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LOS ANGELES—Entries from across the globe, including many of the world’s top desert racers are entering in time for Saturday’s start draw for next month’s 26th Annual MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race. With the drawing being held at the SCORE International headquarters in Los Angeles, the race itself will be held March 9-11 along the azure waters of the Sea of Cortez in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.

With entries accepted up to race morning, over 225 entries from over 15 US States and 10 countries expected to enter the race and competition will be held in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes in the popular race.

Following January’s two rounds at the season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series will be visiting Mexico for the first of three annual SCORE Baja races in 2012.

The start draw for Round 2 of the 2012 SCORE Desert Series will determine the starting order within each of the various classes in the elapsed-time race.

“San Felipe has long been a very popular spring race on the SCORE Baja racing schedule and this is our third year with MasterCraft Safety as the co-title sponsor of the race along with Tecate,” said Sal Fish, SCORE CEO/President since soon after SCORE was founded in 1973. “With this year’s race being our third of the season we expect a great race in a superb venue that will launch are three final races of the season in Mexico.”

Pre-running will be allowed on the actual race course from Saturday, Feb. 25 through Friday, March 9 and SCORE CEO/President expects to announce details regarding the 2012 course in the next two weeks.

A unique part of Saturday’s drawing will be the special drawing for the top 12 finishers from the nearest previous SCORE Baja race entered in the current race in both SCORE Trophy Truck and the unlimited Class 1. For this race it will be the top 12 finishers in each class from last November’s 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. After those groups are drawn, the remainder of the entries in each class will be selected for their respective starting positions after the first group in each class.

The top 12 finishers in SCORE Trophy Truck from the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 were: Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin-National City, Calif., Nick Vanderwey/Mike Vanderwey, Phoenix/Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Bryce Menzies-Las Vegas, Mark McMillin-El Cajon, Calif., Clyde Stacy-Bristol, Va., Jesse James-Austin, Texas, Ken Losch-Tempe, Ariz., Robby Gordon-Charlotte, N.C., Troy Herbst-Las Vegas, Rick Geiser-Phoenix, Rob MacCachren-Las Vegas and Dave Crinklaw-Reedley, Calif.

In the unlimited Class 1, the top 12 finishers from the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 were: Justin Davis-Chino Hills, Calif., Ronny Wilson-Long Beach, Calif., Brian Parkhouse-Long Beach, Calif., Mark Hutchins-Henderson, Nev., Damen Jefferies-Apple Valley, Calif., Eric Harp, Panama City Beach, Fla., Brett Lenk-Newport Beach, Calif., David Greenhill/Mike Greenhill-Crowley, Texas, Marco Valdez-Ensenada, Mexico, Conan Barker-Whittier, Calif., Kory Halopoff-Orange, Calif. and Mike Childress-Wrightwood, Calif.

The pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday, March 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.

Moving out from the shadow of his father and his uncle’s experienced tracks, Southern California desert racer Cody Parkhouse has assumed the SCORE overall and unlimited Class 1 point lead after the first two rounds of the five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series. With the season’s last three races all to be run in Baja, Mexico, Cody Parkhouse, 24 of Long Beach, Calif., opened the season at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in mid-January by finishing second in the first round and winning the second in a Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheeled desert race car the following day.

A second-generation desert racer and the youngest of the three Parkhouse racers, Cody Parkhouse has 103 season points.

With Mexico’s Juan C. Lopez finishing second in both Laughlin races in the No. 18 RPM Off-Road Chevy Silverado to lead the featuring SCORE Trophy Truck division points, RPM leads the point standings in seven classes after the first two races of the five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series. Lopez, of Tecate, Mexico, is also second overall in points with 101 heading into the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.

With 11 racers winning their respective classes both days in Laughlin, third in overall points and second in SCORE Trophy Truck after ninth and first place finishes to open the season is Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren, who has 94 points after two races in the No. 20 MasterCraft Racing Ford F-150. An eight-time SCORE season class point champion, MacCachren’s win in Round 2 in Laughlin was his 10th career race win in SCORE Trophy Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

With consistent Laughlin finishes of fourth and third, Steve Strobel, Clarks, Neb., is fourth in SCORE Overall points and third in SCORE Trophy Truck with 90 points in the No. 94 Strobel Motorsports Ford F-150 while rounding out the top five overall and second in Class 1 is Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., who has 90 points after his fourth and second-place finishes in Laughlin.

Cody Parkhouse’s father and uncle are both third in their respective class point standings with Cody’s father Brian racing in Class 1 as well as his son and his uncle Brent racing in SCORE Lites.

The most extensive and impressive team performance in Laughlin was recorded by RPM Off-Road of Bristol, Tenn. While Justin Matney, one of the team’s primary drivers rehabs a bad back, team regular driver Clyde Stacy along with several other drivers, recorded 11 class wins among the nine vehicles RPM had entered in two Laughlin races.

RPM Off-Road earned 11 total class wins among their nine entries in each of the season-opening Laughlin races on the way to leading the points in an unprecedented seven SCORE classes. Besides Lopez in SCORE Trophy Truck, Stacy, Bristol, Va. leads both Class 5-1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bug) and Class 2 (PSD-Chevy), the other RPM class point leaders are Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico (Class 6, Chevy Colorado), Rodolfo Iribe, San Ysidro, Calif. (Class 8, Chevy Silverado), Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va. (Class 4, PSD-Chevy) and Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va. (Sportsman Buggy, Geiser-Chevy). Stacy, Laguna, Iribe, Fletcher and Bunn each won their respective classes in both of the Laughlin races.

