Ensenada – Baja California, Mexico: The maiden voyage in the Pro UTV Open class was the first season for the factory Polaris RZR Factory Racing Team, with Brock Hegar winning the championship. This was the first time Haeger competed for a season championship in one of SCORE’s divisions, and he reached the podium in Ensenada, 37 hours and 8 minutes later, 1,310 miles from the starting line. He was 26 minutes behind winning teammate Kayden McCachren.
“We knew we were going to put up a fight. We didn’t know when, how or what,” Hager told NBC Sports after the grueling endurance race. “I felt good taking off. I was confident I could push, so I took the plunge.”
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Championships aren’t easy. No one expects them to. It becomes even more difficult when a manufacturer makes its debut in the class. While the first season is often about identifying and fixing issues, the 2023 season has been dominated by the Polaris RZR.
And a 1,000 mile race and a walk in the park have nothing in common. To further enhance the challenge and celebrate the historic nature of this edition, the score added an additional 310 miles to the qualifying distance, making it the second longest race in series history.
In the often harsh world of desert off-road racing, Heger and his co-driver have had to overcome many adversities, including mechanical repairs and on-track crashes that cost more than an hour.
Hager set off from the starting line along the Sea of Cortez in La Paz at 10:02 a.m. Thursday and calmly drove about 26 miles along city streets and fan-lined highways before heading into the desert.
For the first time in history, the Baja 1000 ran north, and residents of the sleepy resort town watched the trucks, cars and motorcycles depart before dawn.
A convoy of support trucks remained on the highway as Hager headed into the sandy and rocky terrain and began marching north toward Ensenada. Direct and public support trucks remained close enough to provide assistance as needed. Pit trucks hopped over each other to build a mobile station in a remote part of the Mexican desert.
It didn’t take long for Haeger to experience his first attempt at a 37-hour race. Around noon, a leak from the rehydration system caused the belt to slip. Heger was forced to slow down to avoid damaging his car. A quick repair got him back on track with only a slight loss of position.
Hegar’s clutch soon failed, perhaps as a result of a slipping belt, or perhaps a mechanical problem caused by a fluke. The team will need to get the parts back to the shop to determine exactly what caused the failure, but with his hopes set on the championship, he will have to watch all but one of his rivals drive by. There wasn’t. Two problems cost Heger an hour to repair.
There was a lot to make up, but more than 1,000 miles remained to make up.
The championship was still within reach if Heger could finish 11th or higher, but that wasn’t on his mind. He was hoping for a win or at least a podium finish at the Baja 1000.
Hegar quickly passed one of the 14 UTVs in the class. At mile 200, he had gained the position he needed to win the championship.
However, Hager continued to advance through the field until after 300 miles he had closed the gap on leader Justin Lambert to less than 20 minutes.
Hegar then handed over driving for the next 500 miles to Ronnie Anderson. JD Marsh was tasked with getting the Polaris RZR to the finish line.
“(After the initial problems) I got the car back to the range. Ronnie went on the night and played very conservatively and gave JD a very good car. That’s what he wanted. “As a closer, that’s all he was,” Hager said. He took it home. ”
Immediately after the second driver change, the No. 96 car cut its tires and entered a temporary pit supported by one of the chase trucks to get new shoes.
Marsh wanted to make up for lost time and rolled the UTV a few minutes later. Hager dropped off the PreRunner, another Polaris UTV that was being used for course recce, and stopped behind the RZR in case the driver needed repair help. Before Hager arrived, Marsh and his navigator tipped the RZR onto four wheels and headed to the finish line.
“It’s crazy; just finishing the race alone is a huge accomplishment,” Hager said. “I think we’re the third car, which is amazing. You always want to win, but at the end of the day we’re all here and safe, so what more can you ask for? ”