Andy McMillin, Larry Roeseler, Pat O’Keefe and Tyler McQuarrie Race Recaps and Interviews for “DUST2GLORY”
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico – The season finale of the four-race 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship ended Sunday, November 20, with overall winners Rob MacCachren and Jason Voss in the spotlight, defeating 270 starters in cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads. Among 31 starters in the SCORE Trophy Truck division, Safecraft’s Andy McMillin and Larry Roeseler in Trophy Truck No. 31, placed seventh in class and seventh overall four-wheel to finish, while Tyler McQuarrie and Pat O’Keefe pushed Truck No. 20 to the limit by running NeXgen Fuel’s NEXDIESEL Renewable Diesel—the first time in racing history – in a new V6 Ecodiesel engine.
This year’s SCORE World Desert Championship was a loop race that started and finished in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, 65 miles south of the U.S. Border at San Diego. Through a beautiful and often treacherous desert landscape, over boulders or miles of dirt coupled with extreme temperatures, drivers are mentally and physically challenged as they race across vehicle-destroying terrain. The Baja 1000 is truly one of the world’s toughest and grueling races known to man. It is an experience like no other, which has captivated award-winning documentary filmmaker Dana Brown in the latest film, due out mid-2017, entitled “Dust2Glory.” The documentary is a sequel which chronicles all four races in the 2016 SCORE Desert Championship featuring interviews with Andy McMillin, Larry Roeseler, Pat O’Keefe and Tyler McQuarrie.
Here’s a post-race recap:
ANDY McMILLIN: “At race mile 122 in the wash area, I took the wrong line where I hadn’t pre-run and I hit a big rock and tore out the drive shaft. I ended up putting a hole in the bottom of the transmission oil pan. We had to bring in a transmission and we got moving again after about an hour.”
LARRY ROESELER: “Finishing the SCORE Baja 1000 is a huge accomplishment for everybody. You never really conquer Baja. You maybe win a few and maybe finish a few but it is a tough race. We were battling the dust and after the sun went down there wasn’t any wind so that made it really tough trying to come through the traffic. When you come off the hills and see the lights of Ensenada it is a great feeling.”
PAT O’KEEFE: “I was finally able to fulfill a life-long dream, which was to race in the Baja 1000. I drove the start until road mile 210 with no issues. The experience is something I will never forget. It was a bittersweet race for me as we did not get the finish the truck deserved but that is Baja. There was so much work put into the building of this truck and it was only completed a few days before the race. The truck had less than 100 miles of testing on it prior to the start, so the fact that it ran flawlessly is a true testament to the team of builders. We identified some changes that need to be made to make it even more competitive but the durability of the V6 Ecodiesel engine and the fuel economy exceeded our expectations. We will be back stronger next race.”
TYLER MCQUARRIE: “This was my first Baja 1000 and it was truly life changing! I’ve always heard how Baja is the ultimate challenge and I can now say with experience that statement is 100% true! I got in the NeXgen Trophy truck at mile 210 and I got into a groove and everything was going to plan. Around mile marker 355 we lost the Steering Servo and we had to drive 20 miles with no power steering to our closest pit. It took about an hour to fix and we were on our way. At mile marker 410 we got into a complete “dust out” with zero visibility which resulted in us ending up in a big ditch and this ultimately ended our race. We may have not finished our first Baja 1000 but we gained a massive amount of experience and knowledge that we will carry onto the next race!”
The 2016 SCORE Baja 1000 is scheduled to be televised in a 2-hour special on the CBS Network on Sunday, December 25, 9 pm ET. (Subject to change, check local listings)
“Dust2Glory” is scheduled for release mid-2017.
About DUST2GLORY
From award-winning documentary filmmaker Dana Brown, Dust2Glory will chronicle each of the four races in the 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship. Brown’s original Dusty to Glory, released in 2005, became an iconic classic showcasing the legendary SCORE Baja 1000. Now, D2G, which began shooting at last year’s SCORE Baja 1000, and is continuing up close and personal coverage capturing the robust racers in their amazing adventures in Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula through all four spectacular 2016 races ending with this year’s 49th SCORE Baja 1000. It is scheduled for theatrical release in mid-2017.