Ensenada, Baja California - Amongst the rocks, cacti and steep ledges of the Baja Peninsula sets the toughest off-road race in North America. For decades the infamous Baja 1000 has been the litmus test of man and machine versus the elements of nature. This epicurean off-road race pits the millionare hobby off-road racer against the lesser funded garage off-road demon. What other venue in professional motorsports can Johnny Garage race against the likes of NASCAR's Robby Gordon, Champ Car regulars Michael Jourdain and Sebastien Bourdais of France, Indy Racing League star - Vitor Meira, of Brazil along with 1985 Indy 500 winner - Danny Sullivan and former Indy Car drivers Scott Goodyear and Roberto Guerrero.

No where in professional motorsports can Johnny Garage rub fenders with the stars of asphalt racing except in the remote deserts of the Baja Peninsula. Where it doesn't matter who your are or how much financial backing supports your motorsports program. When your buried in the tidal flats of San Juanico or high-centered at the mini-summit its all the same, mano-y-mano.

The 37th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will be the stage for yet another champion to climb onto the stage at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in La Paz, Baja California to claim the trophy. Starting on the streets of Ensenada, Baja California the race snakes throughout the remote peninsula culminating in the capital of Baja, California at La Paz, Baja Sur. However, the treacherous route between the start and finish will claim its fair share of over achievers.

The 2004 Baja 1000 field includes 20 racers, who have combined for 65 overall 4 and 2-wheel victories during the past 37 runnings of this race. And more importantly, SCORE International reports that 113 racers registered to race have combined for 291 class wins in the race that never goes away.

SCORE International expects race participants to crest over 300 four-wheel registrations before the race launches into the wilds of the Baja Peninsula.

The American Honda factory-sponsored team of Johnny Campbell and Steve Hengeveld will lead the charge at day break from Ensenada's Avenue Ruiz on the edge of town. Normally, the race begins at the Convention Center but recent rains sent torrential floods through Ensenada's river bottom forcing SCORE to change the starting location. The pair has won an amazing nine consecutive SCORE races. Campbell also has seven consecutive overall motorcycle victories in this race, including three with Hengeveld (2000, 2002 and 2003). Sharing seat time on the No. 1x Honda XR650R, Hengeveld also has one other motorcycle class win in this race. In 2002, Hengeveld/Campbell set an average speed record in this race for a motorcycle, averaging an incredible 62.45mph, finishing a very similar course to this year in just over 16 hours. The third team member this year will be talented newcomer Kendall Norman, 19, of Santa Barbara, Calif. Each riding for approximately one-third of the grueling race, Campbell will start the race in Ensenada, followed by Norman will make his debut by riding the middle section, and Hengeveld will bring it the last 330-plus miles to the finish in La Paz.

The top leaders in the revered Trophy Truck class will lead the 4-wheel vehicles from the line at 9:30 a.m. First off the line is Ted Hunnicutt, a veteran off-road racing legend. Ted Hunnicutt, Mission Viejo, Calif., drew the first start for the car and truck classes in the season finale and is a seven-time class winner in this race including four overalls on a motorcycle (Class 22) Hunnicutt is the driver of record for the new Synergy Motorsports team debuting the team’s No. 45 Toytota Tundra in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division. A team of proven racers who will each drive a third of the course, Hunnicutt will start, with Jeff Lewis, San Clemente, Calif., driving the middle section and Cory Susag, also from Mission Viejo, handling the final split.

The legendary boys of Baja's toughest race will follow Hunnicutt at a fast pace hunting him down to take the lead of off-road's most reknown racing event. The Herbst Brothers, Ed and Tim will share driving duties of the Terrible Herbst Trophy Truck in search of their first ever Baja 1000 win.

Skyjacker's Curt LeDuc will split driving duty between his Class 8 truck that will see the LeDuc family boys split up the driving duty from start to finish. Curt LeDuc was set to race this year's Baja 1000 with his two sons, Todd and Kyle, however a recent telephone call from Riviera Racing's Mark Post changed LeDuc's plan.

