SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1536633
ELIMINATION ROUND Baja Takes Out Much Of The Four-Wheel Classes By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo Most of the four-wheel class racers thought this year’s SCORE Baja 500 course was one of the most brutal from the rain, dust, fog and technicality. It was those conditions that took out many of the four-wheel class competitors, leaving only a few veteran racers who knew how to manage their vehicles and the conditions to make it to the finish line. In Class 7, the battle between Rhys Millen and his new Toyota V6 powered No. 711 truck challenged SCORE San Felipe 250 class winner Dan Chamlee in the No. 702 Ford Raptor. Millen finished 27 minutes ahead of Chamlee to take the class win, with Chamlee finishing second. For Millen, this was a test for his latest vehicle which had some challenges, but in all, proved the concept. “We had lights coming off and we also drove it into a ditch,” said Millen at the finish. “This was our debut with the car and the engine is the same one developed for the Dakar program and it won here in Baja now too. We had a mellow run to put more miles on this car and we got to the finish.” In Class 5 Unlimited, 2024 Class Champion Eli Yee in the No. 500 car won his first SCORE Baja 500 after competing in six over the past seasons. “We’re very happy, and the course was great,” he said at the finish. “We want to thank SCORE for putting on such a well-organized race. Thanks to Yokohama tires and King Shocks, our main sponsors and our family and team. It’s great to finally win our first SCORE Baja 500 and hopefully we will win many more. Likewise, 2024 Class Champion Dan Goodrich in the No. 1600 car survived the course and took the win in Class 1/2-1600 over Eric Pavolka in the No. 1625 car, who finished in second place. “It was a long day and a longer night,” said Goodrich. “We had a great run. I haven’t driven this car in a few years. And we bought a Class 10 to compete in this year. But we had the championship, so we had to defend it.” “SCORE puts on a great course and it gets beat up,” continued Goodrich. “Some of the silt sections were worse than normal. We got stuck once and some locals helped to pull us out. We didn’t have a flat all day on our BFGoodrich Tires. About 40-miles in we broke a torsion bar, had an alternator with a loose wire, but everyone on our team pitched in to bring the car to the finish.” • Video: Dan Goodrich On Winning In Class 1/2-1600 As the evening began to close with the 18-hour time limit to finish the race approaching, 2024 Class 11 Champion Oliver Flemate rolled up to the finish line with a time of 17:02:01 to get the class win. “For us this was the most demanding and brutal SCORE Baja 500 we ever drove,” said an exhausted Flemate. “We made it again and now we have 10-wins in a row. It takes a lot of effort to finish this race in Class 11, but we’re happy we won the Baja 500 again.” The race was not easy for Flemate and his team who suffered a roll-over and other problems along the course. “We thought we weren’t going to finish,” said Flemate. “We got stuck 10-times on the course. It was brutal but we finished and won another Baja 500!” Also finishing just under the allotted time, was Cesar Quirate in the No. 1550 car to win the Sportsman Unlimited Buggy Class. Quirate came in with a time of 17:57:01 for an official finish and giving him his second class win of the 2025 season. SJ