Wes Miller Triumphs in Inaugural Lucerna SCORE Baja 400
Sept. 23, 2019
UTVUG Staff
Wes Miller returned to the top step of the SCORE International podium with a standout performance in the inaugural Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 on Saturday. Miller and co-driver Donny Powers conquered the course in 10:00:49, just over five minutes faster than Marc Burnett for the overall UTV victory and Pro UTV Forced Induction victory. Scott Trafton edged out Brandon Schueler by 20 seconds for the final podium spot.
“The race went good,” Miller said. “We had a plan of going in and taking what came and try to not push too hard too soon. We came from 13th so we moved up really good... I felt good coming into this and felt like this course was a good course for us. I felt confident in the car. We are going to tear down and then prep her for the SCORE Baja 1000.”
Kaden Wells took over the Pro UTV Normally Aspirated points lead with a victory, despite suffering an illness mid-race and handing off the car to his father Travis. San Felipe 250 winner Kristen Matlock, who entered the weekend tied for the championship lead with Wells, was not scored among the five class finishers.
“It was a good race,” said Wells. “We had a flat tire early on, which set us back a little. I got carsick and was throwing up. My dad had to get in and drove and I got in the chase truck. He wasn’t supposed to get in but had to. He had no issues. Definitely feeling better now that I won.”
Jesus Mendez Jr. scored his first Pro UTV Unlimited win of the season to take over the points lead from Josh Herzing, while Rodrigo Ampudia completed the event as the lone Pro Stock UTV entrant. Overall, 21 of the 33 teams to start the event completed all 387 race miles.
A full list of Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 UTV finishers are as follows:
Kaden Wells took over the Pro UTV Normally Aspirated points lead with a victory, despite suffering an illness mid-race and handing off the car to his father Travis. San Felipe 250 winner Kristen Matlock, who entered the weekend tied for the championship lead with Wells, was not scored among the five class finishers.
“It was a good race,” said Wells. “We had a flat tire early on, which set us back a little. I got carsick and was throwing up. My dad had to get in and drove and I got in the chase truck. He wasn’t supposed to get in but had to. He had no issues. Definitely feeling better now that I won.”
Jesus Mendez Jr. scored his first Pro UTV Unlimited win of the season to take over the points lead from Josh Herzing, while Rodrigo Ampudia completed the event as the lone Pro Stock UTV entrant. Overall, 21 of the 33 teams to start the event completed all 387 race miles.
A full list of Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 UTV finishers are as follows:
PRO UTV FI (two-seat Forced Induction, OEM engine UTVs)-
- 2989 Wes Miller, 49, Henderson, Nev./Donny Powers, 31, Morgan Hill, Calif., Polaris RZR XP4Turbo, 10:00:49 (38.95 mph)
- 2905 Marc Burnett, 48, Lakeside, Calif., Can-Am X3, 10:06:03
- 2910 Scott Trafton, 38, Alpine, Calif./Dave Price, 62, Alpine, Calif., Polaris RZR Turbo, 10:29:14
- 2919 Brandon Schueler, 30, Phoenix/Pat Stone, 50, Payson, Ariz./Miles Martin, 31, Peoria, Ariz., Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo, 10:29:34
- 2971 Wayne Matlock, 41, Alpine, Calif., Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo, 10:35:09
- 2987 Edgar Garcia Leon, 32, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Nancy Garcia, Can-Am Maverick X3, 10:38:55
- 2940 Erick Kozin, 41, Yorba Linda, Calif./Manuel Carranza, 44, Can-Am X3, 10:58:34
- 2914 Malcolm Mitchell, 61, Vista, Calif./Martin Christensen, 50 Escondido, Calif. (Denmark)/, Can-Am Maverick X3, 10:59:57
- 2960 Mitchell Alsup, 28, Bakersfield, Calif./Drew Stanton, 21, Ventura, Calif., Can-Am Maverick X3, 11:31:37
- 2904 Cory Sappington, 54, Peoria, Ariz./Scott Sappington, 54, Glendale, Ariz./Jason Flanders, 38, Phoenix/Dan Sprague, 42, Colorado/Ryan Johnson, 29, Tempe, Ariz., Can-Am Maverick X3 Max, 11:42:09
- 2929 Isaii Guerrero, 43, Chula Vista, Calif./Hector Jimenez, 36, Rosarito Beach, Mexico/Mario Amezcua, 46, Rosarito Beach, Mexico, Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo, 11:42:28
- 2931 Craig Scanlon, 45, Helena, Mont. (Yorba Linda, Calif.)/Keith Redstrom, 51, Glendale, Ariz., Polaris RZR Turbo, 13:14:07 (20 Starters, 12 Finishers)
PRO UTV NA (two-seat Normally Aspirated, OEM engine UTVs)
- 1995 Kaden Wells, 20, St. George, Utah/Ivan Gutierrez, 33, San Felipe, Mexico/Travis Wells, 47, St. George, Utah/Rory L’Hommedieu, 36, Mesquite, Nev., Polaris RZR XP1000, 11:02:01 (35.35 mph)
- 1956 Joe Bolton, 62, Corona, Calif./Dana Jongs, 63, Temecula, Calif./Austin Bolton, 24, Corona, Calif./Manny Umna, 25, Torrance, Calif./Billy Boyer, Torrance, Calif., Polaris RZR XP41000, 12:06:48
- 1908 John Andrew Entwistle, 21, Austin, Texas/Daniel Matthews, 29, Round Rock, Texas/Andrew Entwistle, 60, Austin, Texas (New York), Textron XX, 12:12:29
- 1978 T. Bradley Millner, 50, Yuma, Ariz./Ty Rogers, 30, Yuma, Ariz./Pat Bell, 48, Anchorage, Alaska/Kolt Bell, 46, Atlanta, Ga., Polaris RZR XP1000, 13:05:37
- 1905 Adrian Escandon, 43, Tijuana, Mexico, Polaris RZR XP1000, 15:46:25 (9 Starters, 5 Finishers)
PRO UTV UNLTD (two-seat unlimited UTV open-displacement)
- 1850 Jesus Mendez, Jr, 21, Mexicali, Mexico/Felix Garcia, 20, Mexicali, Mexico/Jesus Mendez Sr, 52, Mexicali, Mexico/Francisco Pimental, 38, Mexicali, Mexico, Can-Am XRS, 11:48:49 (33.01 mph)
- 1851 Herman Johnson, 47, Rio Rancho, N.M./ Austin Johnson, 47, Albuquerque, N.M./Sean Lynch, 45, Los Lunas, N.M., Can-Am XRS Turbo X3, 13:24:51
- 1877 Josh Herzing, 32, Cypress, Texas/Travis Herzing, 27, Cypress, Texas/Ryan Blagrave, 19, Cypress, Texas/Josh Parker, 30, Cypress, Texas, Polaris RZR XP1000, 13:43:03 (3 Starters, 3 Finishers)
PRO UTV STOCK (Stock UTVs, FI or NA)
- 3936 Rodrigo Ampudia, 34, Ensenada, Mexico/Melida Ampudia Ibarra, Ensenada, Mexico, Can-Am X3 Turbo, 10:23:30 (37.53 mph) (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)