Baja 500
The SCORE[1] Baja 500 is an off-road race that takes place in Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. The 2016 round will be the 48th SCORE Baja 500 and occurring from June 1–5. The 2016 SCORE Baja 500 is the third round of a four-race series, including the SCORE Desert Challenge, the SCORE San Felipe 250 & the SCORE Baja 1000. The event includes various types of vehicle classes such as small and large bore motorcycles, stock Volkswagen, production vehicles, buggies, trucks, and custom fabricated race vehicles. The course has remained relatively the same over the years with the majority of events being a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada. Race course mileage varies and is usually slightly under 500 miles.
Baja 500 1999
During the Baja 500 race in 1999, Jason Baldwin who was one of the drivers crashed into spectators killing 29-year-old Luís Alberto Lopez and injuring six others. The Baja California state highway patrol ruled “excessive speed” was the cause of the accident.[citation needed]
Current and past classes
Cars and Trucks
- SCORE Trophy Truck: Open Production Unlimited Trucks.
- SCORE Class 1: Unlimited open-wheel single-or two-seaters.
- SCORE Class 1/2-1600: Limited suspension. open-wheel single-or two-seaters. (1600cc)
- SCORE Class 2: Limited 2.2 liter buggy.
- SCORE Class 3: Production short wheelbase 4x4 Jeeps.
- SCORE Class 4: Unlimited 2.2 liter open wheel.
- SCORE Class 5: Unlimited Baja Bugs.
- SCORE Class 5-1600: Baja Bugs. (1600cc)
- SCORE Class 6: V6 powered tube chassis trucks
- SCORE Class 7: Open mini trucks.
- SCORE Class 7S: Stock mini trucks. (3000cc)
- SCORE Class 7SX: Modified mini trucks. (4000cc)
- SCORE Class 8: Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks.
- SCORE Class 9: Short wheelbase, open-wheel. single-or two-seaters. (1600cc)
- SCORE Class 10: Open-wheel single or two-seaters. (2000cc)
- SCORE Class 11: Stock VW Sedans. (1600cc)
- SCORE Lites Class 12: VW limited open-wheel. single seat (1776cc) or two-seaters (1835cc).
- SCORE Class 17: Production short wheelbase 4x4 Modified Jeeps.
- SCORE Stock Full: Stock full-sized trucks.
- SCORE Stock Mini: Stock mini trucks. (4300cc)
- SCORE Baja Challenge: Limited, identical open-wheel Baja touring cars.
- SCORE Sportsman Buggy:
- SCORE Sportsman Truck:
- SCORE Sportsman UTV: 660cc, 4-wheel utility vehicle.
- ProTruck: Limited Production Trucks governed by the Baja ProTruck Off-Road Race Series
Motorcycles
- SCORE Class 20: 125cc or smaller two-stroke and 250cc or smaller four-stroke motorcycles.
- SCORE Class 21: 126cc to 250cc.
- SCORE Class 22: 250cc or more.
- SCORE Class 30: Riders over 30 years old.
- SCORE Class 40: Riders over 40 years old.
- SCORE Class 50: Riders over 50 years old.
- SCORE Class 60: Riders over 60 years old.
ATVs
- SCORE Class 24: 250cc or less.
- SCORE Class 25: 251cc or more.
Overall winners
| Year | Cars & Trucks | Motorcycle | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drivers | Vehicle | Riders | Vehicle | |
| 1969 | Bud Ekins,Guy Jones | Baja Boot Olds | Doug Douglas, Jim McClurg | Ducati |
| 1970 | Parnelli Jones | Ford | Bill Silverthorn, Gene Fetty | Husqvarna |
| 1971 | Bobby Ferro | Funco VW | Malcolm Smith, J.N. Roberts | Husqvarna |
| 1972 | Bobby Ferro | Sandmaster VW | Gene Fetty, Bill Silverthorn | Honda |
| 1973 | Parnelli Jones, Ethan Hair | Ford | Howard Utsey, Mickey Quade | Husqvarna |
| 1974 | Bobby Ferro, Spencer Cookson | Sandmaster VW | Mitch Mayes, A.C. Bakken | Husqvarna |
| 1975 | Ivan Stewart | Funco VW | Larry Roeseler, Bruce Ogilvie | Harley-Davidson |
| 1976 | Bobby Ferro, Ivan Stewart | Funco VW | Larry Roeseler, A.C. Bakken | Husqvarna |
| 1977 | Ivan Stewart | Chenowth VW | Larry Roeseler, Jack Johnson | Husqvarna |
