Vera Leads Alumicraft Podium Sweep at 2025 SCORE Baja 400
Alumicraft Racers delivered a commanding performance at the 2025 SCORE-International Baja 400, with Francisco Vera winning the division and sweeping the Class 10 podium. This most difficult competition showcased the durability and performance of Alumicraft chassis in one of desert racing’s most challenging events.
Out of 11 Class 10 starters, only four vehicles completed the 427.64-mile course. Every finisher competed in an Alumicraft, including race winner Francisco Vera in the No. 1000 single-seater, who captured first place with a total time on course of 10 hours, 4 minutes, and 0.526 seconds.
Eliott Watson in the No. 1033 secured second, crossing the finish line at 10 hours, 18 minutes, and 16.727 seconds, followed by veteran racer Stan Potter in third with his No. 1006 Alumicraft.
The finishing order closely mirrored last year’s Baja 400, when Vera and Watson also finished first and second, while Potter placed fourth.
BAJA’S CHALLENGE
The SCORE Baja 400 course tested racers with rugged terrain and dramatic elevation changes across northern Baja California. Starting in Ensenada, competitors faced rocky washes, mountain trails through the Sierra de Juarez, and narrow passes before descending into iconic racing areas like Valle de la Trinidad and Mike’s Sky Ranch.
The course continued through coastal sections near Punta Colonet and Punta Cabras, opening up many miles of virgin, never-before-raced-on trails, before returning inland toward Santo Tomas and the finish in Ojos Negros. The demanding loop, with a 16-hour time limit, required both speed and durability across nearly every terrain Baja offers.
For Class 10 teams, the challenges were amplified by sealed engines and limited setups compared to unlimited categories. Each predecessor running the trails before the buggies arrived ripped up the course, digging deep silt troughs, making it even more challenging. Despite these constraints, Alumicraft cars showcased their resilience, carrying drivers across 400 miles of punishing desert to the finish.
VERA EXTENDS POINTS LEAD
As the reigning Class 10 champion from 2024, this latest victory further solidifies Fracisco Vera's lead in the 2025 SCORE World Desert Championship Class 10 standings with 203 points. Earlier this year, he opened the season with a win at the King Shocks SCORE San Felipe 250.
“This was a demanding race,” Vera said at the finish line. “The Baja 400 is shorter than other SCORE races, but it is very challenging. We lost neutral and reverse in the transmission early, which made things complicated in a single-seater, but we pushed through. My brother and I split the driving, and it’s special because we’re one of the few single-seater teams. We’re focused on a third championship.”
WATSON AND POTTER ROUND OUT PODIUM
Watson, who drove the entire course with his co-driver Edgar, described the conditions as punishing but rewarding. “It was a long day,” Watson said. “The course was very rough, with rocks, tight turns, and long stretches where you had to stay in line. We had a great battle with the Vera team, who are always fast. We’re happy to bring it home in second.”
Watson also noted his plans for the future: “In November, I’m hoping my dad will come drive with me. He won championships in SCORE Lite years ago, and it would be special to share the car with him in Baja again.” Watson won the 2025 BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 500 in Class 10, so with this latest podium, he should be in contention for a chance at the division title.
Potter, a consistent finisher in Class 10, secured third to complete Alumicraft’s podium sweep. Other notable Alumicraft finishers for this event include No. 1022 of Harry Ladas in fourth place and Mike Aguilar in fifth.
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