Motorcycles have made Honda the most winning nameplate on two wheels in SCORE Baja desert racing history. Now the Ridgeline pickup truck opens a whole new chapter in off-road racing. This past November, the California Race and Rally (CaRR) Team and their Ridgeline Race Truck earned Honda’s first Stock Mini Class win in the 41st Tecate SCORE 2008 Baja 1000.

The granddaddy of all desert races, the Baja 1000 is one of the longest and most challenging desert races in the world. And this year’s course was another grueling spectacle ―a gauntlet of obstacles through-out a 631-mile loop on the rugged and mysterious peninsula. It doesn’t just sound treacherous. The fact is, 40 percent of the 4-wheeled vehicles never cross the finish line.

The Ridgeline held the lead through most of the race. It overcame tire-shredding terrain, slippery dunes, talc-like silt beds, narrow cliff-side switchbacks, beastly trail drops, 3-foot deep sand whoop fields, miles of beach fog, storms of blinding dust, and a competitive field still within minutes of each other after 20 hours of racing.

Nearing the end of the race, at mile 560, veteran desert racer Gavin Skilton in the #779 Ridgeline lost his lead to #762, a driver of notable racing pedigree. Gavin drove furiously, making up lost time and gaining on his target. About 5 miles out, he guns it past #762 to regain the lead. Conquering all of Baja’s obstacles, the #779 Ridgeline and pilot charged the finish line for the stunning upset and first-time win for Honda.

"In Baja you must never give up because anything and everything will happen," said Gavin." And a little luck always helps."

Lead by the 19-year desert racing veteran Gavin Skilton, California Race & Rally (CaRR) is responsible for developing and championing the Ridgeline Race Truck. The all-volunteer team has enjoyed previous class victories in the SCORE Primm 300 and Baja 250, Best in the Desert (BITD) Silver State 300 and a 2nd place finish in the Vegas to Reno Race. Gavin has won three races in a row and headed into the Baja 1000 with a 2nd place showing in the Baja 500.

"The Ridgeline has unique features that set it apart from the others," Gavin stated. "It's the only truck racing in the desert with unit-body construction, VTM-4 and 4-wheel independent suspension."

Click here to go to the Ridgeline Home Page, and then press the "Click Here to Experience More" button to watch the video.

Upon closer look, this Stock Mini Truck Class racer bears a striking resemblance to the showroom Ridgeline truck. While some modifications were made, the suspension and engine remained mostly unchanged. So what you see is the true backbone of the Honda Ridgeline: a transverse 3.5-liter 24-valve, SOHC VTEC^® V-6, a five-speed automatic and Variable Torque Management^® 4-wheel-drive system (VTM-4^®).

The addition of customized King springs and shocks attached to fit the stock MacPherson strut front and multilink rear was the biggest modification. And some race-safety-related changes were required, such as the addition of a roll cage, radios, auxiliary lighting and a fire suppression system. Of course, the windshield had to go, as with all racing trucks, and larger tires were specifically designed for the demands of off-road racing.

The racing team was confident in the stock parts from Honda, as the auto maker is known for its durability-testing.