SCORE Latest News
Racer Registration Now Open Online on SCORE for upcoming Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge
September 20-24
Racer registration now open online on SCORE website
for upcoming Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge
Round 3 of 4-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship has new race dates, multi-year agreement
for split-format, multi-lap SCORE Baja race as motos, quads, some 4-wheel classes race on Friday,
cars, trucks, UTVs race first half Saturday, second half Sunday with six total laps on 23-mile course
more complete information available at www.SCOREInternational.com
ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico — Racer registration has now opened online for the upcoming Tijuana 21st Annual SCORE Desert Challenge. Registration for Round 3 of the four-race SCORE World Desert Championship is being accepted on the SCORE website at www.SCOREInternational.com. Race dates and race-week festivities are Sept. 20-24.
Moving to the largest city on the Baja California peninsula will be the special- split format, multi-lap Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge, moving from the originally scheduled Rosarito Beach race.
With just four months remaining before the historic 50th anniversary race of the iconic SCORE Baja 1000, the City of Tijuana and the Tijuana tourism groups is giving SCORE a multi-year contract that moves the race from nearby Rosarito Beach where it was held last year.
START/FINISH
The unique-format race will be held at a spectator-friendly start/finish line and ‘hot pit’ area located on the southeast outskirts of Tijuana to the east of the popular Casian Ranch area off of Boulevard 2000 (Highway No. 201). The actual start/finish line area and hot pits will be located 2.3 miles inland off of the highway.
START DRAW
With no qualifying for any classes in this race, the drawing for starting positions within each class will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14. To be included in the start draw, online racer registration will close at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Online registration will continue until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17 with late registration at the host hotel on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 20 and 21).
PRE-RUNNING
Pre-running exclusively for all car, truck and UTV classes will be held on Friday (Sept. 15) and Saturday (Sept. 16) and pre-running exclusively for motorcycle and quad classes will be held on Sunday (Sept. 17).
RACE HQ/CONTINGENCY
Race headquarters will be the Real Inn Hotel in the heart of the Rio Zona area of Tijuana on Avenida Paseo de los Heroes. Racer registration will be held in the foyer of the hotel’s Roma convention area on Wednesday, Sept. 20 (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and Thursday, Sept. 21 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Contingency will be held in directly in front of the headquarters hotel on the historic Avenida Paseo de los Heroes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 21) with tech inspection lasting one hour longer until 6 p.m.
RACE DAYS
The event features three full days of racing. SCORE Race Director Jose Grijalva has put together a 23-mile loop course through the challenging hills in the area that each class will run a total of six laps over for 138 total miles for the race.
Motorcycles, quads and one group of car classes will race in split heats on Friday (Sept. 22) starting at 6:30 a.m. Racing will finish on Friday at 6:20 p.m.
The other car and truck classes, including the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck and SCORE TT Legend divisions running the first half of their race on Saturday (Sept. 23) and final half on Sunday (Sept. 24). Racing for those classes will start each day at 8 a.m. and finish at 4:25 p.m.
ART SAVEDRA MEMORIAL SHOOTOUT
During the Friday (Sept. 22) racing action, two of SCORE’s historical VW Baja Bug racing classes (Class 5-1600 and Class 11) will hold the Art Savedra Memorial Shootout in memory of SCORE’s Tech Director who passed away recently. These classes will run both halves of their race on that day with a time-out between their sessions.
There will be a special trophy and bonus purse for this special part of the race.
TIJUANA
Tijuana is one of the five largest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas in all of Mexico. The city has also experienced tremendous growth in recent years, attracting investments by electronics, aerospace and medical tourism firms and is also regarded as one of the top cuisine destinations in the world, including craft beer production.
Tijuana has also recorded its best hotel occupancy rate in the last 15 years and has attracted additional hotel chains like City Express, Holiday Inn and the Hyatt Hotels among others.
Only two races in SCORE history have started in Tijuana. The first was the inaugural SCORE Baja 1000 (then called Mexican 1000) in 1967 and then again in 1995. In both of those years the SCORE Baja 1000 finished in La Paz.
EL REY NETWORK
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience/SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas will all air on El Rey Network in the United States. International distribution is by way of syndication.
El Rey Network is a 24-hour, English-language lifestyle network targeting "Strivers," viewers who hold strong core beliefs about the importance of family, independence, hard work, craftsmanship, and legacy.
Founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network features action-packed programming, relatable heroes and aspirational stories that embrace today's America. El Rey's slate is anchored by signature series including the original drama "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series," the one-on-one interview program "El Rey Network Presents: The Director's Chair," and "Lucha Underground," a lucha libre wrestling series produced by Mark Burnett.
El Rey Network's lineup also showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and television series including genre, action, and sci-fi/ horror. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures, with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.
El Rey Network is available in 45 million homes across the country through cable and OTT providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 341 and Dish Network Channel 253. For more information on how to watch El Rey visit http://elreynetwork.com.
ERN AIRTIME
Showcasing the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck victory by Andy McMillin, the one-hour in-depth coverage show on the 49th SCORE Baja 500 will premier on Sunday, August 6 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on the El Rey Network.
DUST2GLORY
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Dana Brown, Dust2Glory has chronicled each of the four races in the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship. D2G, which began shooting at the 2015 SCORE Baja 1000, continued up close and personal coverage capturing the robust racers in their amazing adventures in Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula through all four spectacular 2016 races. Dust2Glory is scheduled for release later this year.
SCOREscope
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship and for the second time all four are being held in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the complete 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
- 31st SCORE San Felipe 250, March 30-April 2, San Felipe, Mexico
- 49th SCORE Baja 500, June 1-4, Ensenada Mexico
- Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge, Sept. 22-24, Tijuana, Mexico
- 50th SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.14-18, Ensenada, Mexico to La Paz, Mexico