SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1490770
A FRESH START Juan Carlos Salvatierra And The 10X Team Battled For The Pro Moto Unlimited Championship By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo Portrait Photo by Jack Wright NMedia3 SCORE Journal: Congratulations on winning the 2022 SCORE Pro Moto Unlimited Championship. Looking back at the season, how difficult was this to achieve? JCS: The 2022 season was unbelievable for myself and my team, we are so happy we obtained our first Pro Moto Unlimited Championship, which was our main goal since we started planning the team. Most people don’t know that I live in Bolivia and come to the races four times a year. We have our own little garage now, where we store the bikes and equipment, and that is our operation when we arrive with my mechanic Fernando Arriola. We have more hurdles to clear than other teams, which makes winning the championship sweeter. Of course, we are super happy after winning the championship, but we have unfinished business to complete in 2023 with the Baja 1000. SJ: After winning the 2021 Pro Moto Ironman Championship, was racing in this class much different or just as challenging? JCS: Racing in the Ironman class for one aspect was easier in the sense that I just had to worry about myself, plan my race, my nutrition, and my pre-running. But of course, it was much more physically demanding, and mentally tougher to complete as most Ironman racers now know. Switching to Pro Moto Unlimited took more time to plan for all the races since it is now four riders that we have to foresee more bikes, pre-running, lodging, pits, etc. But the pace and intensity are way higher in Pro Moto Unlimited, which is something I had to work on since I had been used to an 80-90% pace in Ironman. In Unlimited, you have to go all out for only 1-3 hours in your section. SJ: Can you describe briefly the best moments for you and your team from each of the four races in 2022? JCS: The best moment from the SCORE San Felipe 250 was crossing the finish line for sure! My teammate that brought the bike to me had a big crash, and luckily he was not injured, but we cannot say the same for the bike. It came to me without the seat and all the rear plastics. It only had the subframe. So when I got on the bike I said screw it! I’ll ride like that and give it my all. Nobody passed me or caught me, and we won! At the SCORE Baja 500, we led from start to finish without any mishaps, so winning and having a good clean race there was the best part. During the SCORE Baja 400, we had some bike issues early in the race, where we lost about 30 minutes. So once Arturo Salas Jr. got the bike going again he put on a tremendous charge from dead last to about fifth place on the course. Then Clayton Roberts put on another great charge to about bring us to second place on the course. In the pit, where I got on the bike, the leader, up to that point, had bike problems and could not get going, which was very surprising. So when I got on the bike, I was able to pass the 38x bike in a couple of minutes and then put us in the lead position. That was the best part, and of course when we crossed the finish as the winning bike. At the SCORE Baja 1000, the best part was the up around mile 340 where we had put a big lead on the second-place riders, which was the incredible 7x bike team. After that, we had bike issues and an injured Shane Logan, that could not get going. SJ: After a successful season, do you and the same Pro Moto Unlimited team plan to return to the same class? JCS: Yes, we will return with the same team to the 2023 season to defend our title which includes me, Arturo Salas, Shane Logan, and Clayton Roberts. We learned a lot and we will be coming back stronger than ever. SJ: Motorcycle riders become legendary in SCORE because they win many races, as you are doing now. Do you plan on continuing to race in SCORE in the long-term future? JCS: Racing is my passion and I have grown very fond of the desert in Baja and Mexico. So yes, I see my presence in SCORE for the long term. The SCORE races have all the right ingredients to make a highly competitive and attractive race series; difficulty, and awesome terrain. This is a great organization with a relaxed atmosphere, wonderful fans, and the best tacos and beer! SJ