Menzies Motosports Conquer Baja in the Red Bull Trophy Truck Beating Robby Gordon
- 11 Jun 2014
The 46th running of the annual SCORE-International Baja 500 began and ended in Ensenada, Mexico. Every year racers and fans flock to the Baja peninsula for this legendary single loop race that goes approximately 500 miles through amazing coastal and desert terrain. To say that racing in Baja takes courage would be a serious understatement.
There are well over 24 classes of vehicles which race the infamous Baja 500 each year. There are classes for two wheels, or four, cars, trucks and almost anything in between. Topping the list of the most spectated classes is the prestigious SCORE Trophy Trucks. Trophy Trucks are open production unlimited race vehicles with the appearance of a modern day pickup. But the similarities between a trophy truck and a production pickup pretty much end at the front grill. Make no mistake; a trophy truck is a highly sophisticated full blown race vehicle. K&N sponsored Menzies Motorsports made the annual trek to Baja this year with high expectations. One look at the Red Bull sponsored trophy truck of Bryce Menzie and co-pilot Pete, reveals that this team means business. An excellent qualifying run slotted the Menzies Motorsports Red Bull trophy truck in the second overall starting position. Only one racer, last year’s champion Robby Gordon, stood between Menzies Motorsports and an overall victory.
With the waving of a green flag, the SCORE-International Baja 500 race began with Robby Gordon taking off first and Menzies Motorsports leaving exactly one minute after him. The first 100 miles of the race were uneventful with the top 5 trophy trucks retaining their starting positions. At about the 100 mile mark, Menzies Motosports got a flat tire and was passed by the #35 truck piloted by Jason Voss. The repair took less than a minute thanks to a Menzies chase vehicle helping Bryce and Pete get back in the race. As luck would have it, the #35 truck of Jason Voss had their own flat tire forty miles later. Bryce and Pete were now back in second place leaving only Robby Gordon in front of them.
Racing in Baja is extremely taxing on both driver and machine. Robby Gordon was struck with a mechanical issue at the 200 mile mark leaving Menzies with a clear view as they took over the lead. Bryce and his co-pilot Pete led the remainder of the race and were welcomed back into Ensenada, Mexico, by cheering fans. This win marks Menzies Motorsports’ third overall Baja 500 victory in the last four years. “I just want to thank all of my sponsors who make this possible and to all of our crew and volunteers who sacrificed a lot to win this thing. I’m pumped!” said Menzies and he proceeded to spray the cheering crowd with champagne. He continued, “Our team would like to thank our sponsors, like K&N Filters for making this victory possible!” Menzies Motorsports is proud to run K&N products on their race vehicles. Look up parts for your vehicle here. |
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