SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/539275
SOURCE: Jackson Motorsports Group 800-722-3234 JACKSONMOTORSPORTSGROUP.COM 050 SCORE JOURNAL While DeAngelo has proven to be an advocate for off-road motorsports, his work with Michelin and BFGoodrich in SCORE Desert Off-Road Racing has resulted in recent success within the business side of racing. As a major sponsor of SCORE, BFGoodrich enjoys great visibility and branding, but according to DeAngelo, that didn't always translate into providing manufacturer support and getting tires into the hands of teams and racers. "Over the years we saw that nobody was offering support for the two-wheel category, and thought there was an opportunity for growth that could benefit us and Michelin," says DeAngelo. As the race tire distributor for Michelin North America, DeAngelo and company president Darrell Jackson decided to sponsor the team of Colton Udall at the 2015 Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500. This was JMG's chance to jump right into motorcycle racing and get Michelin off-road motorcycle tires directly into the forefront of SCORE's Pro-Moto Unlimited class. They also provided support for those racers to gain additional pit assistance if they purchased the tires directly from JMG. "In addition to the sponsorship and pit support, we also provided an extended discount program for those racers who needed tires for their trucks and trailers," said DeAngelo. After the race, the response JMG received from SCORE motorcycle racers was amazing. "We had dealers and teams calling us wanting to be a part of the program," said DeAngelo. "In addition, we also received lots of calls from general consumers which were interesting, because we only offer racing tires. This showed us that the reach of SCORE and the teams that participate in it goes far beyond a single race." Having successfully expanded into motorcycle racing, JMG also saw the need for a race specific tire within the growing UTV class. They worked with BFGoodrich to develop the BFGoodrich Baja T/A® KR2 UTV tire that launched at the 47th Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 race. The 30-inch diameter UTV tire was developed with the same characteristics as those used in Unlimited Trophy Trucks and Class 1 vehicles. "We had dealers and teams calling us wanting to be a part of the program. This showed us that the reach of SCORE and the teams that participate in it goes far beyond a single race," said DeAngelo. According to Chris Baker, Racing Director at BFGoodrich, the UTV tire provides increased mobility in soft soils, enhanced traction in mud, and improved braking in loose and rocky soil, which will help UTV racers achieve the traction and durability they've been wanting. These successful tire launches, including the introduction of the BFGoodrich Baja T/A® All Terrain KO2 tire back in October of 2014, demonstrates JMG's success in connecting the tire manufacturer to racers and the public, through SCORE. "The launch of the BFGoodrich Baja T/A® All Terrain KO2 was the largest tire launch in recent years," said DeAngelo. "We launched that tire, along with the new motorcycle and UTV tires in Mexico for a reason. It's where Michelin launched the first-ever all terrain tire, and the conditions are the ultimate test in tire durability." For a company like BFGoodrich, SCORE has always been the premier off-road desert series. Having the Baja races as a platform for their latest tires has been exceptionally good for BFG. So the relationship with SCORE has been an extremely important one because the heritage of SCORE is second to none." DeAngelo and the rest of the JMG team believe that the future looks bright for racing. "The one area that continues to flourish is grass roots racing," says DeAngelo. "SCORE is the leader of all this. SCORE participants love to race for fun and they enjoy it," he says. "A lot of folks don't know who JMG is yet. So there's still some work to do," he said. "We still see lots of opportunities for BFGoodrich and JMG in SCORE, so there should be some exciting times approaching in the near future." SJ