SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1516194
COMMITTED TO CONQUER The Polaris Factory Racing Team Is All-In For The 2024 SCORE Season By Dan Sanchez After an impressive first season of racing in the SCORE World Desert Championship in 2023, Polaris and the SCI Polaris Factory Racing Team are committed to racing the entire SCORE season. According to Alex Scheuerell, Director of Off-Road Motorsports for Polaris, SCORE International races have the best competition in all UTV off-road racing. “We want to race against the best,” said Scheuerell. “Racing here gives us a basis for measuring our achievements.” For their first season effort in SCORE’s Pro UTV Open class, the SCI Factory Polaris team came out swinging with podium finishes in each race. It began with team owner/racer Craig Scanlon winning the 36th SCORE San Felipe 250, followed-up by Brock Heger winning at the 55th SCORE Baja 500 and the 4th SCORE Baja 400. Then, the team finished the season with Cayden MacCachren’s first-place win at the 56th SCORE Baja 1000, with Brock Heger finishing in third. But setting the bar high their first time out is only the beginning for the team. “The SCORE Pro UTV Open class is extremely competitive, and when we race, we don’t simply want a class win; we want to win the UTV category overall,” said Scheuerell. “Ultimately, that is what Polaris cares about, and aside from the factory team, it also has great sponsored racers with a depth of talent like the Matlocks, Branden Sims, Justin Lambert, and others. We couldn’t ask for better racers to partner with.” Indeed, finishing on the podium in every race of a season in one of the most competitive classes in all off-road motorsports, sends a message about Polaris and its commitment as the Official UTV of SCORE International. “We were thrilled with the outcome for the 2023 season and worked really hard before, during, and after each race,” said Scheuerell. But last year’s season and championships are in the rearview for the Factory Polaris Team. They are improving upon what they learned in 2023 and plan to perform better during the 2024 season. “This first season, we had teething pains on the cars, but we did our engineering homework and corrected it,” said Scheuerell. “Small improvements made big changes in driver comfort— and lots of suspension tuning sessions with Fox to dial in. It made our cars faster, so we took what we learned from our Gen 1 vehicles and now built our Gen 2 cars for the 2024 season.” Details of the new Gen 2 Polaris RZR Pro R Factory race vehicles are yet to be officially released, but Scheuerell did comment that the Gen 2 cars are stronger, lighter on the front end, and faster. They will debut the vehicles starting at the SCORE San Felipe 250. “What is still amazing is that much of the parts on these race cars are production pieces,” he said. “The cars are mostly stock other than adjustable upper control arms and radius rods that allow us to dial in the wheel alignment when needed.” Aside from new Gen 2 model race cars, another addition to the team is Max Eddy Jr., part of several SCORE championship teams in the Moto divisions, and was a co-rider with Craig Scanlon during the 2023 season. “Max split driving duties with Craig last season, and for the 2024 season, we formalized it, and he’s got his own vehicle to race,” said Scheuerell. “We love Max as he’s easy on the equipment and offers great feedback for the engineering team and our crew chief. He’s also a great guy, and that’s an important aspect of what we are looking for. The attitude of our racers also has a lot to do with representing our brand, and that’s what we’re about. Max is also fast and knows how to work on the vehicle himself.” Eddy Jr.’s reputation in SCORE racing precedes him, with five SCORE Baja 500 wins and five SCORE Baja 1000 wins. After stepping off two wheels and navigating for some SCORE Trophy Truck teams, Eddy Jr. found himself co-driving with Scanlon in 2023. “I’m beyond grateful to have been given this opportunity to be a factory driver for Polaris; it is a dream come true,” said Eddy Jr. “This is a strong team that really proved itself to the whole industry by capturing the SCORE championship in its first season, and I’m eager to add to that success in 2024.” The team believes racing in SCORE gives them the best opportunities to prove themselves and their Polaris RZR Pro R Factory platform. “The Baja terrain is brutal, but what’s what we love about it,” added Scheuerell. “More things can go wrong in Baja, and that’s where Polaris shines with its greater durability and quality. In addition, SCORE International has it all-together and has a great championship program. We don’t have to worry if a race will get cancelled as it is a solid foundation in the sport.” SJ