Polaris RZR Pro R Outclasses the UTV Field,
Securing Top Five Overall UTV Positions, Finishing More Than Two
Hours Ahead of First Pro UTV Forced Induction Vehicle
MacCachren's Victory Marks Second Consecutive
Baja 1000 UTV Overall Win For Polaris
MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 20,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row,
Polaris was victorious at the Baja
1000, as Polaris Factory Racing driver Cayden MacCachren
captured his first win of the season at the historic event. In
addition to MacCachren's UTV Overall victory, teammate Brock Heger finished in third place, earning the
necessary points to capture the 2023 SCORE UTV Pro Open Class
Series Championship. The Baja 1000
victory capped off a dominant first season for the Polaris Factory
Racing team, scoring victories at each of the four SCORE events in
which the team competed, including three UTV Overall wins.
For the first time in its five decade history, the 56th running
of the SCORE Baja 1000 traversed North, 1,310.94 miles up the
picturesque peninsula, starting in La
Paz and ending in Ensenada, Baja
California. MacCachren led a trio of drivers, including
six-time Baja 1000 motorcycle
champion Justin Morgan and renowned
drifting and rally car driver Rhys
Millen, who masterfully navigated the RZR Pro R Factory
through the rugged Baja terrain to
take the UTV Overall and Pro UTV Open Class wins by more than seven
minutes over Polaris-supported racer Justin
Lambert in his Polaris RZR Pro R. Heger's third place
finish was supported by co-drivers Ronnie
Anderson and former Baja
1000 champion JD Marsh. The 2023 Baja 1000 victory marked Polaris'
second consecutive win at the prestigious event, with Brandon Sims capturing the coveted UTV Overall
win in 2022.
"Today we won a race that most teams dream of even finishing.
The Baja 1000 is on every desert
racer's bucket list, and to come away with the win is absolutely
surreal," said MacCachren. "While this win may have my name on it,
it's just as much a victory for my incredible co-drivers Justin and
Rhys, along with the entire Polaris Factory Racing team, and our
pit and chase team that worked tirelessly over almost 30 hours to
make this win a reality. And through it all, the RZR Pro R Factory
was our X-factor - a superior machine to everything else in the
field, performing flawlessly against anything the Baja desert threw at us."
Based on their finishing order from the Baja 400, Heger held the first starting
position and MacCachren seventh at the beginning of the race.
Within the first 100 miles, a tight battle ensued between Heger,
Lambert, Sims and Kristen Matlock.
By mile 176, Lambert was running at a blistering pace and had
overtaken the lead, which is where he remained for more than half
of the race as positions shifted behind him. Meanwhile, MacCachren
held his ground running in 6th up until the 528-mile mark, where he
handed driving duties over to Morgan. From there, Morgan began an
incredible run that saw him make up the majority of a 30-minute
deficit, pushing the purple RZR Pro R Factory through the deep silt
beds and technical rock sections of the grueling Baja course. When Millen took the wheel from
Morgan, only two minutes separated him from Lambert's RZR Pro R.
The veteran racer maintained a consistently aggressive pace over
the remaining portion of the course, successfully overtaking
Lambert enroute to the UTV Overall and UTV Pro Open class
victory.
"Barely one year ago, we took on the daunting task of developing
the first legit UTV factory racing program and an OEM-designed race
UTV based on the RZR Pro R platform, which had already proven its
superiority with a victory at last year's 1000 - the ultimate
combination of performance, strength and control. Now here we stand
today with four victories in four SCORE events, including the
coveted Baja 1000, along with the
SCORE series UTV Pro Open Championship," said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing
Technical Director. "There really aren't enough words to express
the pride we're feeling right now, having validated the incredible
expertise and hard work of our design and engineering teams, and
the combined effort with our Polaris Factory Racing partners at
SCI. That said, 2024 is right around the corner, and we're
determined to raise the bar even further next season."
In its inaugural season, the Polaris Factory Racing team made
off-road racing history by securing four race wins by three
different drivers. Additionally, all three RZR Pro R Factory cars
finished every mile of every race. When it was all said and done,
Heger stood above the pack as the SCORE UTV Pro Open class
champion.
"We faced some challenges early in the race, but my co-drivers
and I dug deep and battled day and night along with our crew to
grind out a podium and secure the points I needed to win the series
championship, and I'm incredibly grateful for that," said Heger.
"This championship isn't mine alone. It also belongs to my
mechanics and everyone involved with the Polaris Factory Racing
program who worked tirelessly to develop this incredible vehicle
that is durable and capable of withstanding the harsh terrain
of racing, and put me in the best position to succeed throughout
the season. I can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in
2024."
To learn more, please visit Polaris.com/RZR or join the
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About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports,
Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and
enriching experiences and services that have invited people to
discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954.
Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER®,
RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles;
Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial
off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and
heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam
quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats,
including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances
the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments,
and accessories. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100
countries across the globe. www.polaris.com
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SOURCE Polaris Inc.