OPTIMA Batteries, a division of Clarios, announced that OPTIMA Batteries athlete Christopher Polvoorde won the SCORE International Baja 1000. After driving the OPTIMA Batteries’ powered Trophy Truck to a commanding lead in the first half and then handing over the vehicle to Bryce Menzies, the young phenom has cemented his place in off-road racing history with a win at one of the toughest desert races, company officials stated in a press release.
Polvoorde and Menzies were favorites to win the event in 2024, but a power steering failure forced them to exit early on. Since then, Polvoorde has spent the entire year preparing for the 2025 SCORE International Baja 1000.
“Last year was tough,” said Polvoorde. “But I think we channeled some of that disappointment into coming back much stronger this year. The truck felt great, and I just focused on giving Menzies the biggest lead I possibly could, and it paid off.”
Perseverance & a Little Luck Give Polvoorde & Menzies the Win
After hours of driving, Polvoorde handed the truck and the race lead over to 2023 Baja 1000 champion Bryce Menzies after sunset. Menzies would go on to extend the lead and then swap positions with Toby Price in the final 100-mile stint, falling into second place.
Price unexpectedly ran out of fuel in the final miles, allowing Menzies to regain the lead and go on to claim the 2025 SCORE International Baja 1000 Trophy Truck class and overall win.
As one of the few teams to complete the grueling, nearly 1,000-mile race with minimal technical issues, Polvoorde, Menzies, and the entire team executed an almost flawless race, noted the release.
“This is what our work is all about,” said Cam Douglass, marketing director of OPTIMA Batteries. “We put our batteries through the highest level of testing, so when an amazing team like this gets into their Trophy Truck, they can just focus on the driving.”