Honda impresses with two first-place finishes at the Baja 500
Honda-backed teams had an impressive showing at the 57th edition of the Baja 500 held June 4-8, with SLR Honda topping the Pro Moto Unlimited division and Red Bull Honda Talon Factory Racing winning the Pro UTV Normally Aspirated class.
Tyler Lynn took his SLR Honda CRF450X 209 miles before handing off to teammate Carter Klein 10 minutes ahead of second place. Klein took it to mile 380 before Lynn took over to reach the checkered flag with a winning time of nine hours, 18 minutes, 23 seconds, for a margin of just over 10 minutes on the runner-up Hero Racing Honda CRF450X. It was Honda’s 24th two-wheel win in the Baja 500.
“We had a great Baja 500,” says SLR owner Mark Samuels. “The conditions were really harsh, with heavy fog and rain, but everyone performed great. I’m very proud of how the team and riders managed this win.”
When four-wheel racing began, Corbin Leaverton piloted the Red Bull Honda Talon Factory Racing Talon 1000R, with the assistance of co-drivers Cavan Freeman and Isaac Torres. The squad finished first with a time of 12 hours, six minutes, 41 seconds, with the Raceco-backed Team Pedder Racing Talon 1000R of Ricky Torres earning second place.
“Corbin is an accomplished side-by-side racer, with experience stateside and in the Dakar, but he had never raced in Baja before,” says Red Bull Honda Talon Factory Racing owner Jeff Proctor. “For that reason, I don’t think he was on a lot of people’s radars. It’s so rewarding to bring home another ‘W’ for Honda.”
As usual in Baja, Honda Riders performed well in other classes too, taking provisional wins in Pro Moto 30, Pro Moto 40, Pro Moto Limited, Pro Moto Ironman, Sportsman Moto, Pro Quad, and Sportsman Quad. Also of note was Proctor’s Passport team finishing second in the 2WD Trophy Truck class.
Many of these same teams will be back south of the border again in November to take on the legendary Baja 1000.
