Luke McMillin traded in #83 for #1 because the 2022 SCORE Worldwide champion, and kicked off 2023 on a excessive observe when he gained the San Felipe 250 for the second 12 months in a row.
McMillin certified fourth however he solely wanted lower than 1 / 4 of the race to take the lead because the manifold absolute strain sensor broke on qualifying winner Toby Value‘s Trophy Truck, knocking him out of the race. McMillin’s cousin Dan McMillin was eradicated from competition simply two miles in with an influence steering pump failure, whereas his Baja 1000 team-mate Rob MacCahren broke an axle after thirty miles.
Different victims had been claimed as shut as the ultimate ten miles just like the Trophy Vans of Kyle Jergensen, whose truck had its portal hub lock up, and Mikey Lawrence‘s damaged rear axle. Christopher Polvoorde was the Trophy Truck Spec chief within the closing phases earlier than operating out of gasoline, whereas Branden Sims led in Professional UTV Open till a mechanical failure resulted in a rollover.
In distinction, McMillin and Alan Ampudia stayed out of bother with close to flawless runs, the previous profitable by over seven minutes. Bryce Menzies, who battled six flat tyres, held off Andrew Meyers and Tavo Vildósola for the ultimate 4-Wheeler podium spot. Vildósola’s truck misplaced energy after reaching the end, prompting Menzies to tow him onto the end ramp.
Upon getting his concern repaired, MacCachren determined to hyperlink up together with his son Cayden MacCachren, just for the latter’s studs to interrupt two miles from the end. When the elder MacCachren tried to assist, his Trophy Truck acquired caught within the filth and the 2 needed to wait for outdoor help. Rob completed eighteenth at school.
Cayden was fourth within the Professional UTV Open class, making up the tail finish of a Polaris high 4 sweep led by his boss Craig Scanlon. Scanlon is the workforce principal of Polaris RZR Manufacturing facility Racing, a brand new UTV desert racing programme with MacCachren, Austin Weiland (completed sixth), and Brock Heger (tenth) as members.
Whereas McMillin’s title defence is off to begin, the identical couldn’t be stated within the two-wheel division because the #1X bike of Juan Carlos Salvatierra and Shane Logan suffered {an electrical} failure. This enabled the #3X of Ciaran Naran and co-rider Tucker Hopkins to cruise to a straightforward Moto win, beating Derek Ausserbauer by over ten minutes. Salvatierra salvaged a sixth-place end.
Penalties prompted the Trophy Truck Spec and Class 1 victories to commerce palms. Travis Williams had claimed the previous however obtained a ten-minute penalty for lacking a Digital Checkpoint and Thor Herbst as an alternative notched his first win. Cody Parkhouse was the brand new Class 1 winner after Brad Wilson was busted for a similar infraction, dropping the latter behind by forty-eight seconds.
Adam Lovell, the sixteen-year-old son of Off-Highway Motorsports Corridor of Fame inductee Brad Lovell, ended his SCORE driving début tenth in Professional UTV FI. His father served as navigator.
Lengthy after the winners had left for the evening, the #1121 Class 11 of Dennis Hollenbeck was the ultimate official finisher as he reached residence in San Felipe at roughly 1:20 AM. Hollenbeck’s Volkswagen Beetle, which he shared with Armando Salazar and Luis Humberto Vazquez, was marred by electrical issues all through the race earlier than being getting caught in silt shortly the end. Upon being pulled out by the workforce’s Jeep Cherokee chase automobile, the Beetle’s transmission failed with three miles to go. The automotive was towed to the end the place SCORE president Abelardo Grijalva and basic supervisor Juan Tintos helped push it up the end ramp.
Hollenbeck formally recorded a time of 13 hours, 59 minutes, and 50 seconds, simply ten seconds beneath the fourteen-hour minimize line to be labeled as a finisher.
“I used to be blown away how folks I didn’t even know jumped in to assist,” Hollenbeck recalled. “The gang went loopy cheering us on as we struggled to push Bochito up the ramp. Complete epic second, ending to this race, and the final official automotive to cross the end line. And an epic ending for the legendary Cherokee Chase.
“I by no means knew that being final place may very well be so gratifying, and particular. I’m very happy with this workforce, and was honored to have Rating’s race director and officers push Bochito up the ramp, then a while with my buddy Rat Sult (SCORE announcer). Love simply opening up and expressing our ardour for this sport.”
The Professional UTV Open of Kristen Matlock almost achieved a last-minute end of her personal however completed simply seven minutes over. Sebastian Vega (Class 5-1600) and Edgar Felix (Sportsman UTV) reached the end after Hollenbeck, although additionally they handed the time restrict.
The Class 5-1600 of Marco Gomez and Professional Quad of Dario Rabago had been disqualified for slicing the course and going backwards on it, respectively.
