Four-race series for Cars, Trucks, UTVs, Motorcycles, Quads

to be held for the ninth straight year in Baja California, Mexico

     ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—Launching its sixth decade of Desert Racing Excellence next year, SCORE International released today its dates for the four-race 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship event schedule. To assist with racer’s planning their schedules, this is the earliest schedule release in the 50-year history of SCORE International.

     Continuing to innovate and create an increasing variety of opportunities, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula will again host the official four-race schedule for the 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship.

     The international series will again feature all four races on the Baja peninsula for the ninth consecutive year in the storied history of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization.

     SCORE will celebrate its 51st desert-racing season in 2024.

     Here is the direct link to the official 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship race schedule…

TBAs

     While the season-opener will once again be in San Felipe, the other three events on the 2024 calendar are currently listed with the location to be announced as SCORE continues to negotiate and finalize contracts with the municipal authorities and Mexican government. SCORE officials report that it expects the locations for the other three races to be finalized by mid-August if not sooner.

LONG HISTORY

     SCORE Baja desert racing officially began on July 26, 1974 with the SCORE Baja Internacional which later became the SCORE Baja 500.  SCORE was founded in August, 1973 by the legendary late Mickey Thompson with the SCORE World Championship short-course event at the old Riverside International Raceway.

     SCORE was then owned and run for over 38 years by the iconic Sal Fish, considered by many as the godfather of desert racing around the world. Fish sold SCORE on Dec. 12, 2012 to Roger and Elise Norman.

     Abelardo Grijalva is SCORE President/Race Director, Juan Tintos Funcke is the SCORE General Manager since 2013, Jim Ryan is the SCORE Vice-President of Marketing and Sales since August of 2014, Dominic Clark will be starting his 41st year as the SCORE Media Operations Director and Dan Cornwell is the SCORE Tech Director since 2017.

     SCORE’s first desert race was the SCORE Parker 400 in early 1974. It included one lap on the California side of the Colorado River, a transit and two laps around the Arizona side of the Colorado.

     Over the many years, SCORE has produced many races no longer on the annual schedule, both in the U.S. and Mexico. The foundation of SCORE Baja racing has been the SCORE Triple Crown of Baja events—the SCORE San Felipe 250, the SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 1000.

     In its U.S. history, among the numerous memorable events SCORE has produced have been the SCORE Desert Challenge in Laughlin, Nev., Rosarito Beach, Mexico and Tijuana, Mexico, the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300, the SCORE Nissan Mint 400, the SCORE Fireworks 250, the SCORE Great Mojave 250, the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup and the SCORE Henderson Terrible 250.

     For seven years, from 1985 through 1991, SCORE combined with the late Walt Lott’s High Desert Racing Association of Las Vegas to run the combined HDRA/SCORE Desert Series.

     Thompson (2007), Fish (2006) and Lott (2007) are all inductees in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.

THE TRADITIONAL

     Recognized around the globe as two of the very top motorsports extravaganzas in the world, adding to their legacies again in 2024, the BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 500, will be held May 29-June 2, 2024 and the iconic season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 1000, will be held Nov. 12-17, 2024.

THE NEWEST

     The 5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels, the newest event on the SCORE World Desert Championship schedule, will be held Sept. 11-15, 2024.

     The SCORE Baja 400 has been positioned once again in 2023 between the vastly popular SCORE Baja 500 and the venerable season-ending iconic SCORE Baja 1000.

2024 OPENER

     The 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship season-opener for the 12th time will be the King Shocks 37th SCORE San Felipe 250 to be held March 20-24 on the Sea of Cortez side of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula. It will start and finish in San Felipe for the 36th time.

CONTINGENCY DAY X2

     In 2024, the SCORE Baja 1000 is scheduled to have two days of tech and contingency. The SCORE San Felipe 250, SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 400 are scheduled to have one day of the extremely popular tech, contingency and manufacturer’s midway at those races.

     The colorful pre-race festivities include manufacturer and vendor displays, vehicle displays and racers with their vehicles.

     For the SCORE San Felipe 250, pre-race activities and the start/finish line area are scheduled to return again to the picturesque Malecon along the Sea of Cortez.

