SCORE Journal

CONSISTENCY WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS Jason Murray Looks Back On Winning A SCORE Pro UTV FI Championship, And looking Forward To A Great 2017 Season In one of SCORE’s fastest growing classes, Derek and Jason Murray have been competing at a high level, but always ended up shy of a championship season. In 2016, that all changed, as their consistency ultimately paid off giving Murray Racing and Can-Am, its first SCORE Pro UTV FI championship. We caught up with Jason Murray at their shop in Anaheim, California where he gave us more insight into the season and how he and his brother Derek felt about winning the championship in their division. “It’s huge for us,” said Jason Murray. “We finished in the top three in SCORE over the last two years. We finally, got to hold one down and put it on the belt. We started with nothing, competed with the best racers in the world, and to come out on top with a championship for us is huge.” The team is led by the two Murray brothers who have, over many SCORE races, learned to work with each other to keep the team moving forward and advance their racing careers together. “We’ve never been competitive and have instead always helped each other,” said Murray. “During races, we split time. SCORE races are long. To have two drivers split the course it really helps our racing. We’re definitely competitive but competitive against everyone else, and together, we make a really good team.” The Rocky Road To Victory The road to their 2016 Pro UTV FI championship wasn’t easy for the Murray brothers. The season began with a new vehicle, the Can-Am Maverick X3 and without much development and testing, the team finished the SCORE San Felipe 250 in second place. “Every year UTVs are evolving and changing so fast. When Can-AM came out with something new, they wanted us to immediately put it on the race course,” said Murray. With a new and untested vehicle, problems started popping up after the SCORE San Felipe race. By the time the SCORE Baja 500 came around, in which the team finished in seventh place, they showed up to the SCORE Rosarito Beach Desert Challenge, where the new vehicle bugs caught up to them and led to a fifth place finish. “We threw the X3 on the race course without much development time to test the car,” said Murray. “In Rosarito Beach, it came back and bit us. We were really doing well and ultimately we developed some issues that set us back.” Although disappointed without a first place race finish, it didn’t cause the team to play it safe or take it easy the rest of the SCORE season. “That’s just part of the evolution of the game,” said Murray. “You’re always trying to put your best foot forward but also trying to please the sponsors by putting a brand new product on the track. We definitely had some new car blues, but now that the Can-Am Maverick X3 is tried and true, we’re going to hit 2017 running hard.” Consistency Paid Off The Murray racing team showed up at the 49th SCORE Baja 1000 and finished the season with a fifth place finish at the race. Their tenacity and consistency, however, led them to earn enough points to win the championship in the Pro UTV FI category. “Baja is that type of place where if everything isn’t perfect, you’re not going to win,” said Murray. “Baja has had our number, as far as getting a first place race win. This year, the way the points laid out and showed that consistency is key, we came up with the championship.” This is the team’s first SCORE UTV championship after coming very close to winning the championship in 2014 and 2015. Their choices in using a vehicle that wasn’t as popular, but wanting to stick with it, obviously paid off. Now, after seven years of racing with Can-Am, the team is headed for more victories in the years to come. “We got into the UTVs early on,” said Murray. “When Can-AM came on the scene with the Commander, we took a risk and ultimately it paid off. About a year after racing with Can-Am we got picked up by the factory at a low level, and from there it progressed into the full factory race team.” Now with a SCORE UTV championship under their belt, the team, and Can-Am Maverick X3 has proven to be taken seriously among a field of growing competition. “This is a full-time job. We race, get the car ready, and go out and race again,” said Murray. Along with a 2016 Pro UTV FI championship, the Murray Racing Team also earned a 2016 Red Kap Milestone award for running every mile of each SCORE race. “The Red Kap Milestone Award is a huge accomplishment for us,” said Murray. “Baja has some of the toughest terrain that you can put any vehicle through, and to be able to cover every mile of every race is a big accomplishment.” This makes it the second time the team has won a Milestone award, winning it previously for completing the 2015 SCORE racing season. The team missed the award in 2014 and because of it, they were determined to be more consistent and build up to what has ultimately led to their achievements in 2016. “In 2014 we timed out at the SCORE Baja 1000 by 40 minutes,” said Murray. “In addition to losing that, it also kicked us out of first place that year, and we lost the top three overall. So in 2017 we’ll definitely be going for another Milestone award again, as well as another championship too.” UTVs Getting Better And Faster Having the backing of a factory like Can-Am is a big plus for Murray Racing. UTVs seem to be getting faster, more powerful and now that their latest vehicle, the Maverick X3 has all the bugs out of it, the team looks forward to the 2017 SCORE racing season. “When we first started racing, we were averaging about 40 mph. Now some of the cars are cracking 100 mph on the course,” said Murray. “We finished 18th overall in SCORE. As time progresses the UTV will be some of the fastest vehicles in the desert. A good example of this is that the team finished 17th overall at the 49th SCORE Baja 1000, proving that relatively stock UTVs are quickly moving up the field. “The Can-Am X3 is a game changer, said Murray. “The new X3 is a complete build from the ground up. With a lot of west coast desert riding in mind, this UTV has a wide 72-inch wide platform, 24-inches of travel in the rear, and 22-inches of travel in the front. We’re essentially racing a bone-stock car with all the safety requirements in it. As far as the suspension and engine are concerned, its 100 percent stock and it just goes to show how strong this new X3 really is.” For now, Jason, Derek, and everyone in the Murray racing team is happy with their overall performance and winning the SCORE Pro UTV FI championship. While they’re excited about their car and doing well in 2017, they’re definitely stepping up their efforts. “In SCORE this year, we may race two cars in certain races,” said Murray. “We definitely hope to get that SCORE race win and another championship.” SJ

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