Team ATK Wins Back to Back Baja 1000 Victories

Team ATK Skilton/Krellwitz Jeep Wrangler Score Back to Back Baja 1000 Victories


The ATK powered Jeep proved its toughness once again at this year’s 42nd running of the SCORE Baja 1000 when it crossed the finish line in Ensenada, Mexico after 24 hours and 11 minutes of brutal Baja racing, besting all class competitors for a second straight Baja 1000 class 3 victory. The race marked 9 wins in 10 races for the ATK Jeep, including two Baja 1000's and a Baja 500.



Darren Skilton, along with co-driver Skyler Gambrell, piloted the race Jeep for the first 400 miles of the event; charging from the rear start position in Class 3 (short wheel base 4wd) to the front of the pack in the first 15 miles of the course. They went on to tackle the treacherous Sierra de Juarez summit and the rough and rocky San Felipe loop through the Matomi Wash. They handed the car off to Jon Krellwitz and Patrick Smith at the BFG pit just north of San Felipe in Borrego at 11 o'clock pm with a 50 mile lead on the nearest class competitor. Averaging 38 miles per/hour and passing nearly 100 cars in the first 400 miles of the race, Skilton stepped out of the vehicle to comment that, "This ATK Jeep is one tough vehicle, I drove it hard all day and it took the beating with ease."
Krellwitz and Smith had an issue with the transfer case around mile 460 and had to limp the car out to pit at mile 490. Additional time was lost at mile 472 when the Jeep was held up for 2 1/2 hours behind one of Baja's infamous bottle necks as another competitor was unable to negotiate a river crossing. The transfer case was swapped out and Gambrell got back in the passenger seat for the ride up the pacific coast, across the rocky silt hills of Urapan, and on to the finish and the victory. Krellwitz said at the finish, "It was a long but good day for the ATK Jeep, the 4.7 ATK stroker engine pulled hard from start to finish and our BFG tires hooked up good with no flat tires. It was a bummer to have an issue with the t case up in the Mikes loop and get stuck in the bottle neck, but the course was very challenging and made for a great adventure, plus its always good to have a class win in Baja."


Big Thank you to the following crew members who helped make Team ATK a success:

Clive Skilton – Darren Skilton – Jon Krellwitz – Skyler Gambrell – Patrick Smith – Kris Hernandez – Russ Ficker


Also a HUGE thank you for all the products that make this vehicle so tough:

ATK Engines – Currie Enterprises – Crossroads Fabrication – KC Lights - BFGoodrich Tires - JE Reel Drivelines - Advanced Engine Management (AEM) - Howe Steering - King Shocks - Beard Seats - Harmon Racing Cells - Full Traction Suspension - PWR - American Racing ATX Wheels - Borla Exhaust – Torque Converter Specialties (TCS) - Crow Safety Equipement