SAN DIEGO — Two of the all-time SCORE Trophy Truck races, SoCal’s David Ashley and Dan Smith will be seen in action during SCORE Throwback Thursday, one of Roger Norman’s new Internet creations,and the presentation of another memorable race this week—the 1998 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Norman’s latest program showcases classic SCORE race footage primarily produced as television shows.

Thursday’s night’s episode at 7 p.m. (PT) will be the telecast of the 4th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the very popular season-opening race that SCORE produced from 1995 through 2012.

Norman’s new Internet show is another part of the inventory of his new Dirt Live productions which produces the weekly Dirt LiveHD studio show each Tuesday as well as the expanded race-week coverage for his SCORE and HDRA racing organizations.

“A key part of SCORE is its history and we are very happy to be able to make these historic programs available like this worldwide through our Dirt Live platform,” commented Norman, in his first year as CEO/President of the legendary SCORE International desert racing organization. “We are really moving at warp speed in so many different directions and SCORE Throwback Thursday not only helps us veterans of the sport sit back and remember the rich history of SCORE, but it also helps introduce an entire new audience to the magnificent legacy of SCORE.”

“These shows will also remind some and introduce others to the legends of SCORE racing like Ivan Stewart, Walker Evans, Roger Mears, Larry Ragland, Johnny Campbell, the Herbst Brothers, Steve Hengeveld, Mark McMillin, David Ashley and Dan Smith. We like remembering our past as we sustain our legacy as the world’s foremost desert racing organization. We are really pleased to be able to preserve the rich history that his made SCORE the iconic international symbol that it has been for 40 years.”

With plans to create an internet video library of SCORE’s iconic history, much of the inventory of shows and footage for SCORE Throwback Thursday is material originally produced by award-winning motorsports videographer Don Shoemaker.

SCORE production manager Andrew Grimshaw helped conceive the idea for this new programming platform as SCORE continues to develop increasing ways to expand the reach of not only SCORE but the entire sport of desert racing.

This week’s show will highlight the tremendous accomplishments of overall winners of the 1998 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, Ashley and Smith, of Riverside, Calif. Ashley and Smith won the race in their No. 8 Landfield Motorsports Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy Truck. For the talented team, it was second class win in Laughlin as they also won Class 8 in 1997.

Two of the all-time winningest racers in SCORE history, Ashley and Smith were a dominate team as they raced together for over 15 years. Starting his desert racing career on motorcycles, Smith had 14 career SCORE class season point championships in his career while Ashley had 10. Together they also won nine career SCORE Trophy Truck races, including three in both 2001 and 2002.

Ashley and Smith won the SCORE Trophy Truck season point championship in both 1998 and 2001. One of their most memorable victories will long be remembered as the once-in-a-lifetime Tecate SCORE Baja 2000 race where they were the overall winners in the historic event. Held to commemorate the start of the new millennium in 2000, the 1,679.54-mile race started in Ensenada, Baja California Norte, Mexico and finished in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The dynamic duo covered the grueling course that crisscrossed down the length of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula in 32 hours, 15 minutes and 39 seconds.

Roger Norman’s Dirt LiveHD one-hour show is broadcast live weekly and the show is anchored around Norman’s two desert racing series, the SCORE Desert Series and the High Desert Racing Association as well as the new bonus points championship purse program he has developed called the World Championship of Desert Racing. All live events, this week was the 33rd consecutive weekly Dirt LiveHD episode to air.

Dirt LiveHD also goes on-site live with expanded event coverage during SCORE and HDRA race weekends and will next be covering the Mirage HDRA Las Vegas 300, Sept. 27-29, hosted by the Moapa Band of Paiutes on the Moapa Indian Reservation north of Las Vegas.

Here is the list of class winners from that vintage race, many of whom are still racing today:

4th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
January 29-February 1, 1998
Total Starters: 151, Total Finishers: 96
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK-Dave Ashley/Dan Smith, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150
CLASS 1-John Herder, Tucson, Ariz., Jimco-VW
CLASS 1/2-1600-Jason Hatz, S. Laguna Beach, Calif., Dunrite-VW
CLASS 3-Darren Skilton, Bellflower, Calif., Kia Sportage
CLASS 5-Mike Dondel, Hemet, Calif., VW Baja Bug
CLASS 5-1600-Victor Orellana, Chula Vista, Calif., VW Baja Bug
CLASS 7-Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., Chevrolet S-10
CLASS 7S-Bruce Landfield, Yorba Linda, Calif., Ford Ranger
CLASS 8-David Westhem, La Jolla, Calif., Chevrolet C1500
CLASS 9-Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif, Jimco-VW
CLASS 10-John Phillips, Gilbert, Ariz., Jimco -Toyota
SCORE LITES-David Callaway, Menifee, Calif., Dunrite-VW
CLASS 11-Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico, VW Sedan
STOCK MINI-Mark Turner, Lafayette, Colo., Mazda B2600
STOCK FULL-David Sykes, San Diego, Ford F-150
PROTRUCK-Rick D. Johnson, Barstow, Calif., Ford F-150

For more information, visit the official website of the new SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.