Gordon Qualifies His #77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500 Fastest To Earn Pole For Saturday’s First Day of SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
LAUGHLIN, Nev.–NASCAR Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon, the 2009 race champion and SCORE Overall season point champion, earned the pole position for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Friday as he powered his No. 77 Team Gordon to a fast time of six minutes, 23.08 seconds during qualifying for SCORE Trophy-Trucks averaging 58.75 miles per hour around the 6.25-mile loop.
The season opener of the five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series, is being held near the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nev.
The unique race, split into two parts, will start Saturday and finish Sunday, running from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the 19 classes for cars and trucks divided into five race groups running multiple laps each day. The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division will race at 1 p.m. each day followed by the unlimited Class 1 cars at 3 p.m. Both classes will run eight laps each day.
Gordon, will lead a field of 123 official entries, which includes 32 vehicles in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 850 horsepower, unlimited production trucks.
With plans to run the entire 2011 SCORE Desert Series, Gordon outdistanced the 29 SCORE Trophy-Trucks that started in the special one-lap qualifying session.
“We were firing on all cylinders today and getting the pole position helps us gain an edge during Saturday’s first half of the race, said Gordon. “It was a clean run and our Chevy CK1500 had more than enough power over this short, but very challenging race course. We have a great field of SCORE Trophy-Trucks to start the 2011 SCORE Desert Series and our goal is to win as many races as possible and end up with another SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championship.”
Qualifying second was Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin, who this race both in 2006 and 2007, with a time of 6:32 (57.40mph) in the No. 97 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
The three trucks that elected not to qualify on Friday, will start Saturday’s portion of the race behind the other 29 SCORE Trophy-Trucks.
Ticket information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com
17th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
Round 1 of five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series
Jan. 14-16 Laughlin, Nevada
Friday’s SCORE Trophy-Truck Qualifying Results
(With starting positions for Saturday’s first half of race. Sunday’s start order will be based on Saturday’s finishing order.)
Position, Vehicle Number, Driver of Record, Hometown, Vehicle, time for one lap of 6.25-mile course
TOP QUALIFIER: 77 Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 6 minutes, 23.08 seconds (58.78 miles per hour)
2. 97 B.J. Baldwin/Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 6:32 (57.40mph)
3. 70 Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas/Peter Mortensen, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 6:37 (56.68mph)
4. 21 Gus Vildosola Jr/Gus Vildosola Sr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 6:40 (56.25mph)
5. 20 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 6:43 (55.83mph)
6. 8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 6:45 (55.56mph)
7. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., GMC Sierra, 6:49 (55.01mph)
8. 2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 5:49 (55.01mph)
9. 48 Jimmy Nuckles, Brawley, Calif., Ford F-150, 6:51 (54.75mph)
10. 74 Rob Bruce/Kimberly Bruce, Sublimity, Ore., Chevy Silverado, 6:57 (53.96mph)
11. 9 Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 6:58 (53.83mph)
12. 10 Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:02 (53.32mph)
13. 30 Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:02 (53.32mph)
14. 51 Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 7:05 (52.94mph)
15. 78 Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:11 (52.20mph)
16. 98 Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 7:11 (52.20mph)
17. 95 Scott Whipple/Scott Gailey, Norco, Calif., Chevy C1500, 7:12 (52.08mph)
18. 56 Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif./Jeff Seifert, Jamul, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:13 (51.96mph)
19. 7 Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:13 (51.96mph)
20. 23 Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:14 (51.84mph)
21. 65 Lloyd Sproule/Derrick Sprule, Canada/Dale Dondel, Hemet, Calif./Tim Scalzo, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:16 (51.61mph)
22. 42 Will Staats Jr., Valencia, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:23 (50.79mph)
23. 84 Nick Vanderwey/Larry Vanderwey, Litchfield Park, Chevy Silverado, 7:25 (50.56mph)
24. 36 Glen Greer, Green Valley, Ariz., Dodge Ram1500, 7:26 (50.45mph)
25. 37 Tommy Greer, Tucson, Ariz./Bruce Greer Jr, Oro Valley, Ariz., Dodge Ram1500, 7:27 (50.34mph)
26. 47 James Bult, Molnee, Ill., Dodge Ram1500, 7:39 (49.02mph)
27. 91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 7:44 (48.49mph)
28. 18 Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 8:03 (46.58mph)
29. 96 Bobby Baldwin/B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (DNF)
30. 1 Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Ford F-150 (DNS)
31. 66 Harry Hepler, Lansing, Mich., Chevy Silverado (DNS)
32. 24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado (DNS)
SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark 702.298.2242, Room 933, dominiccnv@aol.com