RENO, Nev. — Helping to promote the new generation of desert racers, SCORE International has released the current SCORE Dirty Dozen–the ‘Young Guns’ of the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship. All less than 30 years old and regulars in this year’s series, the SCORE Dirty Dozen represents a cross section of the next generation of SCORE desert racers that have made and continue to emblazon the world of desert racing with their flamboyant skill and dynamic persona.
SCORE, the world’s foremost desert racing organization, features Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and ATVs.
The SCORE Dirty Dozen represents several of the categories of classes with four who race in SCORE Trophy Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 850-horesepower unlimited production trucks.
In addition to a full eight-page spread in the current SCORE Journal, issue No. 7, links to special videos produced by Telly-award winning BCII TV of SoCal, the 2015 SCORE Dirty Dozen young guns are available on the SCORE website at…
http://score-international.com/presenting-the-2015-score-dirty-dozen-part-i/
http://score-international.com/presenting-the-2015-score-dirty-dozen-part-ii/
Carrying big sticks and letting their actions speak louder than words through the tortuous deserts of Southern California and the foreboding and mysterious badlands of Mexico’s mysterious Baja California peninsula, the second annual SCORE Dirty Dozen lineup consists of SCORE Trophy Truck racers Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Kyle Jergensen, Eduardo ‘Lalo’ Laguna and Justin Davis along with Cody Reid (Class 10) Rafael Navarro IV (Class 10), Aaron Ampudia (Class 1/2-1600), Jordan Brenthel (Trophy Truck Spec), Brandon Schueler (Class 19), Mark Samuels (Unlimited Motorcycle), Ian Young (Unlimited Motorcycle) and Brandon Walsh (Class 7).
Lopez, Davis and Navarro IV are all repeat selections from last year’s SCORE Dirty Dozen of desert young guns from the SCORE World Desert Championship.
“The SCORE Dirty Dozen might sound cute, but from our perspective these youthful competitors are the future of SCORE International desert racing,” commented Roger Norman, SCORE CEO/President who himself is a former SCORE Trophy Truck champion racer. “The ‘Young Guns’ are pushing SCORE desert racing to exciting new levels of achievement as well as developing the foundation for fulfilling the vision we have for SCORE and the world of desert racing motorsports.”
The growing youth movement in the SCORE World Desert Championship is creating expanded opportunities for SCORE’s sponsors, its broadcasters and its licensees. From apparel to energy drinks, SCORE’s youth movement is a powerful platform for marketers worldwide.
With their stars lighting up the desert sky, the second SCORE Dirty Dozen—Young Guns of the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship, were selected by a special committee of SCORE race officials and motorsports news media.
Second and now even third-generation desert racers become more and more prominent in the lineups at SCORE World Desert Championship events and the SCORE Dirty Dozen are prime examples of all the myriad next gen of SCORE desert racing hot-shots.
Here is a brief look at the 2015 SCORE Dirty Dozen—young guns of the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship. A more expanded, detailed review can be found in the digital magazine—SCORE Journal, Issue No. 7, now available on the SCORE website.
SCORE Trophy Truck (Unlimited Production Trucks)
–Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, 20, Tecate, Mexico, co-driver, No. 5 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck
Lopez is one of the youngest regular racers in the SCORE Trophy Truck field, and also one of the fastest. Lopez claimed his first SCORE Trophy Truck win in June when he won the overall at the SCORE Baja 500. He has also won the SCORE Baja 1000 in Class 6 and has a gold medal from the X Games.
Lopez’s racing career began just three and a half years ago and he has spent time in Class 10, Class 8 and Trophy Truck Spec before arriving in an RPM SCORE Trophy Truck. His driving style is what you would expect from a young racer–aggressive and fearless. This aggressiveness has led Lopez to be the current points leader in SCORE Trophy Truck. In the other two SCORE races this season, Lopez finished second in San Felipe in fourth in the SCORE Baja Sur 500.
