The Pinnacle of Off-Road Performance: Can-Am Wins the Prestigious Baja 1000 Race in Mexico

November 2021 Feature

It’s official – another one of the world’s most prestigious off-road races and another Can-Am victory! Two victories, in fact. Can-Am drivers Phil Blurton and Justin Elenburg both finished in first place in their respective classes. Starting in Ensenada, Mexico, and running to La Paz, Mexico, the Blurton and Elenburg teams outpaced the competition for more than 1,200 miles to win first place in the premier Pro UTV Forced Induction (Turbo) category and the PRO UTV Open class, respectively.

The Baja 1000 is Off-Road Livin’ at its finest. It is one of the most exciting off-road races in the world. Teams race for up to 25 continuous hours, making the race the longest non-stop, point-to-point off-road race anywhere. Adding an extra layer of challenge, to the race features wide-open portions, challenging technical terrain and some sections of public roads.

“It was a crazy opportunity to have our first Baja 1000 be a full peninsula run,” said Blurton. “We put so much pressure on ourselves to win that it feels unreal that we actually did it. Our Can-Am Maverick X3 was flawless all day. We never touched it – we just put gas in and drove our race.”

The Baja 1000 is a huge undertaking, from pre-race preparation weeks in advance all the way through to the end. It is a true team effort and journey from start to finish – for example, Blurton’s Turbo Division team included 27 members and nine support vehicles.

Alongside the two victories, Can-Am race teams had strong results across the board:

Pro UTV Forced Induction (Turbo) Division:

o Phil Blurton 1st place 26:58:56.767
o Jason Murray 4th place 28:39:26.084
o Marc Burnett 5th place 29:29:43.676
o P.J. Jones 7th place 30:38:30.772
o Alex Baker 8th place 31:14:10.967
o Austin Welland 10th place 32:03:22.423

PRO UTV Open Division:

o Justin Elenburg 1st place 28:53:09.763

These Baja 1000 results help solidify another extremely successful year for Can-Am Off-Road racing, taking podium spots at the most prestigious races around the world. Victories at the Baja 1000, Dakar Rally and King of the Hammers showcase the pinnacle of off-road performance. BRP knows that progress doesn’t come from standing still, and the teams that participate in these races are a prime examples of the relentless passion that drives Can-Am forward.

The Baja 1000 sets the stage for the next marquee global event – the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, which runs from January 1-14. Can-Am has dominated the competition at the Dakar Rally in recent years – a Can-Am Maverick X3 has won the rally the past four years, and in 2020 and 2021, Can-Am vehicles crossed the finish line in all of the top 10 positions.

To learn more about the complete lineup of Can-Am Off-Road vehicles, please visit https://can-
am.brp.com/off-road

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