SCORE Journal

SCORE-Journal-July-2021

SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing

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THE FIRST WIN The Class 1 Victory Was Doubly Sweet For Broc Dickerson Story by Stuart Bourdon photos by Get Some Photo Broc Dickerson pulled off more than one “first” at the BFGoodrich Tire’s 53rd SCORE Baja 500 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts. It was his first Class 1 win as well as his first SCORE Baja 500 win since he began competing in the class more than a year ago. Dickerson and co-driver Cameron Corfman started fifth, but a group of highly competitive and successful Class 1 competitors were ahead of them, which was a hard hill to climb. “We had some fast guys in front of us and weren’t sure what we were going to be able to do,” said Dickerson. “And there wasn’t likely going to be much passing for the first 50 or 60 miles of the race.” By the time Broc got to Ojos Negros, however, he had passed some of the slower SCORE Trophy Trucks and two of the four Class 1 cars in front of him. He was now running third on the course in class. They had clean air heading toward El Alamo, and Dickerson was able to turn up the wick for a while, catching Mason Cullen and later Shelby Reid at his first pit stop. “We were running first on the road by about the 100-mile mark and had our first pit set up about seven miles farther ahead in a speed zone,” he said. “Our crew nailed it and got us back out running upfront. In less than a minute, they refueled the car and changed two tires.” Over The Mountains “We strategize the race a lot before we even start,” said Dickerson. “Our original plan was to take it easy until we got over the mountains. Pushing too hard to catch people through that area with off-camber drop-offs on both sides is not a good idea. A mistake up there could go bad quickly and end your race.” Dickerson was able to stay up front over the top of the mountains through Mikes, El Coyote, and past Rancho Melling. “It was all super technical and the kind of terrain that would easily tear up the car if you pushed too hard,” he said. “We kept up a good pace but were careful going over it, and held on to the physical lead. Once down on the Pacific coast side, we turned it on a bit knowing that Cullen was not very far behind us.” Trouble With Jacks Around race-mile 200, Dickerson came around a tight rocky corner with a little too much sauce and cut a tire sidewall. The onboard jacks failed to work, which made matters worse. Then, the floor jack they carried also failed. Cullen passed by while they were changing the tire with the help of a spectator’s Hi-Lift jack. With no spare and no jacks, Dickerson said he could make good time but couldn’t really light it up until he reached his next pit some 20 miles later. “While in the pit getting a spare tire and jack, Wilson got past us and we were back to third on the road,” said Dickerson. “We soon caught up to Cullen, who was parked with a blown engine. We passed Wilson while he was in his pit at race mile 270 or so, and we took over the lead again.” Dickerson knew he had to beat Wilson on elapsed time but soon learned from one of their spotters that the new jack had fallen off the car. Under Pressure Dickerson had to keep a fast pace while also being patient until his next pitstop at race mile 305. It was there that he said he received another jack and the news they had about a six-minute lead on Wilson. But Baja was not done with the team. About 50 miles later, co-driver Cameron was out of the car and changing their second flat tire on the course. Acknowledging his longtime co-driver Cameron Corfman for playing an essential part in their success, Broc said, “Cameron has been with me for years. He called every corner and was lightning fast with tire changes. When things start to go wrong, he helps keep my head on straight so that I don’t start pushing the car too hard.” Back on the road and leading the pack, Dickerson said he set a quick but cautious pace. “We knew we were in the lead physically and on elapsed time, but this was not the time to make any mistakes. Honestly, the section I found most difficult was that last stretch from Uruapan into the finish. The sun was going down, and the dust was hanging in those hills. With it getting dark and the car’s lights hitting the dust, it was hard to see what was ahead.” “About 10 minutes after we passed the Pepsi stand, it felt like I could relax a little bit when our spotter told us Wilson had yet to come through that point. I think it would have been hard for Wilson to catch us, but not impossible. We went into cruise control mode then, hit all our marks, made no mistakes, and crossed the finish line with enough of a lead to put us in first place (Class 1) and to finish seventh overall.”

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