Polaris RZR Factory Racing Wins Vegas-to-Reno for the First Time in Team History
Polaris Off Road and the RZR Factory Racing Team achieved a historic milestone at the 2026 Vegas-to-Reno desert race, securing their first-ever victory at this legendary event. Driver Brock Heger powered his No.T96 RZR Pro R Factory to the UTV Overall win, completing the grueling 505-mile course in 7 hours, 51 minutes and 29 seconds.
For the first time in the race's 30-year history, the course was run in reverse direction. Heger not only took the UTV Pro Overall victory but also finished an impressive seventh overall among all four-wheel vehicles, including the Unlimited Trophy Truck class. This remarkable achievement underscores the performance of both driver and machine against purpose-built Unlimited trucks with substantially more horsepower.
How did Brock Heger secure the victory?
After qualifying second by just over half a second, Heger quickly established himself at the front of the UTV field. Battling through high-speed desert terrain, extreme heat, rocks, dust and the unique challenge of this year's reversed course, Heger steadily built his advantage and at one point stretched his lead to over eight minutes on corrected time. He secured the UTV Pro overall victory by nearly four minutes.
“Vegas-to-Reno has been one of those races we've wanted since this team started, so to finally get it done is huge,” said Heger. “This race is incredibly demanding, and over the 500 miles there are so many opportunities for something to go wrong. The RZR Pro R Factory performed flawlessly, and the team gave us everything we needed to get the job done today.”
What other results did the team achieve?
Ethan Groom drove the No.T74 RZR Pro R Factory to a fifth-place UTV Pro finish, further validating the speed and durability of the RZR Pro R Factory. Polaris secured six of the top-ten finishes in the UTV Pro overall, demonstrating the strength of their vehicles across the world's most demanding off-road races.
Alex Scheuerell, Polaris' Director of Off-Road Motorsports, praised the achievement: “Winning Vegas-to-Reno for the first time is an incredible milestone for Polaris and this team, but what Brock accomplished against the entire four-wheeled field makes this performance even more impressive. Finishing seventh overall against the Unlimited Trophy Trucks speaks volumes about Brock's ability, the preparation of this team and the capability of the RZR Pro R Factory.”
What is next for the RZR Factory Racing team?
The team will return to Mexico for the Baja 400, scheduled for September 8-13, as it looks to build on its success in the SCORE Desert Series.
Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII), headquartered in Minnesota, has been a global leader in powersports since 1954. The company serves customers in nearly 100 countries with a portfolio that includes iconic brands such as RANGER, RZR, Polaris XPEDITION, Bennington pontoons and Slingshot.
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