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Polaris, Mason, Dougans, Alumi Craft, Honda lead Manufacturer Point Standings in 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com May 3, 2023

‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’

After Rd 1 in San Felipe

Polaris, Mason, Dougans, Alumi Craft, Honda lead Manufacturer Point Standings in 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship

    ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing, five prominent companies have launched the season by leading their respective SCORE Manufacturer Point Standings after the season opener of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.     Leading their respective divisions in the 2023 SCORE Manufacturer point standings are Polaris RZR Off-Road, Mason Motorsports, Dougans Racing Engines, Honda Motorcycles and Alumi Craft Race Cars, names all very prominent in the international world of desert racing. The four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship is begin held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive season. The 2023 season opener was the King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250, ON March 29 to April 2. HOW THE POINTS ARE DETERMINED SCORE calculates Manufacturer points on a modified version of the formula used for individual racers. For manufacturer points, podium finishers, who have identified their manufacturer on their entry form, receive manufacturer points based on the number of starters within each class in the specific category. POLARIS—SCORE UTV MANUFACTURER POINT LEADER In the eighth year decided by points, Polaris RZR Industries (Off-Road) won the 2022 SCORE UTV Manufacturer points for the eighth consecutive year. This year Polaris has assumed the point leader again with several podium finishers in the SCORE San Felipe 250. Polaris has a SCORE manufacturer high 137 points after the season opener Helping Polaris lead the 2023 SCORE UTV Manufacturer point are three individual class point leaders in Craig Scanlon, Orange, Calif. (Pro UTV Open), Anibal Lopez, Mexicali, Mexico (Pro UTV Stock) and Joe Bolton, Corona, Calif. (Pro UTV NA). Polaris swept the podium in Pro UTV Open in San Felipe with Wayne Matlock, Alpine, Calif. finishing second and Mike Cafro, Temecula, Calif., third. Polaris is the official UTV of the SCORE World Desert Championship. MASON—SCORE ORIGINAL TRUCK CHASSIS MANUFACTURER LEADER Mason Motorsports of Lake Elsinore, Calif. continues its rapid ascent onto the scene building all-wheel drive SCORE Trophy Trucks among many other classes of vehicles to lead the SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer category with 125 total points. Mason has won two second consecutive season point titles. In 2021, it was their first SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer of the Year award after a six-year run by Geiser Brothers since voting started in this category in 2015. Founded in 2004 by brothers Neal and Robert Mason, Mason Motorsports is producing some amazing AWD trucks. Leading the way for Mason in 2023 are San Felipe class winners Luke McMillin, of San Diego, in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division and Gustavo Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico in the SCORE TT Legend division for SCORE Trophy Truck drivers over 50 years old. Mason Motorsports picked up additional points in San Felipe by sweeping the podium in SCORE Trophy Truck. Placing behind Luke McMillin, were Mexico’s Alan Ampudia, of Ensenada and Las Vegas' Bryce Menzies in third place. Mason has 125 points after the opening round of the season. DOUGANS—SCORE ENGINE BUILDER POINT LEADER Earning their sixth SCORE Engine Builder of the Year point championship in 2022, Dougans Racing Engines also won the points in this award category for the sixth time in the last eight years. Based in Riverside, Calif., Ray Field’s Dougans Racing Engines where Field has been a part of Dougans since 1980. Among the racers using Dougans engines that have helped build the point lead after one race in 2023 are Mexico’s Alan Ampudia and Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies in SCORE Trophy Truck and Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Sr in the SCORE TT Legend class. Dougans has 84 points so far. HONDA—SCORE MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURER LEADER A perennial powerhouse in SCORE Baja motorcycle racing, Honda is the early leader in SCORE Motorcycle Manufacturer points with 111 total podium placement points after the SCORE San Felipe 250. With no fully-supported factory teams part of SCORE Motorcycle racing, Honda has been a desert racing standard for over 40 years in SCORE Baja racing as the winningest motorcycle manufacturer of all time in SCORE history. To start things off in 2023 to help Honda start on the top of the season points was Argentina’s Juan Zunino who rode a Honda CRF450X over a motorcycle race-high of 17 starters in the Pro Moto Ironman class for Solo riders on the 282.51-mile race course. In San Felipe, Honda also had three additional motorcycle class winners in Fernando Beltran, Ensenada, Mexico (Pro Moto Limited), New Zealand’s Robert Cremers (Pro Moto 50) and Kevin Ward, Longview, Texas (Pro Moto 60). All three of these winners and their respective teams rode Honda CRF450X motorcycles to their class victories. ALUMI CRAFT—SCORE ORIGINAL OPEN-WHEEL CHASSIS MANUFACTURER LEADER Based in Santee, Calif., Alumi Craft won the Open Wheel Chassis Manufacturer point championship for the fourth time in 2022, all in the last seven years. Founded in 2004, more and more Alumi Craft vehicles continue to appear on SCORE race entry lists. In 2022, helping lead Alumi Craft to the front of their division were the top three point finishers in Class 10— Class point champion J. David Ruvalcaba, Ensenada, Mexico, Runner-up Ivan Tagle, Chula Vista, Calif., and third place Justin Buckley, Long Beach, Calif. Overall, Alumi Craft was the Chassis Manufacturer for nine of the top 10 in the final 2022 Class 10 points. In 2023, Alumi Craft has 57 season points after San Felipe. Helping give Alumi Craft that total were Cody Reid, Apple Valley, Calif., with a third-place podium finish in the unlimited Class 1 and Justin Buckley, Long Beach, Calif., and Cesar Cuevas, Chula Vista, Calif., with first and third place finishes in Class 10. SCOREscope 2023 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SCHEDULE Here are the dates for the remaining three races in the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Golden Anniversary season, ‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’, which are being held totally in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive year:
  • BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500—
May 31-June 4, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
  • 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—
September 12-17, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
  • BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000—
November 13-18, La Paz, Baja California Sur to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico SCORE SPONSORS… Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and Race Title Sponsor, Ford-Official Truck and SUV, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber and Race Title Sponsor, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel and race presenting sponsor, Baja Vida-Official Snacks and race presenting sponsor, Optima Batteries-Official Batteries, Rugged Radios-Official Radio Communications, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino. SCORE Official Partners: The Satellite Phone Store, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance. Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Baja California Secretary of Tourism, MEXICO Secretary of Tourism, San Felipe Foundational Municipal Council, Ensenada Municipal Government, San Felipe Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Hotel and Motel Association, Proturismo Ensenada and Cruz Roja Mexicana. For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.

‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’ 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Manufacturer Point Standings

(thru SCORE San Felipe 250)
Engine Builder 1. Dougans Racing Engines         84 2. Kroyer Racing Engines            69 3. Gibbs Racing                           53 Original Truck Chassis 1. Mason Motorsports                  125 2. Herbst/Smith                            73 3. TSCO                                       47 Original Open-Wheel Chassis 1. Alumi Craft                               57 2. Jimco Racing                           32 3. ESM                                         23 UTV Manufacturer 1. Polaris Off-Road                       137 2. Can-Am                                    117 Motorcycle Manufacturer 1. Honda                                      111 2. Husqvarna                               43 2. KTM                                         36

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