The Honda Off-Road Racing Team and its Ridgeline Baja Race Truck backed up their season-opening win at February’s Parker 425 with a second-consecutive Class 7200 victory this weekend in the Mint 400.
First run in 1968, the Mint 400 lays claim as the oldest off-road race in the United States, and holds the reputation as being one of the toughest courses in the sport. The race takes place over four laps of an approximately 100-mile long loop in the desert outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Competing in the “7200” class for unlimited V6-powered race trucks, team owner/driver Jeff Proctor and navigator Evan Weller pulled away to an early class lead during the Best in the Desert Racing Association event, and the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck never surrendered its advantage.
After the team made its mid-race pit stop, Proctor handed off the driving duties to team manager and veteran off-road racer Pat Dailey. Following a hard-fought 400 miles, the Ridgeline took the checkered flags for its second class win of 2019.
Powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine produced by Honda Performance Development, the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck features a body designed by Honda R&D Americas’ Los Angeles Design Studio, with inspiration taken from the current Honda Ridgeline, also designed and developed by Honda R&D North Americas. Key design cues drawn from the production Honda Ridgeline can be seen in the front fascia, hood, roof, bed and side profile.
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 all-new Ridgeline. Additional, custom elements of the powertrain include an HPD-designed intake plenum and custom Engine Control Unit programming.
Photos and information from the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck’s efforts at the Mint 400 can be viewed on Instagram at @hondaoffroadracing and @proctor_race. Honda Racing/HPD news and reports can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD. The team next takes on the classic Baja 500, the first weekend in June.
Jeff Proctor (team owner/driver Ridgeline Baja Race Truck) 1st in Class 7200 Unlimited V6 Trucks: “We won the Mint 400! This Ridgeline Baja Race Truck was on rails all day. We would be nothing without an amazing Honda Off-Road Racing crew. We had zero flats, no major issues of any kind. It was a perfect race conditions, and a win. Thanks to Honda, Honda Performance Development, and all of our partners for making this possible.”