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Honda Teams Celebrate Dual Victories At The Challenging 2024 Baja 1000 Race
Honda teams achieved significant victories at the 57th SCORE International Baja 1000. SLR Honda secured their sixth win in the Pro Moto Unlimited class, while Honda Talon Factory Racing triumphed in the Pro UTV Normally Aspirated category. The challenging course began and ended in Ensenada, covering an 864-mile loop around the northern Baja Peninsula.
The SLR team first won in 2018 and continued with four consecutive victories. Last year, a crash halted their streak. This year's team—Justin Morgan, Tyler Lynn, Brandon Prieto, and Ryan Surratt—was determined to succeed. Lynn started at 1 a.m., establishing a 14-minute lead before Prieto took over after 260 miles.
Prieto's section was mostly smooth except for some wire entanglement, which was resolved at the next pit stop. Despite this, they extended their lead to 17 minutes when Morgan took over for his final race as a motorcycle competitor. He added another 10 minutes during his San Felipe segment.
The Honda Talon Factory Racing team consisted of drivers Michael McFayden and Zach Sizelove, along with codrivers Saydiie Grey and Jimmy Sizelove. They competed with a Talon 1000R. McFayden started as the fifth vehicle but led by mile 50. Sizelove drove through the night, and McFayden completed the race with a time of 22 hours, 25 minutes, and 3.611 seconds.
Honda's record-breaking performance marked its 33rd overall motorcycle win at Baja and the CRF450X's 17th victory—the most successful vehicle in race history. For Morgan, it was his seventh win; Prieto celebrated his second victory, while it was Lynn and Surratt's first.
Reflections from Team Owners
"After what happened last year, it was a little nerve-wracking coming into it this year," said SLR owner Mark Samuels. "This was my first time not racing on the team, and it was cool to just focus on managing things." Jeff Proctor of Honda Talon Factory Racing noted that everything went smoothly despite usual challenges.
Brandon Wilson from American Honda expressed gratitude towards both teams: "Baja is a huge part of Honda's heritage... The success that Honda has enjoyed in Baja over the decades—and that these two teams have achieved this year—shows that Honda products are up to the task."
Other notable wins for Honda-mounted teams included victories in Pro Moto Limited with Jose Armondo Ortiz Garcia leading; Pro Moto 30 led by Ryan Liebelt; and Sportsman Moto headed by Ernesto Sosa.
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