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W
hile the world continues its ferocious fight against the vicious virus called COVID-19, SCORE is checking in on several of its racers during this shutdown to see how they are doing and how they are preparing for when life returns to the new normal in a special series called SCORE Desert Diaries—Biding Time. Two of the most prominent race teams in the SCORE World Desert Championship, COPS Racing and Wilson Motorsports each have three race vehicles anxiously waiting to be able to get the 2020 SCORE Baja racing season started. With the 2020 season reduced to three races while the battle rages against Coronavirus (COVID-19), desert racers around the world are hoping to start the 2020 SCORE season at the 52nd annual BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4Wheel Parts, in Baja California. Launching its 47th season as the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization, the season-opening event of the three-race internationallytelevised 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship has been moved to June 17-21 in Ensenada. Ensenada is a coastal city on the Bahia de Todos Santos area of
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the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of the U.S. border at San Diego. Most the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s celebration of one of the top 10 motorsports events in the entire world. All three 2020 SCORE races will be run on the northern part of Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula for the fifth consecutive year. Domestically, the entire 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship will be televised on a delayed basis on the World of X Games show on the ABC Television Network as co-produced by SCORE International and award-winning BCII TV of Los Angeles. It will also be syndicated internationally to 25 countries.
COPS RACING
With entries in SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend and the unlimited Class 1, COPS Racing, based in Carson, Calif., includes family patriarch John Langley, 76, and his sons Zak Langley and Morgan Langley as the three drivers of record. Family patriarch John Langley is the father of reality TV with his long time running show ‘COPS’. All three race vehicles were built by ES Motorsports. Zak Langley, 44, will race the No. 50 ESM-built Ford F-150 in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division for high-
tech, 950 horsepower unlimited custom trucks, family patriarch John Langley, 76, will be ‘DOR’ in the No. 50L ESMFord truck in SCORE TT Legend and Morgan Langley, 46, will be the driver of record in the No. 150 ESM-Chevy powered open-wheel desert race car in the unlimited Class 1. All three plan on having a second driver this season. Steve Hengeveld, Flagstaff, Ariz., will be Zak Langley’s second driver in the No. 50 SCORE Trophy Truck while John Langley’s second driver in the No. 50L SCORE TT Legend (drivers over 50 years old) will be veteran desert racing champion and AMA and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer Ricky Johnson, 55, Trabuco Canyon, Calif. Paul Keller, El Cajon, Calif. will be the other driver for Morgan Langley’s No. 150 Class 1 car. Zak Langley and Kyle Jergensen teamed up for the 2018 SCORE Baja 1000 where they finished eighth out of 36 starters in SCORE Trophy Truck. Hengeveld has eight motorcycle class wins including the last seven which
S&S OFF ROAD MAGAZINE - MAY 2020 - www.ssorm.com
were overall two-wheel titles in the SCORE Baja 500 (1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2012) and along with Kash Vessels, Mooresville, N.C., helped John Langley defeat 26 starters in Trophy Truck Spec to win their class in the epic 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 in 2017. Morgan Langley and Keller teamed to win Class 1 in the 2018 SCORE Baja 1000.
WILSON MOTORSPORTS
A multi-talented second and third generation SCORE Baja race team, Wilson Motorsports of Long Beach, Calif. is expected to have three Chevy powered Jimco open-wheel desert race cars competing to start this year’s SCORE World Desert Championship. Family patriarch Norm Wilson introduced his sons Rick, Randy and Ronny in the 1980s and the third generation of Wilson racers, cousins Brian and Brad to desert racing and all have become legends in SCORE Baja Continued next page
