SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/972318
From Last To First Justin Davis and Team Green Army Start The 2018 SCORE Season With A MaJor Victory In Class 1 By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo Justin Davis and the Green Army have been competing in SCORE for several years. In Class 1, the competition is high and at the 32nd SCORE San Felipe 250, Davis and team started in the last position and drove a phenomenal race to win in Class 1. We caught up with Davis to get his thoughts on how he accomplished this major victory, and what it means for the Green Army. SJ: Starting last off the starting line for Class 1, how did you manage to pass a field of 12 other racers? Davis: I’ve always liked starting last. It gives you something to chase all day, and every car you pass you’re ahead of them. The day of the race I took my time and was very patient, by race mile 160, I was the first car on the highway and never looked back. SJ: You finished 12th overall in front of some of the Trophy Trucks. How crowded was the field and was it difficult to pass and stay ahead? Davis: Earlier in the race it was pretty tight and technical with a lot of dust. In the beginning, it took me a bit longer to get through some of the slower cars and trucks. Once I got the lead by race mile 160 there was a good gap between me and the top ten trucks. For the rest of the race I ran my own pace and in the end, it paid off. SJ: At what point did you know you were ahead in your class and what was going through your mind in trying to keep a fast pace? Davis: By race mile 160 I had passed Brad Wilson for the lead, while he was doing a driver change. By that point, I had the physical lead and the lead on official time. I had one thing on my mind at that point; don’t let anyone pass me or I would give up the lead. From winning multiple races in my past I knew the key was to keep a consistent pace and not have any little issues or get a flat. SJ: The Wilson team has been very dominant. Did you battle at all with Brian and Brad? Davis: The Wilsons are a great team as well as a family. They’re always consistent at the finish, which in Baja is a great accomplishment in itself. Around race mile 100 to 135, I had a good battle with Brian Wilson and had to pass him in a pretty tight technical canyon. As for Brad Wilson, I only saw his car in the pits doing a drivers change. SJ: This was your first win in Class 1. How did it all come together for a victory in San Felipe? Davis: TRI-ACE came to us last year with the Class 10 car tire and we were super excited to try it out. In return, it got us the Class 10 Championship in another race venue. This year when we announced we would be going back to our roots in a Class 1 car, we once again put the TRI-ACE tire to the test with the 37’s and had nothing but good things to say about the performance of the tire. San Felipe was by far the toughest race to test a tire. There are a lot of loose, sharp rocks in the washes. The tires took all the beating and we had absolutely no flats and downtime, which is key to winning races. SJ: Will you be participating in the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500 and starting first in class, do you think this will give you an advantage? Davis: The SCORE Baja 500 is the only race I haven’t won. I have taken second place three times. This year’s plan, since I start first by winning the class at the SCORE San Felipe 250, is to set a fast conservative pace and get through the slower trucks. My goal is to create a large gap early on so that when the race is coming towards the end, and the car is starting to get tired, I won’t have to push as hard as some of my competitors. I believe I have a really good shot at finally getting the win I’ve been trying for that past nine years to get. SJ: What more can we expect from the Davis team this year? Davis: The goal for the 2018 season is to win every race. We don’t show up to get second place. I won the points champions back in 2011 and would like to do that again in a Class 1 car. I believe the team we have now is the team to do it. Josh Oneal preps a great car and has been a part of the team on many of its wins and championships. I look forward to the next race and continuing our winning streak. SJ