First to cross the finish line was the Honda XR650R of Hengeveld/Childress/Cody, who methodically marched down the grueling course to an overall winning time of 18 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds. Childress took the green flag in Ensenada Thursday morning to ride the first third, Cody rode the middle section for and Hengeveld captured the checkered flag, after riding for 347 miles. The team average speed over the tougher-than-usual course was 57.27 miles per hour.
While the American Honda teammates rode the fastest vehicle in the demanding race, Andy McMillin in their Red Bull Chevy CK1500 won the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division, leading all four-wheel vehicles to the finish line by covering the extremely demanding course in 19:15:27, with an average speed of 54.41mph.
Winning the unlimited Class 1 for an amazing third straight year, but just missing their third consecutive overall crown, Las Vegas' Troy Herbst and Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif., were the second overall 4-wheel finishers with a class-winning time of 19:56:22 in the Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford-powered Smithbuilt desert race car. In earning a SCORE record 21st race win since 1997, Herbst also clinched a SCORE record seventh Class 1 season point championship and a record fourth SCORE Overall point championship.
Roeseler's 15th class win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 moved him up to a tie for second on the all-time class win list in this race.
Giving Honda its 10th consecutive victory in this desert racing classic, Hengeveld/Childress/Cody reached the finish line in La Paz at 12:55 a.m. Friday. Hengeveld, of Oak Hills, Calif., earned his seventh class win including six Overall motorcycle titles and extended his winning streak to five, Childress, Wrightwood, Calif., won his second straight and Cody, Santa Barbara, Calif., won his first overall in help provide a race-record 17th overall motorcycle win for Honda in the history of the event.
Finishing as the fastest overall 4-wheel vehicle was the blended racing team of two the legendary families of the sports as driver of record Andy McMillin, Poway, Calif. and team owner Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C. pulled off a SCORE Trophy-Truck winning run of 19:15:27 in the Red Bull Chevy CK1500.
"We didn't come here to get second, we came here to win and that's what we did tonight, said the soft-spoken Hengeveld, who lets his driving speak volumes. I didn't have any problems I just kept riding and I don't' think they had any problems either. The new sections were really hard but that's what Baja is about. It's not supposed to be easy, it's supposed to be technical and that's what we had here today. We all had our tough sections and it's just a really good, tough course. This is my fifth SCORE Baja 1000 in a row and we made history tonight so I want to thank my other two riders Quinn Cody and Mike Childress. It takes a team to do this and we did it tonight."