SCORE Journal

THE HIGH COST OF RACING For Moto Racers Like Chavo Salvatierra, The Biggest Hurdle In BaJa Is The Cost By Dan Sanchez There’s no doubt that Pro Moto racers like Bolivia’s Juan Carlos Salvatierra love everything about Baja racing. “I like the vastness of the desert, the difficulty of the terrain, and especially the friendliness of the people of Mexico,” says Salvatierra. “That’s what makes me keep coming back.” For the last two years, Salvatierra has been racing the entire SCORE World Desert Championship series, winning two Pro Moto Ironman Championships, and is now poised to win his first Pro Moto Unlimited Championship should he do well at this year’s 55th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 Presented by 4 Wheel Parts in November. While Salvatierra and his 10x team have won every race this season, one of the things he’d like to see is a reduction of the fees. “It’s the cost that is most difficult for moto racers,” he says. “Yes the terrain and logistics of racing are difficult, but I think more riders would come out to race in Baja if the price of entry fees were lower.” It’s a difficult balance between doing what’s best for racers and where some of the costs go. According to SCORE’s Moto Liaison Andy Kirker, much of the entry fees go towards safety services such as a helicopter specifically used to clear and bring emergency aid for SCORE’s moto and quad classes. “I applaud the fact that SCORE has a helicopter for the riders this year,” says Salvatierra. “Eventually it would be better to have more than one following the riders and another for safety and rescue.” Although Salvatierra’s accomplishments over the past two years have gained him additional fame, he also believes that more exposure for moto classes will help in bringing in more sponsors, and potential prize money. “Many moto racers would like to see more publicity in U.S. and international media,” he says. “The more moto racers are exposed in the international media, the larger the interest will be to the OE manufacturers and sponsors. This will allow them to invest in race teams to have a ‘winning’ brand, and may lead to price money for racers winning in various classes.” As SCORE continues to listen to its racers, changes are being made wherever possible based on input from racers such as Salvatierra. “The SCORE organization and the Mexican people are two of the main reasons why I enjoy racing in Baja every season,” he says. “During one race, I was suffering through some extreme cold during the night and the guys in the Baja pits gave me a jacket. That’s what SCORE racing is all about.” SJ

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