When it comes to desert racing it doesn’t get any bigger than the SCORE International Baja 1000. And in 2021 it didn’t get any bigger than the Pro Turbo UTV class, with 29 entries. This is 10% of the total field and the same number of entries as the Trophy Truck class. While some would shy away from such a competitive class, Alex Baker of Baker Power Products welcomed the challenge. Returning with the Can-Am Maverick X3 that he debuted at the 2020 Baja 1000, Baker and his team of veteran desert racers take on all comers in one of the longest peninsula runs in years.

Join Sam Cothrun and Harry Wagner on their prerun from Race Mile 303, where Alex Baker and Heath Bernard will turn the Can-Am over to them. Sam and Harry leave Catavina for the treacherous “Fred’s Tractor Trail” and Chapala Dry Lake Bed before making their way to Race Mile 480 at Bahia de los Angeles. From there they continue on to El Arco to San Ignacio where they hand the car off to Jake Povey and Matt Wallace at Race Mile 706. Despite facing numerous challenges on race day, the team never gave up and finished in just over 31 hours to place eighth in class and 69th overall.

Video by Richard Giordano of Desk to Glory

Thank you to our sponsors:

Whalen Speed
KWI Clutching
Samco Fabrication
Hawk Performance Brakes
Maxtrax USA
Adventure Imports
Racepak
BFGoodrich
KMC Wheels
Fortin Racing
Fox Racing Shocks
Eibach Spring
Baja Designs

The crew that made it happen:

Alex Baker
Heath Bernard
Sam Cothrun
Harry Wagner
Jake Povey
Matt Wallace
Louis Baker
Annie Baker
Elvis Becirevic
Sean Lewis
Seth Kemppe
Cody Goodsell
Bradd Davidson
John Williams
Nathaniel Leslie
Levi Cothrun
Marcus Williams
Ryan Gaumer
Seth Kempe
Dimitri Duke
Brian Sumner
Richard Giordano
Ashley Giordano
David Wiggins
Courtney Murphy
Chris Collard
Rich Currie
Austin Hall
Vic Carrasco
Jeremiah Buchanan