Desert Racing - Off-Road Magazine

Desert
ORGANIZATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION	NOTES
SCORE International	SCORE is the premier desert racing series, owing this primarily to the notoriety and prestige of the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 races. The San Felipe 250, Primm 300, and the Laughlin Desert Challenge round out the schedule.
Score International 23961 Craftsman Rd.#A Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 225-8402 www.score-international.com	SCORE's entry fees reflect the organization's “big league” status, but consider the mind-boggling coordination and planning it takes to put on the Baja races and the prices makes more sense.
	SCORE's rule book is used as a benchmark by many other racing organizations. You will have to purchase the rule book, but the cost of the rule book is infinitesimal compared to the expense of correcting a vehicle built to the wrong specifications.
	“Trophy Truck” is a term that started with SCORE.
Best In The Desert	Best In The Desert is the top choice of pro-level teams who prefer to stay in the United States.
Best In The Desert 3475#C Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, NV 89121 (702) 457-5775 www.bitd.com	BITD's chasing and pitting rules are fairly stringent, but they are key parts in BITD's excellent safety record and in continued access to land for racing.
	BITD's 7200 Class, AKA “Mini Trick Truck,” has sparked many new truck builds and has attracted new teams to the Best In The Desert series.
	Unlimited trucks are called “Trick Trucks” in BITD. Say “Trophy Truck” around a BITD official and you're sure to get set straight
	Ford is the official truck of Best In The Desert.
SNORE	SNORE has brought back the legendary Mint 400 to the delight of both veterans and newbies.
Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts P.O. Box 270516 Las Vegas, NV 89127-4516 (702) 277-2295 www.snoreracing.net	SNORE's Battle at Primm is one of the most popular races among 1400 and 1450 prerunner class racers. Battle at Primm combines elements of both short course and desert for a true test of driving skills and mechanical preparedness.
	The KC Hilites Midnight Special night race gives racers a chance to run after dark in August, when a daytime race would be unbearably hot.
MDR	Mojave Desert Racing (MDR) offers the California Championship Series and the Superstition Series. The California Championship Series is run in Barstow, Lucerne Valley, and Ridgecrest. The Superstition Series is run in Plaster City East and Plaster City West.
MDR Productions 1853 Parkway Drive So. El Monte, CA 91733 (626) 442-9320 www.mdrracing.com	MDR's low cost and variety of racing dates and locations makes MDR a great series for new teams to get experience. Be warned, though: The fast guys still show up at MDR.

MORE	Mojave Off-Road Racing Enthusiasts (MORE) runs a seven-race schedule that includes the Powder Puff. Powder Puff features all-women driver/co-driver teams; guys are welcome to change tires and help with fueling. Proceeds from the Powder Puff race go to help breast cancer research.
MORE Racing P.O. Box 1231 Barstow, CA 92312-1231 (760) 253-4453 www.moreracing.net	The MORE 500 starts in the day, but runs into the night, giving teams a test of after-dark driving skills.
	MORE is a great series for new racers, as entry fees are easier on the budget and the races are held in Barstow and Lucerne Valley, which are close to home for many racers.
Drive Off-Road Racing	2009 was Drive's first year, but the series has successfully cleared the hurdle and is looking forward to 2010.
Drive Off-Road Racing, LLC P.O. Box 1646 El Centro, CA 92244 (760) 791-7663 www.drive-racing.com	Races are held in the Plaster City/Superstition area and are sponsored by the likes of Trophylite, Race-Dezert.com, Fiberwerx, and Off-Road Warehouse.
Whiplash Racing	Whiplash's Arizona-based series includes three races for truck and buggy classes.
Whiplash Racing 2939 E. Grovers Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85032 (602) 971-3730 www.whiplashracing.com	Like MDR, MORE, SNORE, and Drive, Whiplash is a great series for beginning racers. Both short-course and desert formats are offered.
CODE Off-Road	The CODE series is a Mexican series that runs in Baja. This is a chance to run on the same terrain as the SCORE series, but at a substantially lower cost.
CODE Off-Road P.O. Box 2328 Calexico, CA 92232-2328 01152-686-533-4087 www.codeoffroad.com.mx	Several teams we've talked to, including Solo Motorsports, JD Fabrication, and Fiberwerx have reported that the CODE series is excellent and worth crossing the border for.
RECORD Off-Road Series	Like CODE, RECORD is also a Mexican series. RECORD is based in Ensenada, and offers five races per year over classic Baja terrain.
RECORD Off-Road Series 01152-646-176-1637 webmaster@recordoffroad.com	Racing against the local teams is not easy, as their familiarity with the terrain gives them a decided home-court advantage.

Even if you don't race, you'll benefit from organized events like the MDR Mojave 250. Holding organized events in OHV areas helps keep the land open for recreational use. MDR's California series takes place in the Stoddard Wells OHV area, the Johnson Valley OHV area, and the Spangler Hills OHV area.
Even if you don't race, you'll benefit from organized events like the MDR Mojave 250. Hold
Racing in Baja is always an adventure, starting with the street party that surrounds the Tech and Contingency phase of the race. Bob Land Racing has had its hat in the competition ring for many years. Since this photo was taken, Land has retired his Class 7s Chevy S-10 and has moved into the Jeepspeed Class.
Racing in Baja is always an adventure, starting with the street party that surrounds the T
Prerunning is an essential part of racing in Baja, and it's often more fun than the race itself. Take a cue from Travis Coyne and carry plenty of stickers with you in Baja.
Prerunning is an essential part of racing in Baja, and it's often more fun than the race i

Think you need the latest and greatest equipment to race? You don't. What's essential are desire, motivation, and a vehicle that meets the safety standards of the racing series you're running. You can add better parts as time progresses.
Think you need the latest and greatest equipment to race? You don't. What's essential are
Short-course racing, especially at the top levels, is furious and intense. It's spectator-friendly because the fans can see the whole course almost all the time.
Short-course racing, especially at the top levels, is furious and intense. It's spectator-
The Mickey Thompson Side-by-Side series is grassroots-level short course racing. This particular round had dedicated short-course and desert trucks on the track at the same time. Dan Vance and his desert-bred Toyota were able to hold off the short course trucks for several laps before they got by. He won the desert truck class by a comfortable margin.
The Mickey Thompson Side-by-Side series is grassroots-level short course racing. This part

If you're anxious to get to the starting line, buying an already-built truck is the way to go. You can perform upgrades later on. Be careful: You might end up re-building everything if the truck wasn't built correctly in the first place. Matt Towery was fortunate to purchase one of two F-100s originally built for Frank "Scoop" Vessels: a solid build that was worthy of upgrades. This photo was taken at the '04 MDR 400. Matt later sold this truck and commissioned C&D Fabworks to build a Class 8 F-150 from the ground up.
If you're anxious to get to the starting line, buying an already-built truck is the way to
Mike Koenig and his Toyota have been familiar sights on both the VORRA and the MDR circuits for several seasons. He's also made several forays into Baja.
Mike Koenig and his Toyota have been familiar sights on both the VORRA and the MDR circuit
Steve Herrera's '86 Ford Ranger was built for the desert, but has since been tuned for short-course events with a cut-down wheelbase and a short-travel four-link rear suspension. "Short travel" is a relative term, as the rear suspension cycles 18 inches and still soaks up the jolts in the desert. Steve topped his class at the '09 MDR California 200 night race. Steve started out in Class 11 (stock VW sedan) and has proven a formidable driver anywhere he shows up to race.
Steve Herrera's '86 Ford Ranger was built for the desert, but has since been tuned for sho