–Kyle Jergensen, 20, Oak Hills, Calif., No. 44 Jergensen Racing Chevy Silverado
SoCal’s Jergensen spends most of his time working in his family’s construction business, prepping the teams chase trucks and pre-runners, and planning all the team’s logistics in his spare time. ” If I break it, I have to fix it myself,” says Jergensen. Jergensen sees his strength in his ability to take corners at high speed. So far in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship, Jergensen finished eighth out of 20 starters in San Felipe and 14th out of 30 starters in Ensenada at the SCORE Baja 500. He ran consistently among the leaders in his class in both races.
–Eduardo ‘Lalo’ Laguna, 24, Mexicali, Mexico, No. 17 RPM Racing Chevy Silverado
Laguna is a soft spoken desert racer who won his first race in SCORE Trophy Truck in only his second attempt when he won the Inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 in April. Laguna is driven by goals and his his hope is to claim the number one plate for the RPM Racing SCORE Trophy Truck as the season Champion. Laguna is currently fourth in SCORE Trophy Truck season points. In the other two races this year he finished seventh in San Felipe in January and 17th in Ensenada in June.
–Justin Davis, 22, Chino Hills, Calif., No. 85 Green Army Motorsports Chevy Silverado
Davis, started racing in Class 1/2-1600 when he was just 15. He has since raced in Class 10, SCORE Lites, Class 1 and now SCORE Trophy Truck. While he has a lot of experience, Davis does not consider himself a flashy driver. “I’m not the most radical driver, I am more conservative,” says Davis. “If you don’t make it to the finish line it does not matter how fast you were. I conserve my truck for the end of the race, rather than be the fastest in the first 100 miles.”
Davis won the SCORE Class 10 point crown in 2010 and the SCORE Class 1 season point title in 2011 before moving up to SCORE Trophy Truck in 2014. He also has two class wins in the SCORE Baja 1000.
Class 10 (Single or two-seat open-wheelers to 1650cc)
–Cody Reid, 23, Apple Valley, Calif., No. 1068 RPI Racing Custom-Chevy
Reid, whose bother Shelby is driver of record in SCORE Class 1, started his racing career at age 16 in a Class 9 car. In 2014 he won the SCORE Class 10 championship, and this year won Class 10 in the inaugural SCORE Baja Sur 500. “My driving style is to keep the car wheels down” says Reid. “I take it a turn at a time and drive what I can see. I don’t charge hard in the dust, where others do. I push myself and the car to what I feel are the limits, and hope for the best.”
Reid is currently second in the 2015 SCORE Class 10 point standings.
–Rafael Navarro IV, 22, Temecula, Calif., No. 1009 Pete’s Camp Racing Alumi Craft-Chevy
Navarro IV, who graduated this year from Clemson University, moved to Class 10 last year after winning the 2011 SCORE Lites season point championship and finished second in SCORE Lites in 2013. He was 10th in the final 2014 Class 10 points, the same position he is so far this year. A third generation desert racer, Navarro has one class win in the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, two in the SCORE Baja 500 and one in the old SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
Navarro IV started racing go-karts at five years old and has seat time in many racing classes both including Trophy Karts, short course buggies and trucks, the Volkswagen TDI cup, the Pirelli World Challenge.
His father, Rafael Navarro III, is currently leading the 2015 point standings in SCORE Lites with two race wins.
Class 1/2-1600 (single or two-seaters to 1600cc)
–Aaron Ampudia, 22, Ensenada, Mexico, No. 1636 Papas & Beer Racing Alumi Craft-VW
Aaron Ampudia, is a second-generation desert racer who started going to SCORE Baja races at three years old to watch his dad, and later his brothers race. Aaron Ampudia started racing dirt bikes at four, and later transitioned to a Trophy Kart. He has spent the last two years racing as a co driver in SCORE Class 1/2-1600 where he finished second last year in season points including his first victory at the SCORE San Felipe 250.
