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AMERICAN HONDA PRO ATV TEAM WINS THE 41st ANNUAL
TECATE SCORE BAJA 500
On June 6, 2009
the #1A American Honda team of Wayne Matlock,
Harold Goodman, Josh Caster and
Wes Miller won
the Overall ATV title at the 41st annual running
of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500
Team Honda-Matlock Racing(Harold
Goodman, Wes Miller, Wayne Matlock, Josh
Caster)
Wayne Matlock |
Matlock’s team of riders headed south of the
border to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico with
the determination to continue the winning streak
aboard the Honda TRX700XX. The team spent over a
week prerunning each of their sections of the
course to prepare for the grueling race. After
the end of each prerun day the riders would be
more excited with the Baja prowess of the
TRX700XX.
The #1A quad with Matlock aboard would start
3rd off the line behind the 2A and 3A quads.
With just early morning light, heavy dust and
having raced many times in Baja, Matlock stuck
with his plan to ride a safe pace for his first
ride. He held his position behind the two lead
quads before handing the quad off to Caster at
race mile 37 in Ojos Negros.
Caster took the quad and continued with the
team’s plan of riding safe and holding their
position early in the race. During his first
ride he was able to overtake many motorcycles
fighting through the thick dust of the lead
bikes. Caster would hand the quad off to Harold
Goodman at race mile 95 at Nuevo junction still
holding the 3rd place position.
Goodman’s section included the famous
“Summit” and the rocky whoops of Borrego.
Goodman made his way over the summit down to the
dry lake bed of Laguna Salada and mid way
through his section was able to overtake the 3A
quad and move into the second place position
before handing the quad back off to Matlock in
Borrego at race mile 200.
With Matlock back on the quad it was time to
turn up the heat on the 2A quad leading the
race. Matlock’s second section included the big
sandy whoops near Borrego as well as the fast
and twisty roads near Mike’s Sky Ranch.
Matlock’s plan was working and he was able to
gain over 3 minutes on the 2A quad before
handing it off to Wes Miller at race mile 255
near Valley de Trinidad.
Miller knew the team now wanted to take the
lead and be first quad on the road. He was off,
crossing the “top of the world” towards the
coast while making up time on the lead quad.
Even before reaching the coast Miller was able
to catch the 2A quad and soon after reaching the
coast section of the course he was able to make
the pass for the lead. Knowing anything can
happen in Baja, Miller continued to space
himself from the 2A quad before handing the quad
off to Caster at race mile 350 in Santo Tomas.
From Santo Tomas, Caster was able to jump on
the quad with a 3 minute lead thanks to Miller.
Now the lead quad on the road, Caster kept up
the faster pace set by his other teammates and
continued to hold the lead before handing it off
to Matlock at race mile 395 near Ojos Negros for
his final ride.
Matlock was now confident with the teams lead
and slowed the pace to the finish. During the
last few miles he worked his way safely around
the booby traps set up by locals before coming
across the finish line in Ensenada.
The team’s time of 9:36:23 hours a 45.23 mph
average gave them the Overall ATV title while
winning by almost 18 ½ minutes. The team also
finished an astounding 10th overall between the
bikes and quads. This was the team’s 5th
consecutive Pro ATV win in the SCORE series!
Matlock Racing would like to
thank their sponsors:
Honda, Alba, Precision
Concepts, Maxxis, Houser Racing, Elka, KZ
Trailers, HMF Exhaust, Fly Racing, Pro Honda Oil
and Chemicals, Baja Designs, Tire Balls, DWT,
OMF, Renthal, Motion Pro, Streamline, IMS-Roll,
IMS, TCX Boots, Quadtech, Scott Goggles, UNI
Filters, DID Chains, Division Four
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