SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1420514
CHARGING UP FROM THE REAR The Pro UTV FI Top Three Started From Behind And Found Success By Dan Sanchez, Paul Hanson, and Jose Vazquez Photos by Get Some Photo The tough SCORE Baja 400 course presented problems for every class, but for the 27 racers in the SCORE Pro UTV FI class, only eight were not able to finish. This meant there was lots of competition on the course, especially from Austen Weiland in the No 2954 Can-Am who has won every race this season. Right behind him is Phil Blurton in the No2944 Can-Am and former class champion Brandon Schueler in the No. 2919 Polaris RZR. When the SCORE Baja 400 started, Weiland was at the rear of the pack starting in the 20th position. He managed to work his way up the pack to lead and eventually win the class. It seemed like the winning combination as Blurton managed the same thing, except he began the race second to last and began flying by competitors across the Baja desert. Had he more course to pursue, he could have challenged Weiland for the win but was happy for second place. “It was a fairly uneventful day with just a couple fuel stops,” said Blurton. “No flat tires. We started in the back and worked our way towards the front, just not all the way to win it. The course was rough. We got stuck in the dust a lot. I want to thank my dad, my crew, Can-Am, BFGoodrich Tires, Monster Energy, and Vision Wheels. This is our first year with SCORE and now we’ve done the whole series and are looking forward to the SCORE Baja 1000.” 2019 SCORE Baja 1000 winner Justin Lambert also had a good day, starting in 12th position and dealing with some vehicle issues to finish in third place, with co-driver Victor Herrera. “I gave it to Victor in fifth place in our class and he brought it back to finish third,” said Lambert. “This race is 100 miles shorter than the SCORE Baja 500 but they sure made up for it with the terrain. We had a belt issue, an axle problem, and both a tire and wheel problem. Plus we got stuck in a log jam around race mile 205, but still made it back in third. I want to thank everybody including Monster Energy, Cognito Motorsports, and Polaris. We have one of the best cars out there. We are going to prep for the SCORE Baja 1000.” The win puts Lambert in a great starting position for the SCORE Baja 1000 in November, and has a good chance to win it if he can keep up with Weiland and Blurton, while maintaining his Polaris RZR enough to finish the race. Although Weiland has had a perfect season, the long Peninsula run will make for a fast-paced and rugged course that may change everything in this class.