TEAM HONDA WINS THE BAJA 1000

Initial results indicate that Robby Bell won the motorcycle overall title at the recently concluded Baja 1000 in capturing Class 22 (250cc engines or larger) aboard the No. 1x factory Honda CRF450X. Bell, 21, co-rode with SCORE Baja 1000 veteran Johnny Campbell, Steve Hengeveld and Kendall Norman in a time of 24:15:50 for an average speed of 53.43 mph.

Bell, the primary rider for the winning two-wheel team, took his first SCORE Baja 1000 crown, but Campbell won his 10th overall SCORE Baja 1000 Championship, and Hengeveld won his seventh SCORE Baja 1000 overall (including six straight) and 10th class win.

‘The course got a little bit of rain and made it a lot safer off the start,’ said Bell. ‘We had the best team and the best bike. We tried not to make any mistakes and get in the lead. We wanted clean air. My teammates did an awesome job.’

Hengeveld and Campbell’s overall SCORE Baja 1000 titles put them in historic company with racers like Larry Roeseler.

‘It was like a blackout through the fog all the way to Santa Rita and it was really difficult,’ said Hengeveld. ‘You don’t know where the livestock is and the lights don’t pick them up. It was one of the most hectic times of the ride and then it cleared up again. I got going on the pace, and I just tried to ride as smooth as possible to bring it in safely without any mistakes. The bike ran flawless. The Honda CRF450X is an awesome machine. This my 10th SCORE Baja 1000 win and it feels so good.’

The Honda team was the first to cross finish line overall in the 1296-mile race, which, this year, ran all the way to Cabo San Lucas. The race officially ends Thursday evening.