You may have caught the news on Off-Road.com that Honda planned to unveil a Ridgeline Baja Race Truck based on the new 2017 Ridgeline Honda plans to release next year. Today at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Honda pulled the tarp off its purpose-built race truck while also announcing it will race the machine at this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 in a few weeks.

Sporting red, white and black Honda Racing livery, the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck sits on a tube-frame unlimited class chassis and is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 550 horsepower and was developed by Honda’s U.S. motorsports engineering arm, Honda Performance Development (HPD).

The body styling of the new truck, which Honda tells us incorporate some of the styling of the second-generation Ridgeline Honda will release next year, was designed by Honda R&D Americas’ Los Angeles Design Studio. Honda told us today at its press conference that the front fascia, hood, roof, bed and side profile on the race truck all share styling cues from the forthcoming Ridgeline.

Honda tells us the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck is being developed by HPD in partnership with the Proctor Racing Group, with power coming from Honda Performance Development’s HR35TT 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. Although we shouldn’t expect the new Ridgeline to produce race-level performance output like the race truck’s 550 hp, Honda says the 3.5-liter engine uses the same block, cylinder heads and crankshaft as the production engine that will power the all-new Ridgeline. An Albins ST6 sequential transmission will be mated to the 3.5-liter race engine.

The race truck is also fitted with a number of proven parts from proven off-road companies, with Fox Racing Shocks in the suspension department, Rigid Industries illuminating the way with its LED lighting, while KMC Wheels Machete will be featured on the truck, which are fitted with General Tire Grabber race tires.

Heading up the team driving the truck at this year’s 1000 will be team owner Jeff Proctor.

“I am excited to launch this new vehicle and team,” Proctor said. “Being a Honda dealer, this has been a very personal endeavor.  I believe in the Honda platform and I know we can bring long due recognition to (HPD) Honda Performance Development from the off-road culture. I have learned a lot from my 20+ years of racing off-road and I am looking forward to applying all my racing and business knowledge to running a successful program with Honda and all of our partners.”

Although we expect more information to be released on the 2017 Ridgeline in the near future, the exciting news for Honda will be starting, and hopefully finishing, the SCORE Baja 1000 in a few weeks – the first race for this new truck. Be sure to check back with Off-Road.com for coverage of the SCORE Baja 1000 from Ensenada.