TGR StaffIn Baja racing, legends aren’t built. They’re ridden. And in the 2025 Baja 1000, CRF450X once again proved that some legends just keep getting faster. The team stormed to victory in Pro Moto Unlimited, sealing an undefeated season and earning the coveted 1X plate for 2026. It marks SLR Honda’s seventh win in the historic race and the second consecutive Baja 1000 victory with their current roster of rising talent.
At this point, it’s less of a streak and more of a dynasty.
The broader Honda story is even more impressive. All top 16 overall motorcycle finishers were on Hondas, and the CRF450X secured its 18th victory at the Baja 1000. No other motorcycle has come close.
Midnight Departure, Historic Lead
This year’s route was an 854-mile loop that began in Ensenada, sliced south along the Pacific to San Quintin, crossed the peninsula, hugged the Gulf Coast north, and turned back across Baja to finish where it started. It looked like a course drawn by someone with equal parts GPS and caffeine.
SLR Honda’s Tyler Lynn launched at midnight and put on a clinic. Over the first 450 miles, he handled darkness, weather, and fatigue with a performance that could have been mistaken for a sprint race. He logged nine hours in the saddle, including six in the dark, and built an 18-minute lead before handing the bike off.
David Kamo took over until mile 630, and Carter Klein brought the team home over the final 224 miles. The trio crossed the line in 17 hours, 55 minutes, and 39 seconds, over two and a half hours ahead of second place. That runner-up? Hero Racing. Also, Honda mounted.
Passing the Torch
Team owner Mark Samuels, a seven-time Baja 1000 winner as a rider, stepped back from racing in 2024 to focus on shaping the next generation. That call paid off.
“Last year was a learning year for the younger guys,” Samuels said. “This time, they put it all together and dominated. They did an awesome job, and I think they’re in a good place to have more success.”
Smooth logistics, reliable machinery, and the kind of teamwork only desert racing can teach were the secret weapons. A little rain. No disasters. Just execution.
Why Honda CRF450X Wins in Baja
Baja is brutal on machinery. That’s precisely why Honda has become the default choice south of the border. Reliability matters when daylight is optional and your fuel stop doubles as breakfast. The brand’s reputation was cemented in 2025 when Honda riders filled all of the top 16 motorcycle positions in the provisional results.
The stats are now record-book material:
- 34 overall motorcycle wins by a manufacturer in Baja 1000 history
- 18 wins by a single model: Honda CRF450X
Brandon Wilson, Manager of Racing and Advertising at American Honda, summed it up well. “More than most races, this event demands not only speed and talent, but also careful planning and sound judgement. From everyone at Honda, congratulations and thank you to Mark and the entire SLR team for continuing to showcase the capabilities of our products.”
More Honda Victories Across the Classes
The winning didn’t stop with SLR. Honda topped several other motorcycle classes:
- Pro Moto 30 – Jason Alosi
- Pro Moto 40 – Shane Esposito
- Pro Moto 50 – Mike Prunty
- Pro Moto Limited – Ana Rivas
- Pro Moto Ironman – Larry Serna
- Sportsman Moto – Arnaldo Casteneda
Four wheels? Same story.
RaceCo Honda/Pedder Racing, drivers Ricardo Torres, Chris Arreaza, Mikey Sandoval, and Corey Susag, won the Pro UTV N.A. division in their Talon 1000R for the second straight year.
Honda ATV riders added wins in Pro Quad, Sportsman Quad, and Pro Quad Ironman. You could say Baja looked a bit like a Honda family reunion. The desert just happened to show up.
The 1X Plate and the Road Ahead
Winning Baja once is a lifetime achievement. Winning it seven times is a standard only SLR Honda understands. With the 1X plate returning to their hands for 2026, pressure now shifts from “Can they win?” to “Who will stop them?”
So far, the answer is silence. The kind only found deep in the desert before sunrise, right before a Honda disappears into the darkness and another Baja legend goes to work.
