Prerunning Begins Saturday in Baja Mexico
Pre-running begins Saturday in Baja Mexico on the rugged 438.81 Mile race course for 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 500. With the release of the official course map, GPS files and course notes this week, pre-race activity increases significantly starting Friday when desert racers officially begin their pre-running and course logistics activities for next month’s 42nd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500, the second-oldest desert race in the world. Round 3 of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series will feature nearly 300 entries, competing in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, will be held June 3.-6. 2010 in Ensenada, Mexico. Traditionally one of the most popular events on the SCORE schedule, over 100,000 spectators are expected to enjoy the desert racers in action at this year’s 42nd anniversary of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, the original desert race produced by SCORE on July 26, 1974. (You can find official course map image based, the Baja 500 race course as Google map a slimmed down version made from the GPS files course notes and VCP’s info at the links)
With late entries accepted up to race morning, entries are expected from 26 U.S. States from Hawaii to Connecticut, and along with the additional countries of Mexico, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Japan. The green flag will drop for the race at 6 a.m. on Saturday (June 5) for the motorcycle and ATV classes in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, followed by the car and truck classes three hours after the last ATV at approximately 10 a.m. The elapsed-time race will start and finish in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Boulevard Costero in the heart of Ensenada, leaving and returning into the city through the spectator-laden Arroyo Wash.
The talented field of veteran desert racers heading to Baja includes 15 defending class winners out of the 25 Pro classes that had finishers in last year’s race, including last year’s overall 4-wheel vehicle winners Kory Halopoff/Harley Letner of Orange, Calif. (unlimited Class 1) and SCORE Trophy-Truck champion Rick D. Johnson/Brian Sallee, of Barstow, Calif.
The rugged course 438.81-mile course is a very similar to the last two years, although it is about eight miles longer and the terrain has changed significantly due to torrential rains that impacted both sides of the race course on the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez and in the middle in the summit section. The course, which runs in a clockwise direction, resembles a deflating balloon, winding east to Ojos Negros, down to near San Felipe, back West to the Pacific Ocean below San Vicente and back north east through Santo Tomas on the way back to Ojos Negros and then Ensenada.
The only pre-running that will be allowed on the first 35.18 miles of the course will be outbound only and only on Thursday and Friday, June 3 and 4. No inbound pre-running on the last 35.18 miles of the course will be allowed. Pre-running of the rest of the course will start and finish in the Ojos Negros area.
The four official race checkpoints, where all vehicles are required to make a quick stop, will be located at race mile 84.03 (Santa Catarina), rm196.17 (Borrego), rm 307.30 (Pacific Ocean) and rm397.53 (Rancho San Antonio). The course will also have a number of virtual checkpoints. All vehicles are also required to run tracking devices and live vehicle tracking will be available during the race also here on Puro Off-Road based on public available sources as every year.
The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division for unlimited production trucks has a SCORE-record 42 entries in this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500.
This popular SCORE early summer race began in 1969 under the auspices of the old NORRA organization and SCORE began its enduring run with it on July 26, 1974. This year will be the 37th anniversary of the first SCORE race in Baja.
For the third straight year and just the third time in the 42-year history of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race, the colorful pre-race contingency, the start and finish line will all be located in the heart of Ensenada, Mexico on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. It will be the second time in race history that both the pre-race activities and the finish will be held on this historic boulevard.
The pre-race contingency will be held from 10hr to 18:00hr on Friday, June 4 2010 on Blvd Costero. Racer registration will again be held in the Grand Ballroom of the San Nicolas Hotel. Registration hours will be from 13:00hr to 18:00hr on Thursday, June 3 2010 and from 8:30hr to 17:00hr on Friday June 4 2010.
The awards celebration will be held poolside at the San Nicolas Hotel on Sunday, June 6 2010 at 11hr.
Content credits: SCORE Intl. Press Release
Image credits: Steve “Handlebar” Willenberg
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- Prerunning begins on rugged 454.69 mile course
- Baja 500 Race Map 42nd Tecate Baja 500
- Live Baja 1000 updates from Ensenada Mexico
- Driver quotes Saturday Laughlin Desert Challenge
- San Felipe 250 Preliminary Race Map Prerunning
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This post was compiled by Memin Pinguin
