Triumph has confirmed their return to the off-road endurance racing world with accomplished stunt rider and racer Ernie Vigil piloting the all-new Scrambler 1200 XE at this year’s NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally.

The original plan was for Ernie to take on the Baja 1000 last November but a serious ankle injury suffered during training, forced him to pull out of the race and put plans on hold. Now fully recovered, Ernie has spent the last three weeks in Southern California with the race-ready Scrambler 1200 completing his final preparations for this grueling challenge.

Ernie’s Scrambler 1200 XE is in near-standard condition, with only the addition of a desert racing seat, lights, grips and extreme profile sand tires. Topping off the race-spec features, there is also a unique off-road racing scheme with Triumph’s signature black and white paint and graphics.

The Scrambler 1200 XE is an all-new benchmark-setting motorcycle that represents a first for dual-purpose capability and modern custom style. The 1,200cc scrambler delivers a category-redefining level of performance, specification and finish, fused with Triumph’s iconic scrambler DNA and all the multi-surface capability of a genuine adventure motorcycle.

The Mexican 1000 is run on the same arduous course as the legendary Baja 1000, the same hallowed terrain that made the Triumph Scrambler name famous in the 1960s. Hence, this will be a bit of a homecoming for the Triumph Scrambler, back to prove its meddle to a new generation of riding enthusiasts. Ernie, who was selected for both his experience and his incredible commitment to this project, recognizes the formidable challenge that lies in front of him. He’s now been in full training for months and says that he and the Scrambler 1200 XE are ready.

“After nine months of training, the injury, and over 6,000 off-road miles in the saddle, I’m excited to be getting to the final stage of prep for one of the most challenging off-road races you can do. I literally can’t wait to get to that starting line and fire the Scrambler up! The bike has been performing amazingly well and I’m raring to go,” he said.

The NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road racing event covers more than 1,000 miles of Mexico’s rugged Baja peninsula, with riders tackling rocks, quicksand, unpredictable 1,000bhp racing trucks and the unforgiving desert landscape. If you want to compete in extreme endurance races on a motorcycle, the Mexican 1000 is one of the biggest. The original 1,000-mile route (which is where it gets its name) kicked off in 1967. This year’s race begins in Ensenada, Mexico, and while the route changes year-to-year and the overall distance varies, the race is always around 1,000 miles and broken up into multiple stages, each providing unique challenges. It promises to be a grueling test for both motorcycle and rider.

Paul Stroud, Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “Everyone at Triumph is rooting for Ernie, his commitment to returning to race fitness following his injury has been amazing and we just can’t wait to see the Scrambler 1200 in action. Baja desert racing has played such a big part in the history of scrambling and it was the spark that kicked off of our whole iconic Scrambler line-up.

The Mexican 1000 race begins April 28th. Catch live coverage of the event and results at www.norra.com — We’ll sure be watching!