43rd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 to air Sunday on NBC
In a year when the race course spanned the entire Baja peninsula from Ensenada to La Paz and dreams were made and broken across all 1061.69 -miles, few teams would emerge unscathed as the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 once again proved itself as the most grueling desert racing challenge in all of motorsports. The World of Adventure Sports will go behind the scenes of the granddaddy of all desert races with highlights from the motorcycle, SCORE Trophy-Truck as well as other classes.
Complete with stunning aerial footage and epic point to point coverage will help viewers experience the majestic charisma and amazing adventure that is what the 2010 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is all about. This year’s season-finale of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series is being televised for the eighth consecutive year on NBC in association with SCORE International and SCORE’s electronic media partner Aura360.
With 292 official starters leaving the Ensenada starting line, competitors from 37 states and 19 countries battled the rugged terrain in cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs in 33 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes. Massive crowds reaching nearly 250,000 lined the historic Baja peninsula to gain a glimpse of the competitors. Vehicles left the start line in 30-second intervals and all vehicles had 45 hours to become official finishers of the race.
With the world’s best desert racers competing in the epic battle of man and machine, the 292 official starters is the third highest number in the 18 years it has finished in La Paz and it is the 11th highest total in the 43-year history of the race. The 192 official finishers represents the third-highest number in the 18 years it has finished in La Paz and it is the fifth-highest total in the entire 43-year history of the event.
The finishing percentage this year was an amazing 64.7 percent considering the extremely dusty, bone-crushingly rocky and sometimes foggy conditions and the unique ruggedness of the course.
In 2011 the broadcast will also be distributed on ESPN International and Outdoor Channel. Additionally the official DVD of the race with extensive bonus features will be available for purchase shortly after the broadcast at www.bajaunlimited.com.
“Racers, massive support teams, thousands of spectators and hundreds of news media personnel from around the world make annual pilgrimages to Mexico’s Baja California for the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and this year’s magical mystery tour down the length of peninsula will provide some of the most spectacular viewing opportunities ever seen," commented Sal Fish, SCORE CEO/President. “Covering a 1061.69-mile, non-stop desert race down the length of Baja is a monumental and logistical challenge yet Aura360 and NBC have put together another memorable show that will keep even the most casual racing fans on the edge of their seats. This event is truly everyman’s race and we look forward to reliving many of the key moments from this year’s battle with millions of fans across the country this Sunday."