SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1540550
A FURIOUS FIGHT Francisco Beltran Races Toward A Pro Stock UTV Championship By Larry Saavedra Photos by Get Some Photo SCORE Pro Stock UTV privateer, Francisco Beltran, in the No. 3921 Can-Am Maverick, now has a commanding lead in the class points race after his win at the SCORE Baja 400. Even without any factory sponsorship, Beltran has racked up 354 points heading into the SCORE Baja 1000, well ahead of his nearest rival. He also won the King Shocks 38th SCORE San Felipe 250 in Pro Stock UTV and captured second place at the 56th BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 500. Some say his racing history should speak for itself. So with or without factory support, Beltran continues to establish himself as one of Mexico’s premier desert racing talents. Beltran is a fighter, although he’s the first to admit that factory support would relieve some of the pressure of a privateer. He understands that racing support doesn’t always work the way you want it to, and he continues to push his Can-Am Maverick to its limits out of his own pocket. “I think factory support would really help my team,” he said. “But I will continue to go for the SCORE class championship because that’s what I do. I won’t give up.” At the SCORE Baja 400, he took the physical lead at mile marker 60 and never looked back. “No one passed us,” he said. “It was a super clean race, and we finished the race more than 30 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Antonio De Loera in Can-Am Maverick No. 3918. Beltran said he changed strategy for the SCORE Baja 400 and decided to use a co-driver, instead of tackling the course solo. “I think going solo in the SCORE Baja 500 was the reason I took second,” he said. “I decided to put my son in the driver’s seat after I started the race. I jumped out of the car at mile 250, and my son took the wheel.” Diego Beltran opened a three-minute gap on competitors, and at mile-marker 330, he handed the Maverick back to his father, who crossed the finish line with time to spare. “It’s not easy to race with family because of the risks,” he said. “But they did a tremendous job out there.” Beltran uses a local Ensenada mechanic to prep his car. “He’s the key to the team’s success this season,” says Beltran. “He’s been an asset, and mechanically we’ve never had an issue this season. Not a single failure. It’s a small shop that used to work with the Ampudia family, and when he became independent, I asked him to prep the Maverick.” Going into the SCORE Baja 1000, Beltran feels confident, saying he’s prepared to do a better job. “We love the technical terrain and the harder it gets, the more connected we get, and good things happen,” he said. “We’ve been growing our support team all season, and we’ll be in position for the final race of the season. We want the class championship. We’ll figure out our strategy the closer it gets to race day.” Beltran says the SCORE Baja 1000 will likely be without factory support, but he is certainly not losing any sleep because of it. “We will be very focused and ready for anything.” SJ