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TEAM CHRISTY & ITP
CLINCH BAJA ATV CHAMPIONSHIP
Celebrating at the 2009 awards banquet
with the SCORE Overall ATV trophy are
(l-r): Christy Racing crew members
Justin Gilbert and Beau Nilsson, team
owner and rider Craig Christy, SCORE
director Sal Fish, and rider Andy
Lagzdins. |
Wide open in the wide open spaces of
Baja California, Mexico. The Christy
Racing Honda TRX450R, prepped by Duncan
Racing, started and finished the Baja
1000 on one set of ITP Holeshot XCT
tires — with no failures. Third place in
this race, combined with wins at the
first two rounds, earned the team the
Class 24 and Overall Pro ATV titles for
2009. |
After a long and dusty season in the desert,
Christy Racing wrapped up the SCORE
International Class 24 and Overall Pro ATV
titles with a determined ride at the final event
of 2009, the Baja 1000. With wins at the San
Felipe 250 and the Baja 500 earlier in the year,
the team needed only to complete the 1000 to
clinch the 450 class championship. But the
overall title was still up for grabs, depending
on the outcome of the race. The Baja 1000 win
was out of reach for the Christy’s team this
time (they won in 2008), but a strong third
place finish was enough to take series overall
honors by a narrow four point margin.
Led by team owner Craig Christy, the Duncan
Racing-prepped Honda TRX450R started strong in
the Baja 1000, with ex-GNCC Pro rider and OMA
Champion Andy Lagzdins putting in a steady and
conservative ride to put the team in the hunt
early. After an extended stint by Steve Abrego
around the San Felipe area, Joe Bernal ran up
the edge of the Sea of Cortez and handed the
machine to 2008 Best in the Desert Pro champ
Dave Scott. As night fell on the Baja peninsula,
the lights also went out on the Honda, requiring
stator replacement at the halfway mark of the
race.
After this setback, Scott raced through the
most demanding section of the course: Mike’s Sky
Ranch. Avoiding overturned buggies and broken
trucks in the early hours of the morning, Scott
persevered and handed the quad back to Lagzdins
for the run up the Pacific coast. Coming into
Santo Tomas with the ITP Holeshot XCT-clad
machine working flawlessly, Lagzdins handed off
to Christy, who would endure the last leg of the
course to the finish. Christy crossed the line
after 29 hours of grueling terrain and
challenges to secure his first SCORE Overall
Championship. One set of ITP Holeshot tires
lasted the entire Baja 1000 race, and their
legendary ITP reliability and performance made
yet another championship possible.
The SCORE International Series is considered
by many to be the pinnacle of endurance racing,
and Team Christy’s success couldn’t have been
realized without the help and support of ITP
Tires, Duncan Racing, Elka Suspension, Moose
Racing, Alpinestars, Rockstar Energy Drink, PWR
Radiators, Cycle Gear and DirtFirst.
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