The Jimco Racing Hammerhead Class 1 buggy remains one of the most dominant machines of its type in desert racing, and the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship was no exception. Jimco racers scored three wins and eight podiums in the grueling four-race championship, with Kyle Quinn’s victory in the season-ending 55th SCORE Baja 1000 giving him, Wilson Motorsports, and Jimco the class title.
Quinn, who split driving duties with Greg DeStefano, Ronny Wilson, and Sammy Ehrenburg, wound up this year’s Class 1 champion by 11 points. The #138 machine completed the 828.25-mile loop race in 20:09:57, nearly an hour faster than its closest competition. It was the second win of the year for the team, joining the season-opening San Felipe 250 in April. The team finished on the podium in all four events, one of just a handful of SCORE teams to accomplish the feat.
“We’re glad to be here at the finish,” Quinn told SCORE after crossing the finish line. “No flats. We tore the lower passenger arm off and had to stop and we put it all back together. I can’t thank our crew enough and all our sponsors. We’re looking forward to next year.”
Joining the #138 team on the podium in the Baja 1000 were the #113 squad of Mike and Jacob Frye, whose only start of the season ended with a third-place result. Their podium meant that two Jimco Hammerheads were on the podium in all four SCORE events this year, with both Wilson Motorsports entries accomplishing the feat in San Felipe and the father-son duo of Brian and Cody Parkhouse finishing second in the Baja 500 and first in the Baja 400.
“I’ve raced a lot, like over a hundred races, (but) I’ve never seen anything like this,” Frye said after making it back to Ensenada. “I lost power steering before race mile 200, but luckily the BFGoodrich pits helped us fix it and get going again. My son Jake got in around race mile 200 and he did his section perfect, but he almost couldn’t get out of the car, he was so beat up. Then I got back in and tried to catch a VCP and ended up getting stuck down there. After a few hours I finally MacGyvered it out. Then I handed it back to Jake and he finished the last 150 miles or so with no problems.”
Joining the Class 1 dominance was Ryan Lewis’ #287 Lewis Energy Group Trophy Truck Spec entry, which finished 10th in class with a time of 22:01:22. The 55th SCORE Baja 1000 also marked the highly anticipated debut for Jimco’s all-new Dragon AWD Trophy Truck, run by Jimco owner Robbie Pierce and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Bobby Patton as part of the Fastball Racing Team.
The 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship kicks off on March 29-April 2 with the 36th running of the SCORE San Felipe 250.
About Jimco Racing
Jimco Racing Inc. is the worldwide leader in off-road race car manufacturing and race preparation. Specialized in off road race car product development, racer safety gear sales, and arrive and drive programs. The Jimco Racing tradition is one of integrity, quality, and a winning attitude. Since the company was founded in 1975 Jimco Racing has racked up over 650+ victories and 100+ championships worldwide and has been awarded the SCORE Chassis builder of the year award an unprecedented 23 times. To learn more, please visit www.jimcoracing.com.
