After 11 years and 17 victories, the Honda Baja Passport program has been shut down. Team principal Jeff Proctor announced the team’s closing on Wednesday, explaining American Honda “has chosen to go a different direction”.

“We are closing this chapter with immense pride of what we’ve built together and what we’ve achieved together,” said Proctor. “We’ve posted 17 race wins, 24 podiums with 49 starts over the last 11 years, and we couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished.

“Racing is a sport built on relentless ambition, passion and respect, and this journey has been a dream that’s fueled my competitive fire. As this chapter closes, we leave with an immense gratitude for the journey that we’ve had the last 11 years.

“Thank you, Honda.”

Proctor founded Honda Off-Road Factory Racing in 2015, competing in Class 7 with the Honda Ridgeline and manufacturer support courtesy of American Honda and its performance line now known as HRC US. The team quickly hit the ground running, winning their class at the Baja 1000 in their first two years and the Baja 500 four straight times.

Concussions prompted Proctor to retire after the 2022 Baja 1000. Ethan Ebert, a development driver from the team’s Honda Talon division, was brought up take his seat.

Ebert’s promotion aligned with the team introducing a new Ridgeline generation that was eligible for Trophy Truck competition. In 2025, the Ridgeline was replaced by the Honda Baja Passport for competition in SCORE’s new Trophy Truck 2WD class.

The Passport proved to be quick, topping the 2WD class in qualifying at the Baja 500 and 1000. Ebert finished second in class at the Baja 500 but retired from what would be the team’s final race at the Baja 1000 due to a punctured fuel cell.

Ebert has not revealed his 2026 plans.

“On June 25th, 2021, my father and I sat down with Jeff Proctor to talk about a ‘driver development program,’” Ebert recalled. “The opportunity involved racing a Honda Talon for him—not fully factory, but with valuable factory support—and it was exactly what we needed to step away from the unfortunately declining short-course scene.

“The journey from short-course racing to the desert has been incredible, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I want to thank everyone who helped put me in that seat of the Honda HRC Trophy Truck. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the biggest names in this industry, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I want to thank all the fans who loved hearing the V6 spit flames and bang the rev limiter, all the sponsors who stuck with us, and my family for allowing me to chase my dreams.

“I can proudly say that nine-year-old me would never have believed what we’ve been able to accomplish with the talent we were given. And I’m even luckier to be able to tell him that we’re not done yet. This isn’t the end of my desert-racing career—it simply means I’m now a free agent.”

Featured image credit: Honda Racing