SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/454861
is the most bang for your buck class. It's the third or fourth fastest class out there and it's relatively affordable," says Langley. "Our team jumped on the Ecotec in 2010 when you had to run that engine in Class-4. It's great to see that now there is such a huge field in Class-10. Competing against such a big field with so many talented drivers makes the class even more appealing." In the meantime, Zak Langley has to concentrate on his performance with the Unlimited Trophy Truck. Looking back at the 1000, the race proved to be challenging for him, yet exciting all the same. "The 1000 is always such an adventure! This race especially so because of all the different sections we got to race through. I really liked the terrain between El Rosario and Catavina. That is a part of Baja I hadn't raced before," says Langley. "My biggest focus going into this SCORE Baja 1000 was to pace myself. The plan was for me to start and hand the TT to Rick D. Johnson at race mile 660. Five hundred and thirty miles was the most I had driven before this so I was concerned with not getting to worn out and dropping off pace. There were a lot of 'gotchas' out there from the rain erosion so I wanted to make sure I stayed focused for my entire section. I thought I had a pretty descent run but wished I had pushed harder. I think maybe I was a little too concerned with saving myself and the equipment." Langley finished eighth in the field of Unlimited Trophy Trucks, which was still a good thing, considering that nearly half the field posted a DNF. "I think just the overall length of this race was what contributed to the high DNF rate. A total of 1275 miles is a long ways. That just adds up to more of everything that Baja has to throw at you," he says. "More ditches, more silt, more G-outs, more chances to make mistakes. I sometimes think racing is making a decision a second. You have to make as many good positive decisions as possible, but you're going to make a few bad ones too. You just hope the consequences of the bad ones don't bite you." Focused on the next races in the 2015 SCORE season, Langley takes what he's learned over the years and puts it into perspective to become faster and ultimately a better driver. "There are just so many factors that can contribute to your success in this sport. A few minutes can mean a couple positions; even in a race as long as this SCORE Baja 1000. Sometimes even seconds. There are so many ways to gain and 064 SCORE JOURNAL