Charlotte, NC (November 16, 2009) – Following the Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, Robby Gordon and the No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires team will return to the Baja Peninsula for the 42nd running of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, November 19-22. The race marks the fifth and final competition in the SCORE International Off-Road Racing Series 2009 championship.

After winning two of the first four events in the No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Trophy Truck, Gordon enters the Baja 1000 with a comfortable lead in both the Trophy Truck division and the Overall SCORE Desert Series championship standings. However, before being awarded the trophy, Gordon will have to overcome stiff competition from 337 other competitors who are entering the Baja 1000 to represent 39 U.S. States and 14 countries. The field will include at least 35 entrants for the Trophy Truck division, in which Gordon competes.

The Baja 1000 will take place over a 672.85-mile course, with the competition both beginning and ending in Ensenada, Mexico. The trophy truck class is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. PST on Friday, November 20th. The vehicles leave the grid in 30-second increments for the timed event, which is expected to take the fastest competitors approximately 14 hours to complete.

While Robby Gordon is racing his No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Trophy Truck across the Baja Peninsula, the Robby Gordon Motorsports team will be working with Matt Crafton to prepare the No. 7 MAPEI / Menards Camry for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Crafton is set to practice and qualify Gordon’s Camry throughout the weekend. Gordon will then arrive at 1.5-mile oval in Florida to compete in the 400-mile event at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 22.

“I’m very excited for the Baja 1000 this year,” said Gordon. “I love this race, and I’ve made it a goal to compete in the Baja 1000 throughout my NASCAR career, even when I wasn’t able to run the entire SCORE schedule. My family’s background is in off-road racing, and I started my career competing in off-road events. The Robby Gordon Off-Road team has done a great job making the No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Trophy Truck competitive for all the events this year, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to bring home strong finish in the Baja 1000. This is a very tough and physical event. All we have to do to clench the championship is to finish the race. However, last year only 2/3 of the entrants finished the race, so it isn’t as easy as it sounds. I trust that my guys built the best truck out there, and we’ll be able to drive the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires trophy truck to championship.

Race Coverage – Approximately 250,000 fans are expected to watch the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in person along the 672.85-mile course. For those fans that cannot watch the race live, NBC Sports will air a one-hour special on a delayed basis covering the 2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The broadcast will be shown in association with SCORE and Aura360. The special will air on NBC at 2:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, December 19, 2009.