SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1522709
THREE-PEAT BAJA STYLE Polaris Factory Racer Cayden MacCachren Makes A Statement By Larry Saavedra Photos by Factory Polaris Factory Polaris and SCI team racer Cayden MacCachren is proving tough to beat after capturing the SCORE UTV Overall and UTV Pro Open class win at the 56th BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 500. Whether he starts last or first off the grid, the SCORE Baja 500 podium finish marked MacCachren’s third consecutive UTV Overall and UTV Pro Open class victory since the 2023 SCORE Baja 1000. “It’s been good,” MacCachren said. “Winning three straight races in a row shows how amazing the Gen 2 Polaris RZR has been for me in Baja. The versatility of the new Gen 2 is incredible there.” MacCachren admits his finish times are getting faster and faster, and it shocks him. Starting in the first position at the SCORE Baja 500, MacCachren in the No. 1821 SCI Polaris RZR chased down the Class 10s and passed a number of them on his way to victory. “I started near last at the SCORE San Felipe 250, but winning pushed me up to first off the grid at the SCORE Baja 500, and I took advantage of it,” he said. “I was unsure what the starting order would mean in terms of strategy. I passed Class 10s, some SCORE Trophy Truck Specs, and SCORE Trophy Trucks.” He drove incredibly fast, but MacCachren admits there were many hectic moments. “Getting around the big SCORE Trophy Trucks is interesting in a much smaller UTV; you have to be sneaky,” he said. The first 130 miles were a battle for the overall UTV position. In corrected time, MacCachren’s lead was briefly taken over by Polaris-supported racer Ronnie Anderson. However, by race mile 184, MacCachren was first again on corrected time in the Pro UTV Open class. He continued to drive a consistent race and made his final move around race mile 240 to physically distance himself from the competition. “I remember parts of the race,” he said. “At one point I never thought I’d make the finish line. I went through a lot of silt beds, and it was tough to hold position even though I never saw another UTV in front or behind me. But I kept charging.” Once MacCachren and his co-driver Hailey Hein got cleaner air in the summit near San Felipe, MacCachren said the racecar just soared and it gave him the confidence he needed to take the win. “I was never worried where I was in the first third of the race,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a long day, and a lot of waiting to start. I never felt tired after the flag dropped because of the pre-running I did before the race. The different shifts in air temperature take some getting used to, and my fresh-air system quits on me, but when you’re fighting for position, you don’t worry about being uncomfortable.” MacCachren said the course was good overall, but it is getting much more technical than before. “It’s getting harder each year, and the silt is super dusty and there are so many race cars bunched up at times. I feel the SCORE series is getting even more professional and I’m proud to be a part of it.” SJ