Casey Sims Takes on STI UTV Action Series

Casey Sims Takes on STI UTV Action Series

July 8, 2018- Devore, CA- Racing at the STI UTV Action Series at Glen Helen Raceway last weekend was a blast! I was stoked to get back in my car and run a super challenging race. We headed up to Glen Helen on Sunday morning. I went to tech and got checked in at registration. We didn’t get to run practice, but they did lead us on a site lap before the race started. The course was about 5 miles long and I was racing in the SXS Sportsman 1000 class in my Polaris RZR XP1000. I knew it was going to be a tough track, but I was up for the challenge. My class was the first race of the day, so shortly after we completed the site lap we lined up to start the race. The yellow flag flew and we took off! I got the hole shot, and I was stoked because I knew I would have an advantage running in the front of the pack especially up on the ridges and on the back side of the course where the water truck couldn’t get to. I kept on the gas as we headed out on to the course. I was able to stay in the front of the pack as we climbed over rocks and up the huge hills Glen Helen has. There were a few turbo cars running in my class so I knew I had to stay focused and fast if I wanted to maintain my lead in my stock car. This race also required a mandatory pit stop for fuel. I knew I had to be strategic about when I was going to stop especially after getting out in front. Coming into my 3rd lap, my pit crew radioed and told me to come into the pits. I didn’t need fuel, but it was mandatory and I had about a 37 second lead at that time. I came into the pits, my crew splashed my tank with fuel and me with water, and I headed back out. I was still in first place. I was able to stay in the front for 4 laps, but then the breakfast burritos and two huge bottles of water I had before the race started to get to me. Also, the temperature that day was well over 105 degrees. I started to feel sick and then I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My helmet took a hit as I pulled off the course. I got out of my car and lost everything I had in my stomach. I called my pit crew telling them what had happened and then got back in my car. I continued on until I reached the infield again, but then my dad pulled me off the course and insisted that I stop. He didn’t want to take a chance and send me back out when he felt it was unsafe for me to continue driving. The race was one hour long, and I was able to maintain my lead for the first 40 minutes until I got sick. I was super bummed to end the race like that, but I continue to learn and grow in this sport I love so much. We are currently prepping my RZR 1000 to head to the Dirt Series next weekend at Sunrise MX Park in Adelanto, CA. I am looking forward to it! Thanks so much to all of these amazing companies and people that support my program: Got Sand Performance, Addict Racing Engines, Demon Powersports, Method Race Wheels, GBC Motorsports, Crow Enterprizes, Factory UTV, Baja Designs, Gates G-Force, RT Pro, Rugged Radios, Maxima Racing Oils, Grounded 4, Crown Performance Products, Elka Suspension, Surface Sun Systems, Butter Supply Co, HOK9, Pavement Recycling Systems, Perrault Motorsports, SignArt Graphix, Dirt Rider Designs, UTV Underground, and my parents who make this possible for me! Thanks to Lori and Gary for putting on this fun series! You can check out the Sims188 Racing team on Instagram @csims188 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/csims188/.

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