SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
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THE CHAMPIONS Slam Life Racing’s Pro Moto Team Proudly Displays Their 1X Plate By Mike Vieira Photos by Get Some Photo Mark Samuel’s Slam Life Racing Team has earned the 1X number in SCORE’s Pro Moto Championship series for the 2026 season after a dominant performance in 2025, in which they collected wins in every single race, riding their Honda CRF450X. Under the guidance of team owner and manager, Baja racing legend Mark Samuels, SLR is looking for a repeat of last year’s success and are off to a great start with their win in the King Shocks 39th SCORE San Felipe 250. “When I stopped racing, Justin Morgan and I worked really hard on this new team,” said Samuels. “We started and had some mix-ups, but we refocused, and taught them a lot.” Backed by American Honda, Slam Life Racing fields winning riders in a variety of off-road motorcycle competitions, such as WORCS, NGPC, Supercross, Motocross, and Women’s Motocross. They have been a leading contender across the racing spectrum, and the current team in SCORE races consist of their Rider of Record, Tyler Lynn, Carter Klein, and their newest member, Sam Pretscherer. “These guys are very well rounded and can be put into any spot,” said Samuels. “The important thing is that they are all good friends and help each other. That’s what makes for good teammates.” Lynn has had the most time on the bike in the dark, so is usually the choice for nighttime sections. While the riders do give input before races on where each might ride, the manager makes the final decision on the race plan. As Klein says, “We get told where to race pretty much, and we go do it.” In addition to fast riders, having the right preparation and a skilled service team are important parts of creating a winning formula for a championship team in Baja, and SLR has a dedicated crew, coordinated by Mark Samuels and J.R. Stanley, so that everything works smoothly before and during the races. Lynn says that lifts a huge burden off the riders, allowing them to concentrate on their racing skills and performance in pre-running and in the actual race, rather than all the logistics involved in developing a winning race strategy. Of course, the flawless performance of their Honda CRF450X is a key part of the team’s success, as well, and SLR credits Bob Youngs at San Diego Powerhouse for his expertise in building, preparing, and maintaining their race bikes. Tyler Lynn grew up in and around the racing scene, watching his dad and older brother compete, and, like teammates Carter Klein and Sam Pretscherer, began racing at an early age. All three also mention the late Kurt Caselli as influencing their interest in conquering Baja, and in racing to become champions. Lynn started his professional racing career at the age of 16, and his goal of racing in Baja became a reality when he signed with Slam Life Racing. Carter Klein has been racing in Baja since 2023, and riding in competition since 2011. He says he had wanted to take on Baja for as long as he can remember, but that his parents wouldn’t let him go to the SCORE races when he was younger. Now, he says he loves the whole atmosphere surrounding racing in Baja, from the pre-running to the camaraderie, to the scenery, to just being in Mexico, and plans to keep racing, and notching wins, for a long time. Sam Pretscherer grew up in Australia and has been racing since he was just 9 years old. He moved to the United States in 2024, and continued racing with great success in various racing series. As a youngster, he also looked up to Robby Bell and Quinn Cody, both of whom he was coincidentally able to work with after coming to the U.S. Racing in Baja was something he had always wanted to do after seeing videos and reading about the challenges it presented. When Mark Samuels took notice of Sam’s winning ways and called him to ask if he was interested in joining Slam Life Racing, he jumped at the chance. He went to last year’s SCORE Baja 1000 to observe things and see how he might actually fit in and was instantly hooked. He even got in a bit of pre-running time with the team on that visit. This year, as an official team member during the SCORE San Felipe 250, once he started pre-running, he said it exceeded his expectations and was so much fun that he didn’t want it to end. Much of the terrain he grew up riding in Australia was similar to the sand whoops on the San Felipe course, although without the rocks, so he felt quite at home in the new surroundings. As for fitting in with the other team members, Klein says of Pretscherer, “He’s superfast, so it’s good to have him. He really knows how to ride a dirt bike, and we all get along really well.” All the riders stress the importance of doing quality pre-running in order to learn the course, find the right lines, and to avoid any surprise obstacles, so they can ride their fastest when race day comes. The team riders rely on their memories from pre-runs, rather than GPS navigation aids, once the competition begins. The team also stresses the importance of mental preparation and in maintaining the physical strength and stamina needed to stand up to the beating from spending many hours at speed on the bike. They all do that by riding and racing as much as they can, and also by conditioning in the gym. Team owner and manager Mark Samuels has his own incredibly successful moto racing career of championship team and individual wins over the years, in SCORE and other series. Although he doesn’t race professionally anymore, he puts his experience to good use in developing new racers, and in coaching his riders on how to make the most of their abilities. “Justin and I won the last SCORE Overall nine years ago and we have lots of experience,” added Samuels. “We bring the knowledge we have from our past races to the new team. While the goal is to win every race, the competition is tough. We try to do everything perfect, because that’s what it takes to win.” In addition to winning races, a goal of Slam Life Racing is to elevate the sports it competes in through professionalism and multi-media engagement with fans, sponsors, and the racers themselves. “It’s cool having these guys come up and be successful,” adds Samuels. “There’s a special feeling when you win a race yourself, and it’s a whole different feeling when the guys you are mentoring win too, and it’s great!” While there is a lot of hard work involved in creating a winning team in Baja, everyone involved in SLR also knows there’s plenty of fun involved, and that makes the work easy. Lynn describes the team’s outlook simply by saying, “We show up to each new race just wanting to be better than the previous race, whether it’s in race strategy, or us as riders. We all want to be better and to be better and do better than the race previously, and I think we’ve done a good job of that.” Pretscherer adds, “You can be the fastest rider in the world, but if all the pieces of the puzzle aren’t there, it isn’t going to matter.” So far, Slam Life Racing seems to be putting all those pieces in the right places, and as the season goes on, we’ll see if their success continues, and if they can hold onto the 1X plate for next year. SJ