ENSENADA, Mexico — NASCAR veteran and second generation desert racer Brendan Gaughan, brothers Tim Herbst and Troy Herbst and cousins Brian Wilson and Brad Wilson are among the latest entries for next month’s inaugural Lucerna SCORE Baja 400.
Celebrating its 46th year as the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization, the new race will be held Sept. 18-22 in Ensenada, Mexico.
With 66 early entries to date that includes racers from 17 U.S. States, host Mexico, Denmark and Italy, SCORE Trophy Truck leads the way with 24 entries. Entries from the USA include racers from Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Gaughan, 44, has competed in nearly 500 races in his long career in the three top tier NASCAR divisions. This year he has scaled back his NASCAR schedule, having raced in three NASCAR Cup Series races with a high finish of eighth at Talladega and is competing full-time in the unlimited Class 1 in the SCORE World Desert Championship.
Driving the No. 162 South Point Racing Chevy-powered HMS open-wheel desert race car in the unlimited Class 1, Gaughan opened the season with a fifth place finish in the SCORE San Felipe 250 and followed that with an eighth place finish in his class in the SCORE Baja 500. He is currently in fifth place in the Class 1 season points as just three points separate third through fifth place midway through the season.
Both driving Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy Trucks built by their own Herbst/Smith Fabrication in Huntington Beach, Calif., Tim Herbst and Troy Herbst will be among the favorites in the marquee SCORE racing division. Tim Herbst will drive the No. 19 Monster Energy SCORE Trophy Truck while Troy will be behind the wheel of the near-identical No. 54 Monster Energy SCORE Trophy Truck. Troy’s second driver will be Las Vegas’ Pat Dean.
Terrible Herbst Motorsports, founded by late family patriarch and champion desert racer Jerry Herbst, has enjoyed nearly 150 SCORE race wins between Mr. Herbst, oldest brother Ed Herbst, Tim Herbst and Troy Herbst.
Wilson Motorsports has been successfully competing in SCORE desert racing for nearly 40 years and the youngest competitors continue to battle for race wins and season point championships in the SCORE World Desert Championship.
Both driving Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheeled desert race cars, Brian Wilson, 33, drives the No. 138 Jimco while his cousin Brad Wilson, 30, is the driver of the No. 100 Jimco. The cousins have won the Class 1 season point title the last two years with Brian winning it in 2017 and Brad taking the title last year.
This year, Brad Wilson is tied for first in Class 1 points with Justin Davis and Brian is currently in sixth place out of 20 total starters in the class this season.