SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1502036
ON THE EDGE The Best Riders Rise To Win By Dan Sanchez, Paul Hanson, Isaac Flores, Jose Vazquez, and Guilherme Torres Photos by Get Some Photo At 3:30 a.m. on Race Day (June 3rd) of the BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500, SCORE Pro Moto and Quad riders headed into the dark Baja desert for a chance at winning. This race had many challenges for these riders, as several classes had new talent trying to prove themselves on one of the toughest courses in off-road racing. One of them was Juan Zunino from Mendoza, Florida who won the Pro Moto Ironman class at the SCORE San Felipe 250. During pre-running for the SCORE Baja 500, however, he had a fatal accident that left the off-road motorsports industry stunned. Friends, family, and moto brethren gathered at the start of the SCORE Baja 500 to pay tribute to Zunino, with his No. 793x KTM sitting riderless in his honor. It was a stark reminder of the dangers of Baja racing, but the riders present wanted to continue the tradition of Baja racing and push the sport in a positive direction. In the Pro Moto Unlimited class, the talk was about the 1x team of Carlos Salvatierra losing Arturo Salas Jr., who wanted to enter this race with his own team. Salas Jr. had something to prove and he did by teaming up with Clayton Roberts and winning the class. It was pure validation for Salas Jr. who knew he could do this on his own, but who also thanked Salvatierra for giving him the platform to do it. “Arturo and I did this just the two of us, so it was a lot of miles today,” said Roberts. “We rode hard, strong, and definitely felt good on the bike. Everything went as planned and it was a great day overall. We didn’t have any issues with the bike and we burned up that last tire pretty good, so we finished with not much of a real tire left, but it held strong for at least 300 miles.” The 9x team of Connor Eddy, Bryce Stavron, and Matthew Combs were not new to Baja racing, but it was their first entry into the Pro Moto Unlimited class this season. Their combined efforts led them to a second-place finish only ten minutes behind the 11x team. “The start was pretty rough with all the dust, especially starting dead-last, but went smooth all day,” said Eddy. “We all rode well and hit our marks and made it here for the finish. The bike was awesome all day and we did a good job. I made a stupid mistake and went down, but other than that, we did very well.” The 2023 SCORE San Felipe 250 class winner, Ciaran Naran, and the 3x team of Forrest Minchinton, and Nick Lapagila, had a pretty good chance at winning the race, but Naran felt he was off, and the team finished in third place. “Everybody has put on a hell of a ride and I was stoked about the boys’ performances,” said Naran. “I was a little bit disappointed about my performance, and I definitely didn’t ride my best. So, a little bit bummed about that, but everyone has an off day. The bike was awesome, Forrest was the only one to mention he had some issues with it. We have to do a little bit of homework and training when we get back home, but we’ll come back stronger for the SCORE Baja 400. We’re already looking forward to it. We’re chasing 1x (Juan Carlos Salvatierra) right now for the Class Championship, so I think we’re doing pretty well. A first and a third is not too bad, we’re looking long-term. The 1x Salvatierra team has had a series of bad luck in the last races of the 2022 season and again this season. Although the 2022 Champion is not about to give up so easily, they overcame another setback but managed