Honda Teams Achieve Victory At The 2025 Baja 500 In Multiple Classes

Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 0:03 [IST]

Honda-backed teams excelled at the 57th Baja 500, with SLR Honda leading the Pro Moto Unlimited category and Red Bull Honda Talon Factory Racing triumphing in the Pro UTV Normally Aspirated class. The event, held over a 461.03-mile course, was made more challenging by heavy rains on the Baja Peninsula. Despite these conditions, Honda's teams showcased their skill and determination throughout the race.

The motorcycles began their journey from Ensenada in darkness at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday. Tyler Lynn initially rode the SLR Honda CRF450X for 209 miles southeast before Carter Klein took over with a 10-minute lead. Klein raced back north along the Pacific Coast to mile 380, where Lynn resumed riding to finish first in Ensenada. Their winning time was nine hours, 18 minutes, and 23 seconds, securing a victory margin of just over 10 minutes against Hero Racing Honda CRF450X.

Mark Samuels, owner of SLR, expressed pride in his team’s performance despite harsh conditions. "We had a great Baja 500," he said. "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." This marked Honda's 24th overall two-wheel win at the Baja 500.

Four-wheel vehicles started at daylight, with Corbin Leaverton driving for Red Bull Honda Talon Factory Racing in a Talon 1000R. Supported by codrivers Cavan Freeman and Isaac Torres, Leaverton navigated through tough conditions effectively. They completed the race in 12 hours, six minutes, and 41 seconds. The Raceco-backed Team Pedder Racing Talon 1000R finished second, trailing by six minutes and 24 seconds.

Jeff Proctor of Red Bull Honda Talon Factory Racing praised Leaverton's skills: "Corbin is an accomplished side-by-side racer, with experience stateside and in the Dakar, but he had never raced in Baja before," he stated. "For that reason, I don't think he was on a lot of people's radars, but we were confident he would do well." The challenging weather added to the difficulty of the course.

Additional Class Performances

Honda riders also achieved provisional wins across various classes such as Pro Moto 30, Pro Moto 40, Pro Moto Limited, Pro Moto Ironman, Sportsman Moto, Pro Quad and Sportsman Quad categories. Additionally noteworthy was Jeff Proctor's Passport team securing second place in the 2WD Trophy Truck class with Ethan Ebert driving.

The success at this event sets high expectations for many teams planning to return for November's legendary Baja 1000 race south of the border.