NASCAR's Robby Gordon leads Class 1
Las Vegas' Rob MacCachren masterfully leading three classes
After Saturday's first half of SCORE LAUGHLIN DESERT CHALLENGE
Round 1 of 2004 SCORE Desert Series finishes Sunday with 180 vehicle

LAUGHLIN, NV (January 17, 2003) -- Racing to the front of three classes Saturday, All-American racer Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas is halfway home in his unprecedented attempt to win three classes at the 10th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Sunday's second half will feature 180 vehicles who are competing in Round 1 of the five-race 2004 SCORE Desert Series, America's foremost desert racing series. The popular event, with over 15,000 spectators on hand Saturday, is being held adjacent to the Colorado River in the Southern Nevada resort destination of Laughlin.

MacCachren, 38, a seven-time SCORE class point champion 2001 All-America motorsports team member, drove Saturday for Mexico's Gus Vildosola in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division and is driving solo in both Class 1-2/1600 and SCORE Lite. After four, 11.8-mile laps, MacCachren turns over the No. 4 Ford F-150 to Vildosola for Sunday's final half with a 22-second margin over the Ford F-150 of defending race champions Mark Post and Jerry Whelchel.

MacCachren's total time was 46 minutes, 8 seconds at an impressive average speed of 61.39 miles per hour.

Driving the same Fraley desert racecar with different size VW motors, MacCachren has a lead of two minutes, 27 seconds over the Prep by Jake-VW of ESPN announcer Cameron Steele in Class 1-2/1600 and of 53 seconds over the Henry Chassis-VW in SCORE Lite.

"I can't imagine a better start to this historic attempt to win three classes," said MacCachren, who raced first Saturday in Class 1-2/1600, then in SCORE Trophy-Truck and ended the long day in SCORE Lite.

"The Vildosola Racing team really had the No. 4 Ford F-150 ready to rock and our MacCachren Motorsports team did an unbelievable job with our little car, especially changing the transmission and putting in the larger motor for SCORE Lite. Gus will drive his SCORE Trophy-Truck on Sunday, so I'll have a little time to rest up between the other two classes. From the morning to the afternoon, the course has really been chewed up and Sunday's winners won't be faster than Saturday, just a lot smarter."

With 180 total starters from 12 States, Japan and Mexico, NASCAR Nextel Cup regular Robby Gordon is third overall and leads the unlimited Class 1 in his Gordon-Chevy, 31 seconds behind Post/Whelchel and 53 behind Vildosola/MacCachren. Gordon, whose Chevy C1500 broke during the second lap in SCORE Trophy-Truck, will turn over the wheel of his Class 1 car on Sunday to driver of record Cam Thieriot.

Las Vegas' Troy Herbst stands in fourth place overall and second in Class 1 in the Terrible Herbst Motorsports Smithbuilt-Ford, 58 seconds behind Thieriot/Gordon and 1:51 back of Vildosola/MacCachren.

Rounding out the top five overall is Jason Baldwin, who is second in SCORE Trophy-Truck, 1:54 behind Vildosola/MacCachren.

MacCachren consistently covered the four laps in SCORE Trophy-Truck in 11:32, 11:58, 11:23 and finished with his best time of 11:15.

Among the other class leaders midway through the race are:
Martin Christensen, Escondido, CA, Jimco-BMW (Class 10)
Rick Taylor, Brawley, CA, Ford Ranger (Class 7)
Josh Klenske, Colton, CA, Ford F-150 (Class 8)
Gerardo Iribe, Rosarito, Mexico, VW Baja Bug (Class 5/1600)
Robert Graham, Yorba Linda, CA, Toyota Tacoma (Class7S)

The 180 starters is the third-most in the event's history. The largest classes are Class 1 (32), Class 1-2/1600 (28), Class 10 (25), SCORE Trophy-Truck (23) and SCORE Lite (20).

The 10th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Committee, the Laughlin Visitors Bureau and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events.

The race is sanctioned and produced annually by Los Angeles-based SCORE International.

Overall Leaders after Saturday's first half of the 10th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge:
1. Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 46 minutes, eight seconds, (61.39 miles per hour)
2. Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, CA/Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, Ford F-150, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 46:30, 60.90)
3. Cam Thieriot, Occidental, CA/Robby Gordon, Mooresville, N. C., Gordon-Chevy, (Class 1), 47:01, (60.23)
4. Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford, (Class 1), 47:59, (59.02)
5. Jason Baldwin, Irvine, CA, Ford F-150, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 48:02, (58.96)
6. Bob Lofton, Westmorland, CA, Jimco-Chevy, Jimco, (Class 1), 49:01, (57.78)
7. Gary Dircks, Anthem, AZ, Ford F-150, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 49:02, (57.76)
8. Wayne Lugo, Chino, CA/Craig Stewart, Santee, CA, (Class 1), 49:16, (57.48)
9. Dale Dondel/Mike Dondel, Hemet, CA, Chevy Silverado, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 49:32, (57.17)
10. John Marking, El Cajon, CA/Gary Cogbill, Boulavard, CA, Jimco-Chevy, (Class 1), 49:34, (57.14)
11. Chuck Hovey, Escondido, CA, Jimco-Chevy, (Class 1), 49:42, (56.98)
12. Roger Gray/Robert Gray, Cupertino, CA, Chevy Silverado, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 49:51, (56.81)
13. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore. Jimco, (Class 1), 50:28, (56.12)
14. Shawn McCallum, Imperial, CA, Jimco-Toyota, (Class 1), 50:37, (55.95)
15. Damen Jefferies, Oak Hills, CA, Porter-Chevy, (Class 1), 50:53, (55.66)
16. Steve Melton, Buckeye, AZ, Jimco-Chevy, (Class 1), 50:55, (55.62)
17. Josh Baldwin, Irvine, CA, Ford F-150, (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 51:15, (55.26)
18. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, CA/Ron Brant, Oak Hills, CA, RPS-Chevy, (Class 1), 51:27, (55.04)
19. Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif/Dave Mason, Valley Center, CA, Jimco-BMW, (Class 10), 51:54, (54.57)
20. Harley Letner/Kory Halopoff, Orange, CA, Chenowth-Honda, (Class 10), 52:00, (54.46)
21. Bill Witt/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, (Class 10), 52:02, (54.43)
22. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Poway, CA, Jimco-Chevy, (Class 1), 52:09, (54.30)
23. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Porter-Chevy, (Class 1), 52:23, (54.06)
23. Charles Lathrem, Tucson, AZ, Jimco-Honda, (Class 10), 52:23, (54.06)
25. Ron Brant, Oak Hills, CA/Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, CA, Jimco-Chevy, (Class 1), 52:39, (53.79)

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