a fourth-place finish. “It was a very intense race,” said Salvatierra. “The rhythm was very strong since the first mile and there were a lot of teams in the mix. The area of the Valle de la Trinidad (race mile 280) is always challenging because it is very rocky, technical, and requires a lot of attention. But there are no easy courses in Baja, it’s always difficult here. The bike ran excellently all day. Unfortunately, we broke a chain when we hit a rock, and cost us a lot of time, but the team did a great job in coming back after being almost 15 minutes behind. Pro Moto 30 The Baja desert proves to be no challenge for the 2022 Pro Moto 30 Champion Jano Montoya and his 300x team. They continued their winning streak after the SCORE San Felipe 250 race with co-riders Kyle Tichenor and David Zarate. Montoya handled three sections of the course on his own. “We’re very happy that we made it to the finish line here at the SCORE Baja 500,” said Montoya. “It was an interesting race. We had to work a little bit on the bike during the race to adjust the suspension, but overall it did pretty well. There were a lot of rocks and a lot of whoops in my section, but we know that area pretty well and didn’t have any major issues. It was fun. We’re ready for the SCORE Baja 400.” Pro Moto Limited Jeffery Row and the 117x team was another new face entering this season at the SCORE Baja 500. He came with co-riders Wyatt Brittner, and Travis Dillon and faced the competition in this class to turn it into his first win of the season for them. “The start was pretty smooth and I got to pass a few bikes despite the dust. The bike started having some issues with the suspension close to San Felipe (race mile 240) but when I got back on it, it was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for a better machine. Overall we did well, didn’t have any major issues and everything went fine.” Pro Moto 40 For the 441x team of Alirio Amado, their determination landed them a second win this season, after winning the class at the SCORE San Felipe 250. With co-riders Adrian Valdez, Gaston Vazquez, Jim Jaros, Manuel Vazquez, and Pedro Gonzalez, the team rode in honor of their friend and teammate Juan Zunino and at the finish line declared their victory for him as well. “We had a dirty air filter in my section and doing a long hill climb, the bike just took off and I fell over my left arm. I don’t think it’s broken,” said co-rider Jim Jaros. “I still rode another 30 miles after that. We want to dedicate this race to our friend Juan Zunino. He passed away during pre-running and he brought so much joy to everyone he met. We all know what we’re doing and the risks we take, but I really feel for his family. I feel sorry for what they’re going through.” Pro Moto 50 The 501x New Zealand team of Robert Creemers also enjoyed a second victory this season winning the class at the SCORE San Felipe 250 and again here at the SCORE Baja 500. The team is showing what the guys from “down under” can really do and making their country proud of their efforts. “It was a good day and it had everything,” said Creemers. “We had a night start, fog, cold, and then it got really hot in the desert. We had silt, coast, and mountains. The only thing we didn’t have was rain. SCORE did a really good job organizing this race.” Co-rider Sean Clarke said, “t was a really technical course, it had a little bit of everything. It was really technical at times, but there was some really fast stuff as well, so it was a good mix. We had no problems at all, the bike went perfect and we had a great day.” Pro Moto Ironman After the news