Baja 400 2021: Racer registration open for 2nd SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels
Second-time race to be held September 14-19 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Spectacular event is Round 3 of four-race 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship
More info at https://score-international.com/raceinfo/2021-baja-400-sept-14-19-2021/
After a dazzling debut in 2019, and no race in 2020 because of the world health pandemic, online racer registration is now open for the 2nd SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels, until August 27, on the SCORE website.
WHEN
The youngest race in the long and storied nearly 50-year history of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization will be held Sept. 14-19 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
WHO…WHAT
Online racer registration along with a detailed schedule of events both are now available on the SCORE website for Round 3 of the four-race 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship. Entries from all across the United States and around the world competing in classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads are anticipated for the upcoming internationally-televised desert race in Mexico’s Baja California.
WHERE
The race and pre-race festivities are scheduled to be held in and around the heart of Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of San Diego. The race will be conducted under the strict guidelines and BioSecurity protocols required by the Mexican Health Department at the time of the event.
GREEN FLAG
It is an elapsed-time race with staggered starts as the green flag on Saturday (Sept. 18) will drop first for the motorcycles and quads at 6 a.m. (PDT) and approximately 10 a.m. (PDT) for the cars, trucks and UTVs. While the fastest vehicles are expected to finish in around eight hours, all vehicles will have a 20-hour time limit to become official finishers in the race.
THE FIELD
Nearly 200 vehicles are expected at the start line for this second-time SCORE race with racers from as many as 20 U.S. States and 10 countries anticipated. SCORE major sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has posted a US$5,000 contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel race winner to help commemorate this newest race on the SCORE schedule.
TV
The race will air domestically on a delayed basis as a one-hour special on the World of X Games program on ESPN2 and will be syndicated internationally to nearly 25 countries in Europe, Latin America, South America and Asia. Co-producing the shows with SCORE is the award-winning BCII TV of Los Angeles led by producer Bud Brutsman.
ONLINE RACER REGISTRATION
Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is ongoing through the SCORE website. Information on all SCORE races can be found on the home page under the Race Info tab.
For more info, visit https://score-international.com/raceinfo/2021-baja-400-sept-14-19-2021/.
START GRID-SCORE BAJA 1000
The results of the SCORE Baja 400 also will determine the start order within each class for November’s iconic season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
DRAW DEADLINE
The starting order within each class for this race (except for the classes that are qualifying), will be determined by a random drawing for those entries received online and paid in full by 8 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, August 27.
No additional entries will be accepted after 8 p.m. PDT on Friday, August 27. Late, on-site racer registration will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Sept. 15, 16, 17).
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 407.40-miles race course for this year’s 2nd SCORE Baja 400 will open at 8 a.m. PDT on Saturday, Sept. 4. Pre-running will start at race mile 40.00 and finish at race mile 367.40. The first 40.0 miles, which will be used in both directions during the race, will be available for pre-running only on Thursday (Sept. 16) and Friday (Sept. 17) and only in the outbound direction.
QUALIFYING
Qualifying for starting positions within their respective classes will be held on Wednesday (Sept. 16}, starting at 8 a.m. PDT. Classes that will be qualifying for the SCORE Baja 400 are SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, the unlimited Class 1 and the Trophy Truck Spec class.
MAIN COURSE
The race will feature a course, when fully plotted and then marked over the next several weeks by SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva, of 407.40 miles of rugged Baja California terrain.
The challenging race course will be another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the seashore with elevations from sea level to over 3,000 feet. The course will be another jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.
A HAPPENING…
With all activities subject to the current Mexican Health Department BioSecurity protocols, SCORE has announced a race-week schedule similar to pre-pandemic times.
Colorful race week festivities will start on Wednesday, Sept. 14 to help celebrate this newest SCORE Baja race. They will be held in or adjacent to the landmark Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada.
Chassis inspections and pre-tech/Stella devise check and installation will be held on Wednesday (Sept. 14) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT by appointment and on Thursday (Sept. 15) chassis inspection/pre-tech/Stella bracket check and installation will be held at a location to be determined.
Friday (Sept. 17) will see the colorful day-long, pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and contingency festival in the start finish line area in Ensenada. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT each day contingency row will be held for all classes. Tech inspection/Transponder checks/Stella/SPICA device pickup will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT on Friday as well at the end of the manufacturer’s row.
During the race on Saturday, Sept. 18 until the course closes on Sunday morning, Sept. 19, the start/finish line compound will include the massive double-sided SCOREvision LED screen broadcasting race festivities and start and finish line interviews. Popular Rat Sult will once again serve as host of the SCORE Live streaming.
All of the week’s festivities will be streamed both live and same-day including the race, airing via the internet on the SCORE website.
AT THE RIVIERA…
The historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, in the heart of Ensenada, will again be the site of many of the activities surrounding the 2nd SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels. Racer registration and media registration will both be held in the Red Room on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Sept. 15-17).
Racer registration will be held on Wednesday (Sept. 15) from 12 Noon to 8 p.m. PDT along with 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on Thursday (Sept. 16) and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT on Friday (Sept. 17).
On Wednesday, no new entries will be accepted after 7 p.m. PDT, on Thursday after 4 p.m. PDT and on Friday, no new entries will be accepted after 3 p.m. PDT
Media registration the Red Room will be held on Wednesday (Sept. 15) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. PDT and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on both Thursday (Sept. 16) and Friday (Sept. 17).
The SCORE Media Center will be in the Red Room during the race (Sept. 18-19) with internet access and live race updates, vehicle tracking displays including unofficial elapsed times.
The start/finish line for the race will once again be adjacent to the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Blvd. Costero.
AT THE LUCERNA…
On Friday (Sept. 17) at the Torre Lucerna Hotel in Ensenada will be the mandatory aircraft and Drone pilots meeting at 6 pm. PDT, the mandatory pre-race racer’s meeting at 7 p.m. PDT. The post-race awards celebration will also be at the Torre Lucerna Hotel at 2 p.m. PDT on Sunday (Sept. 19).
GRAN HISTORIA
The first Baja 500 organized and produced by SCORE was held on July 26, 1974 as the first of over 150 SCORE Baja races to date.
Ensenada is the heart and soul of the SCORE Baja races. Ensenada has hosted the start line 47 times and the finish line 43 times for the SCORE Baja 500. For the iconic SCORE Baja 1000, Ensenada will be hosting the start line this November for the 47th time and the finish line will be in La Paz, Baja California Sur for the 22nd time.
SCOREscope
2021 SCORE SKED
Here are the remaining two events in the four-race 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship which will all be held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the sixth consecutive year:
2nd SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—
September 14-19, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
Source SCORE International
