These are the Best Quotes from Racers of the 50th SCORE Baja 500

Matthew Guy / June 6, 2018

Racers have endured this year’s Baja 500, the second race in the 2018 SCORE championship. It’s generally after the event that racers spill the beans on just how tough the race really was on them and their machines.

Rob MacCachren took the overall win and a big payday, leading wire-to-wire in an event that started and ended in Ensenada. The loop was tough, 542.12 miles of sand, silt, rocks, and just about every other car-breaking material in the known universe.

After the crossing the line, racers eventually bump into a reporter who has a mic in hand, ready to record the driver’s remarks for all eternity. It can’t be easy facing on the media after enduring more than 500 miles of some of the toughest conditions imaginable.

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK

Trophy Trucks, those loud 900-horsepower beasts blasting through the sand, are the kings of Baja. After the event, we learned that MacCachren must have excellent hearing, Arciero doesn’t like stubbing his toes, and McMillin thinks the No. 11 driver is so good he must be a robot.

ROB MACCACHREN, No. 11 (First in class and first overall) – I have been coming to Baja since the mid 80’s and I have a good fan base; you could hear them cheering us on throughout the course.

LUKE MCMILLIN, No 83 (Second in class and second overall) – We had a good day, but just couldn’t catch the robot, Rob MacCachren.

RYAN ARCIERO, No 32 (Third in class and third overall) – The Mike’s loop over to the coast separated the men from the boys. You could not stub your toes in that section and the guys in front obviously did not.

DAN MCMILLIN, No 23 (Fourth in class and fourth overall) – We were absolutely flying and we had two flat tires that I absolutely earned and I’m surprised with this course, that we didn’t get a 100 of them because it was so brutal. Honestly, these BF Goodrich tires are absolutely amazing.

BILLY WILSON, No 15 (Seventh in class and eighth overall) – We passed Robbie Gordon going up on two wheels, hitting a bush and then squaring up the turn perfectly. We never lifted out of the throttle and then we passed the Lawrence truck and splintered the nose and then a little while later it was all gone.

CLASS 1

Guts, planning, luck, and a whole lot of patience are what’s required to win in Baja. Thsi year, Justin Davis learned the value of the latter, while Morgan Langley proved how crazy these competitors really are as he didn’t let something as minor as not having brakes keep him from a podium finish.

JUSTIN DAVIS, No 185 (First in class and thirteenth overall) – Our team did an awesome job and our pits are on point. I am just the maniac behind the wheel, just keeping it on the road, but the important thing is to be patient and let the race come to you.

MORGAN LANGLEY, No 150 (Third in class and twenty-fifth overall) – We are doing great, as the car didn’t have brakes on it today, so to get it here in 3^rd place, we will take it. Maybe next time we will get some brakes on it and see what we can do

TROPHY TRUCK SPEC

BRYCE SWAIM, No 242 (First in class and twenty-second overall) – There are a lot of people stuck out in the desert right now.

CLASS 10

Competitors in this class proved the series’ family values, along with this author’s firnly held belief that when you gotta go, you gotta go.

BROC DICKERSON, No 1023 (First in class and twenty-third overall) – First place! Dude, I had to go to the restroom and I ran over to the hotel and we were like back around the corner, like way back there so I came walking out of the tunnel and they called me and they said “5 cars to the front”, so I ran over here and by that time I wasn’t ready to go to my spot so they closed on me.

RICHARD GLASZCZAK, No 1073 (Fifth in class and fifty-fourth overall) – This is the first time my son has raced in Mexico and also the first time he has been behind the wheel for more than 100 miles. I am really proud of him; he kicked butt.

PRO UTV FI

TONY RIGGS, No 2912 (Fifth in class and eighty-first overall) – It was a super rough course and our car is pretty much destroyed as we ripped the spare clutch off and the jack off – it’s pretty rough out there.

PRO UTV NA

Driver Kristen Matlock deployed her talent, skill, and a raised voice to beat the boosted UTVs with her naturally-aspirated machine. Rolling to a win against more powerful competitors is no small feat.

KRISTEN MATLOCK, No 1954 (First in class and forty-second overall) – I really want to thank my co-driver as I yelled at him a few times today and I already said my apologies. Thank you so much it was fun!

PRO MOTO UNL

JUSTIN MORGAN, No. 7X (First in class and seventh overall and first overall BIKE) -After doing the first 240 miles I felt good for the last stage as I had some tacos at Valley T and a couple of Monsters and I was good to go.

GARRETT POUCHER, No 3X (Third in class and 21st overall and third overall BIKE) – We only slept about an hour last night and are running on adrenaline, but we are partying tonight!