Honda Shines At The 58th SCORE Baja 1000 Despite Early Trophy Truck Exit

The 58th running of the BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000 delivered its usual mix of triumph and heartbreak—and Honda experienced all of it in dramatic fashion. From a pole-position start for the Passport Trophy Truck to a dominant sweep on two wheels and a class win in UTV competition, the brand’s desert-racing presence was impossible to ignore.

Honda Passport Trophy Truck Starts Strong From Pole

Team Honda Racing arrived in Ensenada with high expectations after Ethan Ebert qualified the #9T Honda HRC Passport Trophy Truck on pole in the ultra-competitive 2WD Unlimited class. Coming off a runner-up finish at the Baja 500, the team was poised to take the fight to the heavier, V8-powered AWD trucks—once again highlighting the capability of the HRC-built twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6-powered Passport.

When the green flag dropped, the plan unfolded perfectly. Ebert and navigator Gatlan Haddon launched from the front and immediately set the pace. By race mile 280, they were still out front.

But Baja Is Undefeated

A fuel issue forced the team to fall back to fourth, and by race mile 358, a suspected punctured fuel cell resulted in the difficult decision to retire for safety reasons.

“We felt like this was our race to win,” said Team Principal Jeff Proctor, “I’m extremely disappointed to have a mechanical take us out. Our team prepared at the highest level, and I apologize to everyone who put in countless hours to get here. As always, we’ll learn from this and make the changes we need.”

Despite the early exit, the team still logged an 11th in Trophy Truck 2WD (106th overall), demonstrating competitive speed throughout the opening quarter of the race.

SLR Honda Dominates On Two Wheels — Again

While the Trophy Truck effort faced heartbreak, Honda’s motorcycle program delivered.

SLR Honda secured the Pro Moto Unlimited victory, capping an undefeated season and earning the coveted 1X plate for 2026. The win marks the team’s seventh Baja 1000 triumph—and Honda’s record-extending 34th overall motorcycle win.

The 854-mile loop course punished riders with cold coastal air, rugged cross-peninsula terrain, and long night sections. Tyler Lynn set the tone early, hammering through the first 450 miles—including six straight hours in the darkness—to build an 18-minute lead. David Kamo and Carter Klein brought it home in dominant fashion, finishing over 2.5 hours ahead of second place.

“This year everything clicked,” said SLR team owner Mark Samuels. “Seeing the younger riders put it all together and dominate was special. They did an awesome job, and they’re in a great place to keep this success going.”

Honda-mounted riders swept the top 16 overall motorcycle positions, further proving the unmatched reliability of the CRF450X—now boasting a record 18 Baja 1000 wins for the model alone.

Honda Talon Takes Pro UTV N.A. Victory

Honda’s success wasn’t limited to two wheels. RaceCo Honda/Pedder Racing sealed their second straight Pro UTV N.A. class win, piloting the Talon 1000R with precision and consistency across Baja’s unforgiving terrain.

Driven by Ricardo Torres, Chris Arreaza, Mikey Sandoval, and Corey Susag, the Talon once again showed that Honda’s side-by-side platform belongs on top in desert competition.

Honda ATV racers also added multiple class wins, including Pro Quad, Sportsman Quad, and Pro Quad Ironman—rounding out a banner weekend across Honda’s motorsports lineup.