Campbell back for Baja glory

From SCORE

LOS ANGELES, CA — As pre-running the rugged 1061.69-mile desert race course from Ensenada to La Paz continues this week at an accelerated pace as race days draw closer, the growing starting grid for the upcoming 43rd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 already includes 106 racers who have combined for 311 class wins in the granddaddy of all desert races. The season-finale of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be held on Mexico’s magnificently mysterious Baja California peninsula Nov. 16-20.
    
Massive crowds reaching nearly 250,000 are anticipated to again be spread out along the rugged course that travels on both sides of the peninsula, the world’s most famous desert race will start in Ensenada, Baja California and finish all the way down the peninsula in La Paz in Baja California Sur.
    
This year will be the 36th time in the first 43 years of the storied race that it has started in Ensenada and it will be the 18th time in has finished in La Paz.
    
With over 300 expected entries for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs competing in 33 Pro and seven Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs in the internationally televised race, entries have already come from 35 U.S. states and 18 countries. Racers have entered from Australia, Austria, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and the US Territory of Guam. With just two weeks before the green flag drops on Thursday, Nov. 18, entries will be accepted up to race morning.

With a race-record career 11 overall motorcycle race victories in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Baja legend Johnny Campbell, 39, San Clemente, CA now oversees the operation of his own JCR/Honda Racing factory-supported two-vehicle team and is race-ready and listed as a co-rider, if needed. The JCR/Honda riders of record on twin Honda CRF450X bikes are Kendall Norman (1x) and Colton Udall (8x).
    
Another of the top SCORE Baja racing motorcycle riders, Steve Hengeveld, 34, Oak Hills, CA, has seven overall wins in this race and will be riding this year as one of the three co-riders with rider of record David Pearson on the factory-supported 7x Bonanza Plumbing/KTM Off-Road KTM 530XCW.
    
Owner of the noted motorcycle apparel and riding gear company that bears his name, Jim O’Neal, 64, Simi Valley, CA, continues to put together age-group championship teams and this year will lead a Class 50 team that includes 15-time class winner Craig Adams. O’Neal has 14 career SCORE class season point championships, tying him for first all-time in SCORE history with Dan Smith and Rod Hall.
   
Among the motorcycle and ATV classes, Class 22 for open motorcycles has the most entries to date with 11.

Under the sponsorship of BFGoodrich Tires, live tracking will be available through www.BFGoodrichTires.com and live audio and video steaming updates starting with contingency, from the start/finish line and other locations around the course will be available at www.thebajaunlimited, and www.DirtNewz.com. Living tracking will be available also at www.racetheworld.net. Another popular internet site, www.race-dezert.com will offer special news coverage, live audio streaming of SCORE race operations as well as unofficial timing updates and split times from several locations on the course.

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 seventh consecutive year, airing on Dec. 19 on the NBC Television Network.

This race also features the prestigious Sal Fish SCORE IronRider awards presented to each motorcycle or ATV rider who completes the course within the time limit while riding solo. To date, 13 individuals have declared that they will be attempting to complete the course riding solo.