In the off-road world, there is one event that is known as “the” desert race: the Baja 1000. There are tons of other deserts races, but the Baja 1000, in particular, has built a massive reputation for being one of the toughest races around. Every year, hundreds of racers from 18 different countries and thousands of spectators from across North America come together for this four-day event. This year is no different, with people pouring into Baja November 14-18 to partake in this year’s SCORE Baja 1000.

Last year’s Baja 1000, the 50th Baja 1000 race held, was one of the most memorable in history. This year’s race starts and ends in front of the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada. This will be the 44th time the race has started in Ensenada and the 25th time it has ended in Ensenada. The last time the race was started and ended in Ensenada was in 2016. Totaling 806 miles with sections that have never been raced on the Baja 1000, this year’s race is sure to be as unforgiving as previous races. There are some gnarly parts of the course where very low-powered vehicles (such as stock VWs) are allowed to bypass through easier paths.

This year’s race features five physical checkpoints, 192 virtual checkpoints, and 22 speed zones. In addition to the US, racers from Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, and Sweden have entered into the competition. This year’s race is sure to be a good one, so make sure you don’t miss it!