Toby Price leads Baja 400 qualifying

Team Australia‘s Toby Price and Paul Weel have proven they can be fast through the deserts of Baja California, but they don’t have the results to show for it as they have retired from nearly every SCORE International race for mechanical reasons. The duo hope to finally turn their luck around for Saturday’s Baja 400, and their weekend is off to a good start as Price set the fastest time in qualifying on Thursday.

While Weel is the Driver of Record, Price piloted the #46 Trophy Truck on Thursday through the 5.29-mile (8.51 km) qualifying course in convincing fashion as he beat Tavo Vildósola by over eight seconds. The margin perhaps could have been even larger had it not been for Price overshooting a corner.

As the top qualifier, the #46 will be the first Four-Wheeler to start the Baja 400. The team will hope to find some good fortune for once: after finishing fifth in their SCORE début at last year’s Baja 400, Price and Weel lost their truck to a massive fire at the Baja 1000. The manifold absolute pressure sensor broke while they were leading the early stages of the 2023 season-opening San Felipe 250, ruining a pole-winning qualifying effort, followed by a power steering box failure at the Baja 500.

Price is also keen on turning things around in September after losing the World Rally-Raid Championship RallyGP lead to a mechanical issue at the Desafío Ruta 40. Perhaps his co-driver Kellon Walch will be his golden horseshoe as Walch won the DR 40’s T3 class with Mitch Guthrie.

“Wasn’t clean that’s for sure but got it on pole,” wrote Price. “I blew a sharp left and had to 180 the truck around and back on track so lost around five seconds there but happy to see this. […]

“Please, let’s just have a good clean run and a finish for a good spot in the 1000, it’s all I am asking for PLEASE.”

Qualifying took place for the three Trophy Truck categories, with Apdaly Lopez being the fastest outside of the premier TT class as his TT Spec ranked eighth. Vildósola’s father Gus Vildósola was the fastest of the seven Trophy Truck Legends entries.

Defending Baja 400 winner Bryce Menzies was sixth while his team-mate Andy McMillin qualified twelfth among Trophy Trucks in his return. Christopher Polvoorde posted an impressive seventh overall while competing in the TT class despite his #91 being his TT Spec.

Roberto Romo Jr. received a one-minute time penalty after sending his truck too far coming to the finish and cutting his right-rear tyre in the process. Oliver Flemate did not set a time after rolling his Trophy Truck Spec onto its driver’s side.

In lieu of qualifying, all other classes had their start order set by random draw.

Qualifying results by class

Trophy Truck

Trophy Truck Legends

Trophy Truck Spec