Round 4 of 2004 SCORE Desert Series
Hawaii's Alan Pflueger draws first start in Chevy Silverado
SCORE Trophy-Truck for 9th SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300
SCORE's 31st anniversary year continues with nearly 175 entries expected,
Sept. 10-12, in Southern Nevada

LOS ANGELES (August 7, 2004) -- Fresh from winning his first race in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division, Hawaii's Alan Pflueger has drawn the coveted first starting position for next month's 9th Annual SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 desert race. Round 4 of the five-race 2004 SCORE Desert Series will be held Sept. 10-12 in Primm, Nev.

In a sport where there is no qualifying or open pre-running (in the U.S.), the drawing for start positions has added significance and Pflueger's No. 28 Pflueger Racing Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck was selected randomly in Saturday's computerized drawing at the SCORE Int'l headquarters in Los Angeles.

Celebrating its 31st anniversary this year as the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series, the SCORE Desert Series will be returning to Southern Nevada for the last of its two U.S. races.

The 9th Annual SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 will include an event-record field of over 175 vehicles competing in 17 Pro and 2 Sportsman classes for cars and trucks in Primm, located 35 miles south of Las Vegas at the California border. There were an event-record 160 vehicles entered in time for the drawing.

The 315-mile race will be run as a five-lap race over a desert course of 63 miles. As it has been for the past two years, the race will be split into two groups with the open wheel and VW baja bug classes starting at 6 a.m.

The truck classes, including the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division along with the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel class, will start at 1 p.m. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, with an eight-hour time limit. The start/finish line area, the primary spectator area and main pits will be located in the special events compound behind Buffalo Bill's Resort in Primm. The slower classes will run three or four laps.

With the $10,000 Kartek bonus also awaiting the 2004 SCORE Overall point champion, a total of just 61 points separate the top 15 overall point leaders after the first three rounds of 2004. SCORE points are determined both on final finishing position and number of vehicles that started the race within each class.

A total of a U.S. record 21 marquee SCORE Trophy-Trucks were entered in time for the start draw, and the 750-horsepower unlimited production trucks will lead the afternoon group into the Southern Nevada desert.

In his first full season driving in the marquee SCORE racing division, Pflueger, last year's SCORE Protruck class season champion who has won the last two Primm races in that class, won June's 37th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Mexico. In his third full season racing in the SCORE Desert Series, it was just his fourth race in that star-studded class.

"We have an awesome team and we've climbed the ladder quickly in SCORE Trophy-Truck," said Pflueger, 37, an entrepreneur who owns an automobile dealership in Honolulu. "Now, to draw the first starting position for the SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 will put even more pressure on us, but it's all good. Our Chevy Silverado is up to the challenge, but we will definitely be keeping an eye on the thundering herd behind us.

We're going to have to run hard and fast, especially because there are several top racers with a home-desert advantage."

The first vehicle to leave the start line in the morning portion of the event will be Class 10 racer Lobsam Yee, 28, of Tijuana Mexico, in his Honda-powered Jimco race car.

Ten of last year's 16 class winners have entered, including all 10 of last year's top 10 overall finishers.

George Seeley Jr., Glendale, CA, has the most class wins of anyone in the history of this race, having won six Class 5 races in the first eight years in his unlimited No. 500 VW Baja Bug. Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, returns in Class 11 with five Primm wins in his stock VW sedan.

Las Vegas brothers Ed and Tim Herbst are back to defend their overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck titles in their No. 1 Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150. The brothers won last year's race by 8 minutes, 2 seconds over the unlimited Class 1 Jimco-Chevy of Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif. Hovey is one of a race-high 35 entries in Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars. The Herbsts will start sixth and Hovey seventh in their respective classes.

Behind Class 1 (35 entries), the classes with the most entries in time for Saturday's drawing were: Class 1-2/1600 (32), SCORE Trophy-Truck (21), Class 10 (17) and SCORE Lite (16).

Among the other vehicles who drew first starting positions in their respective classes are: Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Bekki Wik, Las Vegas (Class 1, Jimco-Chevy), Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif. (Class 1-2/1600, Jimco-VW), and Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Jimco-VW).

Opening the season with a second, followed by a class win, and another second, Southern California's Brian Jeffrey and Adam Pfankuch lead the overall and Class 1-2/1600 point standings in the 2004 SCORE Desert Series.

After three rounds of the 2004 SCORE Desert Series, Jeffrey, 41, of Acton, and Pfankuch, 22, of Carlsbad, finished second in their class in January's 10th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge before winning their class (which had a season-high 39 starters) in February's 18th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 and finishing second in June's 36th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 (with 39 starters again) in a VW-powered Dunrite 1600cc open-wheel desert race car. The pair has put some serious pressure on the rest of the SCORE racers for not only the 2004 class title in 1-2/1600, but also the coveted SCORE Overall point championship as well.