QUALIFYING

     Special Qualifying sessions for the SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, and Trophy Truck Spec classes will be held during race week of the SCORE San Felipe 250 and the SCORE Baja 400. The final results for all classes in the SCORE San Felipe 250 will determine the start order for the SCORE Baja 500 and the final results of the SCORE Baja 400 will determine the starting order in all classes for the season-ending SCORE Baja 1000. Entries that do not race in either qualifying race will receive the remaining starting positions based on the results of a random draw for those starting positions within each class.

THE CAST

     SCORE racing features the best competitors from all over the United States and as many as 30 total countries. Races include classes for Pro and Sportsman Cars, Trucks, UTVs, Motorcycles and Quads.

SCORE COMMENTS

     “What an extremely phenomenal precious treasure we all have in SCORE International and to be able to be part of the start of the sixth decade of SCORE in 2024 is extremely humbling and inspiring for all of us at the same time”, commented Jose A. Grijalva, President/Race Director of SCORE International.

     “Our 2024 schedule will include the SCORE Baja Triple Crown races along with our newest race—the SCORE Baja 400.”

     “Mexican races are the cornerstone of SCORE and to have all four races south of the border for the ninth consecutive season and ninth time in SCORE’s long history is a distinct honor and a wonderful privilege. We welcome the challenge to continue to add to the illustrious SCORE Baja racing legacy. And to finish the season with the iconic SCORE Baja 1000 always attracts racing extremists from around the world and 2024 will be another one-of-a-kind experience with the Granddaddy of all Desert Races.”

MOVING FORWARD

     “Shining a superbly spectacular spotlight on the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization is our major goal for 2024 and with the diligence and creativity of award-winning BCII TV, SCORE continues to have a viable electronic package for expanded series coverage and exposure as well as with our extending international syndication platform,” commented Jim Ryan, SCORE Vice-President of Marketing and Sales.

     “Our highly successful live-streaming programming and SCORE app, social media growth and the SCORE Journal digital magazine and website’s unprecedented viewer/reader growth have continued to expand the exposure for SCORE races, racers and sponsors to our global fan base.”

2024 SCORE SCHEDULE

     Here are the dates for the four-race 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship which is being totally held in Baja California, Mexico for the ninth consecutive year:

·      King Shocks 37th SCORE San Felipe 250—

March 20-24, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

·      BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 500—

May 29-June 2, TBA, Baja California, Mexico

·      5th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—

September 11-15, TBA, Baja California, Mexico

November 12-17, TBA, Baja California, Mexico

2024 POINT TITLES

     In order to earn a 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship class point championship, drivers/riders of record must start and/or finish all four events. If a driver/rider of record is unable to compete in an event, another SCORE member may act as the alternate driver/rider of record for that race if processed according to SCORE requirements.  No alternate driver/rider of record will be allowed for the 57th SCORE Baja 1000.

SCOREscope

2023 SCHEDULE

     Here are the remaining two dates in the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship which is being held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive year:

·       4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—

September 13-18, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

·       BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—

November 13-18, LaPaz, 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.

San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

March 20-24 2024

Single loop race – 280 miles (approx.)

March 20 – On-site Racer Registration for qualifying teams only

March 21 – Qualifying and Registration check-in opens

March 22 – Tech & Contingency, Registration

March 23 – Start of the SCORE San Felipe 250

March 24 – King Shocks 37th SCORE San Felipe 250 Awards

TBA, Baja California, Mexico

May 29-June 2, 2024

Single loop race – 500 miles (approx.)

May 29 – On-site Registration check-in opens

May 30 – Racer Registration

May 31 – Racer Registration, Tech & Contingency

June 1 – Start of the BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 500

June 2 – BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 500 Awards

TBA, Baja California, Mexico

November 12-17, 2024

Loop race-800 miles (approx.)

November 13 – On-Site Racer Registration check-in opens

November 14-15 – Racer Registration

November 14-15 – Tech and Contingency

November 15 – Start of SCORE Baja 1000

November 17 – BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 1000 Awards