Hanna Leads Overall Points Heading into Finale at 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000
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Hanna Leads Overall Points Heading into Finale at 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000

Author: Dominic Clark - SCORE

SCORE InternationalUndefeated in all three races this season in the Trophy Truck Spec class, Mexico’s Elias Hanna has assumed the lead in the 2017 SCORE Overall and Trophy Truck Spec point standings in the No. 274 Chevy 1500 entering the season-finale of the 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in November.

Originally from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, Hanna tops the standings with 245 points after his impressive victories in the 31st SCORE San Felipe 250 in April, 49th SCORE Baja 500 in June and the Tijuana 21st SCORE Desert Challenge in September. All three races were held in Baja California, Mexico.

UP NEXT—50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000
The 2017 season marks the golden 50th anniversary celebration of the legendary season-ending 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000, the iconic Granddaddy of all Desert Races to be held November 12-18. The SCORE Baja 1000 is the oldest, longest and most prestigious continuously held desert race in the world. This year’s race, running down the Baja California peninsula over a 1,134.40-mile course, will start in Ensenada, Baja California Norte and finish in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship is being held entirely in Baja California. With nearly 350 entries expected to participate in classes for cars, trucks, utvs, motorcycles and quads, additional race information on the is available at score-international.com/raceinfo/.

HANNA STARS
Hanna is a champion SCORE racer but has not spent much time in the very competitive Trophy Truck Spec class for unlimited trucks and SUVs with stock, sealed V8 engines. He defeated fields of 19 in San Felipe, 17 in Ensenada and nine in Tijuana to earn his three class victories that have catapulted him to the SCORE Overall point lead heading to the season finale.

TOP THREE OVERALL LEADERS
Hanna leads the SCORE overall point standings in addition to Trophy Truck Spec as just 36 points separate the top 12 in the SCORE overall point standings.  Second in overall points and leading the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec with 241 points and one 2017 race win in the No. 4 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck is Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn. and third overall and leading Class 10 is Broc Dickerson, the 16-year old rookie SCORE racer from Brawley, Calif., with 240 points and three consecutive class victories in his No. 1023 Alumi Craft-Chevy.

POINT REGS
SCORE point regulations for 2017 has all four-races counting for final points, with three minimum, and one of the four races in the SCORE World Desert Championship that is mandatory to qualify for a class season point championship is for the driver/rider of record to start or finish the SCORE Baja 1000.

SCORE points are calculated on a set amount of start points and finish points for a particular race along with a variable amount for placement points for finishers based on the number of starters within the racer’s class.

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK LEADERS
Lining up behind Matney in the point standings in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division for high-tech, 900-horsepower unlimited production trucks are many of the world’s top desert racers. Second is two-time defending series season point champion Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, with 229 points in the No. 1 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck, third in SCORE Trophy Truck points is veteran Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., with 212 points in the No. 16 Monster Energy Desert Assassins Chevy Silverado; fourth is Hall of Fame racer Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas, with one race win this year and 184 points in his No. 11 Rockstar MacCachren Motorsports Ford F-150 and fifth Billy Wilson, Corpus Christi, Texas with 183 points in the No. 15 Bevly/Wilson Racing Chevy Silverado.

The second five in the SCORE Trophy Truck after the first three rounds of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship is led by Germany’s World Rally Championship racer Armin Schwarz with 172 points in the No. 9 RPM Racing Chevy Silverado. Seventh with 168 points is the team of Mark Post/Ed Herbst, both of Las Vegas, in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150 and eighth with 154 points is Larry Connor, Miamisburg, Ohio/Ricky Johnson, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., in the No. 6 Team C Racing Chevy Silverado.

Ninth is Dan McMillin, La Mesa, Calif. with 152 points in the No. 23 McMillin Racing Ford F-150 and 10th with 148 points is the team of Las Vegas’ Tim Herbst/P.J. Jones, Scottsdale, Calif. in the No. 19 Monster Energy Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150 and 11th is Gary Magness, Denver, with 147 points in the No. 45 Mango Racing Ford F-150.

10 CLASS LEADERS IN TOP 20 OVERALL
Including Hanna in Trophy Truck Spec, Matney in SCORE Trophy Truck and Dickerson in Class 10, a total of 10 classes have at least one racer in the top 20 SCORE Overall 4-wheel point standings heading into the finale of the four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championships.

The classes in the top 20 point standings are SCORE Trophy Truck (three racers), Trophy Truck Spec (three), Class 10 (three), Pro UTV FI (three), unlimited Class 1 (two), Class 5-1600 (two) along with the class point leaders in SCORE TT Legend, Class 8, Class 1/2-1600 and SCORE Lites .

