SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1542108
THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATER Cayden MacCachren Wraps Up The Season On Top By Larry Saavedra Photos by Get Some Photo With darkening skies of a torrential downpour on the horizon, Polaris factory team racer Cayden MacCachren and co-driver Ethan Groom in the No. 1821 RZR Pro R expected the forecast would wreak havoc on the course. Nevertheless, they dug deep and pulled off a victory to take the SCORE Pro UTV Open class win and UTV Overall Win at the 58th BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000. They finished 16th out of 229 entries. “It was a rough year,” he said after the race. “But if you’re going to win one, you might as well win the SCORE Baja 1000 in the rain.” It was MacCachren’s second win as the driver of record at the SCORE Baja 1000 with Polaris and the SCI Motorsports Team. But his first three SCORE races in 2025 never went as planned, so winning the SCORE Baja 1000 was the breakthrough he’s been chasing since the start of the season. Fortunately for MacCachren, Groom had started the race with clear weather to set a blistering pace. He drove a flawless race in the purple-colored Polaris until mile-marker 411, where MacCachren ever-so-confidently waited to take the wheel. MacCachren set his sights on the section he cherished most, the technical stuff, entering San Felipe, where races are often lost by one foolish over-correction, or any number of obstacles that can take down a competitor faster than a shot of moonshine. “I’m really comfortable in San Felipe,” he said. “That’s what I focused on, waiting for my turn behind the wheel.” Meanwhile, Groom had lost some course positions due to a flat tire, but eventually made the driver change in the VP Racing Fuel pits just as night fell. When MacCachren jumped into his purple RZR, the leader was Max Eddy Jr., in the No. 1841 Polaris, who pitted within feet of MacCachren, waiting to fuel. It was a rare double pit stop for the SCI Motorsports team, but it was enough to give MacCachren the edge he needed to regain the lead. He took-off first and never looked back. Heading into the mountains near San Felipe, with Eddy Jr. behind him, MacCachren drove it to the finish as Mother Nature let loose with a fury of rain. “Those guys behind me got the worst of it,” said MacCachren. “The dust was much worse at night, and all you could see were the lights in front of you. My navigator, Hailey Hein, knew the lines well and did a great job at filling in any gaps in my vision of the course.” MacCachren’s ability to challenge San Felipe was put to the test this time. “I was in survival mode,” he said. “I knew I had to pick up the pace, but the course was absolutely destroyed. But I like that, and I felt confident everywhere in the technical sections.” His confidence comes from the many race miles he has logged in his time with Polaris. “As soon as I got in the car, I knew I could win the race as long as there were no major issues,” he said. “My purple car ran great the entire race. But in San Felipe, the whoops had whoops on them, making it more difficult through that section.” Despite the challenges, MacCachren said that a rough course brings new challenges, and the fastest line might not be the best line, and you’d better have a Plan B. SJ