Rob MacCachren Takes 19th Career SCORE Trophy Truck Victory at 2022 Baja 500

Images via Ernesto Araiza

Rob MacCachren’s legendary off-road trophy haul got a little bigger on Saturday, as the defending SCORE Trophy Truck champion took his first win of the 2022 World Desert Championship in the 54^th running of the SCORE Baja 500. It was the record-extending 19^th career Trophy Truck win, seventh Baja 500 class win, and third overall win in this race for MacCachren, who continued his title defense with a total time of 9:22:47 after taking a fourth place finish in the San Felipe 250.

The overall podium saw one of Trophy Truck’s youngest drivers sandwiched between two of its most legendary veterans. 21-year-old Broc Dickerson bested some of the sport’s biggest names to finish second, just 1:24 behind MacCachren, while 65-year-old Larry Roeseler crossed the line third at just under 13 minutes below the winning pace. It was the second year in a row that Roeseler crossed the finish line third in this race, although last year’s finish turned into a victory after both Luke and Andy McMillin received post-race penalties.

This year, Luke McMillin would get to keep his finishing spot, but steering issues would knock him down to sixth, well over 20 minutes behind the race-winning time. But while 174 of the race’s 259 starters would make it to the finish line, Andy wouldn’t be one of them—joining a list of heavy hitters to DNF in the premier class that also included names like Bryce Menzies, Tim Herbst, and Kyle Jergensen.

Jorge Sampietro bested the 21 finishers in Trophy Truck Spec, beating Mason Cullen and Christian Sourapas to the finish on an overall podium that was separated by just four minutes; San Felipe winner Christopher Polvoorde and Elijah Kiger would complete the top five. In Class 1, top honors would go to Cody Reid, whose margin of victory on Brian Parkhouse totaled more than 20 minutes when all was said and done. Reid drove solo on behalf of his mother, Shelby, who was unable to compete.

After the Pro UTV Open class posted the fastest overall UTV time in San Felipe, the larger Pro UTV Forced Induction class had its revenge in the Baja 500. Austin Weiland’s 11:50:59 topped the FI field for Can-Am, with Brandon Schueler and Branden Sims completing the podium for Polaris RZR. Zach Sizelove would give Honda the win in Pro UTV NA over Polaris racers Joe Bolton and Kaden Wells, while Mike Pratt would survive a high-attrition race to come out on top of the Open class.

The 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship will resume on September 13-18 with the 3^rd Annual SCORE Baja 400, before the 55^th Annual SCORE Baja 1000 caps off the year on November 15-20. TV coverage of the 2022 SCORE Baja 500 will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, August 7 at 9PM PT as part of World of X Games coverage.