Round 3 of the 2012 SCORE Desert Series, the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 annually provides a greater economic impact to San Felipe than the popular six-week-long ‘Spring Break’.

The race began in 1982 and was not held between 1985 and 1989, the first five years of the seven-year combined High Desert Racing Association-HDRA/SCORE Desert Series of US and Baja races. It has been held consecutively each year since 1990.

In its first 25 years, the race has been held in San Felipe all but 2007 when political issues forced a last minute move by SCORE, starting it in Ensenada and finishing it in Santo Tomas. Ironically, 2007 saw a race-record 394 starters and a race record 288 finishers even though the race was moved and the course changed just 10 days before the event. The records when the race actually started and finished in San Felipe are 341 for starters in 2006 and 220 for finishers, also in 2006.

In addition to season class point championships, the racers are also competing for part of the nearly $400,000 in cash purse and contingency postings each race. Drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also attempting to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 27th consecutive year, a total of 61 drivers are still in the hunt for the awards for the 2012 SCORE Desert Series after the first two rounds in the five-race series.

Racers are also competing for the annual SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards, including the MasterCraft Safety SCORE Rookie of the Year award. All categories, except Engine Builder and Original Buggy Chassis Manufacturer, will be determined by public on-line voting while Engine and Buggy awards are determined by season points.

Tecate Beer is the title sponsor of the three SCORE Baja races.
MasterCraft Safety is co-title sponsor of the 26th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.

MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250
All-Time Overall Champions
Pro Cars & Trucks
Year--Driver(s), Vehicle (Class)
1982--Dan Cornwell, Chenowth-VW (Class 1)
1983--Corky McMillin/Scott McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche (Class 2)
1984--Scott McMillin/Corky McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche (Class 2)
1990--Brian Collins/Jack Johnson, Chenowth-VW (Class 1)
1991--Larry Ragland, Chevy C1500 (Class 8)
1992--Bob Richey/Boyd Cox, Raceco-Porsche (Class 1)
1993--Scott Douglas, Ford Ranger (Class 7)
1994--Ivan Stewart, Toyota SR5 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
1995--Larry Ragland, Chevy C1500 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
1996--Robby Gordon, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
1997--Curt LeDuc, Jeep Grand Cherokee (SCORE Trophy Truck)
1998--Mark Post/Jerry Whelchel, Riviera-Chevy (Class 1)
1999--Ed Herbst/Tim Herbst, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2000--Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2001--Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2002--Dan Smith/David Ashley, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2003--Gus Vildosola/Rob MacCachren, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2004--Mark Post/Jerry Whelchel, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2005--Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Jimco-Chevy (Class 1)
2006--Garron Cadiente, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2007--Mark Post/Rob MacCachren, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2008--Brian Collins, Dodge Ram1500 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2009--Brian Collins, Dodge Ram1500 (SCORE Trophy Truck)
2010--Armin Schwarz/Martin Christensen, Jimco-BMW (Class 1)
2011—Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy Truck)

Pro Motorcycles
Year--Rider(s), Vehicle
1982--Bob Balentine, Honda XR500 (Class 22)
1983--Jack Johnson, Honda XR500 (Class 22)
1984--Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna CR500 (Class 22)
1990--Dan Smith/Danny Hamel, KTM (Class 22)
1991--Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicut Jr, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)
1992--Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicut Jr, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)
1993--Danny Hamel, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)
1994--Danny Hamel, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)
1995--Danny Hamel, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)
1996--Paul Krause, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)
1997--Tim Staab, Honda XR650 (Class 22)
1998--Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab, Honda XR650 (Class 22)
1999--Johnny Campbell/Cole Marshall, Honda XR650 (Class 22)
2000--Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab, Honda XR650 (Class 22)
2001--Steve Hengeveld/Jonah Street, Honda XR650R (Class 22)
2002--Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda XR650R (Class 22)
2003--Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda XR650R (Class 22)
2004--Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda XR650R (Class 22)
2005--Chris Blais/Andy Grider/Quinn Cody, KTM MXC525 (Class 22)
2006--Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)
2007--Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)
2008--Robby Bell/Johnny Campbell, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)
2009--Kendall Norman/Timmy Weigand, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)
2010--Colton Udall/Jeff Kargola, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)
2011--Colton Udall/Jeff Kargola, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)

Sportsman Cars & Trucks
Year--Driver(s), Vehicle (Class)
2008--Peter Lang, Homebuilt-Chevy (SPT Car)
2009--Peter Lang, Homebuilt-Chevy (SPT Car)
2010--Wendell Mortensen, Raceco-VW (SPT Car)
2011--Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger (SPT Truck)

Sportsman Motorcycles
ear--Rider(s), Vehicle
2008--Bill Gilbert, Honda CRF450X (SPT M/C>250cc)
2009--Jeff Leonard, Bakersfield, Calif., Honda CRF450X (SPT M/C>250cc)
2010--Ron Tolman, Honda CRF450X (SPT M/C 250cc)
2011--Issac Cisneros, San Diego, Yamaha YZF450 (SPT M/C) (450cc)