Nearly 300 entries expected
Lake Elsinore Casino presenting SCORE Fiesta October 15;
‘Live’ draw for 38th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 start positions
Drawing for legendary granddaddy of all desert races to include
Fabtech Pit Challenge, Poker Tourney, Lucas Oil Drawing.

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 5, 2005) -- In preparation for November’s 38th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race, a ‘live’ drawing for starting positions for the nearly 300 expected entries will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, during a special SCORE Fiesta at the Lake Elsinore Casino in Lake Elsinore, Calif. In addition to the 5:30 p.m. Lucas Oil-sponsored ‘live’ drawing, other activities scheduled for the event include the $5,000 Fabtech Pit Challenge, and the $10,000 Lake Elsinore Casino Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament.

In addition to appearances by several of SCORE’s top drivers and riders and their incredible desert-racing machines, festivities will start at 3 p.m. with a SCORE pool party hosted by the ‘McGraw Insurance Girls’. The race Drawing will be at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Fabtech Pit Challenge event at 6 p.m. The $10,000 Lake Elsinore Casino Poker Tournament is start at 7 p.m.

The entire event is being produced by the colorful Desert Assassins race team, led by co-owners Cameron Steele and Clyde Stout.

“SCORE sincerely appreciates the efforts of Cameron Steele, Clyde Stout and their race team as well as the involvement by the Lake Elsinore Casino, Fabtech, McGraw Insurance Services and Lucas Oil,” said Sal Fish, CEO and President of SCORE, which is celebrating its 32nd year as the world’s foremost desert racing organization. “We expect to have entries in this year’s classic from as many as 30 U.S. states and 10 countries, all eager to challenge Mexico’s Baja peninsula. The drawing at the Lake Elsinore Casino will be a great opportunity for fans to get to meet and greet some of the world’s finest desert racers up close and personal.”

This year’s legendary desert classic, to be held Nov. 17-20 in Mexico, will start and finish in Ensenada, Baja California and extend over a rugged course on both sides of the majestic peninsula.

Nearly 300 entries from over 30 U.S. States and 10 countries, competing in 27 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs will be part of this year’s tribute to the sport of desert racing.

It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the mother of all desert races has been run over the mysterious Baja California peninsula every year except 1974 when the international fuel crisis forced a cancellation.

SCORE has also announced that this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour NBC Sports special for the second consecutive year on Dec. 10 on the NBC Network.

The Fabtech Pit Challenge will include a unique format for desert racing and all competitors will use the two Fabtech SCORE Trophy-Trucks—the No. 7 driven by Scott Steinberger and the No. 76 driven by Jesse Jones. Additionally, only the vehicle’s driver and a co-rider will participate and they will start inside of the truck and exit to change one tire in the quickest time.

The field will be open to the first 12 SCORE Trophy-Trucks/unlimited Class 1 drivers in one group and the first 12 drivers from the SCORE limited classes in the other. All must be official entries in the race.

The final playoff winner will also receive a free entry into this year’s race.

Among the entries confirmed in the SCORE Trophy-Truck/Class 1 group are SCORE Trophy-Trucks Mark Post/Curt LeDuc, Pete Sohren, Jesse Jones, Scott Steinberger, Clyde Stout and Matt Scaroni and Class 1 racers Ronny Wilson and Brian Ickler.

Among the entries confirmed in the SCORE limited classes group are Class 1-2/1600 drivers Brian Burgess, L.J. Kennedy and Adam Pfankuch, SCORE Lite racer Vic Bruckmann along with Darren Hardesty (Class 10), George Seeley (Class 5), Todd Wylie (Class 8), Eric Solorzano (Class 11) and Tim Sanchez (Class 5/1600).

All racers entered in the Race Drawing will be entered into a raffle, sponsored by Lucas Oil Products, for another free entry into this year’s race.

The Lake Elsinore Casino Poker tournament, with a guaranteed $10,000 minimum purse is open to the first 300 SCORE participants (drivers and/or crew members) with a $50 buy-in. It will pay back 18 spots and the winner will receive a free entry into this year’s race in addition to the top purse.

Besides the Lake Elsinore Casino, Fabtech, SCORE International, McGraw Insurance Services, Lucas Oil Products and the Desert Assassins, associate sponsors of the SCORE Fiesta are: DIRTsports Magazine.

SCORE official sponsors for 2005 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, C.L. Bryant-VP Racing Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Suzuki, SignPros, Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, McGraw Insurance Services, Lucas Oil Products, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information on entry the Fabtech Pit Crew Challenge and/or the Poker tournament, please contact Cameron Steele at c-steele@cox.net. To reserve rooms in the SCORE room block, contact the Lake Elsinore Casino at 951.674.3101.

For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official 2005 SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com