In possibly the biggest surprise class win of the race, Darren Skilton, Long Beach, Calif., won Class 3 in a Jeep Wrangler by defeating the Ford Bronco of Northern California’s prolific Moss Brothers, Donald and Kenneth who had dominated Class 3, winning six straight in this race and a class record 29 straight SCORE race wins before Saturday. It was Skilton’s fifth class win in the race and first since 2000.

Gavin Skilton, Darren’s brother, gave the Skilton family another class win in the race by winning Stock Mini, marking the first time a Honda Ridgeline has won this race.

Running against a formidable field of 17 starters in Class 5/1600, Mexico’s Marcos Nunez/Norberto Rivera, drove their VW Baja Bug to victory in Class 5/1600. It was their third Class win of the season.

A field of 13 SCORE Lite vehicles, all with VW engines, was won for the first time in this race by Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Dean Bayerle, Poway, Calif./Ramsay El Wardani, San Diego in a Duvel-VW.

In Class 7SX, John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif./Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., won for the third time this season as well as his fourth class win in this race.

Mexico’s Ramon and Tomas Fernandez won Class 11 for the fourth time in five races this year.

In another class win by a Mexican driver, Juan Lopez split driving with Beny Canela, Indio, Calif. in a Ford F-150 to beat a field of nine starters.

Mexico’s Lobasm Yee, Tijuana, Mexico won Class 10 for the second time in a Jimco-Chevy, while the family team of Cisco Bio and Pancho Bio won Class 9 in a Tubular Design-VW.

Several age group motorcycle stars increased their class win totals this year.

In Class 50 (racers 50 years and older), riders Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif., and his teammates Doug Heil, Monrovia, Calif./Mike Sixbery, Bullhead City, Ariz./andy Kirker, Santa Ana, Calif./Paul Needles, Westlake Village, Calif./Robert Hansen, Carson City, Nev., won on a Honda CRF450X.

For O’Neal, the class victory was his eighth career class win in the race, including his seventh in the last four years.

Veteran motorcycle racer Scott Myers became the rider of record, switched teammates and won Class 30 for the third time in four years. Riding a Kawasaki KLX450, Myers’ co-riders this year were Shane Esposity, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. and Francisco Septien, Ensenada.

In Class 40, Brett Helm, Poway, led a talented team to victory for the second straight year on a Honda CRF450X. Besides Helm, also riding were Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, Calif., Craig Adams, San Clemente, Calif., Lou Franco, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Jon Ortner, Santa Barbara, Calif. and Bob Johnson, San Diego. Adams has now been part of 12 motorcycle class wins in this event.

In the super veterans Class 60 (riders over 60 years old), Donald Lewis, Marlborough, Conn., led a grizzled team to victory for the second-time in the three-year history of the class on a Honda CRF450X. His riding partners this year were Sam Dempsey, Lake Balboa, Calif./Bob Gates, Hesperia, Calif./Mike Harper, Landers, Calif./Charles Koistra, Menifee, Calif./Will rogers, Escondido, Calif./Dan Doerksen, Oak Hills, Calif.

Other Pro class winners included Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif., (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Guillermo Galvan, Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Mike Shaffer, Dayton, Nev. (Class 17, Jeep Cherokee), Jason Voss, Cupertino, Calif. (ProTruck, Ford F-150) Chad Black, Laguna Hills, Calif. (Class 20, Honda CRF250X) and Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala (Class 21, Honda XR250R). Shaffer and Arredondo both won their classes for the second-straight year.

The special Baja Challenge class for identically-equipped Subaru-powered Baja touring cars that helps introduce crossover racers and celebrities to SCORE desert racing saw all 13 starters finish and was won for the first time by the team led by Chris Kemp, San Clemente, Calif.

The unique Sal Fish SCORE IronRider Award offered to any motorcycle and ATV racer who finished the race while riding entirely solo drew 31 total riders and 18 of them made it to the finish line within the 31-hour time limit.

Sal Fish SCORE IronRider award winners were: Class 22--Jack McCormick, Tempe, Ariz. (19:30:58, Honda XR650R), Gabriel Williams, Provo, Utah (18:30:00, Honda CRF450X); Class 40—Michael Korenwinder, Tulare, Calif. (18:13:11, Yamaha WR450F) (FASTEST SOLO RIDER), Darren Griffiths, Australia (21:34:46, KTM 530EXC), Robert Barnum, Phelan, Calif. (21:40:05, Husqvarna TC510), Steve Corrie, Brush Prairie, Wash. (25:24:42, Honda XR400); Sports Motorcycle Under 250cc--Yoram Lavee, Toluca, Mexico (Israel) (23:19:41, KTM XCFW250), Sportsman Motorcycle Over 250cc—Jeff Martin, Bakersfield, Calif. (19:59:29, KTM 525XC), Brady Van Matre, Lafayette, Colo. (23:28:24, KTM 300EXC), John Crowley, Flagstaff, Ariz. (25:15:03, Honda CRF450X), Davy Patterson, Ireland (25:29:13, Honda CRF450X), Vernon Smith, Lakewood, Wash. (27:12:30, KTM 450EXC), Laurent Lazard, Uruguay (28:30:28, KTM XC525), Ken Kosiorek, San Diego (28:34:18, Honda XR650R), Robbie McAlerney, Ireland (30:24:59, Honda CRF450X), Graham Wilson, Ireland (30:25:25, Honda CRF450X); Sportsman ATV—Yoav Regev, Phoenix (Israel) (25:23:25, Honda TRX450X), Josh Hogan, Livermore, Calif. (28:02:50, Suzuki LTR450)

The fastest Sportsman 4-wheel vehicle was led by driver of record Bob Land, Lake Forest, Calif., (SPT Truck, Jeep Cherokee) while the fast Sportsman motorcycle team was led by Bill Gilbert, Ladera Ranch, Calif. (SPT M/C>250cc.