AGM mates Schwarz/Christensen storm to Overall win at SCORE San Felipe 250

Team All German Motorsports bolt to sensational victory
• Frontrunner: AGM mates Schwarz/Christensen win Mexican hardcore fight
• First class: Winning AGM Buggy faster than motorbikes and Trophy Trucks
• Wind games: Aerodynamic modifications a key to success

22 March 2010. If you’re going to win, then go all out. In a dream time of 4:22.27 hours, the All German Motorsports team (AGM) won the SCORE San Felipe 250, the second and toughest of the five rounds of the world’s best-supported offroad race series. With this they created a sensation. At their first overall victory, the AGM driver pairing Armin Schwarz and Navigator Byran Lyttle as well as Martin Christensen/Tyler Irwin with their ca. 640 hp Class 1 Unlimited Buggy not only beat the US elite with their 200 hp more powerful Trophy Trucks. Averaging a speed of over 90 kph including fuel stops and driver change, the German-Californian duo flew over the 248 miles (ca. 400 km) in the northeast of Mexico’s Baja California quicker than the fastest biker.
“Simply sensational!” grinned the 47-year-old rally professional, Armin Schwarz, from Germany, as his teammate Martin Christensen crossed the finish line at the same time as SCORE champion and last year’s winner Robby Gordon and his Trophy Truck that had started 15 minutes before Christensen. “Our Buggy was the stunner. We didn’t have one single problem. On the contrary, even on the final stretch Martin didn’t let up.” Christensen laughs: “It’s lucky I pushed. After the problems with the time-keeping somebody may have had the idea that another competitor had been faster than us.” Almost a week after the race came the official confirmation: With an advantage of 2.32 minutes over Jesse Jones (Ford F-150 Trophy Truck), the AGM squad celebrated their sensational overall victory. The fact that only 158 of the 247 starters reached the finish line of the SCORE San Felipe 250, underlines the extreme challenges and the exceptional performance of the All German Motorsports team.

Armin Schwarz will not forget his winning drive too quickly: “When I got back to Europe I had my physiotherapist check me out,” the Bavarian said. “The car ran like clockwork, but the race was unbelievably tough and challenging. Painful shoulders and neck are souvenirs I’ll carry around for the next few days after my wild cross country tour.” Over two and a half hours, far longer than a Grand Prix pilot endures, start driver Schwarz sat at the wheel of his victorious Class 1 Unlimited Buggy. “We nailed the start perfectly and quickly found a good rhythm,” explained Schwarz’s seasoned navigator Bryan Lyttle. “That is particularly important here. It’s all very well to put your foot down, but it’s just as important to be in tune with your equipment. Armin is now a real Baja ace. He knows exactly when to push or when he needs to take it easier.”

AGM team boss and Schwarz’s team-mate Martin Christensen sees the key to success in both the driver line up and the modified Buggy. “Of course it was our aim to not only clinch Class 1 laurels but also to show the Trophy Truck boys who’s boss – especially after our bad luck at the season-opener. I knew our new car had great potential. But to win here of all places under such brutal conditions is a particularly wonderful reward.” All German Motorsports made changes, amongst others, to the aerodynamics at the rear. A distinctive rear wing combined with a modified suspension resulted in more stability and better traction over at times 215 kph ordeal through open terrain. Moreover, AGM modified the brawny eight-cylinder engine and the power transmission including clutch and gearbox at their headquarters in southern California’s Escondido. “The airflow to the radiator is markedly better, thermal problems are history. And we’ve gained an extra 15 kph at the top end,” enthused Schwarz. “But even in the quick washboard passages with one bump after the other, our Buggy felt much more stable. I’m looking forward to the next race in June when we tackle the SCORE BAJA 500.”

Now Schwarz looks ahead to the next challenge: After his successful premiere last year with the BAJA 300 POWERDAYS in northeast Germany, he will now invite the biggest names in the SCORE series to bring their racing machines back to Europe. The date has been confirmed: From 22-25 July, the BAJA 300 POWERDAYS will rock Germany. “Preparations are at full revs,” says initiator Armin Schwarz. “This time it’ll be a real race. The best thing about it is that, after our victory in San Felipe, the US boys are now determined to beat me at my home race.” Besides the grunty Trophy Trucks and Class 1 Buggys, there will be a separate class for Dakar vehicles as well as near-standard cars and motorbikes. In addition, Schwarz is planning a support event at the BAJA 300 POWERDAYS for all categories from WRC to small front-wheel-drive rally cars.