SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1471169
HITTING THE MARKS Cody Reid Played It Smart And Picked Up The Class 1 Win By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo Over the past few seasons, racers have come to realize that an increased level of competition requires running as perfect a race as possible to win. Knowing any mistake could cost the Class 1 victory at the BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts, Cody Reid was careful to run as clean of a race as possible, especially with the Wilson team and Parkhouse team who were ready to take the win at any opportunity. While the technical course gave some racers a tough challenge, Reid knew that patience and perfection were the winning strategies. “Originally, my mentality was to set a consistent pace up to the summit, then get to racing hard afterward,” said Reid. Originally, Reid was set to co-drive with his mom Shelby, but a family emergency had her heading home, leaving Cody to drive the race solo. “I had run the SCORE Baja 400 last year solo, and I ran 800 miles of the SCORE Baja 1000 too, so this race didn’t seem as bad,” he said. “For me, the course actually didn’t seem as difficult, and once we headed up the summit, we pitched an oil belt but fixed it quickly and got back up and running.” From the start, Reid had a difficult task ahead of him– starting fifth behind some of the fastest guys in Class 1, including Brendan Gaughan. “We caught up to everyone before the summit and by the time we got halfway on the course, we were second on the road,” said Reid. “We were down on power but we changed the air filter around race mile 360 and that made a difference.” Reid crossed the finish line in second place shortly behind Brian Parkhouse, but once penalties were added to the Parkhouse team, Reid had won the class. “We pushed hard to the finish and made sure to hit all of our lines and VCPs,” said Reid. “In this case, it made the difference. I managed to break down certain sections that go fast. You go too hard and it doesn’t bode well for your vehicle. In some races, the course is tailored more for buggies than trucks, and in this SCORE Baja 500, it was more for buggies. The course played to our advantage and our all-wheel drive.” According to Reid, this race would have been his mom’s (Shelby) last race. “She has been wanting to retire and even though she didn’t get to drive this race, she decided she is not racing the rest of this season,” said Reid. “She’s been a great inspiration to me and will continue to be in a different role. We’re happy for her and now I have to plan on racing the SCORE Baja 400 myself too, but it will be fun.” SJ