Series news on 2011 season opener 2010-12-10

Jan. 14-16 in Laughlin, Nev.
Over 100 entries expected for 2011 SCORE Desert Series Opener at 17th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Entry forms available on-line, tickets now on sale, computerized start drawing on Dec. 29; Pre-race festivities include $16,000 SCORE Laughlin Leap & SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying

LOS ANGELES--For the 17th straight year, motorsports fans and racers from across the United States, Mexico, Denmark and Germany will convene in Laughlin, Nev., the desert resort town near the shores of the Colorado River, for the popular SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. The first major motorsports event of the year in the United States will be held Jan. 14-16, launching the five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series, the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series.

Over 100 expected entries will compete in 20 classes for cars and trucks for over $300,000 in prize money and contingency postings during the three-day SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Entry forms are now available on the SCORE website and the computerized drawing for starting positions within each class will be held for all pre-registered entries on Wednesday, Dec. 29, at the Los Angeles headquarters of SCORE International.

"The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is a wonderful event on the SCORE calendar and it is especially a great way to start the year," said Sal Fish, SCORE President/CEO. "In our sport, it is about as fan-friendly as you can get and nothing surpasses the hospitality the Laughlin resorts show our racers and fans. And the racing is awesome."

With 20 classes of cars and trucks divided into five groups, the single race is divided into multi-lap segments split over two days. Starting at 7 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 15-16), each group will race a pre-determined amount of laps each day over the fan-friendly 6.25-mile loop. The combined elapsed time and number of laps completed from both days will determine the final finishing position for each vehicle. Two vehicles will leave the start line every 15 seconds.

Tickets are on sale through the visitlaughlin.com website with three designated spectator areas and a special VIP section as well. Three-day passes are also on sale now.

One of the event's most popular features, the SCORE Laughlin Leap, revs up the fun and helps get the weekend off. Moved to a new day, the SCORE Laughlin Leap will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 14). The SCORE Laughlin Leap will start with a fireworks display.

Drivers will enjoy the spotlight at the Laughlin Events Park, competing for a $16,000 purse and the honor of beating the 2010 champions. The SCORE Laughlin Leap, a dirt ramp built into the middle of the stadium portion of the race course, challenges the most daring of drivers. This year's competitors will be attempting to break the event record in the SCORE Laughlin Leap of 161' 6" set in 2009 by Larry Roeseler in the Norman Motorsports Ford F-150.

Advance tickets for the Laughlin Events Park are now on sale at www.visitlaughlin.com or by calling 800.308.2233.

For the fourth straight year, qualifying for starting positions for the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division will be held the Friday (Jan. 14) before the race. With free admission to the grandstand seating area, SCORE Trophy-Truck qualifying will be held in the afternoon and each truck will be timed over one solo lap of the 6.25-mile course to determine the start order in that class for Saturday's first half of the race.

Since its debut in 1995, the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge has helped establish Laughlin as a viable host for special events. Thousands of spectators join over 100 of the world's best desert racers and their crews in converging on the city each year to watch the best of the best desert racers compete in a unique-format, two-day race that includes a temporary stadium surrounding the start/finish line area and the main pits.

Friday's pre-race activities will also include the SCORE Manufacturer's Midway and vendors village from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the heart of Laughlin.

A total of 20 different classes for cars and trucks are split into five groups, each running as part of multiple-lap races over the much-abbreviated 6.25-mile loop each day. Racing action runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day (Jan. 15-16). The marquee racing division is SCORE Trophy-Truck, featuring high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks along with unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars are expected to have the largest entry fields. The other classes with the largest entry fields are expected to be Class 1-2/1600 and SCORE Lite.

SoCal's Andy McMillin (SCORE Trophy-Truck) and Kory Halopoff (Class 1) are the top defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race winners.

The Laughlin Events Park, with grandstand seating, vendor's village and food court is just minutes from the destinations eight resorts and includes an infield with switchbacks, whoops, minijumps and the SCORE Laughlin Leap.

Daily general admission tickets, good for grandstand seating, are $20 each per day for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, children 10 and under are free. Daily VIP tickets are $40 each per day for the each day, good for admission to the Laughlin Hospitality Chalet, including food, beverage and special seating.

Facing the infield stadium seating area will be the video monitors, showing footage from around the race course.

Tickets, priced at $5 each per person, will also be available each race day (Jan. 15-16) for 'SCORE Hill', which overlooks the infield, start/finish area and the main pits. The SCORE Hill will have grandstands and standing room areas along with vendors, concessions and the other public safety services available.

The Laughlin Tourism Commission is also selling three-day general admission passes for $50 and three-day VIP passes for $100. With the purchase of a general admission or VIP ticket, spectators can also buy pit passes for an additional $10 per day.

The newest spectator area, opened in 2008 adjacent to Laughlin High School off of Cougar Drive, allows entry at $10 per person, as space allows, to the backside of the course with a view of much of the 6.25-mile loop. Tickets for the Laughlin High spectator area will be available only on each day of racing (Jan. 15-16) at the entrance off of Cougar Drive.

The 17th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Commission, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Located 90 miles south of Las Vegas, Laughlin offers visitors a relaxed and friendly atomosphere. This city by the river has grown to include nine resorts with affordable first-clas accomodations, 24-hour casino gaming, gourmet dining and outlet shopping. Laughlin, a unique resort destination that welcomes nearly 5 million visitors annually, has also become one of the leading special event destinations in the Southwest. From world-class bull riding action to daring desert racing to professional rodeo on the Colorado River, Laughlin has plenty to offer the adventurous spectator.

-source:

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull-official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, MasterCraft Safety, Blue C Advertising, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

More event information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

-source: www.score-international.com.