Federico Montes, possessing 37 years of experience as an Off-Road racer, along with 7 years supporting Dan Cornwell as a member of the technical inspection staff at SCORE International, is the first Mexican to assume this position in the history of SCORE
ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico— The 2025 SCORE World Desert Championship has a new Tech Director, Federico Montes Orozco, 60, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. He brings 37 years of experience as an Off-Road racer and 7 years as part of the Tech Inspectors staff at SCORE, under the guidance of Dan Cornwell.
Montes is part of the innovations within SCORE’s 52 years of history, a decision endorsed by the SCORE President and Race Director, Jose A. Grijalva: “Federico is a person who loves this sport; he is passionate about Off-Road, just like Dan Cornwell, to whom I extend my thanks for his excellent work at SCORE. The new era of this company would not have been as successful without his vision and extensive experience within this sport.”
Born on January 31, 1965, in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, Federico Montes has competed in SCORE International within Class 5-1600, Class 9, Class ½-1600, and Score Lites. He founded Montes Motors and Competition Transmissions in 1989, a company that remains active in his hometown, providing services to various race teams in Mexico and the United States.
Federico Montes will be the first SCORE Tech Director with Latin roots, a position previously held by Bill Savage, Art Savedra, and Dan Cornwell, who contributed their knowledge and passion not only to SCORE and its racers but also to improving safety for motorcycles and vehicles participating in Off-Road events.
Another significant moment for Federico Montes was his participation in the 2006 Dakar Rally as navigator for Spanish driver Miguel Prieto. The rally started in Lisbon, Portugal, and finished in Dakar, Senegal. Although their adventure lasted only 4 days due to mechanical issues with their Nissan truck in African territory, the experience provided valuable learning for Montes, as he gained deeper insight into rally culture in Europe and Africa.
Montes will have on his tech staff Daniel Gonzalez, who will specialize as a UTV inspector, as well as Juan Campos, Blanca Sarmiento, Marilyn Montes, Alba Cruz, Lucia Montes, Adan Olachea, Eduardo Toledo, and Martin Flores, all of whom have previous experience in this role within SCORE International.
“We have a very passionate and capable team, always focused on addressing the questions of racers and competition teams, as we must provide them with high confidence regarding results, ensuring a correct and transparent process in every race SCORE conducts. I am a racer myself and understand how racers feel during a technical inspection after a race. It is always about giving them full transparency concerning the safety of their vehicles and the rules in each of the different classes competing in SCORE.”
Source: Score International
Picture: SCORE Journal.
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