draw, except when preferential starts are given to those who finished in top positions in the previous race/season, or when qualifying is held.
Starting with Roger Norman's purchase of SCORE in 2012, vehicle numbers have become permanently assigned to each driver. Numbers 1–9 are reserved for the prior year's driver standings in those respective positions, while 10–99 are available for assignment. Drivers who have used a number in the prior years season will be given first option for the same number in the current season.
SCORE International operates an "Ironman" class for racers that complete a race without any driver change. Commemorative ribbons are given to any racers who completed a race solely. Baja legend Ivan "Ironman" Stewart was the first racer to complete this feat in 1975,[5] capturing his first Baja 500 win before winning the 1976 Baja 1000 under this format.
Course terrain is primarily off-road in remote areas, though highway segments are used when an alternate off-road route is unavailable. Some classes like Moto, Quad, and Class 11 run different routes from others that bypass certain locations.[6][7]
| Race | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| San Felipe 250 | San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico | One loop, approximately 250 miles |
| Baja 500 | Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico | One loop, approximately 500 miles |
| Baja 400 | Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico | One loop, approximately 400 miles |
| Baja 1000 | Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico | One loop, approximately 1,000 miles |
A documentary about the 2003 Baja 1000 titled Dust to Glory was released in 2005.[8] A sequel Dust 2 Glory, which covers the 2016 race, came out in 2017.[9]
SCORE International lent its name to the 2008 video game SCORE International Baja 1000. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360.[10]
In 2015, SCORE International opted to air their three original television series, Roost, Guerrero, and SCORE International Off-Road Racing on digital video-on-demand platform, CarbonTV.[11]
SCORE International licensed a burger restaurant (SCORE Baja Burgers & Beer[12]) in Chula Vista, California, United States.
SCORE International CEO/President Sal Fish
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