SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1534592
Although he wasn't battling directly with other Class 7 vehicles through the race, he still had plenty of passing to contend with. On the course, he overtook almost 70 UTVs. The faster vehicles in each class can be faster than most of the vehicles in the class ahead of them. That could have been a very difficult task because of the excessive dust, and single-track portions of the courses, but it wasn't the case here. "Fortunately, there was enough wind, and we were a lot faster than most of the people we were passing, so had pretty good closing speeds on them. The thing about San Felipe is that there's almost always multiple lines, so when you come up on somebody, they don't necessarily have to move over. You can just pick a different line and go around them." He felt that parts of the course were rough and rocky, but there were plenty of places for high speed to keep a high average overall. Chamlee is no stranger to wins in SCORE racing, and says of his quest for another Championship, "We haven't missed a race in 22 years, and we don't plan on missing one now." In last year's San Felipe 250, a shorted wire disabled the engine computer and put him out of the race, making this year's win all the sweeter. That problem last year caused him to break an 18-year Championship streak. His win in the SCORE Baja 500, second place in the SCORE Baja 400, and win in the SCORE Baja 1000 didn't provide him quite enough points to clinch the 2024 title. "We're now carrying this 702 number, when we virtually identify as 700. We'd been 700 for 18 years straight, so our main goal this year is to get our number back. and we've got a good start." Unlike many competitors who tear down their engines after every race, or at least a couple of times each season, Chamlee's team normally gets six to seven complete seasons out of an engine. Their current one, a 3.5-liter EcoBoost out of a 2018 Ford Raptor, has all stock components apart from a racing computer that allows them to dial up substantial power increases. Chamlee says it has given them very few problems over the years. The team hopes that same reliability will continue throughout the 2025 season, especially since the class is seeing higher and higher finishing rates for competitors, with only two not completing the SCORE San Felipe 250 race this year. "It was a good race. We wish they were all like that. Any time you don't have breakdowns, and you go fast and win, that's a fun time." SJ • Video: Dan Chamlee SCORE Class 7 Winner SCORE JOURNAL 97 38TH SCORE SAN FELIPE 250 4 WHEEL CLASSES