Columnist Brian Hildebrand: Terrible 250 adds to So. Nevada’s SCORE

Brian Hildebrand

Friday, July 5, 2002 | 9:32 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Sal Fish has been putting on desert races for nearly three decades, but the longtime president and CEO of SCORE International hasn't lost his enthusiasm for the sport.

That was evident during a recent reconnaissance of the course to be used in next weekend's inaugural SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 off-road race.

While dealing with officials from the Bureau of Land Management, competitors and the media, Fish maintained a kid-in-a-candy-store attitude as he went through sometimes mind-numbing preparations for the first major off-road event in the Las Vegas Valley since the Mint 400 ended its 24-year run in 1991.

"To me, this is the ideal situation," Fish said as he surveyed the course's start/finish line and spectator area.

Although he was standing in a vast expanse of undeveloped desert, Fish clearly could see the makings of an event that he hopes someday could rival the popularity of the Mint 400.

"When SCORE started 30 years ago, we never wanted to just put a race out in the middle of the desert; our whole idea was to try to be as close to a community that offers hospitality," Fish said.

"What we're doing here is bringing the best there possibly can for an off-road event. We're within minutes of Henderson itself -- which has fine hotels and restaurants and casinos -- and then the whole area of Las Vegas is right here at our fingertips."

The SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 will be a four-lap race contested on a 56-mile course that starts and finishes in the desert near the intersection of Horizon Ridge Parkway and Mission Drive in Henderson. The race will be run on existing roads and washes used for other off-road races, including the Mint 400.

But Fish said the July 13 race would be more than just one round of the six-race Optima SCORE Desert Series.

"The key to this is all the activities that Henderson is building around the event," Fish said. "This is not just 'come up here, go out in the desert and leave;' there are a lot of things going on prior to, during and after the event.

"We certainly have put on a heck of an event at Laughlin for the last eight years and we have a great event in Primm. I'm really happy that we have three unique events in Nevada now in three key places ... and (this race) just steps the notch up that much more with its proximity to Las Vegas."

SCORE, which sanctions three races in Baja California, Mexico -- including the venerable Baja 1000 -- now has three events in Southern Nevada, including the Laughlin Desert Challenge in January and the Las Vegas Primm 300 in September.

"If you told me eight years ago that I would be putting three races in Nevada, I probably would have said, 'No, I don't think so,' but now I think the circuit that SCORE offers with the three races in Nevada and the three in Baja, you can't beat it," Fish said.

The inaugural SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 will kick off Wednesday with a charity bowling tournament at Terrible's Town Henderson Bowl and a silent auction and slot tournament at the Hyatt Regency at Lake Las Vegas. The race -- which offers free grandstand seating for spectators -- runs from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

A complete schedule of race-week events can be found at www.score-international.com.

Gordon, who drives the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Winston Cup Series, is building a new Chevy Silverado Trophy Truck, which he will debut at the Baja 1000 in November. Gordon's contract prohibits him from racing in anything other than a Chevrolet.

"What can I say? I'm disappointed but, honestly, not terribly surprised (by George's decision)," Tracy said. "My bank account may not show it, and my face may not be on the Borg-Warner Trophy -- yet -- but in my heart I know I won the race. And I know there's plenty of racing fans out there who feel the same way. I've heard from lots of them and I'm really grateful for their support.

"I also want to thank (team owner Barry Green) for all he's done with the appeal and to all the guys on my team for giving me a winning car."

Although he was born and raised in Las Vegas, Busch said he is a lifelong Cubs fan because his family originally is from Chicago.

"I'm really excited about the chance to throw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game," Busch said. "The Cubs are just an all-around great team -- you can't help but like them. And Wrigley Field has so much history that it is truly going to be an honor just to stand there on the mound and throw the pitch."

Busch will be in Chicago for the July 14 Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Renna also will serve as a driver coach for actor Jason Priestley, who will compete in the Infiniti Pro Series for Kelley Racing.