The 2025 edition of the legendary Vegas to Reno delivered everything off-road fans love, including a nail-biting finish that won’t soon be forgotten. Polaris-supported racer Mitch Guthrie Jr. and his RZR Pro R Factory stormed through the brutal desert to claim the UTV overall win, edging out Can-Am’s Cody Bradbury by just nine seconds after more than eight hours of racing.

And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Guthrie also snagged second overall among all four-wheeled vehicles.

A Battle in the Heat

With temps soaring above 100 degrees and racers pushing speeds north of 110 mph, Vegas to Reno once again lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest off-road races on the planet. The course dished out everything from high-speed gravel and dry lake beds to mountain climbs and punishing rock gardens.

By the 100-mile mark, Guthrie was already locked in a three-way duel while Polaris teammate Cayden MacCachren played the long game from outside the top 10. By mile 300, MacCachren began making his move, using the agility and muscle of the RZR Pro R Factory to reel in the leaders.

As the race pushed deep into the mountains, the drama only intensified. By mile 450, Bradbury, Guthrie, and MacCachren were separated by just 18 seconds on corrected time—a razor-thin margin after hundreds of brutal desert miles. MacCachren even seized the lead with 25 miles to go, only to be slowed by a late-race challenge that forced quick trailside repairs.

That’s when Guthrie dug in. With just miles left, he unleashed everything the Pro R Factory had, clawing back the lead and snatching victory at the wire.

Final time: 8:19:14. Winning margin: nine seconds.

Polaris Pride

For Polaris, the victory was as much a test of machine as it was of driver.

“The Vegas to Reno course is one of the toughest in the world where our drivers are battling extreme heat, high speeds, brutal terrain, but the RZR Pro R Factory handled it all with incredible confidence and durability,” said Alex Scheuerell, Director of Off-Road Motorsports at Polaris. “Mitch’s ability to navigate such a demanding course was key to the win and a huge validation of the performance and resilience we’ve built into this machine.”

The Pro R Factory’s ability to shrug off punishing impacts and stay composed at speed gave Guthrie the edge when it mattered most.

“The RZR Pro R Factory performed flawlessly with zero issues, which gave me the confidence to keep pushing from start to finish,” Guthrie said after the race. “It was a great battle up front, with just seconds separating us at times. To come out on top feels amazing.”

What’s Next For The RZR Pro R Factory Team

The Polaris RZR Factory Racing team won’t get much time to savor the Vegas to Reno triumph. Up next: trading the Sierra Nevadas for the deserts of Baja, where the squad will chase glory at the Baja 400—and lock in for the crown jewel of desert racing, the Baja 1000.