Tonight the Baja 1000 Course Finally Shows Its Face

Somewhere in a race shop tonight, a laptop sits open on a workbench next to a cold cup of coffee, waiting on one download. Around 6pm, SCORE is set to post the race information and GPS files for the 59th Baja 1000, and with them the pre-run rules that come attached.

This is the file every team has been waiting on. The 2026 race is a loop that starts and finishes in San José del Cabo, the first time the entire Baja 1000 stays inside Baja California Sur. The course runs 964.96 miles with a 40-hour limit for every class. Until tonight, the line on the map has been mostly guesswork.

Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8am, pre-running opens. Only teams that are registered and paid in full are covered by SCORE insurance while they pre-run. The rules are plain: obey traffic laws, close gates, hold pre-run speeds and not race speeds, follow the GPS, stay on course, and watch for bikes and quads that are hard to see.

The calendar keeps tightening after that. Online registration closes Oct. 28 at 9pm PT, and that list decides who appears in the program, who is in the start position draw, and which co-drivers and navigators are on the border list. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Method Race Wheels Qualifying sets a mixed start order for Trophy Truck, Trophy Truck 2WD, Trophy Truck Legend, Trophy Truck Spec, Class 1 and Pro UTV Ultimate. Contingency follows Nov. 11 and 12 in San José del Cabo, and the race starts Nov. 13, bikes at 1am and the four-wheel classes at 9am.

Three weeks out, the guessing ends tonight.