Hovey captures title in inaugural Henderson SCORE desert race

Sunday, July 14, 2002 | 9:09 a.m.

HENDERSON, Nev. - Chuck Hovey overcame 115-degree temperatures and a rock laden 50.22-mile course Saturday to be the fastest competitor in the inaugural SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250.

"This is the best day of my life," Hovey told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after getting out of his Jimco-Scat unlimited, open-wheel race car.

The 33-year-old from Escondido, Calif., drove the 255-mile race in 4 hours, 49 minutes, 6 seconds at an average speed of 54.37 mph for the five-lap race to earn his first overall SCORE International title.

"I've driven the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 solo, but this was tougher," said Hovey, who began competing in SCORE in 1998.

A crowd of approximately 5,000 turned out for the fourth in the six-race 2002 Optima SCORE Desert Series that had 134 entries, of which 75 finished the race.

Other top overall finishers were Mark Post of Laguna Hills, Calif., second; Wayne Lugo of Chino, Calif., third.

Post, 43, benefited from mechanical problems suffered by some top teams to win the Trophy Truck class. He shared driving duties in his Ford F150 Trophy Truck with Jerry Whelchel of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

In the race for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, Team Honda's Steve Hengeveld shared the riding with Johnny Campbell, and they won the overall and Class 22 titles in 4:33:42 at an average speed of 55.90 mph.

Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal