COASTAL/HOLZ CLAIMS SECOND AT THE SILVER STATE 300
34 UTV RACERS BATTLE IN THE NEVADA DESERT
Lynden, Washington (May 5, 2014) – Round #3 of the 2014 BITD series took place May 3rd outside Alamo, NV. 34 UTV Racers showed up at the crack of dawn and readied themselves for the Silver State 300. Starting a little after 6:05, UTV Racers left the line every :30 seconds, with the #1934 of Coastal/Holz Racing staged in 18th place and Scott Kiger behind the wheel with Walker Evans’ Brian MacLean in the co-driver seat.
The Coastal/Holz team debuted their newly built Polaris® RZR® XP 1000 at the Mint 400. After suffering a mechanical problem and salvaging a 14th place finish, they were looking to put together a solid day at the SS300.
The #1934 left the line at 6:16 am and headed off into the sunrise and dust. WIth little to no wind and starting 18 cars deep, Kiger and MacLean had to settle into a safe pace and let the race come to them. Through pit 2, Kiger had brought the car into the pits in 9th place physical. Planned as a drive by pit, the #1934 rolled on looking good, waiting for the wind to pick up. Through pit 3 at Caliente, another planned drive by, Kiger was still 9th physical. Kiger brought the Polaris® RZR® XP 1000 into pit 4 at race mile 145 for a fuel stop and planned driver change, where Mark Holz and Rob Utendorfer got in, ready for the 152 mile run to the finish.
“That was brutal out there this morning. With no wind to move the dust around - it just hung, making visibility non existent. There were times when Brian couldn’t hardly even see the GPS - let alone the course.†said Scott Kiger.
As the race miles continued to click off, Holz was taking the solid position that Kiger had given him and started working toward the front. With a mix of passing cars on course or in the pits, the #1934 was in first place physical on course. Then the unthinkable happened, between pit 6 and pit 7, while in the lead, the #1934 suffered a blown belt. While the belt change was quick, Holz fell prey to some electrical gremlins, stealing a few precious minutes before getting the car refired, which allowed three cars back by.
With over 34 cars that started this race it was a battle of physical position as well as corrected time. With time and miles running out, Holz pushed the #1934 hard through pit #7 and the final 33 miles to the finish. In the end, the Polaris® RZR® XP of Coastal /Holz Racing crossed the line in fourth physical and took second place on corrected time, while Polaris® teams dominated — taking 9 of the top 10 spots.
“This was the second race on this new car, so we’re still getting it dialed in.
These things take time but we feel really good about the possibilities with this new Polaris® RZR® XP 1000 — it’s the best platform in the sport. It handles great, it’s really predictable and does a great job on all the terrain these BITD courses throw at you — tight washes, fast fire roads, silt and whoops. Our Walker Shocks are the best in the business, and our GBC Mongrels held up great, no flats and great traction. The caliber of competition is so tight now, that it takes a perfect day to win one.†said Mark Holz.
Next up, RJ Anderson and Beau Baron will head to Ridgecrest, CA for Round #5 of the WORCS Series with their HRP/Polaris® RZR® XP 1000s on May 9th. The Holz/Coastal RZR® XP will head back for some testing & development and be ready for the Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno in August. And the Coastal GNCC team will get their Polaris® RZR®s ready for Round #3 at The Mountaineer Run in Masontown, West Virginia on May 24th.
ABOUT HOLZ RACING PRODUCTS
For 17 years, Holz Racing Products has been building the highest quality, best performing suspensions and chassis components available. Everyone says “race-proven.†We Live it. From WORCS, desert to short-course, Holz Racing Products are developed and proven in the most grueling applications. What we learn out there is built into our 2014 UTV product line. Exacting tolerances, OEM-like fit, durability and performance engineered right into every part. It all stems from our overly simple design philosophy — build the best performing, most durable products in the industry. We’ve earned our reputation one year and one win at a time. We strive to keep all our parts in stock and ship everything as quick as possible to keep you riding, not waiting for the delivery man. Visit our website to see our full line of Can-Am Commander and Polaris RZR parts. Holz Racing Products... Engineered to Win.
