Brock Heger won the 2024 SCORE Baja 1000 UTV overall after driving the entire 864.13-mile course solo in his Polaris RZR Pro R Factory. The victory also secured Heger’s second consecutive SCORE Pro UTV Open championship and completed another undefeated SCORE season for Polaris Factory Racing.
Heger finished 45 minutes ahead of Polaris-supported racer Branden Sims and placed seventh overall among every four-wheel vehicle in the race. That put the RZR ahead of all but six SCORE Trophy Trucks and one Trophy Truck Spec entry—the highest overall Baja 1000 finish by a UTV since SCORE introduced UTV classes in 2007.
2024 SCORE Baja 1000 UTV Results
| Result | Driver | Vehicle | Notable Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st UTV Overall | Brock Heger | Polaris RZR Pro R Factory | Seventh overall and completed the race solo |
| 2nd UTV Overall | Branden Sims | Race-prepared Polaris RZR Pro R | Finished 45 minutes behind Heger |
Heger Takes Control of the Baja 1000
The 57th SCORE Baja 1000 started and finished in Ensenada, Baja California, with competitors facing 864.13 miles of desert, mountain roads, rocks, silt and nighttime racing. Heger chose to complete the full distance without handing the RZR to another driver.
He quickly moved to the front of the UTV field and held the lead by race mile 77. Teammate Cayden MacCachren, who started near the back, was already climbing through traffic and had advanced to sixth.
By mile 167, Heger remained in control while MacCachren had worked his way into third. Heger extended his lead to approximately four minutes near mile 211 and continued building an advantage as the race moved deeper into Baja.
Near the midpoint, Heger encountered a bottleneck but maintained the UTV lead. He had also climbed to 13th overall among the four-wheel vehicles, placing the purpose-built RZR among much more powerful unlimited race trucks.
The performance further demonstrated the durability of the production Polaris RZR Pro R platform and the specialized engineering incorporated into the factory race car. A detailed comparison of the two machines can be found in our guide to the Polaris RZR Pro R versus the RZR Pro R Factory.
A Solo 864-Mile Drive to Victory
Heger continued leading during the second half while MacCachren advanced into second and began closing the gap. By race mile 720, Polaris Factory Racing appeared positioned for a one-two finish.
MacCachren’s race ended with approximately 78 miles remaining, however, eliminating his opportunity to win the race and championship. Heger maintained his pace through the final section and crossed the finish line first in UTV Pro Open.
“After a pretty rough run at the first three events this season, I entered this final race with nothing to lose and a hell of a lot to gain, and it felt like the best move was to take matters into my own hands and run the entire race on my own,” Heger said.
Heger also acknowledged the difficult end to MacCachren’s season.
“To win my first Baja 1000 and turn my entire season around in such a dramatic fashion is pretty special, but it comes with a ton of mixed feelings. I feel terrible for Cayden. He’s been spectacular this entire season, and to have it all slip away so close to the finish is absolutely terrible.”
Second Consecutive SCORE UTV Championship
The Baja 1000 victory allowed Heger to come from behind in the standings and secure the 2024 SCORE Pro UTV Open championship. It was his second consecutive title after winning the championship during his first season with the factory team in 2023.
The result also completed a second straight undefeated SCORE season for Polaris Factory Racing. Although different drivers earned the victories, the factory team won the UTV overall at all four championship rounds: the San Felipe 250, Baja 500, Baja 400 and Baja 1000.
Polaris began the season with a one-two finish at the 2024 SCORE San Felipe 250, where MacCachren won in the newly introduced Gen 2 RZR Pro R Factory and Heger finished second. The full development story and season results are covered in our history of Polaris RZR Factory Racing.
“The toughness, grit and determination that he showcased today—not only racing the 864 miles on his own, but absolutely dominating the field—is remarkable,” said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director. “This victory, and the entire season, highlight the strength of our Polaris Factory Racing program, the expertise and dedication of our design and engineering teams and the incredible capabilities of the RZR Pro R platform.”
Where the Baja 1000 Victory Led
The 2024 Baja 1000 became the beginning of an exceptional run for Heger. Less than two months later, Heger and navigator Max Eddy Jr. won the 2025 Dakar Rally SSV category during Heger’s rookie Dakar attempt.
He then returned to the United States and added major victories at King of the Hammers, including the Desert Challenge and UTV Hammers Championship. Those results gave Heger a rare sequence of wins across Baja desert racing, international rally raid and Johnson Valley’s combination of high-speed desert terrain and technical rock trails.
The race also became an important chapter in the development of the RZR Pro R Factory. Polaris originally introduced the purpose-built RZR Pro R Factory race program in 2023, moving beyond independent production-based race builds to an OEM-developed vehicle and dedicated factory team.
Why Heger’s 2024 Baja 1000 Win Mattered
Heger’s first Baja 1000 victory stood out for more than the UTV class win. Driving the entire course solo required him to manage speed, fatigue, navigation, vehicle preservation and changing terrain for more than 860 miles.
Finishing seventh overall placed a UTV deep among Baja’s leading unlimited trucks and established a new benchmark for the category. Combined with a 45-minute margin of victory and a second consecutive championship, the result became one of the defining performances in the early history of the Polaris RZR Factory Racing program.
