SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1536633
CORBIN LEAVERTON ON THE PODIUM The HRC Honda Factory Racer Makes His Debut By Larry Saavedra Photos by Jack Wright NMedia3 All eyes were fixed on Honda HRC’s Corbin Leaverton in the No. 1925 Honda Talon after he took first in class at the 57th BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 500. It was his first time racing competitively in Baja. Leaverton took the podium in the SCORE Pro UTV Normally Aspirated class but said had his work cut out for him. “I just signed with Honda HRC and so we came straight to the SCORE Baja 500,” he said. “It was cool to get the win right out of the box. We plan to race the SCORE Baja 1000 next.” Leaverton drives for Honda HRC under the direction of Honda Team Principal Jeff Proctor. According to Leaverton, Red Bull will be stepping in to also sponsor his efforts in Baja. At the SCORE Baja 500 Leaverton started fourth off the grid, and pretty quickly caught up with the trucks. “We battled with Ricardo Torres in the other Honda Talon all day, and pitted near Valle De La Trinidad at mile-marker 135,” he said. “We had lost some time there and went to work filling the gap of the leader.” With more than seven minutes to make up Leaverton kept his head down and pushed. “By mile-marker 168 I made up four minutes,” he added. “Then by mile-marker 220 I passed Torres and kept him behind me.” Leaverton set the pace and played cat and mouse with Torres, until the checkered flag. “I kept him in the dust as much as possible,” he said. Knowing the weather was going to play havoc with the course during pre-running, he was prepared for the worst. “Even just the start of the course was super technical, and the rain and water crossings made it challenging,” he said. “The Honda Talon is so nimble in that kind of terrain and that made it easier to navigate the obstacles. Even though it was my first SCORE Baja race I expected it was going to get technical, but this one was a little different.” Leverton said there wasn’t any one particular section that caused him that many problems but admitted that the route to Mike’s Sky Ranch made him a little apprehensive. “I like the challenge of it,” he said. “The faster sections near the coast were also cool. The tires performed and I had almost no problems with the Talon besides a little electrical glitch.” SJ