OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Oshkosh Corporation announced today its first participation in the 43rd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race Nov. 18-20 in Mexico. The Oshkosh Extreme Racing team will run its Light Concept Vehicles (LCV) through the rugged 1,061-mile desert course from Ensenada to La Paz.

Oshkosh engineers have designed the LCV to incorporate the company’s latest advancements in off-road suspension and diesel-electric powertrain performance. The Oshkosh Extreme Racing team will be racing two vehicles in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 as part of its rigorous testing protocol.

“Oshkosh engineers are dedicated to producing the most advanced vehicle technologies for a variety of highly-specialized industries,” said Chris Yakes, Oshkosh Corporation vice president of Advanced Products Engineering and Oshkosh Extreme Racing team member. “In pursuit of next-generation technologies for future fleets, we’ve been testing our concept vehicles in remote locations in the United States, and we are now competing in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 – our most intense challenge to date. We are excited about this opportunity.”

The LCV includes the next-generation of TAK-4® independent suspension systems. The new system expands on the Oshkosh patented TAK-4 suspension by increasing off-road mobility, improving vehicle maneuverability and providing a smoother ride. The Oshkosh ProPulse® diesel-electric powertrain design delivers improved fuel economy and can export significant levels of electrical power.

“Oshkosh got its start as a developer of severe-duty four-wheel drive trucks, so it is only fitting that it competes its latest concept vehicle in the most extreme off-road race – the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000,” said Sal Fish, SCORE International’s president and CEO, which has sanctioned and produced the event since 1975. “We’ve created a new class for the Oshkosh Extreme Racing Team based on their vehicle’s unique capabilities, weight and dimensions, and look forward to seeing it perform.”

The two Oshkosh Extreme Racing vehicles, numbered M1 and M2 for the race, will be driven by members of California Gold Racing (CGR), led by legendary race mogul Glenn Harris. As a member of the Oshkosh Extreme Racing team, CGR will also provide logistics support, while Oshkosh engineers will manage the pit crews and technical support for the race.

“We’re looking forward to the race and its inherent ability to push our team and the vehicle technologies we’ve developed,” Yakes said. “We expect to learn a lot from this event and will apply those learnings to our ongoing research and development efforts.”

The 43rd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the granddaddy of all desert races, which is the season-finale of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be held on Mexico’s magnificently mysterious Baja California peninsula next Tuesday through Saturday. Massive crowds reaching nearly 250,000 are anticipated to again be spread out along the rugged 1061.69-mile course that travels on both sides of the peninsula as the world’s most famous desert race will start in Ensenada, Baja California and finish all the way down the peninsula in La Paz in Baja California Sur. With over 300 expected entries for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs competing in 33 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs in the internationally televised race, entries have come from 37 U.S. states and 19 countries. SCORE International, the world's foremost desert-racing sanctioning body, is headquartered in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1973 and has been led since soon after that date by Sal Fish, SCORE CEO and President. The organization produces the five-race SCORE Desert Series, with three events held annually in Mexico and two in Southern Nevada.

Oskosh
19.11.2010