Trophy-Truck Debut Is Simon’s to Savor

Professional off-road racing has taken on a new look this season.

Racing vehicles, built to look like trucks but to run like desert buggies, became so dominant in SCORE International open competition in recent years that officials created a new division for them. They will even have their own races, shorter than the regular events.

The factory-backed Trophy-Truck class made its debut Thursday as Part I of the 21st annual Parker 400 race in the Arizona desert, adjacent to the Colorado river--the opening event of the SCORE season. All other classes will make up Part II today.

Paul Simon of Fallbrook, driving a Ford, won the 215-mile truck race by seven minutes over Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas, also in a Ford. Thirteen drivers, the cream of off-road racing, were entered. Simon averaged 57.06 m.p.h. for the 3-hour 46-minute ride.

“We started in front and didn’t see anyone the whole way,” said Simon, who also won the 1992 Baja 1000 while driving with his brother David. “It was a definite advantage starting first. We were going 135 (m.p.h.) down the graded road.”

Heavily favored Ivan Stewart finished 10th after his Toyota suffered two mechanical breakdowns, a broken suspension part early in the going and a broken rear axle later. Last year, the veteran Alpine, Calif., driver won the Parker race and then swept the Baja 500, Nevada (formerly the Mint) 400 and the Baja 1000 while driving solo.

“We had the new-car blues,” Stewart said. “We were trying out a new chassis and sometimes you have to expect little problems like that. I’ll say this, though. I don’t like these sprint races. It was more like a big stadium race than a desert race.”

The trucks were scheduled Thursday to accommodate drivers and crewmen who were also planning to race tonight in the Mickey Thompson stadium race in Anaheim Stadium. However, that event has been postponed to Feb. 12 because of earthquake damage to the stadium.

Indy car driver Robby Gordon had a bad day all around. First, he was disqualified for driving at a high speed in an unauthorized area Wednesday, but after a hearing he was let off with a $5,000 fine and a year’s probation. Driving his own Ford truck, Gordon failed to finish and left without comment to catch a plane for Naples, Fla., where he is scheduled to test one of Derrick Walker’s Lola-Ford Cosworth Indy cars today and Sunday.

Three competitors in the Trophy-Truck race will demonstrate how closely the trucks resemble buggies by taking off the panels and racing the stripped-down trucks in the Class 1 race for unlimited buggies today. The three are Jim Smith of Garden Grove, winner of the 1992 Parker 400; Danny Letner of Orange, at 66 the oldest driver in the race and 1989 Parker winner; and Bob Richey of Corona.

The race will begin and end at the Blue Water Marina in Parker, Ariz.

Motor Racing Notes

INDY CARS--Former Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, who lost his ride with Chip Ganassi’s team when Michael Andretti decided to return from Formula One, has signed with Sal Incandela to drive a Lola-Ilmor for the Indy Regency team. Luyendyk was the pole-winner at last year’s 500. . . . Another former 500 winner, Danny Sullivan, will try NASCAR Winston Cup racing after losing his sponsor, Molson Breweries, and his ride with Galles Racing. Sullivan, who won the Detroit Grand Prix last year, will drive in selected races--not the Daytona 500--with Felix Sabates’ team.

STOCK CARS--Kern County Raceway officials at Willow Springs have canceled Sunday’s KCR Challenge winter series program because of problems related to the earthquake. Also canceled is next Saturday’s race. The series will resume Feb. 13. . . . IMCA modifieds will run tonight at Imperial Raceway near El Centro. Western regional champion Scott Pounds of Bakersfield is slated to drive.

DRAG RACING--The Budweiser Warm-Up at Bakersfield Raceway--a final tuneup before the Chief Winternationals open the National Hot Rod Assn. season in two weeks at the Pomona Raceway--is scheduled for this weekend. Side-by-side testing for top fuel and funny cars is scheduled at noon today and Sunday. . . . MOTOCROSS--Jeremy McGrath, who won a record 10 races in his first Supercross season, is back at it. The Honda rider from Murietta won the Camel Supercross season opener last week in Orlando, Fla., and also won the prestigious Golden Cup Supercross in Fukuoka City, Japan, during the off-season. Supercross riders will be at Anaheim Stadium on Jan. 29 and Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego on Feb. 5. No races are scheduled this year for either the Coliseum or Rose Bowl.