SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1186466
The Hammerhead Jimco’s latest Class 1 race vehicle design is a mid-engine masterpiece By Dan Sanchez Photos Courtesy of Jimco Racing Looking back at the history of off-road racing, the vehicles built to challenge the Baja terrain have advanced far beyond what the early pioneers had ever envisioned. One of the most popular vehicles in Baja racing has been the buggy, a vehicle that dates back to the first Baja 1000 in 1967 when Vic Wilson and Ted Mangels won the race in a 2WD Meyers Manx. As these vehicles ultimately turned into the modern Class 1 buggy, their speed, lightweight, and incredible suspension travel continue to make them one of the fastest and most competitive of all of SCORE’s pro classes. The latest evolution of the buggy comes from Jimco, who grafted a SCORE Trophy Truck front-end onto the company’s Champion series chassis. They call it the Hammerhead. For those SCORE fans who remember the Herbst Landshark which also competed in Class 1, and dominated it for many years, the Jimco Hammerhead is quite different. The Hammerhead uses a new mid-engine Class 1 chassis that, according to Jimco, improves handling with a better center of gravity. The durable Trophy Truck front-end gives the Hammerhead increased durability, wheel travel, steering capability and longer front trailing arms. According to Jimco, this gives the Hammerhead design increased “forward bite” and improved traction over standard buggy trailing arms. For teams like Wilson Motorsports and its driver Brad Wilson, he’s currently the guy to beat in the SCORE Class 1 division and is proving that the Jimco Hammerhead is showing its dominance in a sea of dirt and sand. The buggy was finished back in March of last year but has been fine-tuned over thousands of Baja miles to be at the top of the Class 1 division and heading towards another championship for the Wilson team. What Makes A Hammerhead The mid-engine chassis weighs in at 4,900 lbs. and has a 125-inch wheelbase, with a track-with of 92-inches. The Wilson team added a Wiks Racing V8 and a Fortin five-speed sequential transmission connected to RCV 934 axles and CV Joints. The Hammerhead chassis has 22-inches of front and rear suspension travel and is equipped with King Shocks that control the 40-inch BFGoodrich Tires Baja T/A KR3 tires mounted to 17-inch Method Race wheels. A set of Brembo calipers, 14-inch rotors, and Tilton pedals brings everything to a halt. Of course, no Jimco vehicle would be complete without an interior filled with safety components such as Impact HS1 seats and Impact Safety harnesses. Driver Brad Wilson can communicate with his team via the PCI Race Radio Kenwood 50w system and navigate the Baja course with a Lowrance GPS system. As the Wilson team steer their Jimco Hammerhead Class 1 vehicle towards a 2019 SCORE Class 1 championship, it’s exciting to see these vehicles continue to evolve. Considering off-road fans have considered Class 1 vehicles at the top of their game, it’s amazing that there’s more performance to be found and watch how the SCORE Baja races continue to be the proving grounds for advancing vehicle design and capability. SJ SPECS: Chassis: Jimco Hammerhead Class 1 Mid-Engine Weight: 4,900 lbs. /2,223 kg Wheel Base: 125” /3,175mm Track Width: 92” / 2,336mm Engine: Wiks Aluminum Small Block V8 Drivetrain: Fortin 5-Speed Sequential Gearbox, RC 934 CV Joints & Axles Fuel Cell: Jimco Custom Aluminum with Pyrotect Bladder Wheels: 17” Method Race Wheels Tires: BFGoodrich Tires Baja T/A KM3, 40” Brakes: Brembo Front Suspension: Jimco Trophy Truck, King Shocks Rear Suspension: Jimco Hybrid, King Shocks