Gustavo Vildosola Sr. and Ricky Johnson claimed a fifth straight Baja 400 Trophy Truck Legends win before November’s Baja 1000 finale.
Gustavo Vildosola Sr. and Ricky Johnson won the SCORE Trophy Truck Legends class at the 7th SCORE Baja 400 on September 13, stretching their winning streak in the event to five years.
The Vildosola Racing duo covered the 423.42-mile course in 9 hours, 15 minutes and 48 seconds in the No. 1L Ford Raptor Mason AWD. The result gave them a second consecutive SCORE victory this season and created a separate storyline behind the overall battle won by Luke McMillin.
Vildosola and Johnson now have five consecutive class wins from five starts at this event.
A fifth win on a punishing course
Intense heat and rain tested crews as the Baja 400 crossed familiar sections of the Baja California peninsula. The route took in Ojos Negros and the Goat Trail before passing Mike’s Sky Ranch, San Quintin, Erendira Beach and Ejido Uruapan.
Of the 164 teams that started in Ensenada, 102 made the official finish, producing a 62-percent finishing rate across the field.
Vildosola, 73, and Johnson, 62, brought the No. 1L home ahead of several notable vehicles from other classes. Their 9:15:48 beat the winning Trophy Truck Spec time of 9:20:22 and the leading SCORE Trophy Truck 2WD time of 9:52:19, though those results were recorded in separate classifications under different technical regulations.
The Legends victory also extended the team’s winning run following its success in the previous SCORE round.
A partnership made for Baja
Vildosola and Johnson entered this edition with four straight Baja 400 class wins. They departed Ensenada with a fifth and another victory for the AWD Ford Raptor Mason.
Johnson’s career began in motorcycle racing, while Vildosola ranks among Baja’s established off-road competitors. There was no classification or penalty drama in the confirmed result. The No. 1L set the fastest Legends time and took the class win.
Their time left them 34 minutes and 58 seconds behind McMillin’s overall-winning 8:40:50. McMillin shared the No. 83 McMillin Racing AWD Ford Raptor Mason with navigator Jason Duncan.
Bryce Menzies placed second overall in 8:43:22, leaving the No. 7 Menzies Motorsports Ford Raptor Mason 32 minutes and 26 seconds ahead of the Legends winner on elapsed time.
Ford Raptor Mason packages win two classes
Ford Raptor Mason AWD machinery won both the premier SCORE Trophy Truck category and Trophy Truck Legends at the Baja 400.
McMillin finished first overall and secured his third consecutive victory in the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship. Vildosola and Johnson added their fifth straight Legends win at this race.
The winning vehicles carried different numbers and raced in separate classes, though each used the Ford Raptor Mason AWD platform. McMillin’s No. 83 completed the course in 8:40:50, while the No. 1L posted 9:15:48.
Elsewhere, Carlos Apdaly Lopez took the Trophy Truck Spec win in the No. 273 Brenthel Chevy Silverado. Maverick Gaunt and Chasen Gaunt earned their first Trophy Truck 2WD victory in the No. 42T Geiser Bros Chevy Silverado.
Other streaks continue at the Baja 400
Vildosola and Johnson were among several competitors who extended winning runs in Ensenada.
McMillin swept the first three rounds after winning March’s SCORE San Felipe 250 and June’s SCORE Baja 500. His Baja 400 victory made him the fifth driver to win three straight SCORE Trophy Truck races, joining Robby Gordon in 1996, Curt LeDuc in 1997, Bryce Menzies in 2023 and Alan Ampudia in 2025.
Kaden Wells in Pro UTV FI and Jesse Astorga in Class 5 also won all three opening championship rounds. Both stayed in contention for the SCORE Rod Hall Milestone Award after the Baja 400.
Wayne Matlock delivered another major result, winning Pro UTV Open and the overall UTV classification. His No. 1871 Matlock Racing Polaris RZR Pro R Factory finished in 9:54:28, securing his first Baja 400 victory and the $50,000 Polaris SCORE Challenge prize.
The championship heads south
The next confirmed event is the BFGoodrich Tires 59th SCORE Baja 1000, set for November 9 through 15 in San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur.
For the first time, the race will run entirely within Baja California Sur. More than 220 teams representing 18 countries are expected for the fourth and final round of the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Vildosola and Johnson will arrive at the finale with consecutive SCORE victories after the No. 1L’s latest win across 423.42 miles in Ensenada. Competition in San Jose del Cabo starts during the November 9 through 15 event week.
