Story By: MIKE MARSAL RACING – BAJA, CA – Mike Marsal will head back south to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico for the 4th ever running of the SCORE Baja 400 presented by VP Racing Fuels.
Halfway through the four-round championship, Marsal currently holds fourth in the SCORE International Championship Trophy Truck Spec point standings.
Having fought back from some early setbacks in the San Felipe 250 and Baja 500, the first two rounds of the season, Marsal is looking to build on the momentum with strong outings in the Baja 400 and season-ending Baja 1000 on board the Spy+ machine.
The return to action marks the end of the traditional SCORE hiatus, with some fifteen weeks since the last race action—June’s Baja 500 where Marsal scored a seventh place finish. During the summer break, Marsal and the Mike Marsal Racing team tested in Lucerne Valley, California for three days to prepare for the upcoming Baja 400.
The Baja 400 is 386.42 miles of high speed dirt trails, sandy and rocky natural terrain, washes, and canyons with stretches along the seashore. The week leading up to the September 16th race will include a qualifying run on Wednesday to determine the starting order for Saturday’s race.
Having a high finishing position at the Baja 400 not only helps with points standings, but the finishing position also determines the starting line up for the final race of the season, the epic BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000 that takes place November 13-18.
During last year’s Baja 400, Marsal and navigator Hudson Hall drove to a seventeenth place finish. Up to this point of the season, the Marsal and Hall duo have scored a fifth and seventh place finish in the team’s second full season competing in the SCORE International Off-Road Series.
“With all of the testing and preparation the team has been doing, it doesn’t feel like there’s been a break at all since the 500,” said Marsal. “We have definitely had some challenges this season but we’ve fought back all the way to the finish each time, and that is key in this championship. Hopefully we have a straightforward run in qualifying to secure a good starting spot with the Spy+ truck and come home with a big result to set us up for the 1000.”
The Baja 400 week kicks off with qualifying Wednesday morning followed by a few days of testing before the race on Saturday.