BFG Tires, Honda, Herbst, McMillin, Julson
Big Winners at SCORE DESERT SERIES Awards

LAS VEGAS (December 13, 2003) -- BFGoodrich Tires, a staple of desert racers world-wide, captured two major honors Saturday as SCORE International officially concluded the six-race 2003 SCORE Desert Series with the annual SCORE Awards Night at the Gold Coast Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas.

The evening was also a celebration of 30 years of SCORE championship desert racing.

With its 18th straight overall four-wheel victory in the season-ending legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in November, BFG Tires was honored as both the 2003 SCORE Contingency Company and the 2003 SCORE Pit Support Team of the year. The Off-Roadsman awards are determined by vote of the more than 2,500 members of Los Angeles-based SCORE International.

Southern Nevada desert racers Tim and Ed Herbst were among the top honorees. The Herbst brothers were recognized as the first four-time season point champions in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck class, earned a Toyota Milestone award for finishing every mile of every race, and their Terrible Herbst Motorsports team was voted the 2003 SCORE Entry Sponsor of the Year.

Terrible Herbst Motorsports crew chief Mike Smith, Huntington Beach, CA, was voted SCORE Mechanic of the Year American Honda was voted SCORE Motorcycle Manufacturer of the year while veteran racer Corky McMillin and car builder/racer Mike Julson were voted SCORE co-Persons of the year. It was the first time in the history of SCORE that there was a tie for Person of the year.

"BFGoodrich Tires has been a continuing support to all of desert racing, especially SCORE, for over 25 years," said Sal Fish, SCORE CEO/President who himself received special tribute during the awards for his significant contributions to the sport for 30 years. "To win the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 once is a major feat, but to capture the world's most prestigious desert race 18 straight years is unbelievable. BFG Tires are the most dominant desert-racing tires in the world and we are privileged to honor them. Their grassroots support of desert racers is unparalleled." Tim Herbst, 40, and Ed Herbst, 42, became the first racers to win the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck point title for the fourth time in the 10-year history of the class, driving a Ford F-150 to the title this year along with 1999, 2000 and 2002. Their two race wins this season brought their record total to 11 out of the 62 races held for the class.

Dale Ebberts, Canyon Lake, CA, was honored as the 2003 SCORE Overall point champion as he and co-driver Ernie Castro Jr., Newport Beach, CA, captured the unlimited Class 1 in a Jimco-Toyota with two wins and four more podium finishes. Ebberts broke the string of six straight Class 1 titles won by Troy Herbst, 37, the youngest of the Herbst brothers.

The American Honda factory motorcycle team of Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, CA, and Johnny Campbell, San Clemente, CA, were honored not only as the Class 22 winners, but also the 2003 SCORE Overall Motorcycle point champions on their Honda XR650R.

The American Honda factory ATV team of John Gregory, Chula Vista, CA and Doug Eichner, El Cajon, CA, were honored as the Class 25 winners and the 2003 SCORE Overall ATV points champions on their Honda TRX450R.

McMillin, 74, of Bonita, CA, was the oldest driver of record in this year's SCORE Baja 1000. He is also the family patriarch of the three-generation McMillin Racing team that included his sons Mark and Scott and his grandson Andy in this year's SCORE Baja 1000.

Julson, 45, of Santee, CA, is a SCORE regular in Class 1 and his Jimco open-wheel desert race cars are the most prominent in the sport, winning all four open wheel classes in the 2003 SCORE Desert Series. Jimco won the 2003 SCORE Original Buggy Manufacturer point championship by a wide margin.

Southern California's Brian Ickler, 18, a high school student at Poway HS, capped an incredible year by being voted as the 2003 SCORE Rookie of the Year. Ickler won five of six race while winning the SCORE Lite point title in a Jimco-VW.

Herbst, Ebberts and Ickler were among nine racers who earned Toyota Milestone Awards for finishing every required race mile of the six SCORE races in 2003. The others were: Ron Brant, Torrance, CA (Class 1, Jimco-Chevy), Eric Allen, San Marcos, CA (Class 1-2/1600, Jimco-VW), James Golden, Costa Mesa, CA (Class 1-2/1600, Chenowth-VW), Brian Jeffrey, Acton, CA, (Class 1-2/1600, Dunrite-VW), Alan Pflueger, Honolulu (Protruck, Chevy Silverado) and George Seeley, Glendale, CA (Class 5,unlimited VW Baja Bug).

Allen, Seeley and Ickler also earned an equal split of this year's $12,000 Toyota True Grit Awards presented to the Toyota Milestone receipts who won their respective non-factory supported 2003 SCORE Class point championships.

Winning the 2003 Engine Builder point championship was Kenny Major and his Major Performance company.

Judy Smith, of Hot VWs Magazine and Dusty Times, was honored for the sixth consecutive time as SCORE Journalist of the Year, while Los Angeles' Trackside Photo earned Photographer of the Year honors.

SCORE opens its five-race 2004 SCORE Desert Series Jan. 15-18 in Southern Nevada with the 10th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

SCORE International, founded in 1973 by the late Mickey Thompson and headed by Sal Fish since 1974, continues today as the premier sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing. SCORE races feature 16 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks in the U.S. with seven additional Pro and three more Sportsman classes for motorcycles and ATVs competing in the races in Mexico.

SCORE races in the U.S. average 130 entries while the average in Mexico, with motorcycle and ATV classes running as well as the cars and trucks is 250.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors 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, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bilstein, Signpros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's, 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

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