The California Race and Rally (CaRR) Team and pilot Gavin Skilton raced the Ridgeline Baja to four first-place victories in the 2009 SCORE International Desert Championship Series, which crowned both driver and truck Stock Mini Class champions. Looks like a unibody truck can handle the desert after all.

Four wins. It’s an impressive feat. It takes a highly skilled driver, a great team and an amazing truck. But there’s one more factor in battling the unpredictable desert terrain. It’s a little luck. Everything has to come together for that perfect race. The Ridgeline not only met the SCORE Desert Challenge, it exceeded it four times.

The team’s first win came in Laughlin, where the Ridgeline was the uncontested leader through a two-day short course sprint. Next, Gavin raced the San Felipe 250 through sandy whoops and tight, rocky canyons for a second victory. In the Baja 500, the Ridgeline’s Variable Torque Management^® 4-Wheel Drive System (VTM-4^®) was nothing short of a secret weapon on a highly technical course. The triumphant truck made it through deep silt and 90 minutes of boulder climbing for a third win. The final conquest came in Terrible’s Primm 300, a fast but dangerous course with zero visibility. Gavin flew on the flats at 108 mph, finishing first for the title of Stock Mini Class Champion.

Lead by the 20-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 ‘07 Baja 250, ‘08 SCORE Primm 300, ’08 Best in the Desert (BITD) Silver State 300, and a 2nd place finish in the ’08 Vegas to Reno Race. Along with his current ’09 victories and an ’08 Baja 1000 win, Gavin enjoys a seven-in-a-row win streak.

"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 mounted 3.5-liter 24-valve, SOHC VTEC^® V-6, a five-speed automatic transmission 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.