Post asked LeDuc to drive his Trophy Truck in place of Jerry Whelchel and Skyjacker's LeDuc didn't take to long to make a decision. Hence, Curt LeDuc will be raging the Riviera Trophy Truck off the starting line in Ensenada.

NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Robby Gordon starts in 8th position and will pull some serious TRIPLE-DUTY over the same weekend. Gordon will pilot his #31 Red Bull Trophy Truck on the Thursday Baja 1000 race and after some 740-miles he will turn over the remainder of the driving duties to Red Bull teammate Steve Barlow. Gordon will fly out of Loreto, Baja California directly to Homestead, Florida for the finals of the NASCAR Busch Race and the NEXTEL season finale. Gordan has routinely driven the Baja 1000 race from start to finish but the NASCAR Nextel Cup season finale will force him to exit the #31 truck 250 miles from the finish line.

Scott Steinberger will lead his #7 Ford F-150 off the start line after some extensive prerunning in the past month and performing co-driving duties is one of desert racing's most fun personalities, Jason "BIZ-KIT" Briscoe. Briscoe has prepped the #7 Trophy Truck over the past couple months and the "old girl" has been cleared for the 1016.3 mile race. Briscoe was a long time Terrible Herbst Crew member before his current reign at PCI Racing. Steinberger and his teammate, Jesse "Bad Ass" Jones are primed for a big win and are favorites among the close followers of the desert racing scene. Jones has a knack for getting the job done and Scotty just plain mashes the pedal.

Among the other entries in SCORE Trophy-Truck to date, are: Chad Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz. (80-Chevy Silverado), Japan's Ikuo Hanawa (14-Toyota Tundra), Marty Coyne, El Centro, Calif. (5-Ford F-150), Josh Baldwin, Newport Beach, Calif. (86-Ford F-150), Gary Dircks, Anthem, Ariz./Mark Porter, Cave Creek, Ariz. (23-Chevy Silverado), Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (16-Ford F-150), B.J. Baldwin/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas (97-Ford F-150) and Darren Skilton, Long Beach, Calif. (9-Kia Sorento).

Leading the SCORE International Class 1 points race is John Marking of El Cajon, California. Marking is well-known in the off-road industry as he and his acheivements with FOX Racing Shox has turned the off-road motorsports suspension world upside down. The creation of this advanced technology is only one of many prominent points that Marking has introduced to the off-road motorsports world. At the PRIMM 300 Marking was on pace for his first victory in the SCORE Class 1, however his fine tuned machine ran out of go-juice only 15,000 feet from the finish line. Since then, Marking has completely prepped his Fox Shox/Viejas Casino sponsored Class 1 car and is set for a smooth fast run to La Paz. Riding most of the way in the co-driver seat is Tom Geviss. Known for his 25 + years of experience in the off-road desert racing scene, Geviss brings tremendous talent to the car. As some have said, "Tom is able to leap tall buildings in a single-bound." Geviss has shared the inside of many trophy trucks with some of the best in the business including Larry Ragland, Steve Sourapas and NASCAR'S Jimmy Johnson to name a few. He's been part of the Nelson & Nelson Racing crew for over 20 years and is re-known as the most experienced right seat Baja co-driver still living.

Off-Road.com will provide extensive live reporting from the Baja Peninsula starting on Saturday, November 13, 2004. Our team will be pre-running the course beginning in San Felipe on Saturday morning and running to the finish line by Tuesday afternoon.

Contingency will be underway on Wednesday and the crack photo-journalist crew of Mike Hobbs and the legendary Rick Siemen will be there providing the latest updates to our satellite team set up in the Southern section of the Baja Peninsula.

Race Day will feature updates throughout the 40-hour race as the world's toughest desert racers battle against the elements of Mother Nature and the harsh terrain of the Baja Peninsula. ORC team members will be staffed at the finish line in La Paz providing the latest in race winners and providing unofficial times as the dreary race teams arrive to La Paz.

Stay tuned as it is set to be off-the-hook on the Baja Peninsula.

See our 2003 Baja 1000 Coverage .