SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1508148
TALKING DIRT Building Upon Legacies By Dan Sanchez, Editor SCORE Journal magazine When we first began publishing SCORE Journal in 2015, one of the first interviews we had with off-road racing vehicle builders, was with Mike Julson of Jimco Racing. This was part of a series describing the history of various vehicle classes. Back then, Jimco was already established as an innovator in the buggy world by its founder Jim Julson, and carried on by his son Mike. When Robbie Pierce purchased Jimco in 2018, we revisited the company several times, noting some of the changes in safety that Robbie had studied and implemented into each vehicle build. Robbie also brought the company to building advanced SCORE Trophy Truck builds, but always commented on the importance of carrying the legacy of the Julson family, while taking Jimco to the next level. Recently, I met with Rafael Navarro III for some photos and additional insight into the direction of Jimco, now that they had completed the purchase they originally started with Robbie Pierce. Navarro III commented on his and his son’s (Navarro IV) personal history working with Jimco, designing parts for Pierce when he owned it. It was great to hear that the Navarro family understands the importance of keeping the legacy of the company and its previous owners intact, but also adding their DNA to the next generation of vehicles to come out of the company. According to Navarro III, they’ll be introducing something new and will also plan on introducing UTV builds for racers. I’m sure that as the history of Jimco continues, the Navarro family will also add their legacy to the sport of off-road racing. It’s obvious in their attention to detail and their willingness to make changes, that they truly embrace what off-road racing is all about and are not only open to changing with the sport but also being at the forefront of its innovation into the future. Navarro III called it Jimco 3.0 and I think the off-road community can only benefit from their turn behind the wheel.