This year, Aaron Ampudia has taken the role of driver of record with great success. He won Class 1/2-1600 in both the SCORE Baja Sur 500 and the SCORE Baja 500 and finished third in the season-opening SCORE San Felipe 250 and currently has a commanding point lead in his class.
Trophy Truck Spec (unlimited trucks/sport utility vehicles, stock, sealed V-8s)
–Jordan Brenthel, 29, Newport Beach, Calif., No. 872 Brenthel Industries Chevy Silverado
Jordan Brenthel, and his older brother Jonathan, of Newport Beach, Calif., are known for building desert cars, but both race what they build as well. Jordan started out navigating for his brother in the right seat but he moved left and races his own truck now in the Trophy Truck Spec class. He got his start chasing and pitting when while working his way up the in the fabrication industry, and he got behind the wheel for the first time in 2014.
Jordan Brenthel has had two solid finishes thus far this season. He took fourth in class at the SCORE San Felipe 250, finished third at the SCORE Baja Sur 500 and did not finish the SCORE Baja 500. Jordan Brenthel is currently third in the 2015 Trophy Truck Spec class in the SCORE World Desert Championship.
Class 19 (Stock UTVs)
-Brandon Schueler, 26, Phoenix, No. 1932 Jagged X Racing Polaris RZR XP1000
Brandon Schueler started racing at 16 and has spent all of his race years in the UTV class. Now at age 26, he’s racked up six championships in other race series and now has his sights set on a SCORE championship. “What makes me fast more than anything is consistency and taking it easy,” says Schueler.
After winning his class in the SCORE Baja Sur 500 in April, Schueler is currently leading the SCORE Class 19 point standings. His team also finished third in the SCORE San Felipe 250 and fourth in class in the SCORE Baja 500.
Open Motorcycle
-Mark Samuels, 26, Pioneertown, Calif., No. 5x ox Motorsports Honda CRF450X
Mark Samuels got his start in Motocross when he was just three years old. He began racing seriously as a amateur in his teens and turned pro at 21. With second place finishes in the SCORE San Felipe 250 and SCORE Baja Sur 500, Samuels is off to a great start to in the 2015 season and is currently in third place in the Open Motorcycle point standings.
Samuels credits lots of practice for his success this season. “My favorite part of SCORE Baja racing is the places you get to race through at the high speeds we achieve. I also like all the awesome people you get to meet while you’re down in Baja.”
-Ian Young, 21, San Clemente, Calif., No. 1x THR Motorsports Kawasaki KX450F
Ian Yong said that his mother told him that as soon as he could ride a bicycle without training wheels, he could get a motorcycle. So by the age of three, Young got on a dirt bike and competed in his first race at four. As the younger brother of SCORE champion racer Colton Udall, Young has spent a lot of time in his brother’s shadow but in 2015 he struck out on his own and went on to be successful.
“What makes me fast is learning from my experiences and the people around me,” says Young. “I’ve learned things like, don’t go where you can’t see, going fast enough but also just slow enough, and to be able to react to any situation. My dad had this motto that I go by…‘eagle eyes, kitten hands, ballerina feet.”
Young has shared victory as a co-rider for Ricky Brabec in the SCORE Baja 500this year but he is looking to get a win in his own name as rider of record.
Class 7
-Brandon Walsh, 29, Encinitas, Calif., No. 701 Homemade Motorsports Toyota Tacoma
Walsh began racing at 19 when he took a stock Toyota Tacoma, put in the required safety gear, and raced in Sportsman Truck at the 2005 SCORE Baja 500. He had no radio, intercom or GPS but he was determined to race anyway.
Walsh has learned a lot about racing in the past few years. “I learned the hard way. I absolutely sucked for a couple years. I was very young and had an attitude,” says Walsh. “It took me awhile to learn that going slower is faster. Not trying to beat everyone in the first 100 miles is the way to go. ”
Walsh is currently in third place in the Class 7 after three races in this year’s series.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.score-international.com.