RZRs Fill Podium in Both Pro UTV Forced Induction and Pro UTV Classes
Minneapolis, June 6, 2017– Polaris RZR dominated the Baja 500 taking the top five places in the Pro UTV Forced Induction class, all four finishing spots in Pro UTV and the overall. Nineteen of the 26 finishers raced RZRs showing the durability and race prowess of the vehicles.
Winning over a SCORE-record field of 25 starters in Pro UTV FI and 11 starters in Pro UTV, Justin Lambert was the overall UTV winner and Pro UTV FI class winner in the race. Lambert, Bakersfield, California, led his team to a winning time of 13:17:01 in a Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo for a victory margin of 49 minutes over the second place finisher among all 36 of the Pro UTVs that started the race.
Branden Sims
Polaris Factory Racers filled the podium in the Pro UTV Forced Induction class with Justin Lambert in his No. 2918 Cognito RZR XP Turbo EPS taking the win and overall. Branden Sims in the No. 2913 Lonestar Racing turbo took second and the No. 2975 Black Hills RZR XP Turbo EPS piloted by Mike Cafro finished third. Polaris Factory Racer Cody Rahders, racing his first year in the SCORE series, would finish in the top ten taking seventh.
In the Pro UTV class, RZRs would be the only vehicles to finish of the 11 starters. JT Holmes took the class win in his No. 1950 RZR XP 1000 EPS, Adrian Orellana finished second and Don Whittington took third.
Justin Lambert – Cognito Motorsports
The race featured a course, developed by SCORE CEO/President Roger Norman along with Race Director Jose A. Grijalva, of 513.67 miles. It ran in a counter clockwise direction. The first and last 19.5 miles was shared course outbound and inbound.
Starting and finishing once again in the heart of Ensenada, it quickly left the pavement and headed up the spectator-friendly Ensenada Arroyo for two miles as it headed out of town.
The historic race course was another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the seashore with elevations from sea level to over 3,000 feet. The course was another jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.
This year’s course had five physical checkpoints—North of Johnson’s Ranch, Morellia Junction, North of San Felipe on Highway 5, Nuevo Junction and El Mezcal before Ojos Negros. It also has approximately 95 virtual checkpoints. There were also 14 speed zones (37 miles per hour or 60 miles per hour) for a total of 55.53 total miles of the 513.67-mile race course.
This course was different than last year’s course. Last year it had much more desert, it went up the Summit and this year it went to the coast. There were also sections that haven’t been raced on for a number of years and a few sections that SCORE has never race on before.
Other towns and landmarks the course went through or near were Ensenada Arroyo, Piedras Gordas, Ojos Negros, Uruapan, Santo Tomás, Erendira, Johnson’s Ranch, Colonet, Jaramillo, Hacienda Sinaloa on San Telmo Rd., Rancho El Coyote, Mike’s Sky Rancho, San Matias, the Diablo Dry Lake bed, San Felipe, Valle de Trinidad, The Goat Trail, Nuevo Junction and Santa Catarina.
The next SCORE race is the Rosarito Beach Desert Challenge, Sept. 14-18.
| 2017 SCORE Baja 500 Results | Pro Forced Induction UTV (Turbo) |
|---|---|
| 1. Justin Lambert/Mitchell Alsup | Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo |
| 2. Branden Sims/Justin Krause | Polaris RZR XP Turbo |
| 3. Mike Cafro/Jamie Kirkpatrick | Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo |
| 4. Matt Burroughs/Cain Smead | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 5. Steve Smith/Larry Ragland | Polaris RZR XP Turbo |
| 6. Derek Murray/Jason Murray | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 7. Cody Rahders/Kevin Sullivan | Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo |
| 8. Tony Riggs/Kyle Melville | Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo |
| 9. Scott Trafton | Polaris RZR XP1000 |
| 10.. Cory Sappington | Can-Am Maverick Max |
| 2017 SCORE Baja 500 Results | Pro Naturally Aspirated UTV (Non-Turbo) |
|---|---|
| 1. JT Holmes | Polaris RZR XP1000 |
| 2. Adrian Orellana | Polaris RZR XP1000 |
| 3. Don Whittington | Polaris RZR XP1000 |
| 4. Matt Scarpuzzi | Polaris RZR XP1000 |
About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader with annual 2015 sales of $4.7 billion. Polaris fuels the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts with our RANGER®, RZR® and POLARIS GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; our SPORTSMAN® and POLARIS ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; VICTORY® and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; SLINGSHOT® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, SWITCHBACK® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories sold under multiple recognizable brands, and has a growing presence in adjacent markets globally with products including military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. www.polaris.com
