Honda Baja Ridgeline Faces Setback With 8th Place In Vegas To Reno Race

Published: Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 4:51 [IST]

The Honda Baja Ridgeline race truck returned to the Best in the Desert Method Race Wheels "Casey Folks" Vegas to Reno off-road race in Nevada this weekend. Competing in the Unlimited, Trick Truck class, the team experienced a strong start but faced challenges later on.

Lead driver Ethan Ebert qualified fifth and kept pace with the Trick Truck leaders early in the race. However, as the course climbed in altitude, fuel vapor lock issues emerged, slowing down their progress. Despite these setbacks, the team managed to finish eighth in their class.

Jeff Proctor, team owner of the Honda Baja Ridgeline Race Truck, expressed his disappointment: "It definitely wasn't the day we had planned. We started our really well, running in the lead pack. At one point, we were up to third place in Trophy Truck. But then the vapor lock issues began. That set us back, and from there the race just slipped away from us. Definitely a frustrating day, but we persevered and brought the Ridgeline to the finish. But it wasn't the result we were seeking. We'll learn from this and come back swinging at the Baja 1000."

The Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck is powered by a production-based, HRC-built turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine. This engine also powers several Honda and Acura passenger vehicles, including the production Honda Ridgeline.

The Honda Off-Road Racing program began in 2015 with a class win at the Baja 1000. Since then, the Honda Baja Ridgeline has achieved 17 class victories out of 42 races.

The next event for the Honda Off-Road Racing Team is scheduled for November 12-17 with the 57th running of the BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000.

For more photos and information about the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck's efforts, you can visit Instagram accounts @hondaoffroadracing and @proctor_race.

Despite facing challenges during this race, the team remains optimistic about future events and aims to improve their performance at upcoming races.