Yuma off-roaders at top of standings in Baja California racing series
No one has to lecture Kyle Chavez and Daniel Plaza about the value of persistence.
They’ve hit their share of bumps in the road as a competitive off-roaders.
In fact, the road in their latest race was rough enough to give them a flat tire. And they didn’t have a spare or a jack to replace it.
So they drove on a flat tire.
Persistence, and some skills behind the wheel, has enabled the two, who make up the Double Lucky Racing team from Yuma, to surge to the top of the point standings in the CODE Off-Road’s 2018 series.
Actually, the Yumans are in a tie with PIN Racing, a team from Baja California, in the utility vehicle class of the series that brings together competitive racers from around the western United States and Mexico.
The Yumans vaulted into a tie for the top on the strength of their third-place finish in last month’s Gran Prix Kendall-Motrix race in Tecate, but their biggest challenges are expected to come during the two races that close out the series, the next one a 500mile marathon between Mexicali and San Felipe, Baja Calif.
“We are confident we can do even better,” Plaza said. “We know what adjustments we have to make to the car for the experiences we’ve gone through. We are excited to be in first place.”
The series got under way in February in San Luis Rio Colorado in a race that Chavez, as lead driver, and Plaza, as co-pilot, driving their Can-Am Maverick X3 to victory.
Then, in May, the Yumans had trouble in Mexicali in the W Autopartes Night Race. A problem with their vehicle’s differential and axles prevented them from finishing the race.
They had more setbacks in the Gran Prix Kendall-Motrix race in Tecate. They got a flat tire. But the problem was worse than that: A break in the vehicle frame caused them to lose their spare tire and their jack.