Alan Pflueger in 4-Wheel, Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell on Motorcycle Capture Tecate SCORE Baja 500 Overall Victories
photos by botello/hopps race photography

Rob MacCachren teamed with fellow Las Vegas racer Danny Anderson, driving a Frayley-VW to defeat a race-high field of 39 starters in Class 1-2/1600. MacCachren also drove part of the race for Mexico’s Gus Vildosola, where this pair finished ninth in the Trophy-Truck division in the Vildosola Racing Ford F-150.

In Class 8 for full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, Arizona brothers Nick and Larry Vanderwey teamed with Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley Calif., to win their class for the fourth consecutive year in a GMC Sierra. The father/son team of Mark Hutchins, 49/C.J. Hutchins, 19, of Henderson, Nev., won Class 10 in a Jimco-Honda.

Other four-wheel vehicle class winners included Craig Turner, Yorba Linda, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Marcos Nuñez, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, VW Baja Bug), Mark Handley, San Marcos, Calif. (Stock Full, Ford F-150), Rick D. Johnson, Barstow, Calif. (Protruck), Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico/Sergio Vegas, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 30, Honda XR650) and Eric Fisher, Ensenada (Class 9, Garibay-VW).

Southern California's Steve Hengeveld and Johnny Campbell earned the equally hard-fought overall motorcycle title on their Class 22 American Honda XR650R by covering the course in 8:23:36, averaging 51.05mph.  Hengeveld/Campbell raced in conditions that ranged from misty and foggy and 50-degree temperatures on the Baja coast to scorching sun and heat near the century mark inland. Campbell, 33, earned his fifth overall crown. Hengeveld, 28, is the first rider to capture five consecutive overall motorcycle championships in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

Also extending a class winning streak in this race was Richard Jackson, 58, Acton, Calif., who split riding time on a Honda XR650 with Bob Wadlow, 52, Arcadia, Calif., capturing Class 50 for motorcycle riders over 50 for the fifth consecutive year. It was Jackson’s 12th career class win in the race, all on motorcycles.

Winning Class 40 for motorcycles riders over 40 for the fourth straight year on a Honda XR650 was Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif., and his capable co-riders Tim Withers, Jeff Kaplan, Jim Holly and Lou Franco. The team of Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico/Sergio Vegas, Ensenada, Mexico won Class 30 on a Honda XR650.

In the ATV race, Tijuana’s Ruben Martín, Gilberto Santana and Arturo Salas, teamed with Ensenada’s Arnoldo Ramirez, took the overall championship, completing the course in 10:01:17, averaging 42.76mph on a Bombardier X. The second overall ATV finisher, also second in Class 25, was the team of John Gregory, Spring Valley, Calif./Doug Eichner, El Cajon, Calif., on a Honda TRX450R.

There were 300 starters in the 2004 desert classic, the most in 16 years. They hailed from 16 U.S. states, Canada, Japan, Mexico and Sweden and competed in 25 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs in front of extremely enthusiastic throngs of spectators estimated at over 100,000 by Mexico tourism officials. A total of 182 survivors out of the 300 starters made it to finish line within the 17-hour time limit in the elapsed-time race.

The 2004 SCORE Desert Series returns to the U.S. for Round 4 of its five-race season, the 9th Annual SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 on September 10 &11 in Primm, Nevada. On November 17-21, the Series returns to Mexico for Round 5, the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 from Ensenada, Baja California to La Paz, Baja California Sur.

For more information or a complete list of Baja 500 winners, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters, tel. (818)225-8402 or visit SCORE’s web site.
 

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