Gustavo “Tavo” Vildósola Jr. will not compete in the 2026 SCORE Baja 1000 as he continues to recover from injuries suffered in a crash earlier this year. Vildósola confirmed that his recovery is progressing, but he will not receive the necessary medical clearance in time for the Nov. 9-15 Baja 1000, which will be held entirely within Baja California Sur for the first time.
The Mexicali, Mexico, racer suffered a compressed spine, fractured vertebrae and multiple ligament injuries to his back during a rollover at the Baja Nevada 1000 in June. Vildósola credited his HANS device with helping protect him during the violent crash.
The injuries also forced Vildósola to miss the SCORE Baja 400 in September. Andy McMillin used Vildósola’s No. 21 Trophy Truck for qualifying, but Vildósola ultimately remained sidelined.
“It really does hurt, it being such a unique Baja 1000 in Cabo,” Vildósola said. “My objective for sure was to race and to be down there. I’ll be down there anyway, but unfortunately I’m just not getting the proper clearance that I need and I don’t feel that I’ll be ready anyway for a race in November.”
Vildósola has undergone a variety of treatments during his rehabilitation, including hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, peptide treatments and other recovery methods. However, with the Baja 1000 approaching, he determined there was not enough time to safely return to competition. Vildósola’s focus now turns toward returning to competition in 2027, with the SCORE Baja 250 expected to be his target for a comeback.
