RENO, Nev. — Las Vegas’ six-time AARWBA All-America motorsports racer Rob MacCachren continues to hold the SCORE Overall and SCORE Trophy Truck point lead after the first three rounds of the five-race 2014 SCORE World Desert Championship. With tight battles in races on both sides of the border, most classes have at least two racers within 10 points for their class point lead and a total of just 27 points separate the top 10 SCORE Overall point leaders heading into round 4 at the 19th Rigid Industries SCORE Desert Challenge to be held Sept. 25-28 at the Coyne Powersports Motorplex in Imperial Valley, Calif.
ON CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR
Every race in the 2014 SCORE World Desert Championship and the special SEMA Show exhibition and qualifying for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are televised on a delayed basis in the USA and Canada as a one-hour special on the CBS Sports Network. The shows, produced by SoCal’s acclaimed BCII TV, air a minimum of twice on the CBS Sports Spectacular show. The initial airing of the upcoming Tecate SCORE Baja 500 will be at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 20, 2014. Following the CBS Sports Network telecasts, the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 show will air worldwide in over 100 countries through international distribution.
MAC ATTACK
MacCachren, 49, a two-time SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion with 11 career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins and eight SCORE season class point titles, drives the No. 11 Rockstar Energy MacCachren Motorsports Ford F-150. MacCachren finished fourth in the season-opening Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 and with San Diego’s Andy McMillin pinch-hitting for him, he won the SCORE Imperial Valley 250 in late April. He finished fifth out of 37 starters in the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower, unlimited production trucks.
SCORE point rules this season allow for one replacement driver if pre-approved for an acceptable reason. MacCachren was racing in two classes over two days the same weekend at the Lucas Oil short-course off-road series and SCORE officials allowed a replacement driver. MacCachren has 244 points after three events.
TOP TRIO
Winner of the season-opener in March, Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr is second in SCORE Trophy Truck points and fourth in SCORE Overall points with 231 in the No. 21 Branix Mexicana Logistics Ford Raptor. Third in SCORE Trophy Truck points and fifth in SCORE Overall points is Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va. in the No. 5 RPM Chevy Rally Truck with 228 points so far.
SCORE TOP 10
After three races, the top 10 in SCORE Overall points are separated by just 27 points. While SCORE Trophy Truck racers MacCachren, Vildosola Jr and Stacy are all clearly in the top 10 SCORE Overall point leaders through round 2, of the other seven in that group, one is in SCORE Trophy Truck and the other six are from three other classes.
SCORE points are calculated on standard start and finish points for a particular race along with a variable amount for placement points based on the number of starters within the racer’s class.
Second in SCORE Overall points is Cody Reid, 22 of Apple Valley, Calif., who is leading Class 10 with 240 points, just four behind MacCachren, in a Custom-Chevy. Reid, whose mother Shelby Reid is the driver of record for a team that is currently in third place in unlimited Class 1 points, has used consistent Class 10 finishes of third, third and second to move to the top of his competitive class that had a season-high 28 starts in the recent Tecate SCORE Baja 500.
After his second win of the season at the SCORE Baja 500, Class 19 point leader Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif., has moved up to third in SCORE Overall points with 234 in a Can-Am Maverick UTV.
Tied for fifth in SCORE Overall points with SCORE Trophy Truck racer Clyde Stacy with 228 points is Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., who is second in Class 10 points with one class win this season in a Chenowth-Honda
With 227 points, Class 1/2-1600 point leaders Kevin Smith, La Verne, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas who split driving time in a VW-powered Mirage 1600cc single-seat open-wheel race car are also seventh in SCORE Overall points. They veteran duo won this year’s Inaugural SCORE Imperial Valley 250 with a fourth-place finish in San Felipe to start the season and a third place podium placement at the recent Tecate SCORE Baja 500.
Another thoroughbred in the RPM Racing stable this year, Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, is fourth in SCORE Trophy Truck points and eighth in SCORE Overall points with 225 in the No. 18 RPM Racing Chevy Silverado.
Tied for ninth in SCORE Overall points to complete the top 10 list through three races with 217 points each are the team of Christian Celaya, 20, Paradise Valley, Calif./Aaron Ampudia, 21, Ensenada, Mexico, in a Currie-VW in Class 1/2-1600 and Derek Murray, Eastvalle, Calif., in a Can-Am Maverick in Class 19.
