Adventure Awaits at Every Mile: Our 2025 SCORE BAJA 1000 Journey

The Baja 1000 has a way of stripping everything down to the essentials—teamwork, grit, faith, and mechanical perseverance. For 2025, I had the privilege of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with longtime friend and off-road brother, Sergio Pinillos, as he pulled together an international crew of racers, builders, and die-hard enthusiasts to take on the 58th running of the SCORE Baja 1000.

This year’s weapon of choice? A Rock Krawler–built 2-Door Jeep JL that normally competes in the Ultra4 4600 Stock Class. But this time, we entered the far more brutal SCORE Hammertruck class, where Limited and Unlimited Ultra4 rigs battle it out together. Underdog? Absolutely. But we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

A Team Built Across Countries & Disciplines

Sergio assembled our multi-national roster with the kind of precision only a lifetime in the sport can instill. From Ecuador came our fellow competitor and friend Jota Ponce (@jotaponce). Jeep guru from St. Pete. Ramiro Vargas (@jeepetos). From Arkansas, Sergio’s brother Bruno (@rustbucket_z) opened his garage in Garfield to become our primary prep shop. Add in fellow South Carolinian Zach Savage (@savageracing4400), Joe Stark (@beauforttjustice) from Pittsburg, Jeff Pratt (@prattpackracing) from Michigan, local Mexicali and Official SCORE photographer Daniel Curiel (@danielcphotographic), and others who sacrificed sleep, convenience, and comfort—all to chase a ribbon of dirt across Baja.

What we lacked in factory budgets, we made up for in experience, resourcefulness, and heart.

Pre-Race Chaos: The Baja Way

The Jeep spent long nights in Bruno’s Arkansas garage before making the haul to Bent Motorsports in San Diego for final communications upgrades. From there, my Silverado took over full pit/chase/tow duty to get us into Ensenada.

Then, the curveball: failed chassis inspection.
We needed additional side-impact bars—and we needed them immediately.

Thanks to relationships formed over years of racing NORRA and SCORE, friends stepped up. By Wednesday night, sparks flew, welders hummed, and the cage passed muster. Final prep took place in the makeshift garage (also my “bedroom”) under our downtown Airbnb. Baja always keeps you humble.

Zach dialed in cameras and comms. Sergio mapped driver and pit strategy with one guiding principle:

RULE NUMERO UNO: DON’T BREAK THE CAR.

Race Day: Controlled Chaos

Sergio started the race with Jota navigating—veteran calm meeting turn-one madness. Those first 80 miles claim more dreams than they reward, but Sergio kept the rig alive and moving.

Next, Zach took the wheel along the Pacific coast. With fog creeping in over dunes, rock beaches, and spiderweb trails, route-finding became a high-stakes puzzle. Jota, now dialed into the Jeep and Sergio’s mindset, stayed right seat.

As night fell and road closures created uncertainty, the call was made early:
my turn to drive.

With Justin Andrews (Factor55) navigating, we pushed through mountain passes and silt beds, nursing the Jeep forward with fatigue settling onto our shoulders. At night in Baja, your world shrinks to the beam of your lights—and the consequences of mistakes grow.

A Dawn of Hope, and a Jeep That’s Fading Fast

At sunrise, Jeff and Joe took over for the long speed-zone heading north. Bruno and Rachel were waiting beyond, ready to face big whoops and fast lake beds. But the Jeep was starting to feel the miles. Baja doesn’t give anything for free.

For the final 150 miles, as storms gathered and winds howled, Sergio retook the wheel with Jeff beside him. Rain hammered the desert, turning dust to mud and washes into streams. Darkness swallowed us again.

But Sergio drove like only Sergio can—fierce, focused, unshakable.

The Finish: More Than a Win

With over 90 minutes to spare, we crossed the line 1st in class, ahead of multiple factory-backed stock teams with exponentially larger budgets.

This wasn’t just a racing victory—it was a victory for passion over profit, craftsmanship over corporate detachment, and true innovation over “me too” engineering. The off-road industry was built by people like this—people who get dirty, solve real problems, and push machinery beyond the limits of spreadsheets.

This is where my product philosophy at Mile Marker comes from.
This is why competition matters.
This is why Adventure Awaits at Every Mile.

And this—this Baja 1000—is a story I’ll remember for the rest of my life.