SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1536633
THE MAN TO BEAT Brock Heger Climbs Further Up The Ladder By Larry Saavedra Photos by Get Some Photo Polaris factory racer Brock Heger is considered to be the man to beat in Baja, as some UTV competitors are saying. After winning his seventh consecutive SCORE UTV Overall title at the 57th BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 500, he’s closer to locking up another Class Championship for Polaris. With his first place class victory and Overall UTV win at the SCORE San Felipe 250, Heger was six points ahead of his closest competitor, Brandon Sims. Now with the same finishing results at the SCORE Baja 500 he just widened that lead considerably. As a Polaris factory racer, Heger realizes he’s part of the bigger picture. “We all strive to win, but as long as the team works together and tries to put Polaris on top, that’s all that matters,” he said. “Showing results is what it’s about. It was cool to see Polaris with a top five overall and then a 1-2-3 podium finish, that was something we’ve been trying to do for a while. It’s never been done. That was a huge team effort.” With all the accolades tossed his way, Heger in the No. 1896 RZR Pro R is still respectful, saying he just shows up and puts his best foot forward. “At the end of the day I just drive the Polaris RZR as fast as I can,” he said. “I must be doing something right, but one rock can end an entire race. If all the pieces of the puzzle go together it usually turns out good.” Heger said he knew this SCORE Baja 500 was going to be “interesting” because of his starting position behind the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec trucks. “I started first in class and knew I was going to have my hands full behind the trucks,” he said. “I battled with the trucks all day long. It was fun to fly past all of them. I don’t think about the pressure of winning another race, I just go out there and drive.” Heger says, the problem with racing a UTV against a Trophy Truck is the size difference. “When we go to nerf a truck, sometimes they don’t even feel it,” he said. “Just getting by them is really hard. They also stir up a lot of dust, especially uphill. Thanks to my experience driving those vehicles in the past, I know what to expect.” “It was super tight,” he said. “The coastal course was drenched from all the rain. It made for some really good racing. The RZR ran flawlessly all day. We never got out of the car, not even to change a tire.” Heger said he felt it was more like a SCORE Baja 400 course by not dropping into San Felipe and staying in the mountains and along the coast. “It made it more technical, which was fun.” He was also glad to race on a technical course, it’s something that he looks forward to in Baja. With the UTVs now able to be in the top 10 finishers Overall, Heger believes the UTV class has really gotten competitive lately, and the equipment is being pushed for performance. “It’s crazy,” he said. “If we had cleaner air, who knows where we might be at the checkered flag.” SJ