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After a strong run at the season-opening SCORE San Felipe 250 race where they earned a second place podium finish, Bevly Wilson racing was looking forward to similar success at the SCORE Baja 500. The 500 included the San Felipe loop as part of its 513-mile long course, so the team had a lot of confidence in their STEEL-IT / Jimco Trophy Truck heading into the race. They qualified in the 23rd spot but that fell right in with their strategy on race day. They would run a solid pace during the first two sections of the course and then pour it on through the San Felipe loop where they run so strong. As the other competitors would be getting weaker, Bevly Wilson would pour it on where their performance was superior.
“We had zero problems in the first half of the course,” said Billy Wilson, “There were a lot of steep hills covered in silt but our BFGoodrich Tires gave us plenty of traction. We were slowed down by other trucks that were holding us up, but we were still at a good pace. A few times we had to stop and let the dust clear. The course was tight and twisty through the mountains. It was rocky and muddy in some spots. You had to be careful but we had no flats and our Kroyer Racing Engine gave us plenty of power. You can get overheated sometimes in those conditions but the Maxima fluids we use kept the heat in check.”
The San Felipe loop has plenty of rough terrains but is known for its “whoops.” There are miles of whoops; the undulating sand bumps that vary in height and frequency. They cause the suspension to work so hard that the shock fluid can boil and the shafts get so hot they will melt the seals. It’s the terrain where Bevly Wilson racing excels. With years of experience and multiple championships racing in limited classes, Billy Wilson and Wes Bevly know how to hustle a truck over rough terrain without killing it. They also use the best components that include STEEL-IT® Polyurethane Coating, BFGoodrich Tires, King Shocks, Jimco, Kroyer Racing Engines, KC Hilites, Impact, Maxima Racing Oils, FK Rod Ends, Trailready Beadlock Wheels, Bink Designs, and Rugged Radios. When they reached San Felipe it was time to open it up and let their King Shocks work. They were 21 minutes behind the leader when they pitted, and since they started 23rd, it put them right on pace with the leader on corrected time.
“The truck was working perfectly in the whoops,” said Wilson, “We were going 125 miles per hour; we could see the dust from other trucks ahead. We caught and passed Graf like he was standing still. We were heading to the front in a hurry. Our plan was working perfectly when out of nowhere the truck lost forward drive. It didn’t sound like the rear end and I couldn’t believe it was anything in the transmission; our Kroyer drivetrain has been perfect. I thought it might be the underdrive unit. I called the crew to tell them where we were and we got out to start making repairs. We went to pull the driveshaft and discovered the problem. We put a new driveshaft on the truck that used different materials, and the torque from the motor twisted the splines. Once we started hitting the whoops, it got bound up and tore up the splines. We were relieved it wasn’t a catastrophic failure but the downtime ruined our chances of winning. We didn’t get the finish we wanted but are very happy with the performance of the truck.”
The level of competition in the unlimited trucks is staggering. Despite making quick repairs, the downtime dropped the Bevly Wilson team back to the 16th finishing position.
At least they did finish; at this year’s race, the finishing rate was 63.9 percent. 22 trucks in the Trophy Truck class did not make it to the finish. The team will be ready to go with a new driveshaft when they hit the dirt again.
