McMillin Friday’s fastest Trophy-Truck in SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

LAUGHLIN, Nev. – Returning to SCORE desert racing on a fulltime basis for the first time in three years, San Diego’s third-generation racer Andy McMillin earned the pole position for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Friday as he powered his No. 31 McMillin Racing Ford F-150 to a fast time of 7 minutes, 03.40 seconds during qualifying for SCORE Trophy-Trucks averaging 53.19 miles per hour around the 6.25-mile loop.

The season opener of the five-race 2010 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 17 classes 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.

McMillin, who with his father Scott McMillin won last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, will lead a field of 131 official entries, which includes 28 vehicles in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800 horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

With plans to run the entire 2010 SCORE Desert Series easily outdistanced the 23 SCORE Trophy-Trucks that started in the special one-lap qualifying session.

“We had a nice clean run today and hope the pole position helps gain an edge during Saturday’s first half of the race, said McMillin. It was exciting to feel the power and enjoy how well our Ford F-15 handled over this short, but very challenging race course. We have a great field of SCORE Trophy-Trucks to start the 2010 SCORE Desert Series and I can’t wait for the green flag to drop Saturday.”

Qualifying second was Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr., last year’s leader through the first half of the race, with a time of 7:09.71 in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150 he shares with his father Gus Sr.

The four trucks that elected not to qualify on Friday, will start Saturday’s portion of the race behind the other 24 SCORE Trophy-Trucks.

Ticket information is available at www.visitlaughlin.com.

16th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
Round 1 of five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series
Jan. 15-17 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: 31 Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, 7 minutes, 03.40 seconds (53.19 miles per hour)
2. 4 Gus Vildosola/Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 7:09.71 (52.33mph)
3. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rick Geiser, Phoenix, GMC Sierra, 7:15.90 (51.61mph)
4. 2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 7:21.48 (51.02mph)
5. 97 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas/Chad Ragland, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, 7:23.67 (50.68mph)
6. 50 Jason McNeil, Lakeside, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:27.73 (50.22mph)
7. 30 Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:35.68 (49.34mph)
8. 7 Jimmy Nuckles, Brawley, Calif., Ford F-150/Dave Sykes, Del Mar, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:40.40 (48.91mph)
9. 24 Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:43.68 (48.49mph)
10. 84 Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:44.74 (48.39mph)
11. 51 Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 7:50.49 (47.87mph)
12. 76 Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 7:52.02 (47.67mph)
13. 9 Gary Weyhrich/Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 7:55.48 (47.37mph)
14. 10 Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif./Tom Carr, Visalia, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:58.37 (47.07mph)
15. 23 Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, 8:02.51 (46.58mph)
16. 96 Bobby Baldwin, Chevy Silverado, 8:06.42 (46.30mph)
17. 78 Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Danny Ashcraft, Vista, Calif., Ford F-150, 8:08.07 (46.11mph)
18. 63 Luis Camarena, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Ernesto Cervantes, La Paz, Mexico, Ford F-150, 8:16.08 (45.36mph)
19. 91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Chevy Sivlerado, 8:17.81 (45.18mph)
20. 95 Scott Whipple/Scott Gailey, Norco, Calif., Chevy C1500, 8:43.37 (43.02mph)
21. 5 Travis Coyne, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150, 10:00.03 (37.50mph)
22. 13 Ed Stout, Irvine, Calif., Chevy C1500, 27:58.00 (13.41mph)
23. 89 Rusty Stevens, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150
24. 1 Bob Gordon, Orange, Calif./Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, DNF
25. 8 Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, Did Not Qualify
26. 74 Rob Bruce, Sublimity, Ore./Mark Witte, Silverton, Ore., Chevy Silverado, DNQ
27. 22 Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, DNQ
28. 20 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, DNQ