SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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A CLEAN WIN Jason Alosi And The 97x Team Take Overall Motorcycle And Pro Moto Unlimited Class Win By Larry Saavedra Not since Scot Harden in 1986 has a rider on an iconic Husqvarna motorcycle won the Overall in the SCORE Baja 500. But thanks to Jason Alosi’s Overall Motorcycle and Class Win at the BFGoodrich Tires 53rd SCORE Baja 500 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts, the wait is over for Husky fans everywhere. As the rider of record for 97x, Alosi finished with a time of 11:27:56 minutes on a 2021 Husqvarna FW501, besting the official time of every other motorcycle in the race. He is no newcomer to racing in the desert. He’s been involved with five different Baja races and teams in the past. He also took the Class win in Pro Moto Limited at last year’s SCORE Baja 1000. “This year, I put my own experience and drive to the test as a privateer,” he said. Although he established his team without major support, his win might have never happened because Husqvarna motorcycles were in extremely limited supply. Somehow he managed to pull it off, and that included assembling an experienced group of riders. “My first call was to Wyatt Brittner,” Alosi said. “Wyatt is a solid rider who has good speed and consistency. I knew he would be a good choice. My next call was to Ross Neely, who is a smooth rider and has maturity beyond his years.” With his riders committed, Alosi concentrated on everything else, including getting the parts, equipment, and bikes for pre-running that could withstand the abuse of Baja. “I’ve got to thank my wife for her patience,” he laughed. “She knows it’s my passion. Racing is what drives me.” His love for racing convinced sponsors like Kenda and Nitro Mousse to get on board for the SCORE season. Others like Factory Connection, IMS, Glafer, Fasst Company, and Pro Circuit soon jumped in. Race Day On race day, Alosi saddled up to leave in the fourth position. The plan was for Alosi to take the ride to race marker 105, where he would hand it off to Neely. Brittner picked it up next. The Husky would revert to Neely again at race marker 370, and then Alosi would take it to the finish from race marker 400. “I was a little tentative because I jammed my wrist earlier in the week while pre-running, but it felt ok to race,” he said. “I was able to make passes on the Honda 77x and 22x early in the race and set our sights on the Honda 5x team, who by now had a sizeable lead.” Neely set an incredible pace with minimal issues to keep Husky in contention, according to Alosi. At race marker 225, his pit crew was set up to perform a full-service pit stop to change out both front and rear wheels, a new air filter, check oil, and a quick overall inspection. According to Alosi, the pit stop went well, and Brittner charged through the next 85 miles. Even with a minor fuel issue, the team was holding on to second overall. What ultimately proved to be the winning strategy for the Husky riders was making sure they watched all the speed zones. “There was some early confusion in the speed zones,” he said. “But we never exceeded the speeds we were told to run.” Ultimately the 97x team took second place at the finish, which was later changed to first place because the 5x team incurred penalties. “We had zero infractions and that won it,” Alosi said. “We got the news on that Sunday. While we came away with the win, we learned a lot about how we can improve moving forward.” The next stop for Alosi’s privateer team will be to finish the rest of the SCORE season on top. It will be anyone’s guess as to who comes out on top, but Alosi’s team has proven they are more than capable of taking the prize. SJ All smiles from Alosi (far right) and the team after learning the news that they placed first in class and first overall.