Jeff Bader & Dan Fresh Win 2020 Baja 1000 With Brenthel Trophy Truck Spec

Ensenada, Baja California MexicoThe 2020 SCORE International Baja 1000, the iconic and prestigious desert race, was one of the most punishing in recent memory and featured a viciously harsh course covering over 898 miles looping around Northern Baja California. Jeff Bader and Dan Fresh, drivers of the #251 Brenthel Industries Trophy Truck Spec, took their class win and placed 8th overall behind only seven other Trophy Trucks with an impressive run of 21 Hours, 44 Minutes, and 54.699 Seconds.

SCORE Officials designated a challenging and difficult route and the longest in the Baja 1000 loop courses’ history. Starting and ending in Ensenada, the 898.40-mile race course featured four physical checkpoints and 359 virtual checkpoints. Running in a counter-clockwise direction that sent competitors down along the Pacific Ocean to Race Mile 220 South of San Quintin and then back North to Check Point 2 at Mile 400. From there, racers pushed East to San Felipe and the Sea of Cortez before heading back up through Cordillera de Molina into the hills of Ojos Negro and onto the finish in Ensenada.

The bright orange Vision Wheels #251 of Jeff Bader (Driver Of Record) pushed the Brenthel Industries built Trophy Truck Spec at a swift pace to finish well ahead of 2nd place by over 15 minutes. Dan Fresh started and drove to Race Mile 420, while Bader drove from 420 to the finish. Brenthel Industries managed the vehicle race preparation, coordinated all race support & logistics, and facilitated a complete “arrive & drive” service for the duo. Conquering the course, suffering zero mechanical failures and sticking to only planned pit stops was the critical winning difference.

This was Bader’s first SCORE Baja 1000 victory and only his second year racing. Jeff commented, “It was a lot of prep, prerunning and actual race time. When it was all said and done, we were able to pull off the big win in Trophy Truck Spec and 8th overall. Thank you to all of the people that helped make this possible. It truly takes an army!”

It has been a ton of work to get to this point, but with years of experience as the driving force, Brenthel Industries has provided a complete race-winning package. The Gen 3 platform is a proven and competitive truck. Combined with a solid strategy, top-performing equipment and capable drivers bringing it all together, there will likely be many more wins to come.

Jeff continued, “It was definitely the most technical race we have ever done. Despite that, we had no mechanical issues. The Brenthel Truck performed beautifully. From the FOX Shocks, BFGoodrich Tires, Baja Designs Lighting and to the Vision Wheels, everything worked as it should for almost 900 very treacherous miles, which is nothing short of miraculous.”

Co-Driver of the #251, Dan Fresh stated, “The course was brutal but also a lot of fun. It seems we had to go through 100 miles of silt. It was unrelenting. The wind didn’t give us any breaks and we were constantly in the dust from race mile 200 to 400. We never broke free of the dust. The front of the vehicle is all smashed and it wasn’t on purpose, for sure. Luckily it wasn’t enough damage to get us out of the race, and the Brenthel truck just seemed unstoppable. What a great race!”

In the Trophy Truck Spec division, 17 competitors started the event, with 12 making it across the finish line. This presented a tightly contested race and bettering the overall 60% finishing rate. This class of racing features the sports very best and Brenthel Industries built trucks have won nearly every major race in 2020 proving to be the winner’s platform of choice.  With the exception of V2R, Brenthel supported multiple campaigns and captured all the big wins with 3 different drivers proving the trucks, pit and support are the most effective winning combination.

Airing on ABC TV Network’s World of X Games and later syndicated internationally, the 2020 SCORE International Baja 1000 will be televised as a one-hour special set for January. 3, 2021, on ESPN2. Check with local service providers for more information.

Brenthel Industries is the most direct channel to get into off road racing contention. They apply their collective knowledge in CAD design, welding, fabrication, assembly, plumbing, wiring and more into every design. Their race prep, chase support, and Arrive and Drive programs have been developed to benefit their own extensive racing experience. When it comes to selecting a builder, you can compromise or insist on the best; Brenthel Industries.

Go to http://brenthelindustries.com or http://www.bajakits.com to find out more about the many services, highly developed suspension systems and race-proven products available from Brenthel Industries.

Action Photos By: Bink Designs  /  Finish Line Photo: GetSome Photo