about Zunino before the race, the Pro Moto Ironman racers were a bit cautious, but also anxious to get to the finish line. Although there were more racers at the SCORE San Felipe 250, several of the most dedicated returned to the SCORE Baja 500. Among them, were 2022 Class Champion Brandon Wright on the 700x bike, and Bolivia’s Fabricio Fuentes on the 785x bike. It was a first-season race for the other six entrants into this class, including Jason Alosi whose last SCORE Baja race was at the SCORE Baja 1000 and had a fourth-place finish in the Pro Moto Unlimited Class. Also entered was Edgar Cota who competed in 2021 in the Ironman class achieving some podium finishes that season. As the race played out, the experienced racers rose to the top, with Wright earning the win by finishing in 12:30:42, followed by Alosi who took second place, and Cota taking third. “I tried to be very patient at the start,” said Wright. “I knew it was going to be dark for about one hour and a half, so I just tried to be patient and put on some work when the conditions allowed. I got down to the desert, tried not to overheat, and keep a good pace over to the beach and, before I knew it, I was here. The Borrego loop (race mile 210 to race mile 250) is always hard, it’s very hot there and rough and rocky. At that point of the race, you know you still got a lot of desert left, so it’s always tough. The coast was beautiful and fast, so you can’t really relax there.” “It was a rough day,” said Alosi. “Starting off with the Summit (race mile 100) and getting over to San Felipe (race mile 240) was a challenge. I’m not going to lie, I was definitely taxed, but once I made it to San Matias (race mile 270), and started to head towards the Pacific, I was able to regroup and put on another charge. The most difficult for me was just the whoops in San Felipe. It wasn’t terribly hot today, but it got to me too. The weather was nicer on the coast and that made things a little bit easier. The bike went great all day. We only had one unscheduled pit stop to replace a tire that wore out sooner than we thought it would, but no big deal. I had a couple of wrecks, but luckily, I didn’t get hurt and the bike was fine too.” “This race was a lot of fun,” said Cota. “Starting at night with all the fog and seeing the people on the course making bonfires was fun and before I knew it, the sun was out. That was when the real race started for me. The Summit (race mile 100) and Borrego (race mile 210) were difficult parts because it was too hot there, but San Felipe (race mile 240) was probably the most challenging because of the sand, and the whoops. When I saw the beach after crossing the Peninsula it made me forget the weather for a while. The bike ran perfectly all day and didn’t have any problems. On Monday I’ll start preparing for the SCORE Baja 400.” Pro Moto 60 Also adding a second-class victory this season, was Kevin Ward and the 644x team from Texas that included Jeff Kaplan, and Doug Smith. The team dealt with the fog and dust to come out on top against the 628x team of Scott McIntosh and the 543x team of Steven McQueery. “I started the race and the dust was insane and it mixed with the fog,” said Ward. “I don’t think this bike tipped over all day. Doug did a great job in his section because it’s difficult logistically when you get to the coast. I think the start was the most difficult part of the day because I couldn’t see anything. Jeff had a nice, clean run over the Summit (race mile 100) and I think the whoops were really tiring. We’re going to race the entire SCORE season and we’ll try to get the championship