RENO, Nev., USA — Led by undefeated racers in veteran Larry Connor is SCORE Trophy Truck and in stunning young gun Chad Broughton in Class 3000, a total of 22 racers with 35 combined class wins in 2015 are part of the field for this Saturday’s internationally-televised Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250, presented by the City of El Centro.
Returning to SoCal for the third time in two years, Round 4 of the five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship will be held just west of El Centro, Calif. and approximately 100 miles east of San Diego. Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads will all be racing in the event. Nearly 100 entries have come from 15 U.S. States along with Mexico, Austria, Germany and Italy.
As the only two racers who have won all three SCORE races this season in their respective classes, Connor, 65, of Miamisburg, Ohio, races in Trophy Truck Spec for unlimited trucks with stock, sealed V-8 engines while Broughton, 20 of Scotts Valley, Calif., is unbeaten in Class 3000 for unlimited mini-trucks with spec Ecotec engines. The daring duo will be favored to capture their fourth consecutive 2015 class wins, this time in a three-lap race over a grueling desert course of approximately 96.2-miles for a total race distance of approximately 288.6 miles.
Presented by the City of El Centro, the race will be run near Plaster City, Calif., partially on 41,000 dedicated acres in an off-highway vehicle use area under the jurisdiction of the El Centro field office of the Bureau of Land Management. The area for the race is also located immediately west of the Naval Air Facility El Centro and is approximately 17 miles west of El Centro off of Interstate 8 (I-8).
The start/finish line area, main pits, primary spectator area and vendor’s village will once again be off of Wheeler Road in the Coyne Powersports Motorplex, owned by Imperial Valley businessmen Marty Coyne and his son Travis Coyne, both former SCORE desert racers.
GREEN FLAG
With the classes split into two groups, the motorcycles quads and several slower car/truck classes and the UTVs will start at 5:30 a.m. Saturday.
The remaining classes, starting with the featured SCORE Trophy Trucks and unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars, will start their journey at 3 p.m. While the fastest vehicles in each group are expected to finish in approximately four and one-half hours, all vehicles will have an eight-hour time limit in the elapsed-time, staggered start race ,to become an official finishers.
DIFFERENT ROUTES
Larry Connor, managing partner of the Connor Group real estate development company in Ohio, grew up on pavement. A racing career that started in 1982 resulted in more than 70 race victories, including the Formula Atlantic national championship in 2000 and 2001. He’s competed in the 24 Hours of LeMans, Rolex 24 (Hours) at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.
Connor has actually won four straight SCORE races as he won his class in last year’s SCORE Baja 1000 as well. In this week’s race he will debut his brand new No. 871 Team C Racing Chevy Silverado attempting to go for his fifth straight win and pull further ahead as the 2015 SCORE Trophy Truck Spec class point leader.
Broughton, raised on dirt bikes and an apprentice in the fire sprinkler trade in his family’s commercial business, already has two SCORE class season point championships in his youthful trophy case. He won the Class 20 motorcycle title (under 125cc) in both 2012 and 2013 winning his class in five of six races.
After an injury, his family decided it would be best to add a roll cage to his racing efforts and he now races and leads the points in Class 3000 where he splits the driving time with his father Paul Broughton and together have won the first three races in 2015 in the No. 3030 BFP Fire Protection Racing BajaLite truck powered by a 2.4-liter Chevy Ecotec engine, the spec engine for the class.
SKED HIGHLIGHTS
Starting Wednesday, pre-race activities for the Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250 presented by the City of El Centro will be held in and around the Imperial Valley Mall at 3451 South Dogwood Avenue in El Centro.
A live drawing will be held for starting positions, for all classes on Thursday, at 8 p.m. PT at the Imperial Valley Mall.
Thursday starting at 9 p.m. at Burgers and Beer, also in the Imperial Valley Mall, the Monster Energy SCORE Imperial Valley 250 kick-off party will be held.
Activities for one of the largest spectator events held in Imperial Valley will begin with two, one-lap, controlled-speed reconnaissance runs for official entries in the event. Not open to the public, one will be held Wednesday afternoon, and the other Thursday morning.
The colorful SCORE manufacturer’s midway, contingency and safety inspection of all vehicles in the race will be held in the East parking area of the Imperial Valley Mall from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
Racer registration will be held inside the Imperial Valley Mall from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday. Media registration will be held inside the Imperial Valley Mall from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.
Friday evening, the Imperial Valley Mall will be the site of safety meetings for several different groups involved with the race and the mandatory racer’s meeting will be held at 7 p.m.
