Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Henderson saves race, moves it to December

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004 | 10:01 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.

The City of Henderson is well on its way to establishing itself as the off-road racing capital of the United States.

Officials from the Henderson Convention and Visitors Bureau have saved their 2-year-old desert race, formerly known as the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250, by moving the race from July to December this year and shifting sanctioning bodies from SCORE International to the Best in the Desert Racing Association.

The HCVB also is continuing to talk with SCORE about running a non-points event, possibly a stadium-style race at Sam Boyd Stadium, as soon as 2005, according to the Bud Pico, manager of tourism and sales for the HCVB.

Henderson's 250-mile off-road race was taken off the SCORE schedule this year after record temperatures approaching 120 degrees made the first two races uncomfortable for competitors and spectators alike and a suitable replacement date could not be found.

The Henderson's Terrible 300 Desert Race tentatively is scheduled for Dec. 2-5, with the actual race being held on Saturday, Dec. 4 in the Eldorado Valley between Henderson and Boulder City. In addition to extending the race to 300 miles, this year's race will include motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles and the course will be shortened from 80 miles to between 45 and 50.

"The Henderson's Terrible 300 will be run in relatively the same area as last year, but with some modifications to the course," Pico said. "We're going to change the spectator area of the course so the motorcycles and ATVs can run and we're shortening the course so the spectators can see the vehicles more often.

"We're making these changes to try to make this race as fan-friendly as possible."

The Best in the Desert Racing Association, headed by Casey Folks, runs a six-race series that includes such off-road races as the Parker 425 in Parker, Ariz., The Terrible's Town 250 in Pahrump and the TSCO Vegas to Reno, which is the longest desert race in the United States.

Pico said that the switch from SCORE to Best in the Desert to produce and sanction the event does not mean that the city's association with SCORE International and president Sal Fish was in jeopardy. SCORE produced and sanctioned the first two Henderson off-road races.

"That relationship is stronger than ever," Pico said. "Sal Fish has always been very gracious and the new association with Best in the Desert gives us the opportunity to have the best of both worlds.

"We're still working (with SCORE) on another type of event outside of their points system but that idea is so new and in the works that we don't have an announcement on that just yet."

Johnson, Robby Gordon, Casey Mears and Las Vegas' Brendan Gaughan each got their starts in racing in the deserts of Southern Nevada, Southern California and Mexico.

Both Gordon and Gaughan drove in last year's Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and Gordon is scheduled to compete in the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race on Feb. 28, which is on off weekend for the Nextel Cup Series.

Ragland, a veteran desert racer from Phoenix, is a three-time class winner in San Felipe and he will be the driver of record in the Las Vegas-based Collins Motorsports Chevy Silverado Trophy Truck. Ragland will split driving time with team owner Brian Collins, who is also a three-time San Felipe winner.

Feldkamp, from Redlands, Calif., will be the first starter in Class 1 for unlimited open-wheel desert racecars.

The 36th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in June will start and finish in Ensenada and November's season-ending 37th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 peninsula run, will start in Ensenada and end in LaPaz.