Race Saturday south of Boulder City
Marty Coyne gets pole position in SCORE Trophy-Truck Thursday
at Live drawing for SCORE HENDERSON'S TERRIBLE 250
Pre-race festivities, including IGT Pit Crew Challenge, Manufacturer's
Midway, continue Friday in downtown Henderson

HENDERSON, NV (July 10, 2003)-- Veteran SCORE Trophy-Truck racer Marty Coyne drew the pole position Thursday night in the live drawing for starting positions for Saturday's 2nd Annual SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250, the world's richest desert race. The live drawing held poolside at Terrible's Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas, featured a concert and patriotic fireworks display, and was another prelude to Saturday's main event.

Coyne, 47, of El Centro, Calif., will start the race and turn it over to his son Travis, 23, after either the first or second of three laps over the 79.4-mile race course, depending on how the team's No. 5 Ford F-150 is doing at the time. The team's 750-horsepower, unlimited production truck, was originally built by NASCAR Winston Cup regular Robby Gordon, is doing at the time.

"This is great timing for us because I really think we have a truck for this race that can finish on the podium, and with a few racing breaks, maybe even win it," said Coyne, whose only other first-start was the 1995 Tecate SCORE Baja 500. "Starting first certainly changes our strategy. We definitely won't be as patient on the first lap as we would have if we started in the middle of the pack. With a clear, dust-free track, we will try and put as much distance as possible on the rest of the field."

With six of nine previous SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champions and seven total drivers with 34 race wins in this division between them, action should be as hot as the Southern Nevada desert Saturday. In Henderson, SCORE International continues its 30th anniversary celebration of producing championship desert racing in the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

The 2nd Annual SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 is the world's richest desert race with nearly $500,000 in cash purse and contingency postings. Featuring the world's best desert racers, nearly 150 entries, competing in 17 Pro and 2 Sportsman classes for cars and trucks, are expected to take the green flag in Boulder City, Nev., on Saturday morning.

The 79.4-mile loop course (to be run as three laps), will start and finish on the northwest edge of the Eldorado Dry Lake bed, just off of the west side of U.S. Highway 95, six miles south of the junction with U.S. Highway 93 at Railroad Pass. The classes will be split into two groups, the first starting at 6 a.m. followed by the truck classes along with the unlimited Class 1, Class 10, SCORE Lite and 1-2/1600 at 8 a.m. Vehicles will start one every 30 seconds with an 8-hour time limit to become an official finisher in the elapsed-time race.

Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., who won the SCORE Trophy-Truck division in last year's inaugural SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 in Post's No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150, drew the fourth starting position.

With late registration continuing Friday at the Henderson Convention Center in downtown Henderson, 10 SCORE Trophy-Trucks were entered in time for Thursday's drawing.

In the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert racecars, which has 13 entries so far, class point leader Dale Ebberts, Canyon Lake, Calif., and his co-driver Ernie Castro Jr., drew the first start in Class 1 in their Toyota-powered Jimco. Class 1 or SCORE Trophy-Truck produce the overall winner in nearly all SCORE races.

Ebberts won the first two SCORE races of the season to take the lead midway through the six-race 2003 SCORE Desert Series.

Back to defend his overall title and Class 1 victory in the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 is Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., in a Jimco-Chevy. Not only did he pick up the $10,000 bonus last year, it was also Hovey's first SCORE race win. Hovey will start eighth in Class 1.

Pre-race festivities on Friday 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 in downtown Henderson adjacent to the Henderson Convention Center. Driver registration will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., tech and contingency 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Pit Crew Challenge 6 to 7 p.m. and the Tommy Rocker concert 7 to 9 p.m.

Through a special marketing and sponsorship agreement, SCORE International of Los Angeles is producing the event and Las Vegas-based Herbst Gaming along with the Southern Nevada cities of Henderson and Boulder City are once again sponsoring the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250.

Starting with a $10,000 bonus to the first overall finisher, the World's Richest Desert Race will include nearly $35,000 in added purse, a 50 percent payback of entry fees and significant contingency postings. SCORE officials report that the final cash and contingency prizes could even pass the $500,000 mark.

For all Pro classes with a minimum 'Lucky Seven' starters, the winner will receive an added $1,000 and the runner-up will receive an added $500 from the bonus purse.

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.

Associate sponsors for the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 are Miller Beer and Red Bull energy drink.

For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official Optima SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com