| 1978 | Bud Feldkamp, Malcolm Smith | Funco VW | Brent Wallingsford, Scot Harden | Husqvarna |
| 1979 | Malcolm Smith, Bud Feldkamp | Funco VW | Jack Johnson | Husqvarna |
| 1980 | Bob Gordon | Chenowth Chevy | Bruce Ogilvie, Chuck Miller | Yamaha |
| 1981 | Malcolm Smith, Bill Newbury | Chenowth Chevy | Larry Roeseler, Bruce Ogilvie | Yamaha |
| 1982 | Larry Ragland | Funco VW | Larry Roeseler, Chuck Miller | Yamaha |
| 1983 | Corky McMillin, Scott McMillin | Chenowth VW | Dan Ashcraft | Husqvarna |
| 1984 | Larry Ragland | Chaparral VW | Dan Smith, Dan Ashcraft | Husqvarna |
| 1985 | Ron Gardner, Bud Feldkamp | Funco VW | Kurt Pfeiffer, Scot Harden | Husqvarna |
| 1986 | Corky McMillin, Scott McMillin | Chenowth Porsche | Garth Sweetland, Scot Harden | Husqvarna |
| 1987 | Bob Gordon, Tim Crabtree | Chenowth Porsche | Larry Roeseler, Ted Hunnicutt Jr. | Kawasaki |
| 1988 | Mark McMillin | Chenowth Porsche | Dan Ashcraft, Kurt Pfeiffer | Yamaha |
| 1989 | Robby Gordon | Ford | - | - |
| 1990 | Robby Gordon | Ford | Larry Roeseler, Danny LaPorte | Kawasaki |
| 1991 | Ivan Stewart | Toyota | Garth Sweetland, Paul Krause | Kawasaki |
| 1992 | Ivan Stewart | Toyota | Larry Roeseler, Ted Hunnicutt Jr., Paul Krause | Kawasaki |
| 1993 | Ivan Stewart | Toyota | Danny Hamel, Larry Roeseler, Ted Hunnicutt Jr. | Kawasaki |
| 1994 | Dave Ashley, Dan Smith | Ford | Paul Krause, Ted Hunnicutt Jr. | Kawasaki |
| Ivan Stewart | Toyota Trophy Truck | |||
| 1995 | Mike Julson, Bob Lofton | Jimco VW | Paul Krause, Craig Smith | Kawasaki |
| Curt LeDuc | Jeep Trophy Truck | |||
| 1996 | Troy Herbst | Smithbuilt Porsche | Paul Krause, Ty Davis | Kawasaki |
| Rob MacCachren | Ford Trophy Truck | |||
| 1997 | Mark McMillin | Jimco Porsche | Johnny Campbell, Bruce Ogilvie | Honda |
| Ivan Stewart | Toyota Trophy Truck | |||
| 1998 | Ivan Stewart | Toyota | Johnny Campbell, Bruce Ogilvie | Honda |
| 1999 | Ivan Stewart | Toyota | Jonah Street, Torsten Borstrom | Honda |
| 2000 | Larry Ragland | Chevy | Jonah Street, Steve Hengeveld | Honda |
| 2001 | Mark McMillin | Jimco Chevy | Steve Hengeveld, Jonah Street | Honda |
| 2002 | Troy Herbst, Larry Roeseler | Smithbuilt Ford | Steve Hengeveld, Johnny Campbell | Honda |
| 2003 | Troy Herbst, Larry Roeseler | Smithbuilt Ford | Steve Hengeveld, Johnny Campbell | Honda |
| 2004 | Alan Pflueger | Chevy | Steve Hengeveld, Johnny Campbell | Honda |
| 2005 | Robby Gordon | Chevy | Mike Childress, Mouse McCoy | Honda |
| 2006 | Larry Ragland, Brian Collins | Chevy | Robby Bell, Kendall Norman | Honda |
| 2007 | Larry Ragland, Brian Collins | Chevy | Robby Bell, Kendall Norman, Steve Hengeveld | Honda |
| 2008 | B.J. Baldwin | Chevy | Robby Bell, Kendall Norman | Honda |
| 2009 | Rick D. Johnson | Ford | Bill Boyer, Donnie De Arman, Nicholas Blais, Rudy Iribe | Honda |
| 2010 | Andy McMillin, Scott McMillin | Ford | Kendall Norman, Quinn Cody | Honda |
| 2011 | Bryce Menzies | Ford | Kendall Norman, Quinn Cody | Honda |
| 2012 | Bryce Menzies | Ford | Robby Bell, David Pearson, Steve Hengeveld | Kawasaki |
| 2013 | Robby Gordon | Chevy | Timmy Weigand, Colton Udall, David Kamo | Honda |
| 2014 | Bryce Menzies | Ford | Ricky Brabec, David Pearson, Max Eddy Jr. | Kawasaki |
| 2015 | Apdaly Lopez | Ford | Colton Udall | Honda |
References
- ^ "SCORE OFF-ROAD RACING – SCORE-International.com". www.score-international.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (August 2014) |
- SCORE International (2011). "2011-2015 Off-Road Racing Rules and Regulations".
- SCORE International. "2009 New Classes & Existing Class Rule Amendments"
External links
- Official SCORE International website
- Official SCORE International Journal
- Official SCORE International Carbon TV channel
See also
- SCORE International
- Dust to Glory, the documentary about the 2003 Baja 1000 race
- Baja 1000
- San Felipe 250