ENSENADA, Mexico — Luke ‘The Luke’ McMillin, 33, San Diego, became the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck king of the 7th SCORE Baja 400, joining an exclusive group of racers who have captured the SCORE Baja Grand Slam, which also includes victories in the SCORE San Felipe 250, SCORE Baja 500, and the legendary SCORE Baja 1000.
McMillin conquered the 423.42-mile course in 8 hours, 40 minutes, 50 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 83 McMillin Racing AWD Ford Raptor Mason, with outstanding work from navigator Jason Duncan helping him write another chapter in the golden history book of off-road racing. McMillin has now won three consecutive races in SCORE Trophy Truck, a feat previously accomplished by Robby Gordon in 1996, Curt LeDuc in 1997, Bryce Menzies in 2023, and Alan Ampudia in 2025.
For ‘The Luke,’ the celebration on Ensenada’s Boulevard Costero followed victories in March on the Malecon in San Felipe at the King Shocks 39th SCORE San Felipe 250 and in June in the ‘Off-Road Capital of the World’ at the BFGoodrich Tires 58th SCORE Baja 500.
“I’m very excited that we’re three for three this season. It was an emotional day with a lot of ups and downs. With the dust, the sun, and everything else we faced, we were able to pull off the win. So I’m very, very happy and proud of the entire team,”.
Luke McMillin reclaimed the SCORE Baja 400 overall crown for the United States after Ensenada’s Alan Ampudia captured the overall victory in 2025, becoming the only Mexican racer to accomplish the feat. ‘The Luke’ now joins other great overall winners of the third round of the SCORE World Desert Championship, including Ryan Arciero and Bryce Menzies.
It was McMillin’s ninth career SCORE Trophy Truck victory. The grandson of the late Corky McMillin, founder of the legendary ‘Big Blue M,’ son of Baja racing legend Mark McMillin, and nephew of all-star off-road racer Scott McMillin, Luke moved into a tie with desert racing legends Ivan Stewart, Dan Smith, Dave Ashley, and Mark Post with nine SCORE Trophy Truck race wins.
Las Vega´s Bryce Menzies, 40, a former Crandon and short-course racing champion, finished second in the No. 7 Menzies Motorsports Ford Raptor Mason with a time of 8 hours, 43 minutes, 22 seconds. It marked Menzies’ third consecutive podium finish in the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship after finishing third in both the SCORE San Felipe 250 and SCORE Baja 500.
A total of 164 race teams took the green flag in Ensenada, with 102 officially reaching the finish line for a 62-percent finishing rate in the SCORE Baja 400. The international field featured racers from 23 U.S. states, the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico, host country Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, and Spain.
Maverick Gaunt, 32, Torrance, Calif., and Chasen Gaunt, 30, Torrance, Calif., of Smiley Motorsports won the SCORE Baja 400 in the second-year SCORE Trophy Truck 2WD class, driving their No. 42T Geiser Bros Chevy Silverado to an official time of 9 hours, 52 minutes, 19 seconds. It marked their first victory in the class.
Second place went to Mike Perez, 43, Houston, in his No. 95T Brenthel Chevy Silverado with a time of 11 hours, 30 minutes, 16 seconds. Perez joined forces with Jonathan Faulkner, 28, Las Cruces, on a course that featured intense heat and rain while traveling through several traditional areas of the Baja California peninsula, including Ojos Negros, the legendary ‘Goat Trail,’ Mike’s Sky Ranch, San Quintin, Erendira Beach, and Ejido Uruapan.
For several years, Tecate’s Carlos Apdaly Lopez, 31, had been chasing a victory in the Trophy Truck Spec class. The only Mexican racer in history to win three SCORE Trophy Truck championships, in 2015, 2016, and 2017, Lopez finally earned that long-awaited victory at the SCORE Baja 400, driving his No. 273 Brenthel Chevy Silverado to an official time of 9 hours, 20 minutes, 22 seconds in a highly competitive class that featured 29 race teams.
Mike Marsal, 38, Millbrook, N.Y., finished second, covering the course in 9 hours, 21 minutes, 13 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 236 Brenthel Chevy in Trophy Truck Spec. The runner-up finish marked Marsal’s first podium of the SCORE season. Justin Davis, 33, Colton, Calif., completed the podium with a third-place finish in the No. 285 Green Army Motorsports TSCO-Ford.
For the fifth consecutive year, Mexicali’s Gustavo ‘Gus’ Vildosola Sr., 73, and Supercross legend Ricky Johnson, 62, El Cajon, Calif., celebrated a victory in the SCORE Baja 400, earning their second straight SCORE win this season. Driving the No. 1L Vildosola Racing Ford Raptor Mason AWD, the duo crossed the finish line with an official time of 9 hours, 15 minutes, 48 seconds.
Wayne Matlock, 48, Alpine, Calif., not only won the SCORE Baja 400 in the Pro UTV Open class, but also captured the overall UTV victory, beating the star-studded Polaris factory team roster to claim the Polaris SCORE Challenge and take home a $50,000 prize.
Matlock masterfully drove his No. 1871 Matlock Racing Polaris RZR Pro R Factory to the checkered flag with an official time of 9 hours, 54 minutes, 28 seconds. It marked the first SCORE Baja 400 victory for Matlock, a former SCORE ATV champion, as he conquered a highly competitive field of 18 other racers in the Pro UTV Open class.
