In October 2016, veteran off-road racer Craig Scanlon unveiled Scanlon Motorsports Group, a professionally organized and factory-backed Polaris RZR desert racing team. What appeared at the time to be the launch of another ambitious private race program would eventually become an important chapter in the development of Polaris RZR Factory Racing.
Scanlon Motorsports Group—commonly known as SMG—combined a purpose-built Polaris RZR XP 4 Turbo with an experienced crew, dedicated chase vehicles and support from RIGID Industries, Rockstar Energy, Polaris RZR and several established off-road racing companies.
It is important to distinguish the 2016 operation from the comprehensive Polaris Factory Racing program introduced in 2023. SMG was a privately operated, factory-backed race team. The later program was built around purpose-designed factory race vehicles and managed through Scanlon Clarke Industries, or SCI Motorsports.
From Jagged X to Scanlon Motorsports Group
Scanlon formed SMG after spending five seasons competing with Jagged X, one of the most successful teams from the early years of Polaris RZR desert racing. That experience exposed him to the vehicle preparation, logistics and teamwork required to compete in long-distance Best In The Desert and SCORE events.
Launching SMG allowed Scanlon to create a program around his own approach to racing. He planned to handle most of the driving duties, with longtime co-driver Keith Redstrom responsible for much of the navigation. Veteran racer Alan Kleinemas was named crew chief and oversaw preparation and race logistics.
“This race team is the culmination of nine years in off-road, five years of professional racing, and the encouragement and support of countless people across the sport,” Scanlon said when the team was introduced. “I am proud beyond words to be lining up with the best family, most prepared team and best sponsors.”
A Holz-Built Polaris RZR XP Turbo
Mark Holz and Holz Racing Products built the team’s primary race vehicle from a Polaris RZR XP 4 Turbo. The four-seat recreational vehicle was transformed into a lightweight two-seat desert racer that visually had more in common with a small Class 10 buggy than a showroom UTV.
The No. 931, later raced in SCORE as No. 2931, represented how quickly professional UTV race vehicles were evolving during the middle of the 2010s. Teams were no longer simply adding a cage, seats and safety equipment to a nearly stock side-by-side. Competitive programs were developing complete vehicles around the production engine and drivetrain.
SMG also assembled the support equipment needed for major desert races. Holz Racing contributed to the chase program, while Johnny Angal of UTV Inc. was involved with the chase truck and trailer. Magnum Off-Road built a separate RZR XP 4 Turbo prerunner.
RIGID and Rockstar Back the Program
RIGID Industries served as the team’s title sponsor and provided its LED off-road lighting. Rockstar Energy joined as co-title sponsor, while Scanlon competed as a Rockstar athlete during the 2017 season.
Walker Evans Racing supplied wheels, shocks and technical support. The RZR used 32-inch Tensor DS desert racing tires, while PCI Race Radios handled its communications and tracking equipment. JM Collision completed the paint and bodywork, and ProLineWraps produced the team graphics.
These partnerships gave SMG the resources and presentation of a major professional team. Just as importantly, they reflected Scanlon’s intention to build a sustainable racing organization rather than assemble a vehicle for a handful of individual events.
Preparing for BITD and SCORE Racing
SMG debuted at the 2016 Best In The Desert BlueWater Desert Challenge in Parker, Arizona. The team also planned to enter the Pahrump 250, using the final rounds of the 2016 season to prepare for a full 2017 campaign.
The 2017 schedule was intended to include the complete Best In The Desert series as well as the SCORE Baja 500 and Baja 1000. SMG raced in the increasingly competitive turbocharged UTV division during a period when vehicles such as the RZR XP Turbo were rapidly increasing the speed and sophistication of production-based desert racing.
For the 2017 Mint 400, Scanlon was joined by longtime Polaris RZR racer RJ Anderson. The pairing showed the depth of experience surrounding the new operation, although the team’s most significant result was still two years away.
Winning the 2019 SCORE Baja 500
Scanlon Motorsports Group earned its biggest victory at the 2019 SCORE Baja 500. Scanlon completed the 483.9-mile race in just under 13 hours and 27 minutes and was awarded the Pro UTV Forced Induction win after a penalty was assessed to Jason Murray.
The result was Scanlon’s first SCORE victory as driver of record and validated the preparation and persistence behind the SMG program. Read the complete account in Polaris RZR Records Two Class Wins at the 2019 Baja 500.
From SMG to Polaris Factory Racing
The historical importance of Scanlon Motorsports Group became clearer in 2023. Craig Scanlon and Travis Clarke established Scanlon Clarke Industries, commonly known as SCI Motorsports, as the management arm of a new Polaris Factory Racing program.
Unlike SMG’s modified production RZR XP Turbo, the new team competed with the purpose-built Polaris RZR Pro R Factory. Polaris designed and developed the vehicle specifically for professional desert racing instead of relying on an independent builder to convert a recreational RZR.
Scanlon served as a team principal and continued racing. At the program’s first event, the 2023 SCORE San Felipe 250, he won the Pro UTV Open class in a race-modified RZR Pro R while the new factory vehicles began their competition careers.
SCI later became the exclusive distributor and support organization for the customer version of the Polaris RZR Pro R Factory race UTV. The organization provides vehicle sales, parts, preparation, maintenance and driver support for private teams purchasing the factory-developed race vehicle.
An Important Link in Polaris RZR Racing History
The 2016 launch of Scanlon Motorsports Group was more than a short-lived sponsorship announcement. It connected Craig Scanlon’s earlier experience with Jagged X to his Baja 500 victory and, ultimately, his role in establishing and managing Polaris’ modern factory racing operation.
The technology changed dramatically between the Holz-built RZR XP Turbo and the later RZR Pro R Factory. The underlying emphasis on preparation, experienced personnel and complete team support, however, can be traced directly back to the principles Scanlon outlined when SMG was introduced.
Explore more milestones, race vehicles and championship seasons in our complete history of Polaris RZR Factory Racing.
For additional Polaris vehicles, racing stories and model history, visit the Polaris UTV archive.
