The Polaris SCORE Challenge offers $50,000 to an overall UTV winner who beats all four factory RZR entries at the Baja 400, with a November rollover if unclaimed.
Polaris has placed a $50,000 bounty on Saturday’s 2026 SCORE Baja 400, challenging eligible UTV racers to beat all four RZR Factory Racing entries and score the overall UTV victory in Ensenada.
Rival manufacturers are eligible. A Can-Am, Honda, Kawasaki or another eligible machine can collect the payout by meeting both requirements over the 423.16-mile professional course.
A two-part challenge
A class win won’t be enough to earn the bonus. The successful entrant must beat every factory RZR and secure Overall UTV honors on September 12.
The prize is open to the wider UTV field, with no restriction to one division or manufacturer.
Four factory entries must be beaten.
The bounty can roll into November
If no eligible racer wins the $50,000 at the Baja 400, Polaris will roll the same offer into the 59th Baja 1000 in November. The season finale is a point-to-point Peninsula race with a target distance of approximately 1,000 miles.
Competitors will get a second chance on a much longer course. The Baja 1000 is scheduled for November 9 to 15 and will be centered on San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur.
Baja 400 schedule takes shape
Method Race Wheels Qualifying starts at 8:00 AM PT on Thursday, September 10, on a private course closed to spectators. Tech and contingency are next on Friday along Bulevar Costero in Ensenada.
Motorcycles begin the Baja 400 at 5:00 AM PT on Saturday. Cars, trucks and UTVs follow at 10:00 AM PT.
Professional categories will cover 423.16 miles, while Sportsman competitors face 397.29 miles. The clockwise loop runs through Arroyo Ensenada, Ojos Negros, Valle de la Trinidad and Mike’s Sky Ranch, then crosses coastal sectors before returning to Ensenada.
A crowded international entry
More than 140 teams representing 11 countries and 22 U. S. states are registered for the seventh Baja 400. Some crews started pre-running last weekend along the Ensenada to San Quintín corridor.
The route’s designated physical checkpoint is at Peña Colorada, around mile 216.63. Competitors then tackle the second half of the loop toward Eréndira, Santo Tomás and the finish on Bulevar Costero.
Round 3 sets up the finale
The Baja 400 is Round 3 of the four-event 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship after the San Felipe 250 and Baja 500. Saturday’s result will set the championship positions heading into the November finale.
Qualifying comes first. The Trophy Truck field heads onto the closed course at 8:00 AM PT Thursday, two days before UTV contenders get their first opportunity to claim Polaris’ $50,000 prize.
