SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1502036
A BUGGY BEAT-DOWN Class 1 and Class 10 Buggies Survive And Finish By Dan Sanchez, Paul Hanson, Isaac Flores, Jose Vazquez, and Guilherme Torres Photos by Get Some Photo The Class 1 field is always made up of some of the most talented buggy drivers and teams in off-road racing. At the SCORE Baja 500, the line-up included 2023 SCORE San Felipe 250 winner Cody Parkhouse, the two Wilson Motorsports buggies of Brad Wilson and Kyle Quinn, Brendan Gaughan, Damen Jefferies, Cody Reid, Adam Castaneda, and Al Torres. Also entered in this race was the No. 178 team of Kevy Nott from Brisbane, Australia. The team had not competed in SCORE since the 2022 SCORE Baja 1000 and was enthusiastic about returning for this race. At the start, Cody and his dad Brian Parkhouse were first off the starting line and looking for a second win, but they had mechanical issues early into the race which forced them out of the running. Unfortunately, the tough Baja terrain also took out Gaughan, Castaneda, and both Wilson buggies. Left on the race course were Cody Reid, Damen Jefferies, Al Torres, and Kevy Nott. These teams took a more cautious approach to avoid damaging their vehicles and make it to the finish line. Reid managed to stay ahead of the competitors and finished two hours ahead of Jefferies for the win. “We had battled with Brad Wilson for a while and that was a lot of fun,” said Reid. “We tried to fight through the trucks but didn’t have much luck. The course was tough.” Jefferies in the No. 121 buggy also had a tough time on the course and, consequently, had no brakes almost the entire race. The team, however, just kept it going to finish. Behind them was Al Torres, who faced lots of problems. “We had two flats, alternator issues, motor problems, and lost the brakes in the last 20 miles,” said Torres. “The course was tight and technical and we just wanted to finish.” The Australian team, with Kevy Nott driving solo, finished fourth. Although they also had some trouble, the team was extremely happy with the result. “This truck had everything,” said Nott of the No. 178 buggy. “We had a few mechanical issues and other things going on, but Baja just threw everything at us. I am happy we made it to the finish.” FRANCISCO VERA RUNS A PERFECT CLASS 10 VICTORY With a total of 19 starters, the Class 10 competitors fared much better with the challenging course, with 12 teams making it to the finish. Starting first in class was Justin Buckley in the No. 1064 buggy, but Buckley and his co-driver Maverick Gaunt were passed right after the start by the No. 1091 team of Francisco Vera. “Right after we passed, we never lost our spot,” said Vera. “We ran a perfect race.” This race was Vera’s first SCORE Baja 500, and although he and the team got penalties tacked on, they were fast enough to take the class victory. Bruce Yee in the No. 1014 buggy had a much better race than he did at the SCORE San Felipe 250 where he DNF’d. He was able to bring the buggy into a second-place finish. “It was rough, but we had a flawless day for the most part and both of us were in our seats all day, so that’s a plus,” said Yee. “The only issue we had was the power steering reservoir getting loose at around race mile 77, so we lost about ten minutes getting that fixed. Besides that, we started in the back and made our way forward during the day. We went a little crazy at times but got no flats thanks to BFGoodrich Tires.” Finishing in third place was Manlio Diaz in the No. 1079 buggy, who had former SCORE Trophy Truck driver Eduardo Laguna as his co-driver on the team. “I think the section after Uruapan (race mile 400) was the most difficult one in my part,” said Laguna. “It demanded a lot from us and there were a lot of things, such as large rocks, that could have put us out of the race. Luckily, we managed to go through it and the entire section with no issues. We’re ready for the SCORE Baja 1000.” FINISH LINE QUOTES EZRA EBBERTS, No. 1077 – Fourth Place (Co-Driver with Dale Ebberts DOR) It’s my first time driving in a SCORE race here in Mexico. My section was very technical and fun. It went really well. The car is in excellent condition now. The brakes are a little worn out, but that’s all. FREDDIE WILLERT, No. 1006 – Fifth Place (Co-Driver with Stan Potter DOR) We had a flat in the first half, but we didn’t have anything major other than that. It was a pretty smooth race and we’re happy we got fifth. It’s a competitive class– you can’t have any problems. SCORE has put on a great course. It was super tough and some of it was run during the SCORE San Felipe 250 and was still pretty beat up. I got the coast section and it was a good choice. Official Finishers CLASS 1 (Unlimited open-wheel single or two-seaters) (9 Starters, 4 Finishers) 1. 168 Cody Reid, 31, Apple Valley, CA, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 10:17:02 (46.06 mph) 2. 121 Damen Jefferies, 50, Poolville, Texas (Apple Valley, CA)/Josh Burman, 35, Poolville, Texas/Michael Duenas, 56, Lake Havasu, AZ, Jefferies-Chevy, 12:22:27 3. 101 Al Torres, 38, Imperial Valley, CA/Alfredo Torres, 54, Calexico, CA/Ruben Moreno, 45, Imperial, CA, Jimco-Chevy, 13:53:09 4. 178 Kevy Nott, 45, Australia, Element-Chevy, 14:57:34 CLASS 10 (Limited, sealed engine, single or two-seaters) (16 Starters, 13 Finishers) 1. 1091 Francisco Vera, 32, El Rosario, Mexico/Alexis Vera, 27, El Rosario, Mexico, Mexico Alumi Craft-Chevy, 10:29:40 (45.13 mph) 2. 1014 Bruce Yee, 23, Chula Vista, CA/Maximiliano Yee, 16, Chula Vista, CA, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 10:37:23 3. 1079 Manlio F. Diaz, 43, La Paz, Mexico/Eduardo Laguna, 32, Mexicali, Mexico/Jose R. Ruiz, 35, San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico/Juan Olave, 47, La Paz, Mexico, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 10:38:09 4. 1077 Dale Ebberts, 52, Wilton, CA/Madison Ebberts, 23, Alpharetta, Ga./Ezra Ebberts, 19, Wilton, CA, ESM-Toyota, 10:49:54 5. 1006 Stan Potter, 61, San Marcos, CA/Freddie Willert, 55, El Cajon, CA/Dan Worley, 62, Encinitas, CA, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 10:51:31 6. 1064 Justin Buckley, 32, Long Beach, CA/Luke Knupp, 16, Peoria, AZ/Mavrick Gaunt, 28, Torrence, CA, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 11:00:55 7. 1020 Carlos Guillen, 38, San Diego/Julio Covas, 44, San Diego, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 11:25:40 8. 1082 Carlos Jimenez, 41, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Victor Herrera, 52, Temecula, CA, ESM-Chevy, 11:34:42 9. 1016 Hiram Duran, 45, Tecate, Mexico/Marco Duran, 19, Chula Vista, CA, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 11:43:00 10. 1027 Arturo V. Malo, 60, Mexicali, Mexico/Ricardo Malo, 53, Mexicali, Mexico/Ricardo Malo Jr, 16, Mexicali, Mexico, Alumi Craft-Chevy, 11:51:06 11. 1061 Arturo Garza, 51, Monterrey, Mexico/Juan Tamaya, 33, Ensenada, Mexico/Dofo Arellano, 40, Tijuana, Mexico, Alumi Craft-Honda, 12:13:46 12. 1000 J. David Ruvalcaba, 50, Ensenada, Mexico/Esteban Cruz, 51, Ensenada, Mexico/Alberto Cruz, 53, Ensenada, Mexico, Alumi Craft-Honda, 13:56:20 13. 1075 Eliseo Garcia, 48, Ensenada, Mexico/Leroy Rojas, 38, Ensenada, Mexico, Raceco-Chevy, 17:13:04