Besides SCORE Trophy Truck, Trophy Truck Spec and Class 10, other class leaders also in the top 20 in SCORE Overall points after three of four races includes Brian Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., seventh overall and leading the unlimited Class 1 in the No. 138 Wilson Motorsports Jimco-Chevy with 211 points and Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif., who is fifth overall and leads Pro UTV FI in the No. 2905 Can-Am Maverick X3 with 223 points.

Other class point leaders in the top 20 SCORE overall points with one race remaining are Noah Ostanik, Carlsbad, Calif. who is ninth overall and leads Class 8 with 210 points in the No. 844 Ford F-150, Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico, who is 10th overall and leads Class 1/2-1600 in the No. 1601 Romo-VW with 209 points, Tomas Fernandez, Laredo, Texas who is tied for 13th overall and leads Class 5-1600 in the No. 555 VW Baja Bug, Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., who is 17th overall and leads SCORE TT Legend in the No. 5L RPM Racing Rally Diesel-Dodge with 199 points and Javier Buelna, Mexicali Mexico, who is tied for 19th overall and leads the SCORE Lites class with 193 points in the No. 1205 Chenowth-VW.

PRO MOTORCYCLE LEADER
The 2017 SCORE Overall Motorcycle and Pro Moto Unlimited point leader is the team led by Francisco Arredondo of Guatemala, who has class two wins in his class this season. The team, that includes Shane Esposito, Temecula, Calif. and Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif., has 218 points on the No. 45x BREMEN-Arredondo-Haines Racing Honda CRF450X.

PRO UTV LEADER
With one race win, one second place and one 12th place finish in his class this year, Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif., is the Pro UTV overall point leader as well as the Pro UTV FI class for forced induction engines. Burnett has 223 points in the Pro UTV FI class in his No. 2905 Can-Am Maverick X3. His point total also has him fifth overall points among all 4-wheel vehicle classes.

TRIPLES
Besides Hanna (Trophy Truck Spec) and Dickerson (Class 10), the other racers who have won their respective classes in all three races this year to lead their class point standings are Jose Carrasco, Rosarito Beach, Mexico (Pro Moto Ironman, Yamaha YZ450F) and Said Sanchez, Tijuana, Mexico (Pro Quad, Honda TRX450R).

MORE PRO CLASS POINT LEADERS
Among the other 2017 SCORE class point leaders in the SCORE World Desert Championship in Pro car/truck/UTV classes are Dan Chamlee, Santa Barbara, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Don Whittington, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Pro UTV, Polaris RZR XP1000), and Dennis Hollenbeck, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 11, VW Sedan).

Other class leaders in Pro motorcycle and quad classes include Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif. (Pro Moto Limited, Husqvarna 350 with two race wins), Ryan Liebelt, Reedley, Calif. (Pro Moto 30, Yamaha WR450), Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto 50, Honda CRF450X with two wins)Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla. (Pro Moto 40, KTM 450XCW with two race wins) and Donald Lewis, Manchester, Conn. (Pro Moto 60, Honda CRF450X).

SPORTSMAN
The 2017 Sportsman motorcycle point leader is Miguel Pena, Tijuana, Mexico with one win and 142 points on the No. 253x Honda CRF450R. Leading the Sportsman Quad division with one win and 167 points is the team led by Erik Ruiz, Tijuana, Mexico on the No. 117a Honda TRX450R.

DUST 2 GLORY
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Brown, Dust 2 Glory, scheduled to premiere nationwide on Dec. 6, chronicled each of the four races in the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship. Brown’s original Dusty to Glory, released in 2005, became an iconic classic showcasing the legendary SCORE Baja 1000. D2G, which began shooting at the 2015 SCORE Baja 1000, continued up close and personal coverage capturing the robust racers in their amazing adventures in Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula through all four spectacular 2016 races. Executive Producer is BCII’s Bud Brutsman.

Tickets for the Dec. 6 nationwide premiere are scheduled to go on sale on Oct. 23. For information regarding tickets and theater locations, visit www.fathomevents.com/events/dust-2-glory.

EL REY NETWORK|
The four-race 2017 SCORE World Desert Championship in Baja California, Mexico along with the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience/SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying in Las Vegas are all airing on El Rey Network in the United States. International distribution is by way of syndication. The season-ending 50th SCORE Baja 1000 will have a two-hour show produced while the other race shows are each one-hour telecasts. El Rey Network is available in 45 million homes across the country through cable and OTT providers and via satellite on DirectTV Channel 341 and Dish Network Channel 253. For more information on how to watch El Rey visit elreynetwork.com.

 

For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCOREInternational.com.

 


Author: Dominic Clark - SCORE