SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1544512
THE HIGH-SPEED CHASE Moto & Quad Classes Battle Against The Odds For A Win By Dan Sanchez, Ariana Medrano, Isaac Flores, and Beto Lopez Photos by Get Some Photo There’s no doubt that the SCORE San Felipe 250 is the most brutal for the moto and quad riders. Absorbing all of the vibrations, jolts, and obstacles is hard on the body, but riders know this is part of the competition. The Pro Moto Unlimited class saw a great battle with the 2025 Champions now on the 1x bike, against several other teams also with talented riders. Tyler Lynn and Carter Klein took the Slamlife Honda once again, but added Sam Pretscherer, an Australian racer who recently won the 250 Pro National Hare and Hound Championship. The team battled against the 15x team of Daemon Woolslayer, who started first in class. Both teams also had to contend with the newly revamped 3x Hero Racing team, led by Ciaran Naran as rider of record, with co-rider Lyndon Snodgrass, riding on a new Ducati. The 12x team of Alex Trapp broke and could not finish the race, leaving the other three teams to battle for the podium finish. At the start of the race, the 15x team battled with the 1x team for position in dusty conditions, ultimately passing them and taking first place on the course. The 3x team also followed, keeping as close to the leaders as they could. By the last portion of the race, Pretscherer put a substantial time gap between themselves and the 3x team, allowing them to finish first. Naran and the 3x team finished in a close second place, followed by Woolslayer in the 15x team. “ The course was really tough. Obviously, it just keeps getting rougher and rougher every year, but it was great,” said Naran. “We’re looking forward to the SCORE Baja 500.” Pro Moto 40 Champ’s Fast Finish Finishing close behind the Unlimited teams, the 2025 Pro Moto 40 champion, Jason Miller, who was filling in for Shane Esposito, finished the course first in class and fifth overall. The 400x team also had legendary riders, including Francisco Septian, Jim O’Neal, and co-rider Eric Magana. “The course was tough, but everything went well today,” said Miller. “The heat was tough, but I just stayed hydrated, making sure I drank water and did the right things. It was the best SCORE San Felipe 250.” Fast Finishers Anna Rivas and her 119x Pro Moto Limited team finished first in class and seventh overall with no issues to speak of on the course. They start the season with a big win toward a class championship. Levi Gill and the 318x team took the win in the Pro Moto 30 class, and 2025 Pro Moto 50 champion Mike Prunty and his 500x team easily took the class win. “That’s exactly how we wanted the first race of the season to go, we’re in it to win it,” said Prunty, who is looking for his third class championship in a row. “That’s the goal, and we’ve got a great group of guys racing with us. Our sponsors have been phenomenal, including Precision Welding, MHP Fabrication, Mica Metals, Baja Bound, and DT1. The course was really rough, and there was no easy part of it. You’ve got to pay attention because that’s a place where it can be a complete, utter disaster. We were able to pull that off, and we’re looking forward to a great season, and we’re in it to win it.” Returning for another chance at a championship is the 600x team of Harold Harris. The team secured its first win of the season in this race and wants more by the end of it. “It went as smooth as silk,” said Harris. “It was brutal, but we stayed up the whole time and didn’t crash. That’s all you can ask for. That was our main goal, to get back here in one piece and try to make it back to the next one, the SCORE Baja 500.” Molinar Wins The Ironman Class After training for a year, then failing from breaking his knee and sternum, Marco Molinar came back to the SCORE San Felipe 250 and won the SCORE Pro Moto Ironman class on his 788x bike, and finished sixth overall. “You always have to put your dreams first; you never have to forget them,” he said. “You have to be sure of what you want, and thanks to all that, we trained for two years to come to this race better. It wasn’t just about winning; it wasn’t about sacrifices, and there’s a support system of people behind me, and they also deserve this victory. I have many sponsors; everyone contributed, and this is also for them.” Martin De La Torre had a hard time with the heat and dust, but finished fourth overall and first in the SCORE Pro Quad class for the win on the No. 37A quad. “It was a very demanding morning, and the heat was intense,” he said. “It made things difficult, and the dust was a problem, too. But teamwork got us here. Congratulations to each of my teammates, to our families, to the Vélez family, to José’s family, to Eric’s family, and also to our sponsors: Barro Suspension, Segunda, Los Polos, Canicase Racing, My Superficial Vacation, Races y Construcciones, Voyez, Enogido. There are so many people who support us and make this possible. And I want to thank our families, especially my girlfriend, my mom, and my grandma, who support me and are what allow me to be here.” Finishing first in Sportsman Moto was Luis Fernando Perez Murillo on the 210x Honda. After winning the race, Murillo was looking for a team to help them compete at the SCORE Baja 1000, as they have been racing in Baja Sur their whole lives and are looking forward to it. The Sportsman Quad class winner was Erick Talamantes on the 124a Honda, who, despite issues with the quad, managed to have a great run. “The bike wouldn’t go faster than 45 or 65 mph before it started acting up,” said Talamantes. “But aside from all that, we got to the finish line. The track was really rough. It was a real grind. The heat started after 10:00 a.m., but I didn’t think it was as hot as in other years. But we made it. We’ll be competing in the entire championship, all the way to Cabo San Lucas.” SJ