SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1542108
A STRONG FINISH Larry Serna Rides To An Ironman Victory By Mike Vieira Photos By Get Some Photo Larry Serna captured the Pro Moto Ironman class in the BF Goodrich 58th SCORE Baja 1000 on his 715X Honda CRF450X, as well as the season championship, despite a mechanical issue right after the start of the race when a battery post broke. A last-minute seat change caused interference with the battery post and quickly created electrical problems that slowed him to a crawl for nearly an hour until meeting his service crew at Ojos Negros. There, they diagnosed the situation and made a fix with a self-tapping screw. The makeshift repair then held through the entire race without a problem, allowing Serna to run hard and make up for the lost time. He had to deal with intense dust for the first 200 miles, but by sunrise, he was fighting for first place and continued to battle Erick Estrada throughout the race. Around mile 600, the heat of the desert sections began to take its toll. “I think my hydration and sugar levels came down, and I was falling asleep. I was not feeling all that well, and I took a break, drank a soda, and that just fired me up.” He then took some caffeine pills at the next service break, got another short rest, and the cooler weather over the last 200 miles allowed him to put in what he felt was his best riding performance of the race. “Toward the end, I felt strong, got back some of my lost energy, and made it strong to the finish. I’m really happy I had that energy boost,” he says. Although he rode the distance alone, Serna credits a lot of support for getting him through the grueling race. He says, “All my chase crew, my family, my girlfriend, all took me to the finish. I took the bike to the finish, but they took me to the finish, honestly.” Serna is a veteran team rider in Baja, but for 2025, he decided to try his hand in the Ironman class. It went very well for him, with first-place finishes in the SCORE San Felipe 250, SCORE Baja 500, and SCORE Baja 1000, and a second-place spot in the SCORE Baja 400, all leading to the season championship. “It was truly an amazing experience,” he says, but when asked about Ironman for next season, he responds, “I wish I could, but honestly, it was driving me nuts,” referring to the demands on time, finances, and family. After taking some time off in the next couple of months to recover from his hectic schedule of the last year, Serna will wait until January to decide about his racing plans for next year. SJ