Bruckmann-Hatz team in SCORE series points lead

Friday, May 28, 1999 | 10:33 a.m.

What started out last year as a quest to keep Henderson's Bekki Freeman from becoming the first female to win a SCORE car class title, has turned into a formidable partnership in the 1999 Laughlin SCORE Desert Series for San Diego's Vic Bruckmann and Jason Hatz.

While Freeman beat the boys in last year's Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 to earn the Class 1-2/1600 season championship, Bruckmann and Hatz have teamed up to lead the overall and Class 1-2/1600 point standings after two rounds of this year's six race series. With impressive season-opening class wins in Laughlin and San Felipe, Mexico, Bruckmann/Hatz have earned 130 points in their VW-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car.

Second overall and leading the unlimited Class 1 point standings is Ronny Wilson of Long Beach, Calif., with 111 points in a Jimco while Freeman is third in the overall standings so far this year and second in Class 1-2/1600 with 108 points in her Jimco.

"Entering last year's SCORE Baja 1000, I was tied with Bekki for first in points and Vic was a distant third so we decided to pool our resources to see if we could win the class championship together," Hatz said.

"After 970 miles (100 miles from the finish), we had a 48-minute lead over Bekki. Then the throttle broke and that was it. This year, we haven't had any problems at all, splitting the wheel time. Vic and I are a strong pair racing together."

Both second-generation desert racers, the point leaders are using Bruckmann's 1600cc Jimco race car so far this year, although the plan currently is to finish the season at the 32nd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in November using Hatz's Dunrite.

Fourth overall in points and second in Class 1 is Las Vegas' Troy Herbst, the defending Laughlin SCORE Desert Series overall and Class 1 point champion in his Ford powered Smithbuilt with 106 points.

Rounding out the top five in the overall point standings are Las Vegas teammates Danny Anderson and Rob MacCachren with 100 points. The Anderson/MacCachren duo have not won a race yet this year, but have been consistent enough with a pair of third place finishes to lead Class 10 in a Jimco.

Las Vegas brothers Ed and Tim Herbst, Troy Herbst's older brothers, are currently leading the featured Trophy-Truck division with a pair of wins and 82 points in their Ford F-150 to open the season.

Las Vegas' Brian Collins and Dale White have won three straight SCORE races (including last year's season-ending Tecate SCORE Baja 1000) and are leading Class 8 points in their White Lightning Racing Chevrolet C1500 to give local racers the point lead in three classes early in the season for America's Foremost Desert Racing Series.

Four additional local drivers are currently second in their respective classes. Besides Freeman and Troy Herbst, also second are Jeremy Gubler in SCORE LITE and Steve Olliges, who teams with San Diego's Robert Hayley in Stock Full.

Round three of the 1999 Laughlin SCORE Desert Series will be the 30th Tecate SCORE Baja 500, next weekend in Ensenada, Mexico.