Baja 1000: Polvoorde takes Trophy Truck pole, race starts Friday

Christopher Polvoorde will start from pole position in the SCORE Baja 1000, the 59th edition of North America's best-known off-road race, which starts on Friday 13 November 2026. Driving Trophy Truck No. 94, he set the fastest qualifying time of 2:34.868, his third pole in four races this year.

Trophy Truck qualifying

Tuesday's session started an hour late because a water tanker was stuck on the course. Once under way, Alan Ampudia (No. 1) was second in 2:36.489, ahead of Adam Householder (No. 24, 2:40.073) and Kevin Thompson (No. 70, 2:40.605). Luke McMillin (No. 83, 2:41.701) completes the top five.

Bryce Menzies (No. 7) will start sixth after a 2:42.092 lap: he went off the track into the vegetation during his session before getting going again. He will race with Andy McMillin. Dodge Poelman is seventh in 2:49.695, and Ryan Arciero, slowed by gearbox problems, eighth in 2:50.067.

The other classes

• Trophy Truck 2WD: Cameron Steele (2:46.699) ahead of Chris Miller (2:47.151) and Steve Olliges (2:49.136).
• Trophy Truck Legends: Gus Vildósola (2:36.540) ahead of Rolf Helland (2:41.582) and Clay Lawrence (2:46.411).
• Trophy Truck Spec: Stephen Beal (2:46.038) ahead of Trey Gibbs (2:47.338) and Justin Davis (2:47.598).
• Class 1: Cody Reid (2:53.960) ahead of Brendan Gaughan and Edgar Morales.

The race: starting from San José del Cabo

According to the organiser, Baja 1000 race week runs from 9 to 15 November 2026. The start is on Friday 13 November in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Motorcycles and quads start from the Blvd Centenario starting ramp. The course is about 964.96 miles, or 1,561 km according to the race's information page, and each category has 40 hours to reach the finish.

Pole is no guarantee of victory in such a long race: mechanical problems, like Arciero's in qualifying, can be decisive. The coming days will show whether Polvoorde can turn his starting position into a win.