January 25, 2009

Anderson wins Class 1

NASCAR’s R. Gordon dominates field to capture Overall victory

And SCORE Trophy-Truck at 15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge



Pfankuch captures two wins, other class winners include:

Moss, Chamlee, H. Steele, R. McBeath, Holmes, Adler



LAUGHLIN, Nev.—Starting his new racing year on a high note, NASCAR
owner/Driver Robby Gordon returned to his racing roots Sunday to easily dominate
the field to capture the Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory at the
season-opening 15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. With the race split into
two days of 8 laps each of an intensely rugged 6.25-mile course, Gordon ran a
combined total time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds, averaging 50.89 miles per
hour in his No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500.

Second after the opening 8 laps by just 13 seconds, Gordon easily retook
the lead both physically and on corrected time on the first lap as all of his
challengers fell by the wayside.

The event featured 103 starters from 12 States, Mexico, Germany and New
Zealand, who competed in 16 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks
for nearly $400,000 in prize money and contingency postings. The classes were
split into five groups in Laughlin, each running as part of one of five races
each day of three to eight laps over the rugged and challenging 6.25-mile race
course. The event was Round 1 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series.

Las Vegas’ Danny Anderson, driving for teammate Pat Dean who is recovering
from shoulder surgery, overcame a first-half deficit of 51 seconds to win the
unlimited Class 1 and finish fourth overall in a time of 2:07:05, averaging
47.21mph in the Las Vegas Dissemination Bunderson-Chevy. Dean was the defending
overall and Class 1 champion in this race and the driver of record this year.
Anderson will receive credit for the class win, his third in this race, but will
receive no SCORE championship points because the driver of record did not start
or finish as required by SCORE rules.

Racing in comfortable weather with slight breezes, mild temperatures, under
mostly sunny skies, Gordon started from the pole on Saturday and the outside
position and physically led all 16 laps over the weekend. On Saturday, however,
Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., trailed Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr. by 13 seconds midway
through the race on corrected-time in the elapsed time race.

Gordon took the lead on corrected-time on the first lap Sunday, pulling away
from the 19-truck field for his eighth career race win in the marquee SCORE
Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800-horsepower unlimited production trucks
and first since the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in November of 2006. After running
the fast lap of the day to start Sunday’s half of the race at 7:07, Gordon ran
consistent victory laps of 7:15, 7:25, 7:32, 7:29, 7:33, 7:25 and 7:23.

For the second straight year, Vildosola’s No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150
broke as attrition also hit also hit Saturday’s other top challengers: B.J.
Baldwin, Robbie Pierce, and Justin Lofton.

At the checkered flag and the dust settled, Gordon’s victory margin was a
comfortable 4:13 over the runner-up team of Cameron Steele/Justin Smith, San
Clemente, Calif., who each drove one day in the No. 16 Dessert Assassins, Chevy
Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Third in SCORE Trophy-Truck was the No. 13 Stout Industries Chevy Silverado
of Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif., who was 5:17 behind Gordon.

For both Steele and Stout, it was their first podium finishes. Steele
couldn’t drive Sunday because he had to return to his ESPN XGames announcing
position in Aspen, Colo., and Stout drove both days. Steele

“After qualifying first on Friday, I knew we had a truck that could
dominate and we were able to do just that although we did cruise a bit too much
on Saturday,” said Gordon, who finished third last weekend in the Dakar Rally in
Argentina and Chile. “This was our first win at the SCORE Laughlin Desert
Challenge and it was about time. We came in with a new race strategy and it
ended up working out well. We have a busy year ahead with our NASCAR schedule,
but I always enjoy coming back to the SCORE Desert Series. This win solidifies
our plan more to run for the SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championship.”

Surviving the attrition on Sunday, finishing fifth overall and fourth in
SCORE Trophy-Truck was Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., in the No. 24
Householder Motorsports Chevy Silverado.

Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., earned a pair of class wins on Sunday,
winning Class 1-2/1600 as the driver of record and SCORE Lite where he drove
Sunday for driver of record Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif.

In Class 1-2/1600, defending SCORE season point champion Pfankuch,
Carlsbad, Calif., increased his two-second lead to a final victory margin of 30
seconds over Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., who drove a Seagrove-VW.

In defeating a field of 18 starters in Class 1-2/1600, Pfankuch earned his
fifth career class win in this race in a Mirage-VW. Steven Eugenio, El Centro,
Calif., drove Saturday’s half of the race for Pfankuch while Las Vegas’ Aaron
Hawley drove Burgess’ car on Saturday.

