POLARIS RZR FACTORY RACING CONQUERS VEGAS-TO-RENO WINNING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEAM HISTORY

Brock Heger Powers RZR Pro R Factory to UTV Overall Win, Checking Off One of the Few Major Desert Races The Factory Team Had Yet to Conquer

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Polaris Off Road and the RZR Factory Racing Team added another historic victory to its growing list of accomplishments at the 2026 Vegas-to-Reno desert race. For the first time in the race's 30-year history, the course was run "the other way," with Brock Heger powering his No.T96 RZR Pro R Factory to the UTV Overall and the team's first-ever win at this legendary event.

In an incredible display of speed, durability and consistency, Heger completed the grueling 505-mile race in 7 hours, 51 minutes and 29 seconds, not only taking the UTV Pro Overall victory, but finishing an impressive seventh overall among all four-wheel vehicles including the Unlimited Trophy Truck class.

Heger's seventh-place overall finish further underscores the performance of both driver and machine. Despite competing against purpose-built Unlimited trucks with substantially more horsepower and outright speed, Heger and the RZR Pro R Factory finished ahead of the vast majority of the four-wheel field, while securing the UTV Pro overall victory by nearly four minutes.

After qualifying second by just over half a second, Heger quickly established himself at the front of the UTV field aboard the No.T96 RZR Pro R Factory. 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.

"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. To get the win and finish seventh overall against all trucks makes this one special."

Adding to the team's standout performance Ethan Groom drove the No.T74 RZR Pro R Factory to a fifth-place UTV Pro finish. Grom's strong finish further validates the speed and durability of the RZR Pro R Factory across the world's most demanding off-road races.

The victory adds another marquee win to an extraordinary run by Heger and Polaris RZR Factory Racing. With Polaris grabbing six of the top-ten finishes in the UTV Pro overall, it demonstrates the performance, strength and durability of the RZR Pro R Factory and RZR Pro R across the world's most demanding off-road races.

"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," said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris' Director of Off-Road Motorsports. "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. This is one of those performances everyone at Polaris is extremely proud of."

With the historic victory, Heger adds Vegas-to-Reno to an already impressive list of major off-road accomplishments and further establishes himself and Polaris RZR Factory Racing among the best competitors in desert racing.

The RZR Factory Racing team will return to Mexico for the Baja 400, September 8-13, as it looks to build on its success in the SCORE Desert Series.

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About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) has been defining and redefining outdoor adventure since 1954. Polaris delivers industry-shaping off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, military, quadricycles, and commercial transportation vehicles, along with an expansive portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Its lineup includes some of the most iconic brands in powersports including the RANGER, RZR, Polaris XPEDITION, Bennington pontoons, Slingshot, and more. Headquartered in Minnesota and serving customers in nearly 100 countries, Polaris continues to set the standard for performance, quality, and unmatched service. Explore more at www.polaris.com.

SOURCE Polaris Inc.