The Baja Desert
Racing through the Baja California Desert is hot, dangerous, and awesome. Each year teams enter to test their mettle under some of the harshest conditions known to man. The track is different every time, but most races are longer than 1000 miles, and some last for more than 24 hours at a time. Imagine spending a whole day and night driving in the desert, experiencing everything from blistering heat to bone-chilling cold. Not even 24 Hours of LeMans can compete with that.
When we think of the Baja Peninsula, Honda is one of the last things to come to mind. Imagine our surprise when we learned that Honda is one of the most dominant forces in the race. This is especially true for the motorcycle division, where Honda currently has 24 wins. The next best is Kawasaki, with 9 wins.
The four-wheel racing division is a different story for Honda. They began racing in the division just over a decade ago, and have since collected victories in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Honda is new to the four wheel division, but they’re hoping to solidify a 2015 win with the new Ridgeline Trophy Truck.
2017 Honda Ridgeline
The 550 horsepower twin-turbo truck was developed by the Proctor Racing Group, and shares a good deal with the 2017 Ridgeline concept (as reported by Honda). Proctor Racing Group built their twin-turbo beast using the stock engine block, crankshaft, and heads of the 2017 Ridgeline. This means whatever stock engine Honda is putting into their truck should be pretty powerful as-is. Going further, Honda mentioned that the front fascia, hood, roof, and bed all incorporate cues from the 2017 Ridgeline’s design. Based on their concept art, and this statement, the side profile should give us a good idea of what the new Ridgeline will be shaped like.
You can catch the Ridgeline Trophy Truck in action on Novermber 20th, when the Baja 1000 begins. We’ll be watching to see if Honda can squeeze out another victory under that hot desert sun. Be sure to check back here or on Facebook for updates before the race, and get ready for some sand-flinging, hill-jumping action!