A video surfaced where it appears Vildosola is being creative in making a repair or an adjustment to his truck while moving on the highway. Highway pitting is illegal and an instant DQ. A second video showing Vildosola plowing through the spectator camp and shade canopy after missing a turn. A statement supposedly made by Tavo Vildosola on a forum (not confirmed but supposedly he made same statements in a radio show about "fans" tempering with his truck driving 50 or so mph on highway) ((yea right! add liar to the list)) What the SCORE rulebook says: SCORE International’s 2006-2010 Off-Road Racing Rules & Regulations Book (“SCORE Rule Book”). Rule GPT8 states: “All pits must be at least fifty feet (50’) off the edge of the race course. No pit may be in the first fifty feet (50’) leading into and the first one hundred feet (100’) leading out of any turn.” Rule GPT9 states, “All pit services must be done while the race vehicle is at a complete stop. Vehicle may not be serviced while in motion, either under its own power, while being towed, and/or on a trailer. Pit services are to include fueling, tire changes, and/or any other services performed on the race vehicle. SCORE Rule Book 2006-2010: GPT3, Page 20: Any pit vehicle running on or near the race course that is endangering the entrants, race officials, or spectators, could call for the disqualification of the particular vehicle for which they are servicing or pitting. No pit vehicle may follow or lead a race vehicle on the race course. GPT9, Page 20: All pit services must be done while race vehicle is at a complete stop. Vehicle may not be serviced while in motion, either under its own power, while being towed, and/or being transported in or on a trailer. Pit services are to include fueling, tire changes, and/or any other services performed on the race vehicle. Some guideline of penalties levied to competitors (these guidelines are a minimum only). GP3, Page 18, 19: (5) Traveling backward on the race course. Race or support vehicles. ***Disqualification (10) Illegal stationary pit or illegal support crew violation. ***One position (11) Pitting in a restricted area. *** Disqualification (12) Reckless driving or endangerment of support crews, officials and/or spectators by support crews or race vehicles. A statement supposedly made by Tavo Vildosola on a forum (not confirmed but supposedly he made same statements in a radio show about "fans" tempering with his truck driving 50 or so mph on highway) ((yea right!)) The simple truth behind this video is that we have no reason to pit on the highway, risk our chances of winning our second Baja 1000 & defrauding the fans by doing something like this. This truck was not part of the Vildosola Racing chase crew, pit crew or otherwise. If we had an issue, where we needed to stop, prior to this happening we had our second pit (next to BFG) on the Puertecitos Highway section. Again, why would I risk breaking, a well known rule, which we have been accused of before (2011 Baja 500) pitting on the highway...These fans pulled in-front of us while we were running down the highway, Javi and I thought they were taking pictures, once we realized they were messing with our front bumper, I tried to move left but the other truck had boxed us in. Plus the guy was grabbing our front bumper, If we would have broken or swerved, then he would have fallen and as many of you describe, the situation would have been 1,000,000 times worst. As you can tell, on the video, as they are pulling away, the guy in Spanish is saying "go, go, go"!!! They were definitely trying to do something...Our next pit was at Coco's, we have video evidence that we stopped there to check what these guys had tried to do... Vildosola Racing does not have a history of cheating, we have never cheated and would never risk a Baja 1000 by pitting on the highway, I would have just stopped at our the Puertecitos pit a couple of miles before... We will be on radio tonight addressing the same questions about our indisputable win at the Baja 1000
I have officially contacted Sal Fish (president), Paul Fish (VP) and Oscar Ramos (Mexican Liason) to see what Score International's official response to the breach in rules. I guess we'll have to wait and see if they review or just sweep it under the carpet. http://www.score-international.com/contact.aspx
