Beau Baron’s CST/HRP RZR XP 1000 & XP Turbo Builds

Motocross racer Beau Baron has definitely made a name has definitely made a name for himself in the West Coast UTV/ATV racing scene. He made the transition to ATVs in 2007, and all it took was getting his quad setup dialed in to start winning races and dialed in to start winning races and championships. UTV racing hasn’t quite been the same since Beau’s entrance, and he has been racking up WORCS championships for Polaris as well. But 2015 didn’t really go Beau’s way, as he crashed mid-season and dealt with a broken shoulder for a few rounds. While able to still stay near the top with a broken shoulder and a few cortisone shots, when combined with cortisone shots, when combined with a couple of fluke mechanical issues, he ended up settling for third place in the Pro UTV points chase. The ATV series wound down pretty much the same, with teammate Davi Haagsma getting the championship and Beau settling for second-place points.

NEW FOR 2016
Beau is back with a new program for 2016, ready to change things up and prove that he has what it takes to dominate not one but two Pro UTV classes. With Polaris’ and Can Am’s recent releases of factory Can Am’s recent releases of factory turbocharged UTVs, WORCS has created two separate Pro UTV classes to race them in. What’s more, they are running them in separate motos so guys like Baron and a few others can guys like Baron and a few others can race both during the same weekends.

Two classes meant two new complete race-car builds, and Beau turned to the same list of industry leaders to build them. The biggest sponsor change for 2016 is his CST Tire deal. A long-time Maxxis test rider and racer, Beau has signed on to race and help develop the slightly lower-priced CST tire line for UTVs, lower-priced CST tire line for UTVs, ATVs and dirt bikes. That’s right, on top of racing WORCS in two Pro UTV classes and the ATV Pros class, Beau is also going back to his two-wheeled roots for the District 37 Big 6 Gran Prix roots for the District 37 Big 6 Gran Prix series, where he is leading points in the Pro 2, Vet Expert and Quad class.

THE CST/HRP BUILDS
Mark Holz at Holz Racing Products is in charge of both of Beau’s car builds. A racer and fabricator himself, Mark really gives them the personal touch with an attention to detail that is above and beyond the expected. is above and beyond the expected. Mark and HRP builds the entire cars, while Sparks Racing handles the motors and Walker Evans Racing takes care of the shocks. The brandnew RZR XP 1000 and XP Turbo both new RZR XP 1000 and XP Turbo both get completely disassembled and carefully rebuilt with Holz’s race cage kit and suspension components. The HRP race cage kit is constructed with Tig-welded 1.5-inch chromoly for maximum safety while keeping weight to a minimum. The cages feature welded-shut doors with Dzus fastened aluminum skins and roof. Custom window net mounting, a bed Custom window net mounting, a bed delete and relocated radiator mounts are also built into the cages. Holz also installs front and rear chromoly prerunner bumpers to protect the car in the event of contact. The XP 1000 gets the event of contact. The XP 1000 gets the stock radiator relocated to behind the seat, but the notoriously hottertempered Turbo gets a larger relocated CBR radiator. On the Turbo, Holz also relocates the stock intercooler to the passenger seat location and builds custom aluminum scoops to funnel maximum amounts of cooling air into it.

The suspension is the same on both the 1000 and Turbo cars. HRP installs his proven boxed-construction chromoly trailing arms and a massive HRP sway bar. The rear radius rods are also replaced with H-D HRP units and quality FK heims. The front suspension consists of a Holz stockwidth front A-arm kit, but Mark has re-engineered them for additional strength to accommodate the additional stress and pressure from the front sway bar. The stock front Turbo sway bar is also replaced with a beefy adjustable front-mount HRP unit.

Holz also installs his billet motor mounts before concentrating on the inside of the cab and controls. Inside the cab Mark installs an HRP steering quickener, a quick-release steeringwheel mount and a Joe’s steering wheel. Mark also fabricates mounts for a lightweight, high-containment Sparco race seat. Beau claims that when Mark delivers the car, the seating position and controls are perfect and don’t even require any adjustment. This is the kind of attention to detail that we were talking about earlier, and it shows in many areas. The final Holz trick setup that Beau is running on both cars is a custom push-button starting system. While this may seem insignificant, it is actually a very trick way of bypassing the TPS sensor to coincide with Beau’s driving style and technique. Beau likes to be on the gas and brake at the same time for both cornering precision and to load the clutch on the starts. The RZR has a mandated safety feature that cuts the ignition when both gas and brake are applied at the same time. This is installed to alleviate the dangers of a stuck throttle and took some really creative re-wiring to bypass.

HOT SPARKS MOTORS
The Turbo motor is left very stock, and the only performance upgrade is a Sparks X-6 stainless steel system and high-performance intake kit. The Sparks exhaust is made from high-grade 304 stainless tubing and features 6061T6 aluminum components, which cut more than 9 pounds from the stock system. The high-performance Sparks intake comes with a billet supercharger adapter installed into a stock airbox and a large, tapered, clamp-on K&N filter with Outerwear. While Beau is not using it yet, Sparks also now has three different ECU flashes available that add between 20–27 horsepower when combined with an exhaust and intake.

