SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1420514
A TRIPLE RIDE Shane Redline And The 22x Team Win Pro Moto Unlimited By Mike Vieria Photos by Get Some Photo Shane Redline had a very busy 2nd SCORE Baja 400 Presented by VP Racing Fuels, with a win as the rider of record in the Pro Moto Unlimited Class 22x team, and a stretch at the wheel of the No. 66 SCORE Trophy Truck. If that wasn’t enough, he then piloted his helicopter to monitor his 16-year-old son Jax’s progress, who was in his own No. 22 SCORE Trophy Truck, for the later part of the race. Redline and his son started the SCORE Baja 400 race week driving their separate Geiser Brothers-built trucks pre-running, comparing notes, and enjoying the course. Eventually Shane Redline started the race on his Honda 450X, handed the bike over to his teammates, and made his way back home for some additional sleep, and got ready for his start in the SCORE Trophy Truck. After about 230 miles in the truck, Travis Clarke took the driver’s seat, and Shane used his piloting skills to fly his helicopter over the course to follow Jax to the finish. Meanwhile the 22X motorcycle riding team of Chris Phillips, Larry Serna, Brando Prieto, and Philip Herrera were doing extremely well. They had stayed close to the lead and crossed the finish in second place. Penalties assessed against the 5X team of Colton Udall and Derek Ausserbauer, however, gave the 22x team the win. Although Redline and his team did not file a complaint, a video showed that a service vehicle for the 5X team had blocked riders during the race, and so the penalty was added. “Colton Udall took me to Baja for my first time on a dirt bike, and so I respect the guy,” says Redline. “Plus, he’s a friend of mine. I called and told him, we’re not protesting. I haven’t seen the video, but you guys won. Safety is first with SCORE, however, and when they saw the video, they felt there had to be a consequence and issued them a two-minute penalty, and that’s how we won.” That win puts Redline and the 22x team in the points lead for the season and makes the upcoming 54th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts an important focus for them. An effort that originally started as just a way for some riders to have fun has turned into a serious, competitive team in pursuit of the championship– but, of course, still having fun in the process. In the SCORE Trophy Truck, alternator problems about 90 miles into the race delayed Redline’s progress and caused him to lose about twenty minutes while making repairs. Beyond that, the team was able to complete the race without any other issues, giving them a seventeenth-place finish. His son, Jax, running the same package of Toyo Tires, KMC Wheels, and King Shocks, avoided any mechanical problems, but unlike his dad’s motorcycle team, penalties worked against him to move him from a third-place finish to a tenth-place slot for not parking far enough off the course during a pit. For the SCORE Baja 1000, Jax Redline has a choice of starting sixth and staying in the hunt for points under his name, or joining teammate Alan Ampudia in an attempt to win the race, with Alan getting the points and probably the glory. “We let him make the choice, and he told us that he is starting third and going for the win,” said Redline. “People will know who drives that truck, and hey, the kid is sixteen. He knows what he can do.” The quest for the Pro Moto Unlimited championship and the sheer length of the SCORE Baja 1000 will keep Redline’s efforts confined to his two-wheeled efforts in that race. When asked if he’d consider doing the dual competition again of motorcycle and SCORE Trophy Truck, he responded, “Oh, absolutely! It’s so much fun. It’ll probably happen all next year, as long as there’s enough time for me to get back to the start.” Using the helicopter saves time and avoids trouble on the road. It might be an option for him, but he says, “It’s not legal to use the helicopter to your advantage. We don’t know if it would be illegal to use it to get back to the start, but we have to ask those questions for next year.” Redline has also used the helicopter to give rides to orphans at the Estero Beach Children’s Day. “We just love giving back to Mexico,” he says. “It’s so surreal. Five years ago, we were racing a UTV, and now my kid is racing a SCORE Trophy Truck! We’re just having a great time, we’re just so grateful that we get to do it. We love Baja– we love SCORE. Motorcycles, SCORE Trophy Trucks, and helicopters in one day, how much better can it get?” See more of Shane Redline’s stats on SCORE Fan Pages.