ST. GEORGE — A pair of professional off-road racers from Southern Utah recently won in their respective divisions at the 37th annual San Felipe 250 in northwestern Mexico.

Kadin Guard of St. George was the overall winner of the Pro Moto Ironman class, covering the 285-mile distance in a time of 7 hours, 17 minutes and 17 seconds. Guard finished more than eight minutes ahead of runner-up Patricio Cabrera of Chile, who finished in 17:25:46.

And in the Pro Stock UTV class, Kaden Wells of Hurricane took first place with a time of 6:14:36. That was nearly 40 minutes ahead of the runner-up finisher in that division, as well as the ninth-fastest time among all UTV racers.

The races were staged on March 23 at Baja California, Mexico, starting and finishing at San Felipe.

“We had a great race,” Wells told St. George News. “It was a new car and a new class for us, so we didn’t know what to expect.”

Wells said other than a mechanical issue with a rear CV joint that they swapped out at mile 160, their vehicle ran steadily throughout the race.

Another memorable highlight occurred shortly after the race ended, when Wells proposed to his navigator and girlfriend Emma Cornwell, kneeling as she stood atop the vehicle.

“I couldn’t have done it without my parents, pit crew and sponsors,” Wells added, noting that he plans to compete in all the SCORE series races this year, the next one being the Baja 500 in June. His next scheduled stateside event is Friday, April 12, in Primm, Nevada.

Guard, meanwhile, who raced on a KTM 450 motorcycle, said his familiarity with the course worked out in his favor.

“My experience racing in this specific terrain and location was my biggest asset to winning the race, Guard told St. George News, adding, “There are a lot of moving pieces and different factors that go into these long and large caliber races.”

Guard said he spent a great deal of time and energy strategizing the logistics of the race, including pit stops, race pacing, nutrition and bike setup.

“In the end, that led me to beat some of the best racers in the world,” Guard added. “After years of trying to accomplish this, It finally felt like everything came together. I’m excited and grateful to be leading the points chase for the world championship going into the Baja 500.”

For complete race results and other information about the San Felipe 250, visit the race’s official website.

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