Luke McMillin won the Baja 400 to complete his Baja Grand Slam, open 2026 with three straight victories and reach nine career Trophy Truck wins.
Luke McMillin joined a rare statistical club on September 13, winning the SCORE Baja 400 for his third consecutive Trophy Truck victory to start the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship. Robby Gordon, Curt LeDuc, Bryce Menzies and Alan Ampudia were the only drivers who had previously put together a three-race winning streak in the premier truck class.
The achievement gives McMillin's season historical weight, though the timeline adds important context. Gordon reached three straight in 1996, and LeDuc followed in 1997. Another 26 years passed before Menzies matched them in 2023. Ampudia then did it in 2025, one season before McMillin.
A streak built across Baja
McMillin started his run at the SCORE San Felipe 250 in March, then won the SCORE Baja 500 in June. He swept the championship's first three rounds in the No. 83 McMillin Racing AWD Ford Raptor Mason, with navigator Jason Duncan alongside him for the Baja 400.
The seventh running covered 423.42 miles, and McMillin recorded an official time of 8 hours, 40 minutes and 50 seconds.
Bryce Menzies placed second in 8 hours, 43 minutes and 22 seconds, finishing 2 minutes and 32 seconds behind in another Ford Raptor Mason. Menzies has reached every 2026 podium, with third-place finishes at San Felipe and the Baja 500 followed by his runner-up result at the Baja 400.
“I’m very excited that we’re three for three this season. It was an emotional day with a lot of ups and downs. With the dust, the sun, and everything else we faced, we were able to pull off the win. So I’m very, very happy and proud of the entire team,”
How the streak compares across eras
The five drivers with three consecutive Trophy Truck wins cover 30 years of the class. Gordon and LeDuc set the standard in back-to-back seasons, 1996 and 1997. Menzies broke the long drought in 2023, while Ampudia and McMillin have delivered streaks in consecutive seasons, 2025 and 2026.
The recent frequency hasn't made the feat routine. The Baja 400 drew 164 starters, with 102 classified as official finishers for a 62-percent finishing rate. McMillin also had to beat Menzies, whose three podium finishes reflect sustained speed across the season rather than a single-race threat.
Comparing eras directly is less straightforward. Equipment changed, the championship schedule evolved, and the Baja 400 is only in its seventh edition. The clearest comparison is the repeated execution needed to win three different rounds in one season, rather than raw times set on unrelated routes.
Nine wins change McMillin's standing
The Baja 400 gave McMillin his ninth career SCORE Trophy Truck victory, drawing him level with Ivan Stewart, Dan Smith, Dave Ashley and Mark Post.
That total changes McMillin's place in the historical picture. Before September 13, much of his case centered on his range in major events, including Baja 1000 overall victories in 2022 and 2024 with Rob MacCachren. He now shares a premier-class win total with four established desert racing names and owns a season streak achieved by only four drivers before him.
McMillin also returned the Baja 400 overall crown to the United States following Ampudia's 2025 victory. Ampudia is the event's only Mexican overall winner.
The Grand Slam separates this run
The victory added the SCORE Baja 400 to McMillin's wins in the San Felipe 250, Baja 500 and Baja 1000, completing the SCORE Baja Grand Slam.
That range carries weight in a G. O. A. T. comparison. Some drivers can build formidable records around one event, but McMillin now has verified victories across all four current pillars of the Baja championship. Versatility is the strongest element of his résumé, supported by an accumulating career total of nine Trophy Truck wins.
Those figures alone don't put him atop Baja's all-era ranking. His 2026 campaign does strengthen his standing among modern Trophy Truck drivers, pairing three consecutive victories with wins across all four majors.
One round left to extend history
McMillin has opened a three-to-none advantage over Menzies in victories this season, though Menzies has responded with three podium finishes. Their head-to-head record leaves consistency as the next test.
The next championship round is the SCORE Baja 1000, where McMillin can push his winning streak to four and chase a sweep of the 2026 season after victories in March, June and September.
