Hengeveld/Campbell/Norman and
Herbst/Roeseler Win Overalls at Baja 1000
compiled by connie ellig; photos by botello/hopps race photography

The 284 starters from 31 U.S. states and 11 countries represented the largest field since 1992 (307) in the desert classic race. They competed in 26 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. A record 198 entries officially finished the race within the 40-hour time limit.

First to cross the finish line was the Class 22 Honda XR650R of Hengeveld/Campbell/Norman, who traversed the grueling course to an overall winning time of 15 hours, 57 minutes and 37 seconds. Johnny Campbell, from San Clemente, Calif., started the race and talented rookie Kendall Norman, from Santa Barbara, Calif., took the middle leg. Steve Hengeveld, from Oak Hills, Calif., captured the checkered flag and was greeted at the La Paz finish line by SCORE CEO Sal Fish and an enthusiastic crowd. The team average speed was an event-record 63.505 miles per hour.

While the American Honda teammates rode the fastest vehicle in the demanding race, Troy Herbst, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Larry Roeseler, of Hesperia, Calif., led all 4-wheel vehicles to the finish line. Their Class 1 Ford-powered Smithbuilt open-wheel desert racecar covered the challenging course in 16:18:14, and their average of 62.167 mph was the second highest in race history.

Second overall among 4-wheel vehicles and winner of the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck class for the second straight year was the Miller Racing Chevy Silverado of Mark Miller, Carefree, Ariz./Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif. The pair finished only six minutes, 40 seconds behind Herbst/Roeseler.

Second in SCORE Trophy-Truck and third overall were the team of Dan Smith/David Ashley, Riverside, Calif., in a time of 16:47:05 in their Enduro Racing Ford F-150. Fourth overall and third in SCORE Trophy-Truck was the team of Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Curt Le Duc, Cherry Valley, Calif., in the Riviera Racing Ford F-150, at 16:48:18.

Finishing fifth overall and in second in Class 1 was McMillin Racing’s Andy McMillin and his father Scott McMillin, of Poway, Calif., in a Jimco-Chevy, with a time of 16:54:18. Finishing sixth overall and third in Class 1 was the team of John Marking, El Cajon, Calif./Chris Harrold, Chula Vista, Calif./Bob Lofton, Westmorland, Calif. in 17:25:47 in a Jimco-Chevy.

Second overall in the motorcycle race and second in Class 22 was the Red Bull KTM factory team of Chris Blais, Apple Valley, Calif./Kellon Walch, Las Vegas, Nev./Andy Grider, Las Vegas, Nev./Scot Harden, Menifee, Calif., on a special KTM 700LC4, built especially for this race in Austria.

The third overall motorcycle was the Class 40 (for riders over 40 years old) team of Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif./Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii/Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, Calif. The fourth overall motorcycle was the Class 30 (for riders over 30 years old) team of Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico/Sergio Vega, Ensenada, Mexico/Manuel Santana, Ensenada, Mexico. Completing the top five overall for motorcycles was Canada’s Lukas Lundin and PG Lundmark, who were second in Class 40.

Rubén Martín, Tijuana, Mexico/Gilberto Santana, Tijuana, Mexico/Arnoldo Ramirez, Ensenada, Mexico, teamed up on a Bombardier DS650 Baja X to earn the overall ATV honors with a time of 19:52:23 at an average speed of 51.002 mph.

The special Centrix Financial Baja Challenge class for identically-equipped Porsche-powered Baja touring cars that helps introduce crossover racers and celebrities to SCORE desert racing, was won by Champ Car racer Michel Jourdain Jr., of Mexico City. He split driving time in his celebrity car with his father Michel Jourdain Sr. and his uncles Bernard Jourdain of Encinitas, Calif. and Jean Pierre Jourdain of Mexico City.

Class 50, for motorcycle riders over 50 years old, was won by the “Dream Team” of Chris Haines, Dana Point, Calif./Jack Johnson, Las Vegas, Nev./Malcom Smith, Riverside, Calif. Smith, now 63, won the very first year the Baja 1000 was held, the 1967 competition that went from Tijuana to La Paz.

This year’s event marked the debut of the new SCORE Malcolm Smith IronRider Award for motorcycle and ATV riders who complete the course as a solo rider. Eleven individuals were brave enough to try this feat, and seven of them succeeded. Eight-time Baja 1000 winner Malcom Smith presented the award to:
- Robert Barnum, Phelan, Calif., Honda XR650R – 23:00:14
- Kent Richardson, San Diego, Calif., Honda XR650R – 26:03:29
- Tatsushi Murata, Japan, Honda XR650R – 28:25:09
- Steve Luly, Escondido, Calif., Honda XR650R – 32:41:03
- Don Robbins, Phoenix, Az., Husaberg 600 – 32:41:34
- Jorge Lizarraga, Tecate, Calif., Honda XR400 – 33:34:54
- Masanobu Kameda, Japan, Yamaha WR450F – 35:54:41

To be an official finisher of the Baja 1000 is a major accomplishment. Yukiya Watanabe of Japan was the driver of record for a specially equipped vehicle for a team of paraplegic drivers. The car was rigged to work exclusively with hand controls. Joining Watanabe were Masaki Urano and Toshiro Kato from Japan, and Jon Snyder from Thousand Oaks, Calif. The team finished fourth in Class 3 with a time of 37:17:01.

The Baja 1000 will be televised as a one-hour NBC Sports special in December on the NBC Television Network. The show, produced by Aura360 in association with NBC Sports, will air on Saturday, December 11 from 2:30-3:30pm Eastern Time. Veteran Emmy-award winning sportscaster Al Trautwig will serve as host. A special preview for the race telecast will air on the “Jeep World of Adventure Sports,” also produced by Aura360, on Saturday, December 4 from 2-3pm Eastern Time.

CNBC’s “Bullseye” show, with host Dylan Ratigan, will also produce special-angle segments scheduled to air November 30 and December 1 & 2 during the daily show at 3pm Eastern Time. Additionally, The Learning Channel’s Rides weekly program (Tuesdays at 10pm Eastern and Pacific Time) will produce a Terrible Herbst Motorsports profile show, entitled “Terrible Baja,” to air early in 2005.

For additional information about the 37th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, visit the SCORE web site or contact SCORE at (818) 225-8402. For real-time race coverage of the event, be sure to visit Off-Road.com
 
 

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