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44th Annual
2011 SCORE BAJA 1000 ATV / UTV Race Report
::Continued::
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| The
Baja 1000 race uses both local roads &
desert trails that feature some of the most
brutal trails that feature many exposed
rocks & wash outs |
The eventual overall quad would be the 1A of
Wayne Matlock, Wes Miller and Josh Caster but
only seventeen minutes back the 100A team of Brandon
Brown, Kenny Sanford, Jamie Kirkpatrick, Jorie
Williams and Richie Brown rolled in for a respectable
second overall and first in the class 24 rankings
which earned them a season championship as well.
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| 100a
Quad75 ATV Race team were second overall
to cross the finish line taking first in
the Pro ATV Class 24 |
Veteran
ATV Racers Mike Penland & Greg Row (Father
of Yamaha Factory QuadX Racer Josh Row) |
ATV racing legend, Mike Penland, made his annual
pilgrimage to the BAJA 1000 this year a special
one as his 201a team was finally able to kick
the gremlins that have plagued him the past few
years. Mike Penland along with Carl Vella and
Ryan Robey secured the Utility ATV Class win on
their Can-Am Outlander. These guys claimed to
have a flawless race and without incident they
cruised home to win. With an average speed of
26mph and an official race time of just over 26
hours “it just feels good to be here”
claimed Vella.
The sportsman UTV class quite possibly had the
best finish even though according to Score officials
nobody finished in the allotted time. Nine rigs
would enter the race but no finishers were “recorded”
by Score. However, the 1802 Polaris XP900 of Spectra
motorsports, which is a Canadian based team made
a mistake on the course, which would send them
into on coming race traffic. This was not only
fast race traffic but the fastest as the Trophy
trucks and class one rigs would be bearing down
on them hard. Fortunately the message was relayed
to the team and they had been able to turn around
but not after going an incredible number of miles
the wrong direction. Some speculate that it could
be as much as 100 miles the wrong direction. The
next kicker in this story is the facts around
the team itself that would in the end prove that
just because you may have a disability it can
be overcome with sheer determination. The 1802
numbered Polaris XP900 from Spectra racing did
indeed finish by completing the course but had
actually timed out as Score gave each participant
32 hours to complete the race-course. Kane Fraser
who is paraplegic, was the driver of the 1802
UTV. He and his crew raced the event to raise
money and awareness for their perspective charities.
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| Matlock
Racing took the ATV overall & Pro ATV
Class 25 win |
Brandon
Brown's Quad75 ATV Race Team won the Pro
ATV Class 24 |
This year’s SCORE Baja 1000 race was indeed
a tough fight for all of the teams who ventured
south of the border to make the race, but I have
heard more than one say that it just makes you
stronger and smarter for the next one!
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