title.” Pro Quad It seemed as though all of the Pro Quad teams were from Baja California, with the 21A team of Jose Castro from San Jose Del Cabo, coming from the furthest south. These teams battled the course and each other with the 1a team of Nicholas Velez finishing first to earn two race wins this season. “It was an excellent race for us,” said Velez. I think the San Felipe area (race mile 240) was the most difficult part of the course. I was tired when I got there, so it was a little bit challenging. Coming up the coast, on the other hand, was very good. The quad ran great and we have really nothing to do on it now.” The 1a team finished the race in 11:35:43, and they were followed by the 10a team of Dario Rabago who finished in 13:03:04. Finishing in third place was the 21a team of Jose Castro with a time of 16:07:21. Pro Quad Ironman Once again, it was Faelly Lopez who finished first in the Pro Quad Ironman class to take his second victory this season. He was challenged by Javier Guerra on the 86a quad, but he had mechanical problems and could not finish the race. “It wasn’t easy,” said Lopez. “But we made it here. We prepared well and fortunately, it all went well too. The quad ran great all day, we didn’t have to do anything with it outside regular maintenance. I wanted to improve my time from last year and I’m going back home very happy. I didn’t pre-run at all and am really grateful for the team, they’re the real champions.” Sportsman Classes There were many Sportsman racers who came to challenge the 55th SCORE Baja 500. Among them rising to the top was the 290x team of Gerardo Rubio, Erick Ignacio Rubio, and Ignacio Javier Rubio on their Yamaha YZ450X, who finished first in the Sportsman M/C class. Finishing first in the Sportsman Quad class was the 139a team of Sergio Jimenez, Steven Lopez, Luis Villa, Ricardo Baeza, and Alan Cruz on their Honda TRX450R. Official Finishers PRO MOTO UNLIMITED (400cc or more)—(8 Starters, 8 Finishers) 1. 11x Arturo Salas Jr, 20, Chula Vista, CA (Tecate, MX)/Clayton Roberts, 21, Hesperia, CA, KTM 450XCF, 10:29:60 (45.11 mph) 2. 9x Connor Eddy, 17, Barstow, CA/Bryce Stavron, 34, San Clemente, CA/Matthew Combs, 17, Barstow, CA/Matt Eddy, 40, Oak Hills, CA, Honda CRF450X, 10:38:13 3. 3x Ciaran Naran, 23, Huntington Beach, CA/Derek Ausserbauer, 28, Venice Beach, CA/Forrest Minchinton, 31, Huntington Beach, CA/Nick Lapaglia, 28, Murrieta, CA, Husqvarna FE450, 10:41:38 4. 1x Juan Carlos Salvatierra, 42, Bolivia/ /Shane Logan, 21, Lake Havasu City, AZ/Diego Llanos, 30, Argentina/Corvin McPherson, 21 St. George, UT/Colton Aeck, 27, Casten, CA, KTM 450SX-F, 10:47:51 5. 13x Adrian Ortiz, 22, Dulzura, CA/Albaro Ortiz, 17, San Diego/Cody Rangel, 25, San Diego/Gustavo Gonzales, 22, Valle de las Palmas, MX/Danny Mendoza, San Diego, Honda CRF450X, 11:25:29 6. 15x Eric Holt, 40, Panaca, Nev./Taylor Stevens, 29, Lander, Wyo./Hayden Roberts, 31, Pleasant View, UT/Zach Myers, 31, Laveen, AZ/Brian Whiteside, 31, Farmington, UT, Husqvarna FC450, 11:26:07 7. 18x Aaron Volle, 35, Penryn, CA/Alden Volle, 26, Penryn, CA/Ryan McCasland, 23, San Diego, KTM 500EXC-F, 12:38:24 8. 17x Scott Myers, 54, Wildomar, CA/Kreg McCoy, 47, Murrieta, CA/Mike Vint, 34, Port Orchard, Wash./Travis Lyons, Wash./Jorge Ramirez, Ensenada, MX/Jim O’Neal, 76, Simi Valley, CA., Honda CRF450X, 13:14:37 PRO MOTO 30 (Riders over 30 years old) (4 Starters, 4 Finishers) 1. 300x Jano Montoya, 51, Winter Garden, Fla. (Peru)/Kyle Tichenor, 31, Mesquite, Nev./David Zarate, 35, La Paz, MX, KTM 450EXCF, 12:02:21 (39.34 mph) 2. 