St. John, the defending SCORE Lite season point champion, drove to a
six-second lead in SCORE Lite on Saturday before turning over a Duvel-VW to
Pfrankuch. Pfankuch padded St. John’s lead by covering the course the fastest on
Sunday for a 46-second victory over the husband and wife team of Michelle and
Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., who split the driving in their
Lothringer-VW.

With his twin class wins, Pfankuch joined Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, as the
only drivers to win two classes in the same SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco) won for the seventh
time in eight years. His win ties him for the most class wins in the history of
this race with George Seeley. It was also the 31st career race win for Moss, a
six-time SCORE class season point champion.

Among the other class winners crowned Sunday were: Robert McBeath, Las
Vegas (Class 10, Jimco-Honda), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford
Ranger), John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif., Ford Ranger (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger),
Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Greg Adler, Manhattan
Beach, Calif. (Class 8, Ford F-150), Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (Stock Mini,
Honda Ridgeline), Alonso Angulo, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja
Bug) and Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, unlimited VW Baja Bug).

It was the second class win for Steele, Holmes and Carr and first for
McBeath, Chamlee, Adler, Skilton and Angulo.

Sportsman Car race winner was Rory Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz.
(Chenowth-Chevy) and Sportsman Truck winner was Gary Messer, Kingman, Ariz.,
Trophy Lite-Chevy.

Also of note, the four-vehicle Wilson Motorsports team of Long Beach,
Calif., saw brothers Randy and Ronny finish third and fourth in Class 1 and
seventh and eighth overall while second generation Wilson desert racers Brian
and Brad finished fourth and 15th respectively in Class 1-2/1600.

A total of 59 of the 103 official starters finished the challenge, for a
.57.3 finishing rate.

Round 2 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series will be the 22nd Tecate SCORE San
Felipe 250, March 13-15, in Baja California, Mexico.

The 15th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the
Laughlin Tourism Commission, the Laughlin visits Bureau, the Las Vegas
Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race
is sanctioned and produced by SCORE International of Los Angeles.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire,
Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel
supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official
Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull--official
energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las
Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Off-Road,
American Suzuki, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products
and Advanced Color Graphics.

For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE International at
its Los Angeles headquarters (818.225.8402) or visit the official website of the
2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com
.



14th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

Round 1, 2008 SCORE Desert Series

Jan. 22-25 - Laughlin, Nevada, 6.25 miles per lap

Total Starters: 113 Total Finishers: 59 57.3 Percent

TOP OVERALL FINISHERS

Rank, Driver(s), Manufacturer, Class, 16-lap, 100-mile time (miles per hour)

1. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1 hour, 57
minutes, 54 seconds (50.891)

2. Cameron Steele/Justin Smith, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE
TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:02:07 (49.133)

3. Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif./Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy
Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:03:11 (48.708)

4. Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, Class 1, 2:07:05 (47.213)

5. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK,
2:08:32 (46.680)

6. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, Class 1, 2:09:54 (46.189)

7. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy,
Class 1, 2:10:32 (45.965)

8. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:10:53
(45.842)

9. Enrique Bujanda, El Paso, Texas, Porter-Chevy, Class 1, 2:12:53 (45.152)

10. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:13:31 (44.938)

11. Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:14:16
(44.687)

12. Julio Herrera, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, Class 1, 2:17:20
(43.689)

13. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif., Jimco-Chevy,
Class 1, 2:19:14 (43.093)

14. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, Class 1, 2:19:33
(42.995)

15. Rick Romans/Jerry Bennett, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, Class 1,
2:24:28 (41.532)

16. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, Class 1,
2:25:41 (41.185)

17. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, SCORE
TROPHY-TRUCK, 2:25:50 (41.743)



SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

All-Time Overall Winners

1995—Ivan Stewart, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Ed/Tim Herbst, Class 1

1996—Rob MacCachren, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Ryan Thomas, Class 1

1997—Ed/Tim Herbst, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Mark Post, Class 1

1998—David Ashley/Dan Smith, SCORE Trophy-Truck

1999—Troy Herbst, Class 1

2000—Gary/Mark Weyhrich, Class 1

2001—Steve Sourapas, Class 1

2002—Dale/Mike Dondel, Class 1

2003—Dale Ebberts, Class 1

2004—Gary Dircks, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2005—Dale Ebberts, Class 1

2006—B.J. Baldwin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2007—B.J. Baldwin, SCORE Trophy-Truck

2008—Pat Dean, Class 1

2009—Robby Gordon, SCORE Trophy-Truck