Baja 1000 drawing summary

Over 275 entries expected

Sohren draws first start SCORE Trophy-Truck, Thissen in M/C For November's 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race

Racers from 34 States, 12 countries entered to date in nationally-televised Granddaddy of all desert races;

32 SCORE Trophy-Trucks entered; race to be held in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, Nov. 19-22

LOS ANGELES--Just patiently plugging along in desert racing's marquee division, Arizona's journeyman driver Pete Sohren has received the first starting position during Saturday's computerized drawing for November's 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race. While the grizzled veteran Sohren will pilot his No. 2 Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck, starting first among the motorcycle and ATV classes will be the team led by promising newcomer Adam Thissen of Reno, Nev. on a KTM 550XC-W motorcycle.

An impressive total of 231 vehicles officially entered in time for Saturday's computerized drawing held at SCORE International's headquarters in Los Angeles.

With over 275 entries expected to compete in 28 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, the granddaddy of all desert races will be held Nov. 19-22 in Ensenada, Mexico. Completing its 36th year as the World's foremost desert racing sanctioning body, the event is the finale of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series. To date, entries have come from 34 U.S. States and 12 countries.

With massive crowds reaching nearly 25,000 anticipated to again be spread out along the rugged course that travels much of the northern part of Baja California, down Laguna Salada to San Felipe, down thrown legendary Matomi Wash, around Mike's Sky Ranch, down the infamous Simpson's Hill and back to the Pacific Coast through Santo Tomas covering much of the northern half of the majestic Baja California peninsula. The race will start for the 35th time and finish for the 20th time in Ensenada.

The motorcycle and ATV classes will start their journey at 6:30 a.m. (Friday, Nov. 20) with the car and truck classes starting at approximately 10:30 a.m., or three hours after the last ATV leaves the line. Vehicles will leave in 30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race and while the fastest finishers are expected to complete the course in approximately 13 hours. All vehicles will have a 31-hour time limit to become official finishers in the legendary adventure.

The race will start and finish on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the picturesque Bahia de Todos Santos in front of the historical Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada.

Drawing the first start in the ATV classes was the team led by Patrick Christensen, Pleasant Prairie, Wisc., who will ride a Yamaha Raptor in Class 25.

A unique part of Saturday's drawing was the special drawing for the top 10 finishers from the nearest previous SCORE Baja race entered in the current race in both SCORE Trophy-Truck and the unlimited Class 1. For this race it was the top 10 finishers from this year's 41st Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

Sohren finished fourth in June's race, tying his best career SCORE Trophy-Truck race finish.

NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., whose roots are in SCORE desert racing and is this year's SCORE Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck point leader, drew the eighth starting position in SCORE Trophy-Truck in the Team Gordon No. 77 Chevy CK1500. Gordon will be pulling double duty driving also driving in the NASCAR Cup season finale in Florida on Nov. 22.

Drawing the second start in SCORE Trophy-Truck was Rick D. Johnson, Barstow, Calif., this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 500 winner, who drives the No. 71 Ford F-150. Last year's overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck winners in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Roger Norman, Reno, Nev./Larry Roeseler, El Cajon, Calif., drew the 10th starting spot in the No. 8 Norman Motorsports Ford F-150.

Pre-race festivities on Thursday, Nov. 19, for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, including the vastly popular tech and contingency of all vehicles and the SCORE Manufacturer's Midway will be held from 19 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will be held Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. Racer and media registration will be held at the San Nicolas Resort Hotel from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.

While entries will be accepted up to race morning (Friday, Nov. 20), late entries will be assigned the next available number and starting position within each class.

The post-race Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Survivor's Celebration will be held poolside at the San Nicolas Resort Hotel at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22.

Besides Sohren, Gordon, Johnson and Norman/Roeseler, other entries among the veterans in the talented 32-truck field in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division include Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas (No. 3-Ford F-150), B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas (97-Chevy Silverado), Las Vegas' Brian Collins/Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif. (12-Dodge Ram1500), Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif. (30-Chevy Silverado), Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rick Geiser, Phoenix (GMC Sierra), Mexico's Gus Vildosola/Gus Vildosola Sr. (No. 4-Ford F-150), Honolulu's Alan Pflueger (28-Chevy Silverado), Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif. (31-Chevy Silverado), Las Vegas' Tim Herbst/Troy Herbst (19-Ford F-150), Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif. (23-Ford F-150), Ron Whitton, Mesa, Ariz. (39-Ford F-150), Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif./Dave Sykes, San Diego (7-Ford F-150), Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix (84-Chevy Silverado), Ed Stout, Irvine, Calif. (13-Ford F-150) and Bobby Baldwin/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas (96-Chevy Silverado).

The car and truck classes with the most entries to date are SCORE Trophy-Truck (32), Class 1 (20) and Class 1-2/1600 (10).

Among the motorcycle and ATV classes, Class 22 has the most entries to date with 18.

Leading the seven Sportsman classes in the race is Sportsman Motorcycle over 250cc which had 22 entries and Sportsman Motorcycle under 250cc which had 11 entries in the drawing.

Drawing first start in Class 1 was former German World Rally Championship driver Armin Schwarz/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., in a Jimco-BMW, while first off in Class 1-2/1600 will be Cody Robinson, Calexico, Calif., in a Romo-VW.

Pre-running on the 672.85-mile loop course will officially begin on Saturday, Nov. 6. Pre-running will be allowed only from Ojos Negros and back. One way pre-running from the start to Ojos Negros will be allowed only on Wednesday and Thursday of race week (Nov. 18 and 29).

It's the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the Granddaddy of all desert races has been run over the mysterious Baja California peninsula.

This year's Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour NBC Sports special, in association with SCORE and Aura360, for the sixth consecutive year, scheduled to air at 2 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Dec. 19 on the NBC Television Network. It will also air on a delayed basis outside of the U.S. on ESPN International.

In addition to season point class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 24th consecutive year, a total of 16 drivers remain eligible after Round 4 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series.

This race also features the prestigious Sal Fish SCORE IronRider awards presented to each motorcycle or ATV rider who completes the course within the time limit while riding solo. To date, nine individuals have declared that they will be attempting to complete the course riding solo.

-credit: score international