Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Evans returns for ‘race of millennium’

Friday, Nov. 10, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Walker Evans' retirement from off-road racing lasted approximately 11 months.

Evans, the 61-year-old driving legend who announced his retirement last December, could not pass up the chance to run this weekend's Tecate SCORE Baja 2000 -- billed as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

"This is the race of the millennium," said Evans, whose 140 career wins include nine Baja 1000 events. "I just couldn't pass it up."

To commemorate the year 2000, SCORE elected to double the distance of the Baja 1000 for this year only. Evans decided to tackle the endurance race with a Walker Evans Racing-prepared Trophy Truck.

Helping Evans drive the 1,726.97-mile race will be former off-road star and current NASCAR Winston West leader Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas and Roger Gray.

"Both Brendan and Roger are extremely competent drivers and we make a good team," Evans said. "Teamwork is certainly going to be a key at this race; it will take the best of the best to win.

"Just like in a battle, strategy is extremely important and our many years of experience will definitely be a big plus for our team."

One of the most accomplished drivers in all of off-road racing, Evans got his first taste of racing in 1969 when he drove a Rambler sedan in the Baja 500 for actor James Garner's American Motors team.

"I took a third-place finish in that first event," Evans said, "and knew I had to get serious about desert racing. So, I took the bull by the horns and began building my own vehicles."

After a 31-year racing career, Evans said he is every bit as eager to start Sunday's race as he was back in 1969 for that first start.

"I'm excited about the Baja 2000," he said. "It's certainly going to be one of the biggest challenges of my career. We've got a fantastic team and the perfect combination of a strong Chevy truck and tough-running Goodyear tires.

"When this race starts, we will definitely be ready to win."

The Baja 2000 will cap a hectic week for Gaughan. The 25-year-old native Las Vegan spent the early part of this week pre-running the Baja 2000 course and then returned to Las Vegas Wednesday to prepare for Saturday night's Winston West season finale at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

Gaughan needs only to start Saturday's race at Irwindale to clinch the Winston West driver's championship. Following the race and Sunday's awards banquet in Cerritos, Calif., Gaughan will fly to Mexico to meet up with Evans and Gray.

Bobby Labonte, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing, leads second-place Dale Earnhardt by 218 points and third-place Jeff Burton by 226.

Labonte can clinch the title in Sunday's Pennzoil 400 if he: Finishes fifth or better; finishes sixth or better and leads one lap; finishes seventh or better and leads the most laps; or if he leaves Homestead with a 185-point lead over both Earnhardt and Burton. ...

Mark Martin is scheduled to make his 400th career Winston Cup start Sunday at Homestead-Miami. ...

NBC Sports and cable partner TBS this week officially announced their 2001 NASCAR broadcast team, which will consist of host Allen Bestwick, analyst Benny Parsons and pre-race host and lead pit reporter Bill Weber. Pit reporters Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Matt Yocum complete the lineup.

Newman/Haas also announced that it would switch from Ford to Toyota power for the upcoming FedEx Championship Series campaign.

Da Matta, who drove for Cal Wells' now-defunct PPI Racing this season, will be teamed with Christian Fittipaldi, who will remain with Newman/Haas.

Schmidt will be saluted for starting the Sam Schmidt Foundation shortly after he was paralyzed in a testing accident in January. The foundation is dedicated to raising money to help people with spinal injuries.

More than $131,000 was raised for the Sam Schmidt Foundation during the inaugural "HallowEve" fundraiser Oct. 30 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Gary Scelzi claimed his third Top Fuel NHRA Winston championship while Bob Panella Jr. earned his second career NHRA Winston Pro Stock Truck championship.

Scelzi lost to eventual event runner-up Melanie Troxel in the Top Fuel semifinals but left with a 226-point lead over Larry Dixon and clinched the championship.

Panella's title also came without an event win at the O'Reilly Fall Nationals; he finished third in his category.

The season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals will be held this weekend at Pomona Raceway in Southern California.

Quartaro was suspended for violating the Speedway's rules of conduct during Saturday night's Star Nursey.com Late Model Classic at The Bullring at LVMS.

According to LVMS officials, Quartaro violated rules relating to "fighting, rough driving and other acts of violence ..." and the use of "... profanity or discourteous gestures in front of fans or race officials."

Quartaro had been competing this season after having been placed on probation last November for violating track rules. ...

LVMS will host the LXD FreeRide Moto-X Championship tonight and Saturday night at the half-mile dirt track.

The Friday night and Saturday afternoon event will display some of the best freestyle motocross pilots from all over the country including Las Vegas' Carey Hart. Hart performed the first backflip ever at the 2000 Gravity Games in Rhode Island last month.

This event will serve as an official qualifier for the 2001 ESPN X-Games. Spectator gates open as 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. ...

The Vintage Auto Racing Association will stage the Porsche-Alfa Shootout Saturday and Sunday at LVMS. This year's Porsche-Alfa Shootout will feature more than 150 cars, including a 1959 Deutsch Bonnet HBR5, a 1967 Brabham BT21 and a 1969 BT29, a 1974 Lola T332, BMWs, Corvettes, Cobras, Formula Cars, Ferraris and Can-Am cars.

The event will be held on the 1.8-mile road course outside the superspeedway and racing is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $10 each day and children under 12 are admitted free. ...

Finally, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the National Import Racing Association (NIRA) Import World Finals on Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend begins on Saturday with a test-and-tune session, open to all drag racers, beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday's program begins at 9 a.m., with qualifying at 10:30 and final rounds at 4 p.m.