SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1545899
CHARTING A NEW COURSE Craig Scanlon Talks About Creating SCI Motorsports, And What He Plans After Leaving It By Larry Saavedra Photos by Get Some Photo Desert racing is everything to Craig Scanlon, and as the former head of Polaris SCI Motorsports (Scanlon Clarke Industries), it was his job to ensure that the Polaris brand dominated SCORE desert racing in Mexico and beyond. With technological superiority and a massive structural investment, Polaris became the top force in the UTV market. But it was Scanlon and Travis Clarke who took Polaris to a whole new level with SCI Motorsports, establishing the first true factory Polaris UTV team and hand-picking every racer under its umbrella. This racing season, Scanlon started a new chapter in his UTV racing career. After four years heading the program, he left SCI, charting a new course for himself, but with the assurance that the Polaris factory racing team is in capable hands. This dramatic decision came from the changing landscape of UTV racing in Baja. Several years ago, UTV desert racing was made up of privateers, each prepping their own UTVs, paying their own expenses, and hoping to capture a podium finish in SCORE. All that changed after Scanlon and Clarke developed SCI Motorsports, the current racing management arm of Polaris. Their mindset was to emulate what’s been done in other professional motorsport programs, and to build a team under a single brand. It’s not a new concept in desert racing. Many of the big automakers and motorcycle giants compete or have competed with factory teams in SCORE racing. But this was a new concept for the UTV market, and Scanlon was the guy responsible for paving the path to success. “I’m still very close with Polaris,” he said. “It was important for me to lead their internal factory program. But after four seasons of racing and winning races and championships, it was time for me to get back to the racing I used to do.” The timing to leave seemed right for Scanlon. He says he was ready to get back to his racing roots and simply compete for the fun of it. In the past he won the SCORE Baja 500 UTV Overall. Even though he officially left Polaris’ SCI division in early 2026, he didn’t stray far from the Polaris brand. He continues to carry the torch for Polaris, this time as a UTV factory racer, who competes exclusively in the SCORE desert racing series, in the SCORE UTV Stock class. “I fell in love with desert racing 20 plus years ago at Polaris,” Scanlon said. “To me, desert racing now is like being on vacation. It is an escape from the stress of work. It’s the only time I get a break.” The main motivator could be his newest role as the CEO of Club Car, the largest golf cart manufacturer in the world. Scanlon says leaving SCI was a natural pathway. “Now the only way I can stop thinking about production lines, supply chains, and the thousands of employees is racing in Mexico,” he said. “When the green flag drops, I stop thinking about all the work and concentrate solely on enjoying myself.” Unlike the long hours and commitment it took when Scanlon was overseeing the likes of Brock Heger, Cayden MacCachren, and other factory racers to podium finishes. Even though Scanlon stepped away from SCI, he managed to work a deal to get himself up and going in his own personal Polaris program like a privateer. “I pulled up on the starting grid in San Felipe and Rat Sult was amazed that I was sitting behind the wheel of my own Polaris,” laughs Scanlon. So far this season, Scanlon is proving he belongs on the top of the podium, winning the SCORE Pro UTV Stock class at the SCORE San Felipe 250 and the SCORE Baja 500. SJ