SCORE has completely reviewed all available evidence relevant to the Trophy Truck class protest submitted by #97 BJ Baldwin against #21 Gustavo Vildosola, Jr. The protest alleges that the #21 race vehicle performed a pit service on the highway in violation of SCORE rules within Speed Zone 4 on Highway 5 south of Puertecitos. A video indicates that a black pickup truck with two male occupants moved directly in front of the #21 race vehicle on the highway and one of the occupants crawled out the sliding rear window and into the open bed. This person reached out and made physical contact with the #21 race vehicle in order to manipulate the front lightbar by using both hands with the intention of adjusting it upward into the correct position. This person then attempted to adjust the lightbar upward with a metal leverage tool. The #21 Vildosola race team responded to these allegations by stating that the black truck and its occupants were not associated with Vildosola Racing, but could have been fans trying to help out. SCORE is unable to conclusively determine whether the black truck occupants were in fact associated with the pit support team of Vildosola Racing, but this issue is not relevant to a resolution of the protest. The issue to be resolved is whether the #21 race vehicle received a pit service from the black truck occupants by allowing and accepting their actions. Receiving assistance from spectators, fans, locals, and other pit teams has always been a part of SCORE Baja racing, but such assistance must be performed within the rules. SCORE believes the video provides sufficient evidence to conclude that the #21 race vehicle allowed, accepted and received a pit service on the highway. The SCORE rulebook defines a pit service as any service performed on the race vehicle. Therefore, attempting to adjust a lightbar is a pit service. The fact that the pit service in question may have been unsuccessful, and therefore accomplished nothing, is irrelevant. Since the 2009 SCORE Baja 500, three competitors have been penalized 90 minutes each for pitting on the highway, so in accordance with this past precedent the #21 race team will be penalized 90 minutes. The 2012 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Trophy Truck results will be adjusted and finalized as follows: 1 - BJ Baldwin - 20:00:59 2 - Mark Weyrich - 20:14:48 3 - Ryan Arciero - 20:37:46 4 - Dan McMillin - 20:38:25 5 - Steve Strobel - 20:39:05 6 - Andy McMillin - 20:43:41 7 - Bryce Menzies - 21:08:03 8 - Gustavo Vildosola, Jr. - 21:15:00 9 - Nick Vanderway - 21:43:38 10 - Sergio Salgado - 21:52:29 11 - Pete Sohren - 22:37:20 12 - Juan C.Lopez - 22:56:36 13 - Tim Herbst - 23:32:23 14 - Cameron Steele - 23:52:42 15 - Jose Flores - 24:07:18 16 - Rob MacCachren - 24:31:49 17 - Jimmy Nuckles - 24:44:28 18 - Armin Schwarz - 31:06:16 19 - Mike Voudouris - 36:32:47 20 - Jay Reichert - 38:16:24 21 - Chris Kemp - 39:48:38 22 - Glenn Greer - 43:21:28 http://www.score-international.com/...ing_In_Baldwin_Against_Vildosola_Protest.aspx
I'm sure Redbull is really happy with what a 2 minute pit fix cost them, let alone public embarrassment. I know Monster is laughing all the way to the bank.
It is funny when you think of all the things that probably went on behind the scenes around this. So they probably radioed ahead saying they needed to fix the light bar, then the pit crew is trying to decide what to do since they can't risk any time at all. Knowing they can't stop and loose time and it is illegal to do a moving pit on the highway and certain things would be way too obvious with a big Red Bull logo support vehicle....a decision is made!....lets find some locals with a truck who want to make some cash! So discretely (probably not so), waving a fist full of cash they head off to a camp and find some willing individuals. Plans are made with an interpreter. Then the gentlemen in the black truck head off into the desert headed to a rendezvous point on the highway. This is all a big deal in this neck of the woods. So they decide, since they already have the cash in hand, that all this needs to be recorded so all the people in town will believe they didn't steal the money or that they got paid by the cartel to knock someone off....and they want more cash. Another car follows with a cell phone. Pictures are taken. The car then drives directly to the #97 pit crew. More cash is exchanged. I think that's what happened. Here is more help from the locals. Different team and legal...I believe. View: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lGimPDZe44Q
Haha, yea, I think you are right. Those guys were part of the pit crew actually. They weren't just driving by... They were getting out of the rear window long before making it to the front of the race truck, obviously in radio contact with the car/pit crews. Got the inside scoop from some friends of mine who raced this year. This isn't the first time Vildosola has cheated, guess he figured that he could get away with it again.
