Vildosola/MacCachren lead SCORE Trophy-Truck
Youthful Allen/Pfankuch keep Jimco-VW atop Class 1-2/1600,
Overall Point standings in 2003 SCORE Desert Series
SCORE's 30th anniversary year continues with
2nd SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250, July 9-12, in So. Nevada

LOS ANGELES (June 10, 2003)-- First a novelty, San Diego County youngsters Eric Allen and Adam Pfankuch have used three season-opening class wins to quickly become the force to be reckoned with in the 2003 SCORE Desert Series. With victories in Class 1-2/1600 at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Nevada and a pair of wins in Mexico at the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in San Felipe, and most recently at the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, the Allen/Pfankuch duo lead not only their very competitive class, but the overall SCORE International point standings in their K.I.T. Racing VW-powered Jimco 1600cc open-wheel desert race car.

Allen, a 20-year old SCORE rookie from San Marcos and Pfankuch, a 21 year old proven competitor from Carlsbad, are amazingly undefeated, unblemished and unfazed after winning the first three SCORE races to conclude the first half of the SCORE season. In just their first season as teammates, the pair has easily lived up to the definition of their team's name-Keep It Together (K.I.T.) Racing.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year as the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series, the SCORE Desert Series returns to the U.S. for the second of three races in Southern Nevada.

The 2nd Annual SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250, the world's richest desert race with nearly $500,000 in cash purse and contingeny postings, will be held July 9-12, in Southern Nevada. The live drawing for starting positions, by class, will be held from 6-10 p.m. On Thursday, July 10 during the SCORE bar-b-que, featuring live music and a fireworks show, at the Terrible's Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.

Nearly 150 vehicles, competing in 17 Pro and 2 Sportsman classes for cars and trucks, are expected to take the green flag in Boulder City, NV, on Saturday, July 12. The 80.1-mile loop course (to be run as three laps), will start and finish on the northeast edge of the Eldorado Dry Lake bed, just off of Nevada State Highway 95, six miles south of the junction with Nevada State Highway 93 at Railroad Pass.

Pre-race festivities on Friday, July 11, for the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250, including tech and contingency, the SCORE Manufacturer's Midway, the $7,000 IGT Pit Crew Challenge, the SCORE concert starring Tommy Rocker, and driver registration, will all be held on Water Street in downtown Henderson.

SCORE race week festivities will begin on Wednesday, July 9 with the SCORE Charity Showdown. The SCORE Charity Bowling Tournament will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. at Terrible's Casino and Bowl on Boulder Highway in Henderson, followed from 5:30 to 9 p.m. by the SCORE Charity Video-Poker Tournament and SCORE Charity Silent Auction at Casino Montelago at the new Ritz Carlton Resort in Lake Las Vegas. All proceeds will benefit multiple charity organizations in both Henderson and Boulder City.

SCORE points are determined both on final finishing position and number of vehicles which started the race within the individual class. With 260 total starters at the popular Tecate SCORE Baja 500 (May 31 June 1) competing in 24 classes for Pro Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles and ATVs, Class 1-2/1600 had 26 starters, second to the 27 in Class 5/1600 to lead the field in Ensenada.

"I said it before, but our Jimco is running awesome, the FAT-VW motor is unbelievable and the car we bought last December from Off-Road Warehouse was meticulously prepped," said Allen, who is studying engineering at Palomar College in San Marcos. "Adam is the fastest driver in our class right now, but we wouldn't be racing at all if it weren't for the support we have received from Larry Kern, Adam's dad Mike (Pfankuch) and K.I.T. Racing. Out crew really made a big difference for us in winning the Tecate SCORE Baja 500."

Pfankuch, who had one previous SCORE victory prior to this year (Class 1-2/1600 in the 2000 Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250), finished 10th in the 2000 final SCORE points in the class and fourth in 2001. When he isn't racing, Pfankuch works at his family-owned restaurant--That Pizza Place, in Carlsbad.

After finishing second in the season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in January, winning in San Felipe and finishing third in Ensenada in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division, the team of Gus Vildosola, of Mexicali, Mexico and Rob MacCachren, of Las Vegas, have moved to the front of the division for 750-horsepower, high-tech, unlimited production trucks.

