BFGoodrich® Tires claims 26th Overall SCORE Baja 1000 Title

Through nearly 24 hours and 1,275 miles of enduring among the most brutal terrain in racing, BFGoodrich^® Tires proved its toughness and made it a clean sweep of the SCORe desert racing series this season by capturing its 26^th overall Tecate SCORe Baja 1000 title.

Thanks to an epic run by BFGoodrich Performance Team member Rob MacCachren and his co-drivers Andy McMillin and Jason Voss, the win marks the 81^st overall win in the Baja peninsula for BFGoodrich Tires, by far the most by any tire manufacturer. With the win, racers on BFGoodrich Tires swept the entire 2014 SCORe International desert racing schedule.

BFGoodrich^® Tires, the official tire of the SCORe International desert racing series, provided the tire solution to withstand the miles of rocks, ruts and silt for a wide range of race vehicles and claimed 13 class wins during the race that spanned the Baja peninsula from ensenada to La Paz. Additionally, Steven eugenio secured the 2014 SCORe International World Desert Championship title with his seventh place finish. eugenio returned to BFGoodrich Tires for the final two races of the season.

Storylines from the 2014 Tecate SCORe Baja 1000:

• BFGoodrich Tires claimed its 26^th overall SCORe Baja 1000 win and its 81^st desert race win in the Baja peninsula
• Racers on BFGoodrich Tires swept the 2014 SCORe International desert racing season, claiming overall wins at all 5 races
• BFGoodrich Tires have claimed nine of the 10 major North American desert races this season
• BFGoodrich Tires helped lead Steven eugenio to the 2014 SCORe International World Desert Championship
• BFGoodrich Tires Performance Team member Rob MacCachren claimed his second career overall Baja 1000 title and seventh class title
• Andy McMillin now sits fifth all-time on the Baja 1000 overall wins list with four
• The BFGoodrich Tires Baja T/A® KR2 tire continued its success rate since being launched in 2013 with seven of the nine overall BFGoodrich wins in desert races this year
• Since 2013, BFGoodrich Tires has put drivers in the top spot 17 times in North American desert competition
• BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tire won the Baja Challenge class for the second year in a row
• The BFGoodrich Baja T/A® KR2 tire was run on seven of the top eight BFGoodrich trucks

 

After placing second last year, MacCachren led off his three-driver team to claim his second career overall Baja 1000 title and his seventh class title. McMillin took the middle stretch that took the vehicle through the night before handing the truck to Voss, who jumped in fresh and widened the gap by nearly a minute every 10 miles until the finish.

"Andy and I drove last year's Tecate SCORe Baja 1000 together and we really wanted to win that race but some things didn't quite go our way so I wanted Andy to come back and run with me again this year," said MacCachren. "Andy and I were going to split it up this year but when we started hearing about all the devastation down here from the hurricane I woke up early one morning and the light bulb went off that we needed three drivers. I gave Jason a call and asked him to give some thought to it. He called me back the next morning and was all in. To win the Tecate SCORe Baja 1000 on a peninsula run takes a lot of planning and a lot of people. I took care of the truck, Andy took care of the truck and when Jason got in north of Loreto he was putting about a minute every 10 miles on the rest of the people. When that happened, I knew that our strategy was a good one."

McMillin now sits fifth on the all-time Baja 1000 overall title list with four overall victories. Voss, who drove the last leg of the race marked his first overall Baja 1000 win but his fourth desert race win in 2014.

"This season was a testament to the importance that the Baja peninsula plays for tire development for BFGoodrich," said Peter Calhoun, motorsports manager for BFGoodrich Tires. "After being knocked off the top podium spot the last two years at the Baja 1000, we have refocused and brought, once again, leading edge racing tires to our drivers and the result was a sweep of the SCORe desert racing series this season."

"We use Baja to test and prove the toughness and performance of our tires. We did so with our BFGoodrich^® Baja T/A^® KR2 tires, which dominated the season and also our new All-Terrain T/A^® KO2, which defended its Baja Challenge class title and is now available to our loyal BFGoodrich consumers for their personal vehicles. We will not rest on the accomplishments of this season, but will keep doing what we do - race, learn, develop and win."

eugenio claimed his first World Desert Championship title and one that BFGoodrich Tires played a major part in bringing to fruition. eugenio had been running consistent all season but broke through with his win at the SCORe Imperial Valley Desert Challenge and his strong run at the Baja 1000 locked up the title.

"We've been consistent all year and when it comes down to the Tecate SCORe Baja 1000, if you get a good finish and are in the right position, it can all work out in your favor," said eugenio. "It's pretty much like coming back home (returning to BFGoodrich Tires). All my years of racing have always been on BFG. It was a great decision to come back. I pull off a win right off the bat back with BFG and then I come to Baja 1000 and our team runs 1,300 miles and has just one flat. It's pretty impressive and helped me win a championship."

