Minneapolis (November 20, 2018) – Polaris RZR® Factory Racing Team is victorious after securing podiums in all three Pro UTV classes of the worlds most prestigious desert race, the 51st SCORE Baja 1000. Polaris athletes dominated the 806.76-mile race and earned the Pro UTV Forced Induction title, and swept the Pro UTV NA class podium.
Polaris Factory Driver Wayne Matlock had a dominating performance in the iconic race series, outperforming all Pro UTV contenders across three Pro classes. Matlock ultimately secured the Pro UTV Forced Induction title in 20:25:17.858 time, winning the overall Pro UTV title by over 40 minutes to second place. Matlocks wins contributed to capturing the monumental overall SCORE Series Championship title – a first-in-class for UTVs. The 2018 title marks Matlocks seventh all-time class victory in the Baja 1000.
Factory teammates Rhys Millen and Mitch Guthrie Jr. took home the third-place title in the Pro class. Meanwhile, Tyler Backus, Kaden Wells, and Paul Champion had an extraordinary performance following in-suit and swept the Pro UTV NA class, respectively all driving Polaris RZRs. In the Pro UTV Unlimited class, Al McBeth won second place and Josh Herzing captured the third-place finish.
“The perseverance and determination of the Polaris RZR Factory Team continues to drive massive successes in some of the most rugged races on the planet,” said Kyle Duea, vice president of ORV Marketing at Polaris Industries. “Matlocks remarkable accomplishment goes in tandem with the teams lights out performance in the 51st Baja 1000, and were incredibly proud of the continuous wins this year.”
The Baja 1000 victories combine for 50 wins and 118 podiums in the 2018 calendar race series.
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About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader that has been fueling the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts for more than 60 years. With annual 2017 sales of $5.4 billion, Polaris innovative, high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; the Sportsman® and Polaris ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, Switchback® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including Transamerica Auto Parts. Polaris presence in adjacent markets globally include military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. Visit www.polaris.com for more information.