320x Jorge Garcia, 35, Tecate, MX/Julio Ramirez, 33, San Diego/Wilfredo Gaxiola, 33, Tecate, MX/Carlos Miranda, 30, Ensenada, MX, Yamaha 450FX, 13:25:19 3. 319x David Smith, 36, Escondido, CA/Nick Lake, San Diego/Don Griggs, San Diego/Ryan Stephens, San Diego, Honda CRF450X, 14:21:45 4. 328x Jose Ochoa, 32, Ensenada, MX/Juan C. Cullingford, 38, Ensenada, MX/Jonathan Escalante, 33, Ensenada, MX/Emilio Kobande, 33, Ensenada, MX/Esteban Ayon, 30, Ensenada, MX/Miguel Carbajal, 33, Ensenada, MX, Honda CRF450X, 14:36:26 PRO MOTO LIMITED (less than 450cc) (9 Starters, 9 Finishers) 1. 117x Jeffrey Row, 29, Prescott Valley, AZ/Brad White, 41, Queen Creek, AZ/Travis Dillon, 35, Ramona, CA/Wyatt Brittner, 28, Reno, Nev., Honda CRF450X, 11:51:07 (39.97 mph) 2. 100x Fernando Beltran, 46, Ensenada, MX/Larry Serna, 27, San Diego/Luis Flores, 21, Mexicali, MX/Mauri Herrera, 24, Ensenada, MX/Dilan Avalos, 17, N. Palm Springs, CA, Honda CRF450X, 12:00:22 3. 114x Ely Ramirez, 20, Tecate, MX/Alexander Lopez, 23, Tecate, MX/Marco Guizar, 23, Tecate, MX/Pichitos Gomez, 20, Tecate, MX, Honda CRF450X, 12:58:18 4. 137x Erick Ramirez, 16, San Felipe, MX/Jason Lopez, 16, San Felipe, MX/Andre Enriquez, 19, San Diego/Joshua Alvarado, 18, Mexicali, MX/Alejandro Cazares, 18, San Quintin, MX, Honda CRF450X, 13:01:54 5. 102x Patrick Pennington, 34, Lake Elsinore, CA, (DOR-Steven Abrams, 31, Meridian, Idaho)/Kellen Cerds, 34, Menifee, CA/Dan Mastrude, 40, Boise, Idaho/Matt Hove, 41, Corona, CA, Yamaha YX450F, 13:15:04 6. 103x Giovanni Aviles, 31, Tijuana, MX/Rodolfo Patron, 38, Tijuana, MX/Esteban Patron, 19, Tijuana, MX, Honda CRF450X,13:45:18 7. 120x Courtland Miller, 22, Shiner, TX/Jason Miller, 50, Shiner, TX/Francisco Septien, Ensenada, MX, Honda CRF450X, 14:08:46 8. 133x Julio de Pena, 30, El Sauzal, MX/Elmer Silvestre, 26, Ensenada, MX/Alberto Gomez, 26, Ensenada, MX/Antony Tamayo, 22, Ensenada, MX, Honda CRF450X,14:42:22 9. 119x Oscar Garcia, 20, Tijuana, MX/Ezra Garcia, 19, Tijuana, MX/Alek DeLaRosa, 20, Tijuana, MX/Javier Ochoa, 23, Tijuana, MX, Honda CRF450X, 16:26:48; PRO MOTO 40 (Riders over 40 years old)—(2 Starters, 2 Finishers 1. 441x Alirio Amado, 45, The Woodlands, TX/Pedro Gonzalez, 53, Raleigh, N.C./Jim Jaros, 48, Pennsylvania/Curtis Lisenby, 58, Houston/Adrian Valdez, 45, Tijuana, MX/Gaston Vazquez, 46, Tijuana, MX/Manuel Vazquez, 40, San Diego, CA, Yamaha WR450F, 14:08:12 (33.51 mph) 2. 455x David Garza, 40, Tecate, MX/Salvador Castro, 48, Tecate, MX/Humberto Valle, 42, Tecate, MX/Javier Ochoa, 47, Tecate, MX/Alberto Iriate, 53, Tecate, MX, Yamaha WR450F, 15:17:42 PRO MOTO 50 (Riders over 50 years old)—(2 Starters, 1 Finishers) 1. 501x Robert Creemers, 58, New Zealand/Sean Clarke, 54, New Zealand/Kevin Archer, 53, New Zealand, Honda CRF450X, 12:47:24 (37.03 mph) PRO MOTO IRONMAN (Solo Riders)—(8 Starters, 6 Finishers) 1. 700x Brandon Wright, 46, Oak Hills, CA, Husqvarna FE501, 12:30:43, (37.86 mph) 2. 795x Jason Alosi, 39, Reno, Nev., Husqvarna FX450, 12:55:20 3. 723x Edgar Cota, 25, San Diego, GasGas EX450, 13:36:06 4. 785x Fabricio Fuentes, 46, Bolivia, GasGas EC350F, 14:41:33 5. 718x Kurt Steever, 33, Grass Valley, CA, Yamaha YZ450FX, 14:57:39 6. 771x Risto Niemi, 53, Finland, Honda CRF450X, 16:41:08; PRO MOTO 60 (Riders over 60 years old 3 Starters, 2 Finishers) 1. 644x Kevin Ward, 61, Longview, TX/Jeff Kaplan, Jeff Kaplan, 63, Thousand Oaks, CA/Doug Smith, 66, Upland, CA, Honda CRF450X, 13:35:18 (34.86 mph) 2. 628x Scott McIntosh, 62, Kent, Wash./Kurt Steffien, 61, San Diego/Mike Whitman, 65, Phoenix/Harry Harris, 60, Sanger, CA, Honda CRF450X, 16:17:13; PRO QUADS PRO QUAD (Open engine displacement 4 Starters, 3 Finishers) 1. 