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Series points update 2009-04-13

Wilsons 1, 2 in Class 1 after second in San Felipe, NASCAR's R. Gordon maintains Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck point lead in 2009 SCORE Desert Series Other class point leaders include St. John, Lawrence, Moss, Carr, Chamlee, H. Steele & Stacey ...

Wilsons 1, 2 in Class 1 after second in San Felipe, NASCAR's R. Gordon maintains Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck point lead in 2009 SCORE Desert Series

Other class point leaders include St. John, Lawrence, Moss, Carr, Chamlee, H. Steele & Stacey

LOS ANGELES--Following his dominating season-opening victory at January's 15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and a solid runner-up finish at March's 22nd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, NASCAR Cup owner/driver Robby Gordon has kept himself at the top of a very crowded Overall leaderboard in the 2009 SCORE Desert Series point standings. With 125 points, Gordon, 40, who returns to his desert racing roots often, also leads the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck class for high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks in his No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500.

With just 27 points separating the top 20 in 2009 SCORE Overall points, SCORE racers are now preparing for the 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500, to be held in Ensenada, Mexico, June 5-7. The computerized drawing for starting positions, by class, for Round 3 of the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series will be held at the SCORE headquarters in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 25.

Wilson Motorsports of Long Beach, Calif., currently leads two classes as well as being second and third in SCORE overall points after two races.

With two Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars and two Class 1-2/1600 open-wheel cars with 1600cc VW engines, Ronny Wilson, 46, the youngest of the three Wilson brothers, leads Class 1 and is second overall with 116 points while tied for the lead in Class 1-2/1600 and tied for third in overall points with 114 is Brian Wilson, 23, Ronny's nephew and son of Rick Wilson, 52, the oldest of the three Wilson brothers. Brian Wilson is tied with Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., who drives a Fraley-VW.

After a fourth place in Class 1 in Laughlin, Ronny Wilson drove his Chevy-powered Jimco to first place in San Felipe while finishing third overall. He leads his brother Randy Wilson, 50, by 13 points. Randy Wilson is 13th in overall points in another Jimco-Chevy.

With a fourth place class finish in Laughlin, followed by a second place in San Felipe in a Kreger-VW, Brian Wilson is a field superintendent for the family business-Norm Wilson & Sons, a prominent Southern California general contracting company. Wilson is receiving considerable help this season from veteran co-driver Sammy Ehbrenberg, Las Vegas, who splits the driving with Brian Wilson when not mentoring him in the sport.

Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif., has won both SCORE Lite races this season in a Duvel-VW with help from Class 1-2/1600 regular Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., to lead their class and rank fifth in the current overall point standings with 110. Pfankuch is currently eighth in Class 1-2/1600 points.

SCORE points are based on starting and finishing as well as the number of starters in each class and placement position in every race.

"I love SCORE desert racing and to be leading the overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck points is a huge bonus," said Gordon, whose victory was his eighth in the 15-plus year history of the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division. "Our Chevy truck has run flawless so far this season and our success against the best desert racers in the world helps our confidence level on the pavement in NASCAR Cup racing."

While the top five in the 2009 SCORE Overall point standings are just 15 points apart, the second five is even closer with one driver with 107 points and four with 105 each.

After winning Class 10 in San Felipe in his Lothringer-VW, Mike Lawrence, Banning Calif., is leading the class he won the season championship in last year and stands sixth in SCORE overall points with 107.

After two rounds of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series, four drivers, including three class point leaders, are tied for seventh in the overall standings with 105 points each. Each starting with two class wins each, the three class point leaders are Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Kevin

Carr, San Diego (Class 5, open VW Baja Bug) and Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (Stock Mini, Honda Ridgeline).

Eric Duran, Tecate, Calif., is driver of record for his family team and is third in Class 1-2/1600 in addition to being part of the four-way tie for seventh in SCORE overall points in a Neth-VW.

One of three female regular racers this season, Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif., leads the Class 6 points in the Desert Assassins Ford Ranger. Steele's husband Cameron Steele is ninth in SCORE Trophy-Truck points. Michelle Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., is third in SCORE Lite and Anna Cody, Simi Valley, Calif., and her all-female team, is second in the motorcycle Class 20 points.

Heidi Steele's season point title last year was in Class 7SX and this year she is driving in two classes and also stands in third place in Class 7 in another Desert Assassins Ford Ranger.

Among the car and truck classes, other point leaders include: Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif. (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va.. (Class 8, Chevy Silverado), Alonso Angulo, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja Bug) and Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 11, stock VW Sedan).

With motorcycles and ATVs racing in the three SCORE Baja races, the team of Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif./Tim Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif., leads the open motorcycle Class 22 standings with 68 points after the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 on the factory-supported No. 1x Johnny Campbell Racing Honda CRF450X.

Leading the overall motorcycle and Class 21 (250cc two-stroke or 450cc four-stroke) standings after one 2009 SCORE Baja race is the two-time defending season class point championship team of Carlos Casas/Noe Ibarra, Chula Vista, Calif., with 69 points on another Honda CRF450X.

The defending Class 25 open ATV championship team led by rider of record Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif., on a Honda TRX700XX has 69 points and now has won four straight SCORE Baja races. Riding with Matlock to victory in San Felipe were Harold Goodman and Josh Caster.

Leading the overall ATV and the Class 24 point standings with 72 points is the team led by defending Class 24 season point champion Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif., on a Honda TRX450R.

Among the other motorcycle class point leaders are Jim O'Neal, Simi Valley, Calif. (Class 50, Honda CRF450X), Mike Johnson, El Paso, Texas (Class 30, Honda CRF450X), Brian Campbell, Bakersfield, Calif. (Class 40, KTM 450XCF) and Hector Castillo, Calexico, Calif. (Class 20, Yamaha WR250).

In addition to season point class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 24th consecutive year, a total of 32 drivers remain eligible after Round 2 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series.

-credit: www.score-international.com.

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