MATNEY HEADS CLASS 1
Currently 11th in SCORE Overall points is another RPM Racing driver, team co-owner Justin Matney, of Bristol, Tenn., who won the first two races this year in the unlimited Class 1 in a Chevy-powered Geiser open-wheel desert race car. He also finished ninth out of 16 Class 1 starters at the recent Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and now has 214 season points.
TRIFECTA TANDEM
Two motorcycle racers have won their class in all three races on the 2014 SCORE World Desert Championship. Giovanni Spinali, Lake Forest, Calif. has won all three Class 40 races for riders 40 years and older on a Honda CRF450X) and Tony Gera, 19, Santa Cruz, Calif. has won the new SCORE Ironman motorcycle class for solo riders on a Honda XR650R.
TWIN WINS
Besides Matney in Class 1 and Burnett in Class 19, other Pro class points leaders who have won two of the three races so far in the 2014 SCORE World Desert Championship are: Ricky Brabec, Oak Hills, Calif. (Class 22, Kawasaki KX450F), Jose Lopez, Mexicali, Mexico (Class 5, VW Baja Bug), James Burman, Heber City, Utah (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Rick De La Pena, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Limited M/C, Honda CRF250X), Earl Roberts, Calexico, Calif. (Class 50, Honda CRF450X), Jim Dizney, Alpine Calif. (Class 60, Honda CRF450X) and Javier Robles Jr, Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico (Class 25, Honda TRX450R).
RPM ROCKIN’ THE DESERT
Based in Bristol, Tenn., prominent RPM Racing was in the hunt with five of the vehicles they enter in this season. While Matney, 29, leads Class 1 in points, Stacy, 70, and SCORE Young Gun Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, 19 of Tecate, Mexico is third in SCORE Trophy Truck points and Juan C. Lopez is fourth. Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va. is second in Sportsman Buggy and Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va. is leading SPT Unlimited Truck with two race wins. For the SCORE Baja 500, RPM also entered a sixth vehicle team driver Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico raced in the Trophy Truck Spec class where he finished third out of 10 starters in the class.
MORE PRO 4-WHEEL LEADERS
Among the other Pro car and truck class leaders are Taylor Mills, Corpus Christi, Texas (Trophy Truck Spec, Chevy Silverado), Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), (Emilio Salcido, Mexicali, Mexico. (Class 5-1600, VW Baja Bug), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Paige Sohren, Phoenix (Class 3000, BajaLite-Chevy), Luis Martinez, Mexicali, Mexico. (SCORE Lites, Foddrill-VW) and Rick Sanchez, San Vicente, Mexico (Class 8, Ford F-150).
MOTORCYCLES & ATVs
Following three rounds of the 2014 SCORE World Desert Championship, tied for the 2014 overall Pro motorcycle point lead with 215 points and three class race wins each are the age group team led by Giovanni Spinali, Lake Forest, Calif. (Class 40, Honda CRF450X) and SCORE Young Gun Tony Gera, 19, Santa Cruz, Calif. (SCORE Ironman, Honda XR650R).
MORE PRO 2-WHEEL LEADERS
In the Pro Open M/C class, the team led by Ricky Brabec, Oak Hills, Calif. (Kawasaki KX450F) leads with two race wins and 209 points.
The other Pro motorcycle class leaders include Mark Winkelman, Cedar Hill, Texas (Class 30, Honda CRF450X) and Jim Dizney, Alpine, Calif (Class 60, Honda CRF450X).
Leading the Pro ATV racers with a pair of race wins this season is the team led by Javier Robles Jr, Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico on a Honda TRX450R.
SPORTSMAN
Winning the class in all three races so far in 2014, the top Sportsman 2-wheel point leader is the team led by Raul Hernandez, Tijuana, Mexico, (KTM 450EXC).
Tied for the Sportsman 4-wheel point lead with two race wins each are the teams led by Martin Hoffman, Capistrano Beach, Calif., (SPT Buggy, Brenthel-Chevy) and Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va. (SPT Unlimited Truck, Chevy Silverado).