1a Nicolas Velez, 17, San Felipe, MX/Felipe Velez, 43, San Felipe, MX/Luis Meza Velez, 27, San Felipe, MX/Said Velez, San Felipe, MX, Honda TRX450R, 11:35:44, (40.85 mph) 2. 10a Dario Rabago, 26, Ensenada, MX/Javier Robles, 33, Mexicali, MX/Efren Vazquez, 22, Ensenada, MX/Dionicio Zavola, 17, Ensenada, MXS Honda TRX450R, 13:03:05 3. 21a Jose Castro, 27, San Jose del Cabo, MX/Edwin Lopez, 41, Juarez, MX/Emilio Lopez, 17, San Jose del Cabo, MX/Edwin Sanchez, 28, San Jose del Cabo, MX, Honda TRX450R, 16:07:21 PRO QUAD IRONMAN (Open engine displacement, solo Rider 2 Starters, 1 Finishers) 1. 83a Faelly Lopez, 39, Puerto Rico, Honda TRX450R, 16:16:30 (27.08 mph) Sportsman Classes (440.72 mile course) SPT M/C (9 Starters, 9 Finishers) 1. 290x Gerardo Rubio, 21, La Peñita de Jaltemba, MX/Erick Ignacio Rubio, 21, La Penita de Jaltemba, MX/Ignacio Javier Rubio, 48, La Penita de Jaltemba, MX, Yamaha YZ450X, 12:38:18 (34.87 mph) 2. 249x Armando Ortiz, 18, Tijuana, MX/Joshue Ochoa, 18, Chula Vista, CA/Carlos Flores, 19, Tecate, MX, Husqvarna FC450, 12:46:13 3. 236x Andy Valencia, 28, Ensenada, MX/Juan Apizar, 18, Ensenada, MX/Omar Chavez, 19, Ensenada, MX/Esteban Martinez, 19, Ensenada, MX/Julio Perez, 29, Ensenada, MX, Honda CRF450X, 13:32:24 4. 270x Brent Phillips, 33, Concord, N.C./Seth Barnes, 32, Concord, N.C./Josh Rottkamp, 30, Salt Lake City, UT, Yamaha YZ450F, 14:55:09 5. 202x Mariano Sanchez, 28, San Diego/Ivan Delgadillo, 40, Chula Vista, CA/Victor Delgadillo, 44, Chula Vista, CA, KTM 500XCF-W, 15:02:32 6. 257x Luis Rivera, 35, Rosarito Beach, MX/Luis Dominguez Jr, 21, Tijuana, MX/Bryan Comedor, 21, Ensenada, MX/Philip Herrera, 25, San Diego/Cristian Pundo, 23, Ensenada, MX, Honda CRF450X, 15:34:33 7. 233x Eluminio Berrelleza, 47, Mexicali, MX/Alfredo Rentaria, 26, Mexicali, MX/Juan Pablo Montano, 44, El Centro, CA/Juan Pablo Montano Jr, 17, El Centro, CA/Jorge Alberto Flores, 38, Mexicali, MX, Honda CRF450X; 16:08:57 8. 253x Kazuhiro Nakamura, 66, Japan/Masayuki Kudo, 63, Japan/Seiji Kubota, 64, Japan, Honda CRF450X, 16:28:57 9. 268x Toby Burchfield, 51, Brandon, Miss./Maxwell Burchfield, 21, Brandon, Miss./Asa Whatley, 42, Tutwilder, Miss./Lewis Whatley/Terry Burchfield, Husqvarna FX450, 16:52:08 SPT QUAD (11 Starters, 7 Finishers) 1. 139a Sergio Jimenez, 21, Valle de Mexicali, MX/Steven Lopez, 20, Juarez, MX/Luis Villa, 19, Ensenada, MX/Ricardo Baeza, 26, La Paz, MX/Alan Cruz, 30, Ensenada, MX, Honda TRX450R, 12:16:21 (35.91 mph) 2. 105a Francisco Valle, 37, Tecate, MX/Jose Murillo, 33, Tecate, MX/Alexis Murillo, 25, Tecate, MX/Carlos Loam, 26, Tecate, MX/Efren Montoya, 30, Tecate, MX/Sergio Marentes, 30, Rosarito Beach, MX, Honda TRX450R, 12:45:12 3. 187a Jose Gonzalez, 36, Tecate, MX/Jose Gonzalez Jr, 15, Tecate, MX/Erick Talamantes, 23, Tecate, MX/Edgar Marquez, 20, Tijuana, MX/Jorge Martinez, 38, Tijuana, MX, Honda TRX450R, 12:56:14 4. 191a Juan Cota, 24, Ensenada, MX/Efrain Mozdueda, 42, Ensenada, MX, Honda TRX450R, 14:38:41 5. 106a David Huezo Jr, 22, Imperial, CA/Jorge Rivas Jr, 26, Mexicali, MX/Benjamin Juarez, 38, San Luis Rio, MX/Joel Ruvalcaba, 28, San Luis Rio, MX/Erlamm Gutierrez, 24, El Centro, CA/, Honda TRX450R, 14:45:24 6. 123a Eva Hernandez, 19, Escondido, CA/Lilia Rodriguez, 48, Chula Vista, CA/Chyrisma Isom, 18, Bonita, CA/Evelyn Gonzalez, 19, Viscaino, MX/Gissel Gomez, 22, Mexicali, MX, Honda TRX450R, 15:14:36 7. 150a Ramon Estevan Esquivias, 25, Tijuana, MX/Luiz Salinas, Tijuana, Mexico/Andrew Salinas, Tijuana, Mexico/Juan Pablo Lopez, Tijuana, Mexico/Alejandro Gonzalez, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 17:11:50