SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1544512
THE WILL TO SURVIVE Baja Accepts The Sacrifices In The Four-Wheel Classes By Dan Sanchez, Ariana Medrano, Isaac Flores, and Beto Lopez Photos by Get Some Photo The scorching heat and extremely rough terrain took their toll on the rest of the four-wheel classes, with several racers unable to complete the course. Fortunately for 2025 Class 7 champion, Dan Chamlee, he was back in form, achieving another class victory at the King Shocks 39th SCORE San Felipe 250. Regaining his No. 700 championship number after losing it in 2024, his experience allowed him to persevere in this race. “It was definitely a rough, bumpy race out there, with a lot of deep sand,” said Chamlee. “We had a few things break, and so it cost us 20 or 30 minutes in the pits.” Chamlee was in second place on the course behind the No. 708 team of James Bluth and had to make up some time. “We knew, once we got out of the pit stop, we had to go faster than them to catch up. Thankfully, our BFGoodrich tires had zero flats, and the King shocks were working awesome. They were really smooth. I mean, it was rough, but the shocks were working great.” Chamlee finished with a time of 7:00:18 for the class win. Bluth came in second 40 minutes later for second place, while Randy Bluth in the No. 720 truck finished in third place. Astorga Wins Class 5 Without A Clutch Driving with a broken transmission clutch in the No. 513 Bug, Jesse Astorga and his team managed to push-start and shift gears without stopping to win in class. “My friend Ernesto Medina drove from race mile 80 to race mile 180, and I went from 180 on,” said Astorga. “They gave me the car without a clutch. So, when they entered the pit to do the pilot change, I got in, and they had to push me. I got out again to put it in gear, and I had to keep the car going without stopping.” Coming in four hours later was Kevin Schaefer in the No. 501 car to finish in second place. Four of the other competitors in this class were not able to finish the race. Gutierrez Wins 1/2-1600 Class Finishing first in the SCORE 1/2-1600 class was Enrique Gutierrez and his team in the No. 1655 car. Although he didn’t suffer from any mechanical issues, the course was beat-up and difficult for the team to maneuver over. “We didn’t have a single tire puncture, and everything was clean,” he said. “There was a little bit of everything on the course: sand, uphill, downhill, rocks, and a lot of bumps. We communicated throughout the race and ran with our strategy until we got a good result. With this victory, we will be able to continue the series. We have been running for several years, and this is our first win in this car.” The 2025 class champion, Daniel Goodrich in the No. 1600 car, finished second. Third place went to Eric Pavolka in the No. 1625 car. Zanon Wins Class 3 In His Ford Bronco Racing the No. 301 Ford Bronco he built from a salvage title, RJ Zanon took the Class 3 win. With co-driver Austin Gillis having flat tires, getting their vehicle stuck, and losing the 4WD mode during the race, but managed to finish the course before the time limit, in 13:14:15. The team’s crew of volunteer members were all Bronco community members who demonstrated it’s about finishing the race that counts. Castillo Survives For A Class 11 Win In a field of four competitors in Class 11, including legendary buggy racer and ORMHOF Hall of Famer Eric Solorzano, the course managed to defeat all but Ralph Castillo. The 2025 class champion, driving the No. 1100 bug, finished in 9:57:06 seconds, well ahead of the 14-hour time limit. SJ