- Baja Ridgeline Race Truck leads early, recovers to finish second following mid-race issues
- Honda Off-Road Racing Team season resumes after five-month layoff
After a five-month layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Honda Off-Road Racing Team resumed its 2020 season this weekend, finish second in the "7200" class for unlimited V6-powered trucks in the General Tire Casey Folks Vegas to Reno off-road race.
Ridgeline Baja Race Truck
A part of the Best In The Desert series of off-road races, the "V2R" point-to-point race is the longest event of its type in the United States. The 550-mile run features a unique set of challenges, including hot ambient temperatures – as high as 110 degrees F – substantial elevation changes and the constant potential of sudden, strong rain storms. The course is also known for several high-speed sections, as well as stretches of deep silt and thick dust that can make overtaking difficult.
After qualifying on pole in the four-truck 7200 class, team owner/driver Jeff Proctor and navigator Evan Weller led for the first 150 miles before encountering fuel system issues as they approached their fourth scheduled pit stop. After the stop, the pair continued to run well, until an improperly fitted rear wheel resulted in loss of the wheel and hub.
Following a quick repair, the Ridgeline resumed in the class lead, but the fuel issue returned as Proctor and Weller approached their next scheduled stop. Co-driver Pat Dailey and navigator Mike Loomis took over the controls for the middle third of the race, dropping to second in class after a second unscheduled repair to the damaged rear hub. Proctor and Weller returned to the cockpit for the final run to the checkered flag, finishing second, approximately 21 minutes behind the class winner after losing nearly two hours to repairs on course.
Making approximately 550 horsepower, HPD's 3.5-liter HR35TT engine uses the same block and cylinder heads as the production V6 that powers the production Ridgeline. Additional, custom elements of the powertrain include an HPD-designed intake plenum and custom Engine Control Unit programming.
Honda Talon 1000Rs
Continuing their debut season, the new Honda Talon 1000Rs of Eliott Watson and Christopher Polvoorde also had little luck in their UTV Pro Turbo Class contest.
Starting towards the back of their class after a blind-draw qualifying, both Talons rapidly gained positions during the first 100 miles. Shortly after, however, Watson's day ended with what the team described as a "freak" mechanical issue that was unable to be repaired on course. Polvoorde climbed to third in class as he approached the 300-mile mark, but then encountered a mechanical issue that required nearly two hours to repair. He recovered to finish 12th.
Next
The Honda Off-Road Racing Team returns to action September 22-27 for the rescheduled 52nd annual SCORE Baja 500, then finishes the 2020 season November 17-22 with the 53rd running of the BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000.
Photos and information from the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck's efforts can be viewed on Instagram at @hondaoffroadracing and @proctor_race. Honda Racing/HPD news and reports can be found on the racing channel at Hondanews.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD and on the Honda Racing Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD.
Quotes
Jeff Proctor (team owner/driver Ridgeline Baja Race Truck) finished second in Class 7200 for unlimited V6 Trucks: "Vegas To Reno this year was full of the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. Our team fought hard to overcome multiple challenges to get to Reno. We will take the podium finish, but we had the speed to win. We're frustrated with not being able to link every variable together to win. We will fix out mistakes, make adjustments and come back stronger for the Baja 500 in September."
Christopher Polvoorde (driver, Honda Talon 1000R) finished 12th in the UTV Pro Turbo class: "Right off the start, I saw a few opportunities and started picking up positions. The dust was really bad, so any time you had a chance [to pass someone] you had to take it. Next thing we knew, we were running third! Once we got a solid track position, I just cruised and started clicking off miles. Unfortunately, we had a mechanical issue to deal with and were down for about two hours. The team worked hard, and we were able to get back on course and make it to the finish. Overall, its great to see how fast these Talon's are, without even pushing hard."
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