SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1528094
BACK ON TOP Justin Morgan and Tyler Lynn Take The Pro Moto Unlimited Win By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo After a DQ at the SCORE San Felipe 250, and narrowly winning at the SCORE Baja 500, taking second place, the 7x SLR Honda team of Justin Morgan and Tyler Lynn finally got their first SCORE Pro Moto Unlimited win of the season. Morgan and Tyler on the 7x Honda, started in second place, behind the 11x H.E.R.O. team of Arturo Salas Jr. “We had a lot less dust and competition in front of us compared to starting seventh at the SCORE Baja 500,” said Morgan. “We could have won that race too, but we had some penalties and Tyler crashed, losing his fanny pack which had the tracker in it.” The 7x team finished second in that race, but their momentum continued at the 5th SCORE Baja 400, leading them to a first-place, class finish. “Everything came together at this race, and to be honest, we were sick of losing,” laughed Morgan. “Because of that, we put a huge effort into the Baja 400 and made sure we had fast, clean pit stops, a lot of good helpers, better logistics, and in the end, we had zero wasted time. So everything worked well. Being farther towards the front of the competition at the start, really helped and it all kind of came together.” Bringing In Young Riders At the start of the 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship Season, the SLR Honda team owner Mark Samuels, wanted to put together a Pro Moto Unlimited team and called Justin Morgan to be the rider of record. “He had made commitments to the sponsors to race the entire SCORE season and he wanted me to bring up some young riders and mentor them a bit,” said Morgan This is where Tyler Lynn came into the team. Lynn rode for Samuels on the SLR Honda team and participated in other moto series. When the 2024 SCORE Season started, he was called upon to help Morgan due to his experience and talent. “Tyler has raced in Baja before, back in 2018 when he was really young,” said Morgan. “He was like 18, and although he had one Baja race under his belt, he’s a good, solid rider.” Back when Morgan and Samuels rode as a team in SCORE, they were unbeatable. Together they raised the bar of Baja moto racing for other teams to reach. Now, teams and riders are catching up, and in the current Pro Moto Unlimited class, every missed checkpoint or mistake is the difference between winning and losing. As the newest member of the team, Lynn seems to bring that high level of racing to up the 7x team’s game. “Once Tyler learns a few more things that will help him compete in Baja, he’s really going to be one of the best,” said Morgan. “Everyone now is putting in a ton of effort for each race. You have a lot of teams coming from a lot of different backgrounds, and who are really hungry to get a win. Mark and I went on a long time without getting beat, but it’s awesome to see the sport so healthy now, and where everybody’s putting in 100 percent effort. So it makes it more interesting and fun while drawing more attention to the class.” Experience In The Right Hand Seat Over the last couple of seasons, Morgan had suspended competing in moto classes but was visible in Baja racing as a navigator and UTV driver. Although some of this was while recovering from a knee injury, those experiences were ones that he wants to continue to develop in his racing career. “My goals were always 100 percent to be racing in a roll cage,” Morgan laughs. “It’s just that when I started racing on a bike, it took off and because I was good at it I had to put aside my wanting to race in a SCORE Trophy Truck.” During this time, Morgan raced with SCORE Champion and Legend Larry Roeseler for seven races in the right-hand seat as a navigator. “I’m good friends with Larry and he gave me the opportunity to ride with him in during his time in the Baja Jerky Trophy Truck,” said Morgan. “I learned a lot from him about racing these types of trucks, and about Baja racing in general. It was a really good opportunity. Last year I also got the opportunity to drive for the SCI Factory Polaris team on Cayden MacCachren’s UTV. I drove the night section during the 2023 SCORE Baja 1000 and we won the class and Overall UTV. That was a huge deal to me because not many people have won on both two and four-wheels.” On To The SCORE Baja 1000 Morgan and Tyler will try and put the 7x bike back on the podium with another win at the SCORE Baja 1000 in November. “We feel confident with me and Tyler for the Baja 1000, but we may add another rider,” said Morgan. “Tyler is progressing at every race, and his riding is great. Everything is going well and in the right direction. This team has a lot of success left in it.” The 7x SLR Honda team is sponsored by SD Powerhouse, and the bike is built and prepped by Bobby Young there, who is also the team’s chase driver. “Bobby has done a great job for us, and his prep work will definitely help us at the Baja 1000.” Morgan’s team will get to start first, which is an advantage for these riders. “In Ensenada, we start at night but only a minute apart,” says Morgan. “There’s potential for a lot of fog and a guarantee of a lot of dust, so yeah, when you lead the race, you get to control it. It’s extremely hard to make a pass in the dust. So starting first at this level is a big advantage, one we hope to utilize for another win.” SJ