Bronco 2 Door Seeking SCORE Championship

The desert racing season is about to roar to life in Baja as teams prepare for the legendary San Felipe 250, the opening round of the championship organized by SCORE International. Scheduled for March 28, 2026, the race launches from the seaside town of San Felipe and marks the first test of the year for competitors chasing the coveted SCORE title.

For off-road fans, and especially Bronco enthusiasts, this year’s race carries extra excitement as fan-favorite racer RJ Zanon begins his first full SCORE championship campaign with Pew Pew Cachoo Racing.

A Historic Start to the SCORE Season

The San Felipe 250 has long been one of Baja’s most iconic races. First held in 1982, the event is famous   for its punishing terrain, deep sand whoops, rocky washes, and high-speed desert stretches that punish vehicles and drivers alike. 

While the distance may appear shorter than other Baja races, San Felipe’s rough course has ended many championship hopes before the season even truly begins.

The 2026 course is expected to cover approximately 281 miles, with an official time allowance of 14 hours to reach the finish. That translates to an average pace of just over 20 mph when factoring in everything a team must handle along the way:

• Fuel stops
• Driver changes
• Navigation corrections
• Mechanical repairs

Twenty miles per hour may sound slow,until you experience the brutal terrain that defines this part of Baja.

The race map is still preliminary and has just been released. The loop course this year looks awesome.

The Road to a SCORE Championship

The San Felipe 250 is the first round of the annual SCORE championship series, formally known as the SCORE World Desert Championship. Drivers accumulate points throughout the year across four iconic Baja races:

• San Felipe 250-Season opener
• Baja 500-Early summer endurance challenge
• Baja 400-Late-season sprint
• Baja 1000-The legendary season finale

Consistent finishes across these races are essential. A win helps, but finishing every event, and collecting points along the way, is often the key to securing a championship.

For rookie championship contenders, the San Felipe 250 is crucial. A strong finish builds momentum and keeps a team competitive heading into the longer and even more punishing races later in the year.

Bronco Racer RJ Zanon Returns to Baja

Among the drivers to watch this season is Bronco racer and enthusiast RJ Zanon, who is entering Class 3 once again as vehicle #301. Class 3 is home to production-based shorter wheelbase trucks and SUVs, including the iconic 2 door Ford Bronco platform that has built a passionate following among off-roaders.

For Zanon, the 2026 season marks a major milestone.

His debut in Baja came during the brutal Baja 1000 in 2025, his first race ever. Jumping straight into one of the most difficult off-road races in the world was a trial by fire, but it gave him invaluable experience navigating Baja’s terrain, managing the pace of endurance racing, and coordinating with a chase crew in the middle of the desert.

Now he’s taking the next step: running the full SCORE season with the goal of chasing a championship.

Building a Stronger Race Program

For 2026, Zanon and Pew Pew Cachoo Racing are approaching the season with a more structured program.

Key improvements include:

• Additional drivers and navigators to share the workload during long races
• A dedicated crew chief helping coordinate strategy and pit operations
• Expanded race support and logistics

Despite the added organization, the effort still carries the spirit of grassroots desert racing, surrounding himself with Bronco owners and enthusiasts and showing the Bronco at several events. RJ showed up at King of the Hammers Bronco Nation basecamp, offering rides to members. I even got a chance to take the race truck out in the dirt for a test drive, which was amazing. 

And continuing as he did at the 1000 , many of the chase volunteers following the race are driving Broncos themselves.

Strategy for a Long Season

Rather than focusing on a single win, Zanon’s strategy centers on consistency across the entire four-race championship. 

Key priorities include:

• Finishing races to collect as many points as possible
• Avoiding unnecessary mechanical risks early in the season by driving conservatively
• Building experience with the race team and support structure to streamline pit and refueling time
• Peaking later in the season with the culmination of the Baja 1000 in November

If the team can keep the truck running strong and finish races, they could find themselves in contention by the time the championship reaches its final showdown.

Eyes on San Felipe

With race day just two weeks away, excitement is building across the desert racing world.

The official course has been released but we’ll soon get a glimpse of the action ourselves. Our upcoming Baja trip will take us through San Felipe, and if racers are out pre-running we’ll be sharing photos, sightings, and updates from the ground.

The 2026 San Felipe 250 promises dust, chaos, and the start of another unforgettable Baja season, and we’ll be cheering on RJ Zanon and the Bronco-powered effort of Pew Pew Cachoo Racing every mile of the way.

Here’s hoping that when the season wraps at the Baja 1000, we’ll be talking about RJ Zanon as a SCORE champion.