Headed into the final race of the year, sitting second place in points, the Coastal/Holz team knew they had their work cut out for them. Starting from last row in the Pro UTV Grid, it was going to be as much about physical positions as it would be about corrected time.
With a perfect sunrise over the start line outside Jean, Nevada — the stage was set for a great day of off-road racing as the teams got ready for a scheduled 3-lap / 45 mile per lap grand prix race, meaning if they made time they’d get their full lap count and click off 135 miles. If they didn’t - it turned into a two lap 90 mile sprint.
From the start, the team could tell it was going to be one of those days. Suffering an uncharacteristic stall at the start, Scott Kiger refired the car and started - officially dead last. Kiger with Mark Holz as co-driver knew they had to run a smart, solid race.
Following a similar course to the Mint 400, it was a typical BITD course — a mix of service roads, washes, lake beds and even a stretch of asphalt — where some UTV teams were reaching speeds in excess of 80 mph. If there is anything that can be said about the Pro UTV class this year is that - this class is for real! Competitive teams and cars where anyone is capable of pulling down a win.
Settling into a solid pace, the #1934 Polaris RZR XP 900 was determined to work it’s way to the front. With the points leader, Murray Racing and their Can-Am Commander, starting first off the line, the clean air was their’s. The whole field was going for it. The Jagged X cars of Matt Parks and Brandon Schueler were headed for the front along with the Cognito car of Justin Lambert.
That’s when trouble struck, with a distinct loss of speed, topping out at 55 mph - the Coastal Team knew they were in for a long final lap. Kiger spent the remainder of the race working on carrying what speed he had with smooth lines and not loading down the car. When the dust finally settled and the three laps were finished, the Coastal car crossed the line fourth physically and the waiting began. Was it enough? After a half-hour wait, the final results were released. Coastal in third place on corrected time over Cognito by a mere 7 seconds - and less than two minutes back from the winner. The third place finish was enough to clinch the championship for the rookie Coastal effort, and make it 5 of 6 podium finishes for the year.
“We looked the car over as we were loading it up and noticed the motor and transmission suffered a broken/missing bolt - allowing the clutch centers to move and not allow us to fully shift out or hold constant gearing. We got lucky on that one.†said Mark Holz. It’s said that championships are won on your bad days - we’d agree. This makes the second consecutive BITD Pro UTV Championship for a Holz-built Polaris RZR.
The Coastal/Holz team is incredibly proud of this championship along with class wins at the Silver State 300 and Vegas to Reno and podium finishes at 5 of the 6 events. We’d like to thank our partners for their dedication and help throughout this championship season: Kroyer Racing Engines, Walker Evans Racing, Ergodyne, Polaris, Utendorfer Graphic Design Service and all the chase and support crews effort all season long.
Thanks to all the fellow racers for a great race season and some amazing race action throughout the year - Vegas to Reno was legendary with the tight racing, overall pace and finish milestones for the sport. Thanks also to Joey D. for providing great coverage and forum for our sport. Can't wait til 2013!
With a perfect sunrise over the start line outside Jean, Nevada — the stage was set for a great day of off-road racing as the teams got ready for a scheduled 3-lap / 45 mile per lap grand prix race, meaning if they made time they’d get their full lap count and click off 135 miles. If they didn’t - it turned into a two lap 90 mile sprint.
From the start, the team could tell it was going to be one of those days. Suffering an uncharacteristic stall at the start, Scott Kiger refired the car and started - officially dead last. Kiger with Mark Holz as co-driver knew they had to run a smart, solid race.
Following a similar course to the Mint 400, it was a typical BITD course — a mix of service roads, washes, lake beds and even a stretch of asphalt — where some UTV teams were reaching speeds in excess of 80 mph. If there is anything that can be said about the Pro UTV class this year is that - this class is for real! Competitive teams and cars where anyone is capable of pulling down a win.
Settling into a solid pace, the #1934 Polaris RZR XP 900 was determined to work it’s way to the front. With the points leader, Murray Racing and their Can-Am Commander, starting first off the line, the clean air was their’s. The whole field was going for it. The Jagged X cars of Matt Parks and Brandon Schueler were headed for the front along with the Cognito car of Justin Lambert.
That’s when trouble struck, with a distinct loss of speed, topping out at 55 mph - the Coastal Team knew they were in for a long final lap. Kiger spent the remainder of the race working on carrying what speed he had with smooth lines and not loading down the car. When the dust finally settled and the three laps were finished, the Coastal car crossed the line fourth physically and the waiting began. Was it enough? After a half-hour wait, the final results were released. Coastal in third place on corrected time over Cognito by a mere 7 seconds - and less than two minutes back from the winner. The third place finish was enough to clinch the championship for the rookie Coastal effort, and make it 5 of 6 podium finishes for the year.
“We looked the car over as we were loading it up and noticed the motor and transmission suffered a broken/missing bolt - allowing the clutch centers to move and not allow us to fully shift out or hold constant gearing. We got lucky on that one.†said Mark Holz. It’s said that championships are won on your bad days - we’d agree. This makes the second consecutive BITD Pro UTV Championship for a Holz-built Polaris RZR.
The Coastal/Holz team is incredibly proud of this championship along with class wins at the Silver State 300 and Vegas to Reno and podium finishes at 5 of the 6 events. We’d like to thank our partners for their dedication and help throughout this championship season: Kroyer Racing Engines, Walker Evans Racing, Ergodyne, Polaris, Utendorfer Graphic Design Service and all the chase and support crews effort all season long.
Thanks to all the fellow racers for a great race season and some amazing race action throughout the year - Vegas to Reno was legendary with the tight racing, overall pace and finish milestones for the sport. Thanks also to Joey D. for providing great coverage and forum for our sport. Can't wait til 2013!
