Too hot to handle

Monday, July 14, 2003 | 9:37 a.m.

It has all the ingredients to become the premier off-road race in the world: A challenging course that covers virtually every conceivable type of terrain, a $500,000 purse and its close proximity to the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Now all the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 desert race needs is a suitable date.

Although off-road racers will insist that the elements -- such as the record-high temperatures that scorched the Eldorado Dry Lake Bed for Saturday's second annual race -- are as much a part of their sport as the sometimes unforgiving desert terrain, a mid-July race date may be the only thing that keeps this race from earning the legendary status of the Baja 1000 or the defunct Mint 400 among race fans.

Crowds for Saturday's race appeared to be down from last year's inaugural event, although one SCORE official said preliminary estimates put the number of spectators "at or slightly more than" the 17,000 who attended the 2002 event.

And although Sal Fish, president and CEO of SCORE International, agreed that the heat may have deterred fans from attending the race, he said his hands are somewhat tied when it comes to shifting the date to another time of the year.

SCORE sanctions six desert races a year, roughly one every other month from the Laughlin Desert Challenge in January to the Baja 1000 in November. Fish maintains that most race teams need two months between races to properly prepare their vehicles, so simply moving the Henderson race to the spring or fall is not an option.

"That's tough because there's only 12 months in the year," Fish said. "Plus, we have traditional dates that we can't move. It would be foolish to move a 30-year event (like the Baja 1000) or a 25-year event."

Because the Henderson's Terrible 250 is sponsored by the cities of Henderson and Boulder City, in conjunction with Herbst Gaming, SCORE also has to put the event on at a time when the local hotels are experiencing a slow period.

"We could have the greatest race in the world in the spring or in the fall, but we're governed by the hotels," said Bud Pico, manager of tourism and sales with the Henderson Convention Center and Visitors Bureau. "That's who pays for our budget and it's really up to them on whatever dates that Sal is able to provide us and what dates they're willing to accept.

"It doesn't do us any good to put an event on during a time period that (the hotels) would sell out anyway."

Fish toyed with the idea of running the event at night this year but he said he does not consider that an option for future Henderson races because of logistical problems. Pico said he was not against running a night race although he acknowledged doing so might negatively impact attendance.

"(A night race) is still a great possibility ... and that's something we need to talk more about," Pico said. "Now that we've experienced two (races) and we see that it wasn't a fluke that it was hot ... it's something we're definitely willing to look at (but) it would eliminate probably half the spectators we have out here and we really want to make this a spectator sport."

Because this year's race used a more challenging 79.4-mile course as opposed to last year's 50-mile circuit, virtually every driver who completed the three-lap race Saturday raved about the course despite the toll the 120-degree temperatures took on the participants.

Rob MacCachren, a longtime local off-road racer who finished third in the Trophy Truck division with truck owner Gus Vildosola, agreed that the race date should be moved -- but not because of the heat.

"I really think that this course has the potential to become prestigious," MacCachren said. "This is a true test -- you have the element of the heat and the course being so difficult that you're going to really be something to win this race. I see it becoming one of the bigger events that SCORE has as the years go on.

"I think if they keep refining the time, maybe even the time of year -- maybe even move it back to July 4 weekend ... it could really be something special. The thing that's really good about Vegas is the potential to draw people; it's hard to get the (sponsors) to come to Primm or San Felipe (Mexico), but Las Vegas, on the Fourth of July weekend ... I do think that this could become something special."

Ed Herbst, who teamed with brother Tim to capture both the overall and Trophy Truck titles Saturday, was overcome by the heat as he pulled his team's Ford F-150 into the winner's circle and conceded that it might be wise to move the race from its mid-July date. Herbst's family owns Herbst Gaming -- which co-sponsors the race -- as well as the Terrible Herbst Oil Company.

"I think we're going to work on a new date, maybe," Herbst said. "We're happy with it right now, but we'll think about it.

"This was a wonderful race and an exciting race week of special events -- something our sport really needs. Herbst Gaming was proud to help sponsor the race but it was Sal Fish and his amazing SCORE staff and Bud Pico and his dedicated Henderson Convention Bureau teammates who really did all the work."

Fish admitted that there was still work to be done to grow the Henderson's Terrible 250 into a world-class event.

"This is a hell of a challenging event for SCORE itself, for the racers and for the spectators," Fish said. "I guess we've got to put on our thinking caps and pass it around with the racers and see what we can do here to improve this event."

"We're going to sit down with (officials from) Henderson and Boulder City after this event and really look at the best way to present this event."