This past Saturday at the 5th SCORE Baja 400 in Ensenada, Mexico, Polaris continued to assert its dominance in the UTV racing category, securing the top four UTV Overall and Pro UTV Open class positions. Leading the charge once again was Polaris Factory Racing driver Cayden MacCachren and co-driver Hailey Hein, who harnessed the RZR Pro R Factory’s performance to claim an impressive fourth consecutive win in the SCORE series after a thrilling sprint to the finish. This victory propels MacCachren one step closer to the coveted Pro UTV Open Championship, as he maintains his lead in the points standings with only the Baja 1000 remaining.
Teammate Brock Heger finished second overall, followed by Polaris-supported racers Wayne Matlock and Branden Sims, who rounded out the podium in third and fourth place in their race-prepped RZR Pro Rs.
The 425 mile race was a test of endurance and precision, with heavy dust and rough terrain creating constant challenges. MacCachren and his RZR Pro R Factory ultimately triumphed, leveraging the Pro R’s unmatched power, strength and control throughout the grueling race. When the race began, MacCachren set the pace by getting off the grid first.
By mile 77, he held the physical lead, though he was third on corrected time. Meanwhile teammate Brock Heger, was in 11th and steadily moving up the ranks. Despite multiple pit stops for assistance, Heger maintained an impressive race pace, continuing to move forward and keeping himself in contention for the race win. As the race progressed, the superior handling and speed of the RZR Pro R Factory machines became evident in an all-out battle over the final 200 miles. MacCachren, Heger, Matlock and Sims battled through the blinding dust, tackling the harsh Baja terrain with ease in their RZRs.
By mile marker 308, MacCachren led Heger by 39-seconds on corrected time. In the closely contested battle, Heger actually crossed the finish line ahead of MacCachren on corrected time, beating him by a mere 4.5 seconds. However, following a review on Sunday morning, Heger was issued a 58-second penalty for a speed zone violation, which relegated him to second place.
“Today’s Baja 400 was an incredible challenge but it’s great to be back at the top of the podium, proving once again the dominance of our team and machines.” said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director. “We took a lot of key learnings from last month’s Vegas to Reno, and it’s clear the team put those to use. Cayden and Brock, as well as our other Polaris-supported drivers Wayne and Brandon all drove exceptionally. This is truly a team effort, and I’m proud of everyone involved in this victory.”
In a bold and unprecedented move, the Polaris Factory Racing team entered Max Eddy Jr. in the highly competitive Class 1, piloting his RZR Pro R Factory as the ultimate test against open-wheel unlimited vehicles. Demonstrating flashes of brilliance and remarkable speed, Eddy Jr. held his own throughout the race, overcoming several challenges to secure an impressive fifth-place finish in class.
The Polaris Factory Racing team will be back in action at the SCORE Baja 1000 for the final race of the season on November 12-17, 2024.
