HOMBRE: How long has Polaris participated in the Baja 500?
Andrea Lobo: This will be the fifth year that the Polaris Mexico brand has participated as a sponsor in the race.

H: Tell us about the Polaris Mexico teams competing in the race.
AL: We sponsor four teams out of which two of them are participating in the race. We’ve got them in the 39th class. So 3919 and 3951, which are the Pro Stock UTVs. They’re racing a Pro XP and a Turbo S.

H: Why is the race important for Polaris Mexico?
AL: We’ve been working in trying to make sure that people in Mexico know about these races, that our vehicles are not only for fun and for partying, but that they can also be used for these types of events.
The vehicles need very little changes to race. You can practically race them as they are, you just need to change the cage, and the safety belt. And a couple of other things that are allowed for them to switch out of the stock version. It’s probably one of the categories with the lowest investment.

Pro XP

H: What can you tell us about the two different vehicles participating, the Pro XP and Turbo S? 
AL: Basically they’re both almost stock, but the Pro XP has a little bit more horsepower than the Turbo S.
The Pro XP that our guys are racing in is a two seater. The Turbo S is no longer in production, instead we have the Turbo R. This is a four seater, allowing them to have a bigger gas tank, which is something that’s behind their strategy. With a larger gas tank they can go more miles without stopping and losing the amazing seconds that will need at the end of the race.

Turbo R

H: What are your expectations for the teams?
AL: We did great in the San Felipe 25O. One of our teams, the 3919, which is the Lopez Racing Team, got Second Place at the 250. And our 3951, the Nagual Team, got Fifth Place. 
My expectation is for both of them to get Podiums, whether it’s the First, Second or Third Place. I really hope they do it. They’ve been training a lot. They’ve got great teams behind it, they’ve got a lot of crews supporting them, they’ve managed to get a lot of help from our Polaris USA team as well. That’s an advantage that we have over other racers in order to make it to the podium.

H: How popular is this type of racing in Mexico?
AL: Currently in Mexico, a majority of the racing fever, is in the north part of the state because it’s where you have terrain to do it right.
Center and south of the state they don’t do that much because they just don’t have the area.
What we are trying to do right now it’s making our customers aware that they can race with practically stock cars.

H: How is the distribution of Polaris in Mexico?
AL: Currently, Polaris Mexico has 29 dealerships across the country. We go from the highest one which is in Mexicali, that’s Baja California north, and then go all the way down to Villa Hermosa, Tabasco. We should be opening a couple more throughout the year, and we’re hoping to be coast to coast. That’s our target. We want to make sure that our customers that are based on the coast, where they can ride on the beach and other areas, are able to get to this point as well.

H: Why should a potential customer choose either of the two models participating on the race?
AL: The Pro XP is becoming the main driver, if you will. If you are new to Off Roading, and if you’re new to sport, the Pro XP is the way to go. It has major features, it has great horsepower, it’s got security, it’s got the six point seatbelts. You’re covered throughout, you got the Fox shocks, and you’ve got a dynamics version, which is how the suspension is monitored throughout your ride and how you can actually change and see how your suspension is working. It doesn’t matter, you don’t even have to click it, you don’t even have to change it. You don’t even have to modify it yourself. As long as you’ve got the dynamics activated, which comes in the ultimate models, you can actually have a smooth ride.
The Pro XP is for those seeking adrenaline. That’s a vehicle that you’re gonna be able to ride for a very long time. The 220 horsepower that it has is just unbelievably amazing.

And the Turbo R is for those people that maybe don’t need that much horsepower. They still want to enjoy the ride and have a little bit more so that they can compete against each other.

H: What are the plans for Polaris Mexico?
AL: We’re trying to make this more of a family related sport, more of a female led sport. We’re trying to make sure that people know that females are not only in the passenger seat or in the backseat, that females also can carry any of our vehicles. We actually have two of our other teams led by females. So it’s family all around. Whether it’s a two seater, whether it’s a four seater; the fun is there.

H: Are they both available now?
AL: The Pro XP started becoming available in November. We actually have sold all of the ones that we get. We have a waitlist right now for it. We just got the Turbo R, as well, which is the substitute for the Turbo S.

Andrea Lobo, Marketing Manager, Polaris Mexico

H: How long have you been with the brand?
AL: I’ve been working with Polaris for five years now.

H: We talked about females in the sport, and you’re here representing the brand. When did your interest in motorsports begin?
AL: My interest in motorsports began about 10 years ago.
My job is about involving the customers and making sure that they are heard. Make sure that we’re always on point, that we’re always on the minds of every single person. It doesn’t matter whether you are female, whether you’re male, you’re a kid, you’re Latino, you’re in the U.S., everybody feels welcome and everybody identifies with our brand. That’s what we’re trying to do.

H: Is the Baja 500 an effective platform for Polaris Mexico?
AL: Polaris Inc, as a company has been involved with Baja or the SCORE team for a while now. We just saw an opportunity to make sure that our local brand Polaris Mexico was recognized in these type of events. We took advantage of the already created synergy. We just went for it, and here we are.