Ontario, CA (11/12/2009) -
Building on a winning performance in June
at the Baja 500, ITP and parent Carlisle
Tire & Wheel Company will be putting
their products to the ultimate test at the
upcoming Baja 1000. ITP and Carlisle have
partnered with DragonFire Racing to tackle
this historic event in a specially prepared
Kawasaki Teryx. The driving team is composed
primarily of ITP/Carlisle employees, competing
in the UTV Sportsman class. Their car, #1801,
will be using ITP’s rugged BajaCross
tires mounted on ITP’s new T-9 Pro
Mod spun aluminum wheel. This wheel was
developed as a direct result of experience
gained in the Baja 500. Additional backing
for this entry comes from Black Rock off-road
wheels and Ultimax performance belts. A
similar car, #1803, is being fielded by
the same Team Green Kawasaki DragonFire
Racing crew that won the Baja 500. The teams
will share pits, equipment and other resources.
This 42nd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
consists of a rugged 672-mile/1000-kilometer
course that starts and finishes in Ensenada
and travels much of the northern half
of the majestic Baja California peninsula.
More than 275 entries are expected, from
34 states and 12 countries.
The motorcycle and ATV classes will start
their journey at 6:30 a.m. (Friday, Nov.
20) with the car and truck classes starting
at approximately 10:30 a.m., or three
hours after the last ATV leaves the line.
The UTV Sportsman class will be the last
to start, and will certainly have a considerable
amount of night driving in store later
in the event. Vehicles will leave in 30-second
intervals in the elapsed-time race and
the fastest finishers are expected to
complete the course in approximately 13
hours. All vehicles will have a 31-hour
time limit to become official finishers
in the legendary adventure. The ITP/Carlisle
#1801 entry will be carrying a GPS tracking
system, so the team’s progress can
be followed at this web
page.
Pre-race festivities are on Thursday,
Nov. 19, including the vastly popular
tech and contingency of all vehicles and
the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway,
to be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Boulevard
Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico
Cultural Center.
This year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
will be televised on a delayed basis as
a one-hour NBC Sports special, in association
with SCORE and Aura360, for the sixth
consecutive year, scheduled to air at
2 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Dec. 19, on the
NBC Television Network. It will also air
on a delayed basis outside of the U.S.
on ESPN International.
For more information regarding the series,
contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters
818.225.8402 or visit the official website
of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.
For more information on ITP’s BajaCross
tires, T-9 Pro Mod wheels and the complete
line of the brand’s award-winning
products, visit www.itptires.com.
About ITP:
Since 1982, ITP has grown into the world's
#1 ATV aftermarket tire and wheel source,
and continues to provide a complete line
of innovative tires and wheel for virtually
all ATVs and UTVs. To order, contact your
favorite distributor. For a copy of ITP’s
full-color product catalog, call toll-free:
1-800-859-4740. For other inquiries or
technical advice, contact ITP at 930-A
S. Rockefeller Ave., Ontario, CA 91761;
(909) 390-1905. Or visit ITP’s website
at www.itptires.com.