SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1542694
TRIPLE FIVE Eli Yee Dedicates The 2025 Class 5 Championship To Mike Ley By Gabriel García Photos by Get Some Photo The three-time back-to-back Class 5 Championship captured by Eli Yee, Eli Yee Jr., and Angel Barajas in SCORE International, is especially meaningful to them. They dedicated it to the memory of their close friend Miguel “Mike” Ley, who sadly passed away in March 2025. “Miguel was a very important part of our victories. We learned a lot from him with the Eli Yee Motorsports team. He gave us many pieces of advice, and his passing was a very hard blow for us. We raced in his memory, and these wins are for him,” said Yee. Miguel Ley was a driver and navigator of the No. 500 Jake’s Fab-Chevy. He had enormous experience in the world of off-road racing, a sport that was one of his greatest passions, along with aviation, where he served as a captain for many years. A Perfect Season The loss of Miguel Ley marked the destiny of Eli Yee and his team, who prepared meticulously for the 2025 SCORE World Desert Championship, winning every race they entered. It began with the King Shocks 38th SCORE San Felipe 250 in March, followed by a victory in Ensenada at the BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 500. They then earned a third win at the 6th SCORE Baja 400, and the “icing on the cake” came with the legendary BFGoodrich Tires 58th SCORE Baja 1000 in November. In total, the Yee family completed 1,974.25 racing miles alone, not including the countless miles logged during pre-runs and testing across the majestic deserts of the Baja California Peninsula, a place that has become their second home. As a result, they will receive the 2025 Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Award during the 2025 SCORE World Desert Championship Awards Gala, to be held at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park, California. It will be another trophy added to the collection of Eli Yee, a racer born in Tijuana, known as “the most visited border city in the world.” Off-Road Runs In Their Blood The Yee family has been involved in off-road racing for more than 28 years. Eli and his brother Lobsam helped build that legacy. Lobsam now serves as team manager for Yees Motorsports, where Eli’s nephews Bruce, Max, and Diego compete in SCORE International’s Class 10. Several years ago, Lobsam suffered a serious accident that resulted in the loss of part of his right arm and the mobility of his legs. Since then, Eli has continued flying the checkered flags in SCORE and other organizations, while also creating his own team and becoming a mentor to his nephews and his son, Eli Jr. Retirement does not appear to be in sight for Eli Yee, who now shares his passion for racing through the deserts, beaches, and mountains of Baja California with his heir. While the experience has been thrilling, it also comes with some pressure. “He’s creating his own story. He drives differently than I do, but I hope to keep enjoying many more years of racing alongside my son,” Yee concluded. SJ