The SCORE International Baja 1000 is always the most challenging desert race of the season, and this year was no different for its 53rd edition. With the longest mileage loop in Baja history, the reigning champs of SLR Honda set out to tackle 898.40 miles of grueling terrain with only three riders and a Honda CRF450X.
The SLR Honda team managed to dominate the competition and earn themselves another year with the 1x plate as this year’s Baja 1000 Pro Moto Unlimited champions.
Race Action
Rider of Record, Mark Samuels, started first off the line at 4 am to hand the bike off to Justin Morgan, who grabbed a 3-minute lead by race mile 124. With 66x trailing closely behind, Morgan swapped with team rider Justin Jones, placing him in an all-out battle for his 200-mile section. Jones was able to finally break away once 66x made a pit stop, giving the 1x team a big enough gap to set the pace for the rest of the race.
Samuels was back on the bike at race mile 304 and heading towards Valley T with a comfortable lead. Samuels’s 300-mile section took him through the tough terrain of San Felipe and into Matomi Wash, where he finished his section at dusk. Baja Design headlights were back on the bike, and Justin Morgan, in 1st place, set out to cover the last of the 290 miles back to Ensenada. With no dust in sight, Morgan crossed the finish line in 20 hours and 50 minutes as the 2020 Pro Moto Unlimited Baja 1000 champion.
With 30 Baja 1000 wins, Honda has dominated this race 22 out of the last 23 years, and SLR Honda continues the infamous winning streak yet again. The 1x plate will stick with the SLR Honda team come 2021.
