For the first time, the SCORE Baja 1000 starts and finishes in San José del Cabo, and the whole race stays inside Baja California Sur. Race week is Nov. 9–15, 2026. SCORE's latest race-week releases put the loop at 978.60 miles, and every class gets the same 40-hour time limit. SCORE puts the start about 1,000 miles south of the San Diego border, so most fans will watch from home. Here's how to follow it from the couch, the tracker or the side of the course, all from SCORE's official schedule. Event dates are on our Baja 1000 race page in Find a Race.
Set your clock first
SCORE lists race-week times in Mountain time. If you're in Arizona, that's the time on your phone. On the West Coast, take off one hour. Daylight saving time ended Nov. 1, so the 9 a.m. car and truck start is 8 a.m. Pacific.
Where to watch SCORE Live
SCORE streams the race on its website, Facebook, YouTube and the SCORE App. The race-day stream mixes in-vehicle, drone and ground cameras with a live leaderboard, sent out over Starlink satellite connections. Brandon Johnson, Wes Miller and Heidi Steele host. Wes Miller anchors from the SCORE Live studio in El Cajon, and Rat Sult hosts from the start/finish ramp. SCORE also has a tracking page on its website.
Watching from somewhere out on the peninsula where cell service drops out? If SCORE can stream the race over Starlink, you can watch it that way too.
Starlink service is sold separately, so make sure your plan covers Mexico before you cross. For powering one off the truck, see How to Power a Starlink Mini in Your Vehicle.
The race-week schedule
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, 8 a.m.: Method Wheels Qualifying livestream for Trophy Truck, Trophy Truck 2WD, Trophy Truck Legends, TT Spec, Class 1 and Pro Ultimate UTV. Austin "Fish" Farner calls it with Nick Isenhouer. It's the first time qualifying has been held in Baja California Sur. It runs on private property and is closed to spectators, so the stream is the only way to see it.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11 and Thursday, Nov. 12: Tech inspection and contingency, streamed live with Rat Sult and Kevin Johnson. Contingency runs 8 a.m.–5 p.m. both days. Wednesday is motorcycles, quads, UTVs (except Pro Ultimate UTV) and select four-wheel classes. Thursday is the rest of the four-wheel field.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 1 a.m.: Motorcycles and quads leave the Start Ramp on Blvd. Centenario.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m.: Cars, trucks and UTVs start.
- Sunday, Nov. 15, noon: Awards, open to the public, at Club Campestre Beach Club in San José del Cabo.
On race day, SCORE lists civil dawn at 6:06 a.m., sunrise at 6:30 a.m. and sunset at 5:35 p.m. That means the bikes start about five hours before first light, and the cars and trucks get around eight and a half hours of daylight before night falls.
If you're heading out for the 1 a.m. bike start, you'll be finding your spot in the dark.
A headlamp keeps both hands free while you set up your chair 100 feet back. More options are in our Headlamps collection.
Reading the tracker: the four checkpoints
The course goes from sea level to over 4,000 feet and passes through or near Los Barriles, La Paz, Ciudad Constitución, Loreto, San José de Comondú, Santa Fe and Todos Santos. When you're watching the dots, these are SCORE's four checkpoints, by race mile:
- CP1: El Centenario, RM 213.60
- CP2: Ejido Ley Federal No. 2, RM 405.39
- CP3: Ejido Francisco Villa, RM 604.07
- CP4: Santa Fe, RM 781.49
Going in person: contingency is free
Contingency Row is on Blvd. Centenario between Calle Alvaro Obregon and Calle Manuel Doblado, and SCORE says entry is free to the public. The start/finish area is steps from the Sea of Cortez. If you can only make one day, this is the day to see the race vehicles up close.
Watching from the course: SCORE's rules
SCORE's spectator safety guidelines are short, and they're not optional. Race vehicles can top 100 mph.
- Never drive on the race course, in either direction.
- Park and stand at least 100 feet (30 meters) from the course, and never on the outside of a turn or anywhere you can't get out of the way.
- Stand behind something solid: your vehicle, big rocks or a hill.
- Don't walk on, beside or across the course.
- Keep ATVs, motorcycles, bicycles and UTVs at least 100 feet back, and leave room for helicopters to land.
- Keep kids under 16 with an adult. Leave pets at home or keep them leashed.
- No alcohol or drug abuse. Bring a designated driver.
- Pack out your trash and do what race officials tell you.
SCORE also tells spectators to bring enough food, water and clothing, allow plenty of time and expect delays. Put simply, you'll be sitting a long time, 100 feet back.
A chair bag keeps the dust off your camp chair between stops. More spectator-day gear is in our Camping collection.
Who's in it
SCORE's latest count is 269 registered entries from 35 U.S. states and 17 countries, and it expects more than 290 teams to take the green flag. The Trophy Truck group has 33 entries: 8 in Trophy Truck, 16 in Trophy Truck 2WD and 9 in Trophy Truck Legends, the class for drivers 50 and older. The entry list includes Bryce Menzies (7), Luke McMillin (83), Gustavo Vildosola Sr. (1L) and Cameron Steele (16T).
The Co-Grand Marshals are Sal Fish and Francisco "Nacho" Monroy. Fish led SCORE for 38 years, from 1974 until he sold it on Dec. 20, 2012, and created the SCORE Trophy Truck class in 1994. Monroy is from La Paz and has raced the Baja 1000 14 times, starting in 1979 at age 16. His automotive shop has long been home to desert racers, open 24 hours a day during race weeks. The two first met in 1977.
Crewing for a team instead of watching? Our Academy guide, How to Spec a SCORE Race-and-Chase Comms Stack for the Baja 1000, covers the radio side. Either way, set an alarm for 9 a.m. on Nov. 13.
