SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1534592
SCORE JOURNAL 85 38TH SCORE SAN FELIPE 250 UTV CLASSES Fortunately, the Polaris Factory Team racer pushed through and took the top podium spot, making this his sixth consecutive victory in an equal number of races. "It was crazy racing with the Spec trucks at the end," he said. "It was getting dicey, and time was close for a little bit, so we just sent it. I'm super happy with how my Polaris RZR worked in this race." Heger had two flat tires simultaneously early in the race, with only one spare on the Polaris. Luckily, he said he was within ten miles of the next pit. But it cost him time. He also diced it up with teammate Cayden MacCachren to regain first place and eventually succeeded. "My navigator and I charged hard at the end, and the rest is history," he said. "Both Cayden and I are factory teammates, so whether he or I crossed the finish line first, it would still be a big win for Polaris. That's why I just let things happen as a team." "Again, it was one of the roughest races I've done. All the whoops were super square, which is never fun, and there were lots of hidden rocks. Our goal after starting third was to be the first UTV on the road and pick our way through some of the trucks. We fell back at times, but my navigator steered us in the right direction when I couldn't see through the dust." Heger likes the technical stuff best. "I also like cornering," he added. "I can drive between 110 and 115 miles per hour on the flats, but it's in the slower terrain that matters most." His crawl to the finish line was frustrating, especially as the fans were cheering him on to go faster." I wanted to, but I simply couldn't in limp mode," he said. Luckily it was enough to cross the finish for the win. "At the same time, we are trying to prove out the parts that fail. So, the consumer and racer benefit from things happening on the course." Heger will be ready for the SCORE Baja 500 and is confident the SCI Motorsports team and Polaris engineers will solve the problem that could have cost him the race but held on long enough for him to finish and win. SJ