For the Baja Challenge class, BC1 was led by BFGoodrich Performance team members, many of whom claimed the class title last year on the new BFGoodrich Tires All-Terrain T/A^® KO2 tire. It quickly became a tale of determination as the Baja desert through everything it could at the crew causing them to face a transmission change, a timing belt issue and more. But just as many have learned through the years, persistence through the challenges and finishing the SCORe Baja 1000 is a major accomplishment.

Because the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A^® KO2 is the official tire of Wide Open Baja buggies, the vehicle used in the Baja Challenge class, the tire defended its class title on the BC3 entry led by Jon Largent. Throughout the class, all four teams who finished the race did not encounter a flat tire.

KR2 Stands Out Once Again

Since being run as a developmental tire in 2013, the BFGoodrich Baja T/A^®KR2 tires have gained popularity among desert racers. It has been run on the vehicles which have seven of the nine BFGoodrich Tires wins in the desert this year. After helping drivers claim seven of the top 10 spots in the SCORe Baja 500 this summer including the race winner, the KR2 once again was the most dominant tire in the field, running on seven of the top eight at the SCORe Baja 1000.

McMillan continues familiar story

For the third year in a row, six members of the McMillin family ran in the SCORe Baja 1000 race. The legendary off-road racing family saw three McMillin drivers finish in the top five. Andy helped the MacCachren team claim the overall title, while Dan and Luke paired to bring in their McMillin Racing Trophy Truck in second overall. Meanwhile, Luke and Dan's father Mark piloted his own entry with Chuck Hovey as co-driver to a sixth place finish in his first race since 2011. Jessica McMillin, Andy's sister, also paired with Heidi Steele to come in under the time limit to complete another SCORe Baja 1000.

 

2014 Tecate SCORe Baja 1000 Overall Finishers (BFGoodrich Tires drivers in BOLD)

1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas/Andy McMillin, San Diego/Jason Voss, Gilroy, Calif, 22:31:28 (Trophy Truck)

2. Luke McMillin, el Cajon, Calif./Dan McMillin, La Mesa, Calif., 23:00:08 (Trophy Truck)

3. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Pat Dean, Las Vegas/Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., 23:41:18 (Trophy Truck)

4. Troy Herbst, Las Vegas/Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., 24:04:23 (Trophy Truck)

5. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif./Scott Schovajsa, Humble, Texas, 24:31:27 (Class 1)

6. Mark McMillin, el Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, escondido, Calif., 24:40:40 (Trophy Truck)

7. Steven eugenio, Carlsbad, Calif./Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif./T.J. Flores, Las Vegas, 24:46:26 (Trophy Truck)

8. Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn./Ricky Johnson, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., 25:01:03 (Class 1)

9. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif./Kyle Jergensen, Oak Hills, Calif./Louis Chamberland, Gilbert Ariz., 25:15:22 (Class 1)

10. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico/Carlos Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, 25:15:23 (Trophy Truck)

 

2014 Tecate SCORe Baja 1000 Class Champions on BFGoodrich Tires:

Trophy Truck Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas/Andy McMillin, San Diego, Calif./Jason Voss, Gilroy, Calif.

Class 1 Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif./Scott Schovajsa, Humble, Tex.

Class 3 Donald Moss/Ken Moss, Sacramento, Calif.

Class 5 Kevin Carr/Mickey McNeil, San Diego, Calif.

Class 8 Mike Meeks, Corpus Christi, Tex.

Class 12 Score Lites Luis Martinez/Jose Robles, Mexicali, Mexico/Pietro Brasea, Mexicali, Mexico

Class 5-1600 enrique Zazueta/enrique Zazueta Sr./Sodgy Zazueta, La Paz, Mexico

Class 3000 Reid Rutherford/Steve Rudd/Benn Vernadakis, Montrose, Colo.

Trophy Truck Spec Larry Connor, Centerville, Ohio/Jason Ruane/Sean Moore, Temecula, Calif.

Class 7sx James Burman, Heber City, Utah/Chris Sayre, Huntington Beach, Calif./elias Hanna, Tijuana, Mexico

Stock Full Andrew Bell, Long Beach, Calif./Jamie Bestwick, Point Matilda, Calif./Michael Sweers, Williamston, Mich./Ryan Millen, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Baja Challenge Jon Largent/Tom Mullin, Riverside, Calif./Andrew Schmidt, West Richland, Wash./Joshua Hendin, Canada, eduard Jaeger, el Segundo, Calif.

Sportsman Buggy Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va.