The post-race awards celebration, also open to the public, will be held next Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Coyne Powersports Motorplex.
TWO TIMERS
While Connor and Broughton are the only two undefeated racers in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championships with three class race wins each, seven other SCORE racers with two class wins each this season are entered this week. The twin winners in the 2015 series entered are Rafael Navarro III, Temecula, Calif. (SCORE Lites, Jimco-VW), Colton Udall, Yucca Valley, Calif. (Open Motorcycle, Honda CRF450X), Mark Winkelman, Cedar Hill, Texas (Class 30, Honda CRF450X), Marc Prince, Malibu, Calif. (Class 50, Honda CRF 450X), Kevin Daniels, Bishop, Calif. (SCORE Ironman, KTM 500XCW), Derek Fletcher, Abington, Va. (SPT Buggy, RPM-Chevy) and Juan Dominguez, Yuma, Ariz. (SPT Quad, Honda TRX450R).
COYNE POWERSPORTS MOTORPLEX
Run as a three-lap race over a rugged desert race course of approximately 96.2 miles in length, the colorful course will include a purpose-built eight-mile section off Wheeler Road with specially-built jumps, turns and a table top area in a one square mile area of private land in the center of the race course. This infield area will include the start/finish line, the main pits, the SCORE Operations compound, the primary spectator area with SCOREvision as well as the Monster Energy VIP winner’s circle. There will also be a number of food, beverage and merchandise vendors located in this main spectator area.
TWIN SPECS
While the race course will be closed to spectators because of safety requirements for this massive desert race, a second designated spectator area will be located parallel to a five-mile section of the race course along the south side Evan Hewes Highway (County Hwy S-80). The BLM has again confirmed to SCORE that this section on the south side of Evan Hewes Highway will be open for camping during the race.
This second spectator area will also be adjacent to the secondary pits for the race. Along with the start/finish line area off of Wheeler Road, these are the only two spectator areas and both will be overseen as will the rest of the race course by the BLM and local and county police agencies to help insure the safety of everyone involved.
SAFETY FIRST
At the very top of the priority list for this event has been safety for the racers as well as the spectators and the nearly 200 course workers. Starting Monday the entire area of the race course will be closed to the public by enforcement of the BLM permit for the event.
Race officials have developed the two primary spectator areas both with tremendous site lines of the race course and with ultimate safety in mind. With the added assistance from the area police agencies, race officials are creating a family-friendly spectator environment as well.
To assist the crowd of several thousand expected to attend the race, the SCORE Race Committee has its own website at www.IV250.com with race fans in mind.
The event website also has a reminder list for spectators of the do’s and don’ts for watching the race.
SCORE LIVE
With viewers in over 100 countries, SCORE will present live internet streaming from the event from pre-green to post-checker on its website. Coverage will include live start and finish line interviews as well as live coverage from the many ancillary events tied to the race. On race day, live satellite tracking of all vehicles in the race will also be broadcast through the SCORE International website.
CBS SPORTS NETWORK COVERAGE
All races in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship series, along with the special SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and qualifying for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway will once again be aired in the USA and Canada on the CBS Sports Network. New for 2015, in addition to SCORE Trophy Truck coverage, the shows will also feature top action and highlights from many other classes of trucks, buggies, motorcycles, quads and UTVs – making sure that the most exciting footage and most compelling stories are now part of each race event broadcast.
Capping off the 2015 broadcast season, the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 broadcast on CBS Sports Network will be expanded to a full two-hour program – providing the most expansive television coverage of the “Main Event” of all desert races ever, allowing all the major class action to be showcased around the globe to the SCORE International fan base.
2015 CBS Sports Network Original Broadcast Schedule (subject to change, check local listings)
Remaining Shows:
· Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250 presented by the City of El Centro (first telecast-Sunday, November 15, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, November 29, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying @SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience (first telecast-Sunday, January 10, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 (two-hour special) (first telecast-Sunday, January 17, 9 p.m. ET)
Completed Broadcasts:
· Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250 (first telecasts-Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m. ET & 11 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 (first telecast-Sunday, May 31, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, June 7, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 (first telecast-Sunday, July 26, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, August 2, 9 p.m. ET)
CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
SCOREscope
The five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship includes four special events in Baja California, Mexico, and one in the United States. Here is the complete 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
Remaining races:
· Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250, presented by the city of El Centro, Sept. 24-27, Coyne Powersports Motorplex-Plaster City, Calif.
