After nearly a week in Ensenada watching teams wrench, test, and fine-tune every detail, Race Day for the 58th SCORE Baja 1000 is finally here. This year’s race is an 854-mile loop beginning and ending in Ensenada, though select Sportsman classes receive a shortened route, cutting more than 100 miles via an alternate course segment. But no matter which class you run, the Baja 1000 remains one of the most challenging off-road races in the world.
Motorcycles launched into the darkness at 1 a.m., and as they carve their way south, the main event for Bronco Nation readers lies in the four-truck Ford Racing effort and the first-ever Baja 1000 run of the Pew Pew Cachoo Bronco 2-Door team.
Ford Racing’s Four-Raptor Lineup Hits the Start Line
The Ford Racing program, led by the legendary Brad Lovell, brings a massive factory-backed presence to the desert this year. Four Raptors, racing across two stock classes, will take the green flag between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Pacific Time.
These teams have spent the week pre-running their individual course segments, logging miles across silty washes, rock gardens, and tight canyon trails. Final prep wrapped last night at the Holiday Inn Express secure parking area, as engineers worked their laptops, mechanics made final adjustments, even changing out a broken passenger window, and drivers and navigators discussed final details.
On Tuesday afternoon, we were able to witness one of Ford’s team meetings, if you can even call an 80-person gathering in the middle of the desert a “meeting.” It felt more like an off-road festival: trucks parked everywhere, and lunch served to drivers, navigators, engineers, media, and chase crews. It’s a reminder of the scale of this effort; racing the Baja 1000 is one thing, but coordinating four vehicles over 854 miles of unpredictable terrain is an entirely different level of commitment.
Team Pew Pew Cachoo: Underdogs With Big Heart
While Ford Racing brings an army, Team Pew Pew Cachoo enters their first Baja 1000 with a smaller, but equally determined, crew. We caught up with the team on Wednesday during tech, where we met driver RJ Zanon, his co-driver, and several members of the support and media team. Others were still en route, which is far from unusual in Baja: work schedules, limited resources, and the sheer complexity of the race make full-team pre-runs a luxury most privateers can’t afford. But, RJ took full advantage of all advice given, including a prep meeting and words of advice from legendary Baja racer Curt LeDuc. “Don’t race, just get out of town,” said Curt, “rookie racers drop into the wash and the first time they get bumped from another competitor, they start to speed up and put the vehicle at risk.” Great advice as the race will likely take the team close to the 36-hour cut off just to finish.
RJ and crew are relying on the BFGoodrich Pits, critical support stations marked clearly on the official race map. These pits will be essential for fuel, tires, minor repairs, and that quick pep talk every racer needs before diving back into the course.
For a first-time Baja 1000 team, simply making the start line is a victory. But knowing RJ and the passion behind this Bronco build, the team isn’t here just to participate, they’re here to finish.
Race Day Conditions: Rain, Mud, and a Modified Finish
As a first-time Baja spectator myself, I’ve been learning this race from the ground up. Today, our plan is to head south and catch the racers near Race Mile 72, which is just a short drive (distance-wise) off Highway 1, though a very different story for the teams running the actual course.
But weather is the storyline of the day. A storm is moving in, and SCORE has already made some adjustments: the traditional wash leading back into Ensenada has been removed from the official route due to flooding concerns. Instead, racers will complete their timed finish in the desert before transiting into town.
Rain in Baja means deep mud, hidden ruts, and unpredictable hazards. The toughest race in North America just got tougher.
How to Follow the Action
Whether you’re in the desert or watching from home, there’s no shortage of live coverage:
Ford Performance is live streaming throughout the race with updates on all four Raptor teams.
Team Pew Pew Cachoo is also broadcasting live from their Bronco during the run.
With nearly 40 hours of racing ahead, this is where endurance, teamwork, and preparation matter most
Let’s Go Racing
Race morning has dawned here in Ensenada, although behind the clouds. The engines are warming, as the racers report for staging at 9am. The anticipation is electric. For Ford Racing, this is a chance to demonstrate factory durability at racing’s highest level. For Team Pew Pew Cachoo, it’s the chance to live a dream, one that only a few bold teams ever pursue. Fingers crossed that everyone stays safe and finishes the course.
Here’s to an unforgettable Baja 1000!
Let’s go Ford Racing, and let’s go Team Pew Pew Cachoo!
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