Splitting the driving time in their Vildosola Racing Ford F-150, the San Felipe victory was the first for Vildosola and the fourth for MacCachren in SCORE Trophy-Truck. A six-time SCORE class point champion, MacCachren, the 2001 SCORE overall point champion, won the SCORE Trophy-Truck point title in 1994, the year the special class was introduced by SCORE.

After three of six races in the 2003 SCORE Desert Series, Allen/Pfankuch have 249 points to lead Class 1-2/1600 and the SCORE Overall point standings.

Second overall with 233 points is Class 1 point leader Dale Ebberts, Canyon Lake, CA, who masterfully won the first two races of the SCORE season and finished third in Ensenada in his unlimited Toyota-powered Jimco. He drove solo in Laughlin and starting with San Felipe, is splitting wheel time with Ernie Castro Jr., Newport Beach, CA Castro finished second to Allen/Pfankuch in Class 1-2/1600 in Laughlin before the team merger with Ebberts' Inland Truss Racing.

Behind Vildosola/MacCachren (who are 10th in overall points with 200) in SCORE Trophy-Truck points are Las Vegas brothers and defending season champs Tim and Ed Herbst (Ford F-150) with 182 and Laughlin winners Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, CA/Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (Ford F-150) with 149 points.

Third in SCORE overall points, just one point behind Ebberts and 17 behind Allen/Pfankuch, is Class 10 point leader Mexico's Eli Yee, who leads Class 10 after two season-opening wins and a second in his Jimco Honda.

Fourth overall is undefeated SCORE Lite leader Brian Ickler, Poway, CA (Jimco-VW) at 221 points. Just 17 years old, Ickler, who moved up to a faster class this year after finishing seventh last year in Class 1 2/1600 drove solo while winning his class in the first two races and split the driving time last race with veteran Brian Ewalt.

Second in Class 1 and tied fifth in overall points are brothers Mark and Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore. (Jimco-Chevy) with 218 points. The Weyhrichs, with two seconds and one fourth, are tied with David Hendrickson, Murrieta, CA/Cameron Steele, San Clemente, CA, who are second in Class 1-2/1600 in a DaveCo-VW.

A total of just 10 points separate seventh through 10th in the current SCORE overall point standings.

Tied for seventh overall with 210 points are Las Vegas' Troy Herbst, who teamed with Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, CA, to win the overall at the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and is third in Class 1 in a Smithbuilt-Ford and James Golden, Costa Mesa, CA, who is third in Class 1-2/1600 in a Chenowth-VW.

Ninth overall with 201 points is Steve Myers, Newport Beach, CA/George Erl, Huntington Beach, CA, second in Class 10 in a Jimco Toyota and 10th, just one point behind Myers, is SCORE Trophy-Truck leaders Vildosola/MacCachren.

With two wins this season so far are class point leaders Alan Pfleuger, Honolulu (Protruck, Chevy Silverado), Joe Heger, Imperial CA (Class 5, VW Baja Bug), John Griffin, Mission Viejo, CA (Stock Full, AM General Hummer) and Donald Moss, Sacramento, CA (Class 3, Ford Bronco).

Leading the motorcycle classes overall and the open Class 22 are American Honda factory teammates Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, CA, and Johnny Campbell, San Clemente, CA After winning the motorcycle season-opening races in San Felipe and Ensenada, the pair has now won six consecutive SCORE races together on their Honda XR650R.

The overall ATV and Class 25 leaders are John Gregory, Chula Vista, CA/Doug Eichner, El Cajon, CA (Honda 4Trax).

Among the other current 2003 SCORE class point leaders are: Dave Sykes, Del Mar, CA (Class 8, Chevy Silverado); Craig Turner, Yorba Linda, CA (Class 7, Ford Ranger); Bob Land, Lake Forest, CA (Class 7S, Chevy S-10), Arturo Velazco, Beaumont, CA (Class 9, Chenowth-VW) and Mario Reynoso, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 5/1600, VW Baja Bug).

SCORE official sponsors for 2003 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Southern California Ford Dealers-official vehicle, 76 Racing Fuel-official fuel and Rental Service Corporation-official equipment supplier. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Bilstein, Signpros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's, Off Road Innovations and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2003 SCORE Desert Series at
www.score-international.com.