· 48th Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.18-21, Ensenada, Mexico
Completed races:
· 29th Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250, held Jan. 22-25, San Felipe, Mexico
· Inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500, held April 15-19, Cabo San Lucas to Loreto, Mexico
· 47th Bud Light SCORE Baja 500, held June 4-7, Ensenada Mexico
SCORE JOURNAL
Issue No. 8 of the SCORE Journal, the new monthly on-line digital magazine of SCORE International and the five-race SCORE World Desert Championship, is live on the SCORE website at www.SCORE-International.com and is available through SCORE social media channels as well as a direct link at http://scorejournal.digital.
The new digital magazine, which includes numerous linked video segments, is a major element in the media expansion that SCORE is implementing for 2015 which includes its most aggressive national and international television packages, four new online video series, each with 26 episodes and a new consumer based SCORE website.
SCORE SPONSORS
SCORE corporate offices are located in Reno, Nev. and the SCORE Tech Shop is in El Cajon, Calif., just east of San Diego.
Official Sponsors: Bud Light-Official Beer/Official Race Sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Rigid Industries LED Lighting-Official Lights, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris-Official UTV, Vision Wheel – Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, CBS Sports Network-Official Television Partner, Coca-Cola-Official Soft Drink, Coyne Powersports-Official Powersports Supplier,Wide Open Excursions- Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
Associate Sponsors: All Road Satellite, Symons Ambulance Company, Aero Calafia, Tessco.
Additional SCORE Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Visit Baja California Sur, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Mexicali Ayuntamineto, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, GoPro, PCI Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.
Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250
Presented by the City of El Centro
Schedule of Events (*Activities not open to the public)
Wednesday, September 23, 2015 (Times are PDT)
*9:30am-2:30pm Racer Registration-Recon Run Wheeler Road entrance-Main Pits
*3 pm Start 1 lap Reconnaissance Run Race Course
5 pm-8:30pm Racer Registration Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
Thursday, September 24, 2015 (Times are PDT)
*7:30am-10:30am Racer Registration-Recon Run Wheeler Road entrance-Main Pits
9am-4pm Chassis Inspections IV Mall Tech & Contingency area
*11am Start 1 lap Reconnaissance Run Race Course
Noon-4pm Vendor & Tech/Cont set-up Imperial Valley Mall East parking area
1pm-6pm Media Registration Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
4:30pm-8:30pm Racer Registration Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
4pm-10pm Bud Light Pit Stop Beer Garden Imperial Valley Mall East parking lot
5pm-9pm Tech & Contingency Imperial Valley Mall East parking lot
5pm-9pm Monster Energy Empire Stunt Team Imperial Valley Mall East parking lot
8pm Drawing for start positions Imperial Valley Mall
9pm Monster Energy SCORE Kick-off Party Burgers & Beer-IV Mall
Friday, September 25, 2015 (Times are PDT)
7:30am- 12:30pm Racer Registration Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
8am-1pm Contingency Row & Tech Insp Imperial Valley Mall-East parking lot
8am-2pm Bud Light Pit Stop Beer Garden Imperial Valley Mall East parking lot
11am-6pm Media Registration Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
*6pm Aircraft Pilot Safety Meeting Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
*6:30pm Course Worker Safety Meeting Coyne Powersports Motorplex
*6:30pm Media Safety Meeting Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
7pm Mandatory Racer Meeting Imperial Valley Mall-Food Court area
Saturday, September 26, 2015 (Times are PDT)
5am-9pm SCORE Media Center Open SCORE Semi-Start/Finish compound
START: – Approx. 96.2-mile loop. Time limit: 8 hours from time each vehicle starts.
5:30am—GROUP 1– MOTORCYCLES/ATVs, CARS, UTVs (subject to change)—3 Laps—OPEN M/C, LTD M/C, 30, IRONMAN, 40, 50, 60, Pro Quad, SPT M/C, SPT Quad, BC, SPT UNL TRUCK, SPT BUGGY; 2 Laps—SPT LTD TRUCK , 7SX, 5, 19, SPT UTV, 3000, 5-1600,SF, 3, 9, 11 (Vehicles will start two every 30 seconds)
3pm—GROUP 2—3 Laps—CARS/TRUCKS (subject to change)—TT, 1, TT Spec, 10, SL, 8, 1/2-1600, HM, 7, 4400, 4500 (TT, Class 1-start two every 60 seconds. Others two every 30 seconds)
Sunday, September 27, 2015 (PDT)
8am Posting of Unofficial Results Start/Finish line area-CPM
9am Awards Celebration Coyne Powersports Motorplex