While the Turbo motor is left alone, Beau’s naturally aspirated motor is a whole different ballgame. The N/A car gets a similar exhaust and the same intake, but they also lean on the motor a lot more. Curtis Sparks installs his own high-compression standard-bore piston set, H-D connecting rods and Stage 2 cylinder head work. This Stage 2 head work is pretty extensive and really makes serious power. Sparks bumps the exhaust-valve size by 1.5mm, along with CNC and handporting. A Stage 2 head also requires a Heavy-Duty valve-spring kit, an H-D Bucket kit, and a shim-underbucket conversion kit to be able to set the valve adjustment. The complete package also uses a Sparks Racing fuel management to give it the proper amount of fuel. Beau’s Sparks-built, Stage 2 non-Turbo car will easily outrun a turbo car up to about 70 mph.

WALKER EVANS RACING SHOCKS
Beau had one of the best-handling UTVs in the world last year, and this year’s is night-and-day better. Benefiting from RJ Anderson’s and Walker Evans’ close testing/family relationship, Beau gets shocks from WER that are ready to bolt on and race at any level. They were already really good last year, and, for 2016, they have a brand new 2.5-inch Velocity Series shock with a five-stepped needle, mid positioned piggyback, and high- and low-speed compression adjustment.

The new VS2.FIVE shocks are developed specifically for the XP 1000, featuring more controlled resistance than a standard piggyback or remote reservoir shock. The VS2.FIVE gives the XP better bottoming resistance, yet is smoother and more compliant in the choppy bumps. Basically, the stepped needle offers multiple stages of internal bypass, allowing for additional compression and rebound control. The external high-/ low-compression adjusters allow the user to really tune for comfort without giving up bottoming resistance.

CST ROLLING STOCK
Beau’s title sponsor is now CST Tire, and after a lot of testing, he’s chosen the Behemoth tire to run for most WORCS courses. While most UTV racers prefer a 28×9-14 tire for WORCS, Beau chooses to run an inch wider 28×10-14 all the way around with a 14×7 Walker Evans beadlock. Beau claims that this tire choice is working every bit as good as last year’s setup and offers a little more floatation in the loam.

For axles, Beau started the season running OEM Polaris axles, as options were limited for the new Turbo cars.

The opening round in Taft, California, went off without a hitch—Beau proving what he’s got in store for the year by winning both UTV Pro classes and the ATV Pro opener. Round two was in Primm, Nevada, and it didn’t go nearly as well. The first Turbo UTV race saw Beau with a first-lap axle/ CV-related DNF, and then a 15th place in the Pro 1000 class with more axle issues. While these failures were probably a fluke, Beau opted to buy RCV Pro Series axles for both his cars. RCV being a newer company to the UTV scene, they are quickly making a name for themselves as the most indestructible RZR axles on the market. They have recently won SCORE, BITD, King of the Hammers
and many other big endurance races.

Beau went on to gather a pair of third-place finishes in the third round of WORCS at the South Point Casino. We can’t wait to see how the year shakes out and wish him the best of luck.

CONTACTS
www.holzracingproducts.com or (360) 398-7006
www.sparksracing.com or (661) 872-4343
www.tireblocks.com
www.csttires.com
www.walkerevansracing.com

CST/HRP BUILD PARTS LIST
Race Cage w/ Doors, Roof, Window Nets,
Bed Delete, Rear Number Plates, Relocated
Radiator Mounts & Plumbing: $4995
Holz Fire Extinguisher Mount: $79
3-inch Mastercraft 5-Point Seat Belts: $135
Sparco Seat: $800
Holz Front Bumper w/ Sway Bar: $749
Holz Pre-Runner Rear Bumper: $325
Holz Motor Mounts: $199
Holz Turbo Motor Mounts: $224
WER VS2.FIVE Shocks: $899 each
RZR-XP 1000 Front Race A-Arm Kit: $1499
HD Tie-Rod Kit: $249
HRP RZR XP Rear Trailing Arms: $1200
HRP HD Sway Bar Kit: $399
RZR-XP Std. Radius Rod Kit: $500
HRP Quick-Release Steering Hub: $130
Joe’s LW Steering Wheel: $80
Joe’s Steering Wheel Pad: $35
HRP Steering Quickener Kit: $499
Sparks Stage 2 Head Work: $1250
Sparks High-Compression Std. Bore Piston
Kit: $519
Sparks Racing Bucket Conv.: $244
Sparks Racing HD Bucket: $259
Sparks Racing HD Valve Spring Kit: $409
Sparks Racing Manual Cam Chain Tensioner:
$125
Sparks Racing HD Connecting Rods: $599
Sparks X-6 Complete Exhaust: $995
SPARKS Fuel Management: $399
SPARKS Intake Setup: $299
SPARKS Performance Clutch w/ HD
Dampener: $365
Walker Evans 14×7 Beadlock Racing Wheels:
$305
CST Behemoth Tires: $204 each
Tire Blocks: $150 per tire
RCV Pro Axles: $650 each