• Honda Baja Ridgeline opens 2024 season in California
•Finishes fourth in T1 class for unlimited race trucks
The Honda Off-Road Racing Team returned to 'Hammertown' this weekend, and started it's 2024 season with a fourth-place finish in the T1 class for unlimited race trucks at the King of Hammers Desert Challenge off-road sprint race course on Means Dry Lake.
Starting fourth in a category populated primarily by V8-powered trucks, driver Ethan Ebert took his Ridgeline, utilizing a production-based Honda V6 engine, into third place on the opening lap. Despite suffering a puncture at the end of the lap, quick work by the Honda Off-Road Racing Team saw Ebert quickly return to competition, recovering to finish fourth in the T1 class, and seventh overall.
The impressive result was the first race for the latest generation Honda Baja Ridgeline in its new Honda Racing Corporation USA colors, and the third for the latest-generation Ridgeline, which debuted late last season to compete in the top category for unlimited off-road race trucks.
Quotes Jeff Proctor (team principal, Honda Off-Road Racing Team): ''We are pleased with the progress of the new Ridgeline race truck and how comfortable Ethan Ebert, driver has become in a short period of time. The team has been working so hard to compete at the pinnacle of the sport and it showed on Sunday. We are excited about a P4 result and we plan to carry this momentum to Las Vegas in March.'
Ethan Ebert (driver Honda Baja Ridgeline Race Truck): 'This was a sprint race for us and quite a bit different strategy from our longer Baja races. We were flat out from the start and really pushing the pace. I am feeling really comfortable in this new Ridgeline race truck and happy with the P4 result.'
Fast Fact •The Honda Off-Road Racing program began in 2015 with a class win in the Baja 1000. The Honda Baja Ridgeline has gone on to record 17 class victories in 39 races.
Next
The next race for the Honda Off-Road Racing Team will be the Mint 400 in March.
Photo credit: Honda posted on conceptcarz.com
