SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1545899
THE NEW KID IN THE SANDBOX Ethan Groom Enters The SCORE UTV Racing Scene, But He’s No Newby By Larry Saavedra Photos by Get Some Photo Part of the Polaris factory racing program is finding talented racers. The latest, is Ethan Groom who is driving the No. 1874 RZR with co-driver Rodrigo Ampudia Jr. “Being part of the RZR factory team is a big commitment,” 19-year-old Groom said. “I’m also a full-time college student majoring in biology. It takes a lot of planning to pre-run and race while living in the dorms at college.” While it’s difficult being the “new guy” on the team, Groom has lots of UTV racing experience. Groom started racing at age 15 and was always in a Polaris UTV. This past year, before joining the SCI Motorsports Factory Polaris Racing Team he earned a class victory at the 2020 UTV World Championships, two class wins at the 2020 WORCS SxS World Finals, and a 2020 WORCS Season Championship. “It was an incredible path for me to get to where I am,” he said. “But just about anybody can compete if they put in the work.” The obvious obstacle, according to Groom, is balancing school and the race team obligations. “The great thing is many of the other SCORE desert racers are there for you,” he said. “Most of them will bend over backwards to help you in case you need anything.” Being on the same team with the top UTV racers in SCORE, however, may seem intimidating, but Groom seems to thrive in the mix of SCORE UTV Champion Brock Hegar, and SCORE Baja 1000 winner Cayden MacCachren who typically also finishes on the podium. In his first season racing in SCORE, Groom finished ninth in the SCORE Pro UTV Open class at the SCORE San Felipe 250, and third at the SCORE Baja 500 right behind former UTV Champion Wayne Matlock. Groom says racing is in his blood, and that winning is everything after months of planning. “It’s so rewarding to win and that’s how I remain motivated to race at the highest level in UTV.” He believes racing for Polaris gives him a break from late night studying and college exams. “I think it definitely calms me down to race,” he said. “It’s my job, but it is so fun and it’s almost like a vacation for me.” SJ