Race Recap: Baja 500 🇲🇽

After a long, tough haul comprised of heartbreak and disappointment, Team Australia has conquered the desert of Mexico to cross the finish line first at the Baja 500, standing atop the podium for the first time in the team’s young career.

The Mason Motorsports Trophy Truck complete with their patented Quad Lock livery entered the 500 eyeing the top step of the podium, having come within a matter of miles of victory at the San Felipe 250 earlier in the year. With Toby Price, Paul Weel, and new navigation recruit Brent Bauman at the helm, Team Australia was intent on putting the pieces together.

That mentality followed the crew into Qualifying, where Price posted a scorcher of a lap time to place the #46 on Pole Position, and once again set the tone for targeting the top step the following day.

Qualifying lap speed has been a consistent strength of Team Australia, however, both Price and Weel have endured a torrid run when it came time to race, with everything from a truck fire to minor mechanical issues cruelly dashing their hopes of success on more occasions than one.

Price rolled off the line P1 on race day, and set out on another conquest to master the desert. With slick driving mixed with all-out sends through the rough, whooped-out terrain, the team were in the box seat by the time Weel jumped in the driver's seat and began the journey home.

It wasn’t until Weel and the #46 truck crossed the finish line that a deep breath of relief occurred, followed not long after by celebrations after victory in the desert.

“It’s exceptional,” Price recounted. “To come over here from Australia takes complete dedication from our entire team, and I’m just so proud of all their efforts. We had a great, flawless day, our BF Goodrich tyres kept us on track and in the fight, and ticking this one off the list is massive for us.”

For Weel, the sentiments with his Co-Driver were shared as he stepped out of the truck and onto the podium.

“Toby did an amazing job for us to qualify in P1 and then get us to the 360-mile mark,” commented Weel. “It was a fantastic race, and we tried so hard for the last two years for a result like this and knew it was coming, but to finally get one is an amazing feeling.”

With a victory now in the books, the team will return to Mexico for Round 3 of the SCORE International Championship, the Baja 400, in September.