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(AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File)
NASCAR driver Robby Gordon was expected to be the driver to beat today in the 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. Gordon leads both SCORE's overall and TrophyTruck points races.
Roger Norman and Larry Roeseler are the San Diego based, defending overall champions, and Wayne Matlock (El Cajon) leads a five-rider team that is the defending overall ATV champion.
Other Southern California natives of note are Ivan Stewart and the McMillin family. Stewart will be driving a factory-backed Toyota 4Runner in his first Baja 1000 in nine years. The McMillins are returning after a two-year break with five-time overall winner Mark McMillin teaming with Brian Ewalt in one TrophyTruck. The father-son duo of Scott and Andy McMillin are running another TrophyTruck. Mark's sons, Luke and Daniel, are teaming together in the 1600cc buggy class.
The Baja 1000 is the 672.9-mile season finale. The start/finish is in Ensenada, Baja California. The first finishers are expected to return to Ensenada late tonight.
More than 325 trucks, buggies, motorcycles and ATV's have entered the race with the first motorcycles entering the course at 6:30 a.m. The first trucks and buggies started at 10:30 a.m.
Gordon will go from Ensenada to Homestead to compete in NASCAR's final race of the 2009 season. Matt Crafton, NCWTS driver of the No. 88, practiced and qualified Gordon's No. 7 Toyota to allow for Gordon to race on Sunday.
For more information on Southern California Motorsports, check out:
California brings the field to the green flag at Homestead
Calling all dark horses: Jimmie Johnson is smart money, not a sure thing
Jimmie Johnson put on a clinic: Let's talk legacy
Janelle Jalbert is a fan of a variety of racing formats and equally enjoys the history of the sport. Janelle grew up in an auto mechanic’s family and swears that there is carb spray running through her veins. She can be reached via email for both comments and story ideas. You can follow Janelle as the Southern California Motorsports Examiner on Twitter as @SoCalMotorsport.
Janelle also serves as the NASCAR Truck Series Examiner. Feel free to join the discussion about the hard racing in the CWTS at the NASCAR Truck Series Examiner fan page on Facebook
Comments
Janelle:
I am the Motorsports Feature Page Manager over at Examiner's sister news portal - NowPublic (Motorsports & Automotive Culture NewsYour NowPublic Racing and Automotive News headquarters!).
I took the liberty to "Highlight your entire post and re-post it at NowPublic with the TAGS "motorsports" and "nascar". As Manager and Editor, I also made the post a Top Story at each Feature Page.
To see the post at NowPublic ... type in nowpublic - dot - com. After the page loads, click on the Sports link, after this loads, look for the sub-tag "motorsports" (you may have to tap the side triangle to scroll across for the tag to appear) and click.
Please log on, create an account and re-post for additional distribution and syndication.
Soon to be LA Motor Culture Examiner,
Edmund Jenks
Current LA Conservative Examiner
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