Racer registration open and event-week schedule online for next month’s BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500
- Season opener of two-race 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship Sept. 22-27;
- Televised on ABC World of X Games; start/finish in San Felipe, Baja California;
- Racer registration, event info available at www.SCORE-International.com
Entries from all across the United States and around the world are expected as online registration has officially opened for the upcoming internationally-televised BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts. The first of two races on pandemic-abbreviated 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule will be held September 22-27 in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
San Felipe is the serene fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif. All 2020 SCORE races will be held on Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula for the fifth consecutive year.
Most the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s celebration of one of the top 10 motorsports events in the entire world. The race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour special on the ABC Network World of X Games programming.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Because of the significant health and safety protocols developed by SCORE in conjunction with and the approval of state and local health authorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all race-week festivities and the start/finish line compound will be restricted access only and closed to the general public. All race-related activities and the race start/finish compound will be on the grounds of the popular El Dorado Ranch gated resort which is located seven miles North of downtown San Felipe alongside of Mexico Federal Highway 5.
QUALIFYING
SCORE will hold a qualifying session for this race starting at 7 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Sept 23 to determine the starting positions within each class for the SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec divisions. Entries in these classes must also be completed by Friday, September 11 to be eligible to qualifying. Start order for qualifying will be based solely on entry order into race, by class. Starting positions for the other classes will be determined by a random drawing after the close of online racer registration which is at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.
Late, on-site entries will receive the next starting position within the class entered.
Qualifying will be held South of San Felipe across from the local airport.
ONLINE RACER REGISTRATION
Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is now open 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 http://score-international.com/raceinfo/baja-500-2/.
Official entries received after the drawing will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes. Online entries will be accepted until 8 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 11.
GREEN FLAG
It is an elapsed-time race with staggered starts as the green flag on Saturday (July 18) will drop first for the motorcycles and quads at 4 a.m. PT and approximately 8 a.m. PT for the cars, trucks and UTVs.
Nearly 250 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from over 25 U.S. States and as many as 10 countries anticipated. Long-time SCORE sponsor and race title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has also posted a US$25,000 contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel winner to help commemorate this year’s race.
GRAN HISTORIA
This year’s SCORE World Desert Championship includes another special tribute to the iconic SCORE Baja 500 when it is held this year in San Felipe for just the second time in the 52-year history of the race.
The SCORE Baja 500 is one of the top motorsports events in the world. It was started originally in 1969 by the NORRA organization. Mickey Thompson and his SCORE International organization were invited by the Mexican government to take over the event starting in 1974. Sal Fish ran and later owned and produced the SCORE Baja 500 for 39 years until he sold SCORE in December of 2012.
The first Baja 500 organized and produced by SCORE was held on July 26, 1974 in Ensenada as the first of over 150 SCORE Baja races.
This year will be the second time that the race has started and finished in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. The only other time the race was held in San Felipe was 1989 and featured only the four-wheel vehicle classes.
While this will be just the second time for the SCORE Baja 500 to be held in San Felipe, the SCORE San Felipe 250 has been held in San Felipe for 32 of its 33-year history.
EL DORADO RANCH S/F
Following planning with and approval from city and state governments, SCORE International has announced that all the official pre-race activities and the start/finish line compound for this year’s SCORE Baja 500 will be held in a restricted area at the prominent El Dorado Ranch resort with no spectators allowed. Spectators following health and safety protocols will be allowed in the open areas around the 495-mile race course.
With the safety and health restrictions in place, SCORE will produce extensive live streaming of the race and pre-race festivities air on the SCORE website and SCORE social media platforms.
SCORE COMMENT
“SCORE International will apply official Health Protocols for race logistics and will work in coordination for the application of official Health Protocols by Hotels, Restaurants and other service providers,” stated Jose A. Grijalva, SCORE President/Race Director.
“SCORE International's focus on the health and safety of racers, sponsors, media, fans and the citizens of Baja California continues to be our number one priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of everyone involved during these unprecedented times and constantly changing situation.”
“For these reasons, contingency and the start/finish line compound will be restricted areas with no spectators allowed. We will have extensive live streaming coverage throughout race week airing on the SCORE website and SCORE Social Media platforms.”
START ORDER/DRAW DEADLINE
For all the non-qualifying classes, the starting order within each class for this race will be determined by a start order drawing, if the individual entry is received and all fees paid in full by 8 p.m. on Friday, September 11.
The results of the drawing, to determine the remainder of the start order within each class, will be posted on the SCORE website at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 18.
Between September 11 and 5 p.m. PT on September 18, entries will be accepted in the SCORE Ensenada office but those entries will not be able to qualify or be in the start draw. Late, on-site racer registration will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (September 23, 24, 25) and will be given the next available start position within their respective classes.
All entries received after 8 p.m. PT on Friday, September 11 will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes.
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 495.0-mile race course for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts will begin at 8 a.m. PT on Saturday, September 12 starting at race mile 0.16 and finishing at race mile 485.16. Pre-running starting at 8 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 23 through Friday, September 25 will start at race mile 0.0 to race mile 7.80 outbound only.
The official SCORE Racer Brief, course map and GPS files will be available by 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, September 10.
MAIN COURSE
The race will feature a course, when finalized and plotted over the next several days by SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva of right around 495.0 miles. It will run both North and South of San Felipe in a counterclockwise direction on the East side of the Baja California peninsula.
When completed, the historic 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 ocean with elevations from sea level to over 3,000 feet. The course will be another jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.
There will be three physical checkpoints, much of the course will run through Laguna Salada as well as going through parts of four of Baja California’s infamously magnificent washes: Amarillas, Chanate, Huatamote and Azufre.
DETAILS
As required by the health and safety protocols required to conduct this race, race week activities will have restricted access at the Eldorado Ranch with no spectators allowed for contingency, tech inspection and the start/finish compound.
On-site Racer Registration and Media Registration, again with restricted access, will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (September 22-25) at the Pavilion at El Dorado Ranch.
Racer registration will be held for racers who are qualifying from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 22). Racer registration for the balance of the entries will be held on Wednesday (Sept. 23) from Noon to 7 p.m. PDT, on Thursday (Sept. 24) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 25) with no new entries accepted after 3 p.m. PDT on that final day of registration.
SCORE Media registration will be held in the Pavilion at El Dorado Ranch from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 22) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on Wednesday (Sept. 23) and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on both Thursday and Friday (Sept. 24-25).
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