ENSENADA, Mexico — After rough-riding their way through 2,025.43 dusty, crusty, challenging, bone-cracking, grueling and unforgiving SCORE Baja desert racing miles, 47 racers have survived the challenge of the four-race SCORE World Desert Championship and emerged to earn 2019 Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards.
The 47 racers, competing in 18 different classes in the series for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, earned their prestigious honors by finishing every required mile during the SCORE season.
The SCORE World Desert Championship ended in late-November with the 800.50-mile BFGoodrich Tires 52nd annual SCORE Baja 1,000 that started and finished in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
The 47 racers who have completed all the 2019 required miles are from 18 different SCORE racing classes.
Leading the way in the chase for Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards are seven from the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division, two in the SCORE TT Legend class, three in the unlimited Class 1, eight in Trophy Truck Spec, three in Class 10, three in Pro UTV FI (Forced Injection), three in Pro Moto Unlimited, four in Pro Moto 30 (riders over 30 years old) and three in Pro Quad.
“SCORE is privileged to honor the world’s best desert racing drivers and riders,” said Jim Ryan, SCORE Sales and Marketing Director. “For over three decades, SCORE has been very humbled to honor racers with the Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards presented by VP Racing Fuels. SCORE racers are the toughest, most rugged racers on the planet. This most prestigious award has become iconic in our sport. It is also a distinct privilege for us to honor the memory of one of the greatest desert racers of all time by adding Rod Hall’s name to this wonderful award. And we are grateful to VP Racing Fuels for stepping up to help honor these racers as well.”
Among the seven SCORE Trophy Truck thoroughbreds who have galloped through every challenging race mile so far this season are: Andy McMillin, Luke McMillin, Alan Ampudia, Chris Miller, Bobby Pecoy, Robby Gordon, Mike Lawrence and Rob MacCachren.
The two racers earning the award in the SCORE TT Legend class for SCORE Trophy Truck racers over 50 years old are Clyde Stacy and Rolf Helland.
The racers who won the coveted awards from Class 1 for unlimited open-wheel desert race cars are Mason Cullen, Brandon Bailey and Brendan Gaughan.
Leading the eight racers in Trophy Truck Spec are Sara Price, Charles Dorrance, Austin Jones and Chad Dohrmann.
The three drivers who won the award in Class 10 for single or two-seat open wheel desert race cars with limited engines are Hiram Duran, Chase Warren and Rafael Aguirre.
The three winning racers in the Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) class are Marc Burnett, Wayne Matlock and Brandon Schueler.
Pro Moto Unlimited (three) and Pro Moto 30 (riders over 30 years old) had four winners of the Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Award. These sturdy groups of riders are led by the teams headed by riders of records Justin Morgan and Ryan Liebelt.
International motorcycle racer Santiago Creel earned a SCORE-record three Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards as the rider of record in three classes — Pro Moto Unlimited, Pro Moto Limited and Pro Moto 30. He now has earned six SCORE Milestone Awards in his career.