In the SCORE Baja 500, Jeffrey and Pfankuch were happy to finish second behind Las Vegas' Rob MacCachren and Danny Anderson in a race-high field of 39 starters in Class 1-2/1600. With his second win in three races in a Fraley-VW, MacCachren vaulted back into title contention, currently sitting second overall and second in Class 1-2/1600, 20 points behind Jeffrey/Pfankuch, who lead, 226-206.

Third in the overall hunt and in Class 1-2/1600 are brothers Travis and Brad Fletcher, Westminster, CA, in their Baja Shop-VW with 200 points.

The Fletchers, who finished third in Class 1-2/1600 in Laughlin, and second in San Felipe, and 12th in Ensenada.

Fourth in overall and Class 1-2/1600 points is the team of Rick Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif./Steve Roberts, Bullhead City, AZ, with 193 points in a Lothringer-VW. They have a second, sixth and a 13th so far in 2004.

Consistency has paid high dividends so far for Andy McMillin and his father Scott McMillin, of Poway, CA, who despite not having a victory yet, are leading the super-charged unlimited Class 1 point standings and are fifth in overall points in a Jimco-Chevy. After a season-opening 12th-place finish in Class 1, the McMillins have driven to an impressive pair of second-place finishes in the class for unlimited open-wheel desert race cars.

With a third in Laughlin prior to claiming the overall win in San Felipe and a second in Ensenada, teammates Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, are sixth in overall points and lead the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division with 189 points in their Riviera Racing Ford F-150.

Admission will be free to the spectator area, which will have grandstands as well as the SCORE Vendor's Village.

Pre-race festivities on Friday, Sept. 10, for the SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300, including tech and contingency and the SCORE Manufacturer's Midway, will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. behind Buffalo Bill's Resort. The post-race awards celebration will be held at the Star of the Desert Arena on Sunday (Sept. 12) at 9 a.m.

SCORE official sponsors for 2004 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Southern California Ford Dealers-official vehicle and C.L. Bryant-VP Racing Fuels-official fuel supplier. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bilstein, Signpros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's, and Advanced Color Graphics.

Associate sponsors for the 9th SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 are Las Vegas Events and Primm Valley Resorts.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2004 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 All-Time Overall Winners
1996 Robby Gordon, Orange, CA, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
1997 Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, CA, Jeep Grand Cherokee (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
1998 Ed and Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
1999 Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford (Class 1)
2000 Steve Sourapas, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, Jimco-Chevy (Class 1)
2001 Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford (Class 1)
2002 Mike Julson, Santee, Calif./Bob Lofton, Westmorland, CA, Jimco-Chevy)
2003 Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2004 SCORE Desert Series
Overall Point Leaders
After Round 3--Remaining 2004 schedule:
Sept. 10-11--9th SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300-Primm, Nev.
Nov. 17-20--37th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000-Ensenada to La Paz, Mexico

TOP 15 OVERALL
(Position, Drivers, Vehicle-Engine, Class Points)
1. Brian Jeffrey, Acton, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, CA, Dunrite-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 226
2. Rob MacCachren/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Fraley-VW (CLASS 1-2/1600), 206
3. Travis Fletcher, Westminster, Calif./Brad Fletcher, Garden Grove, CA, Baja Shop-VW (Class 1-2/1600), 200
4. Rick Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif./Steve Roberts, Bullhead City, AZ, Lothringer-VW (CLASS 1-2/1600), 193
5. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Poway, CA, Jimco-Chevy (CLASS 1), 190
6. Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, Ford F-150 (SCORE
Trophy-Truck), 189
6. Leonardo Navarrete/Alejandro Navarrete, Mexicali, Mexico, Jimco-VW (CLASS 1-2/1600), 189
8. John Marking, El Cajon, Calif./Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, CA, Jimco-Chevy (CLASS 1), 183
9. Jason Baldwin, Laguna Beach, CA, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 176
9. Tom Watson/Tim Noe, El Centro, CA, Jimco-VW (SCORE Lite), 176
11. Mark Hutchins/C.J. Hutchins, Henderson, Nev., Jimco-Honda (CLASS 10), 173
12. Chuck Hovey, Escondido, CA, Jimco-Chevy (CLASS 1), 170
13. Troy Herbst, Las Vegas/Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, CA, Smithbuilt-Ford (CLASS 1), 169
14. Bobby Altamirano, Palm Desert, Calif./Jeff Knupp, Litchfield Park, AZ, Jimco-VW (CLASS 1-2/1600), 167
15. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, CA, Jimco-Chevy (CLASS 1), 165
15. Jim Anderson, Claremont, Calif./Jeff Hunt, Monrovia, CA, Dunrite-VW (CLASS 10), 165
15. Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif./Dan Worley, Encinitas, CA, Jimco-VW (SCORE Lite), 165
15. Gerardo Iribe, Rosarito, Mexico/Javier Hernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, VW Baja Bug (CLASS 5/1600), 165

9th Annual SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300
Sept. 10-12 * Primm, Nevada
Class Starting Order
(After drawing, 8/7/04)

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