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Crandon International Raceway - September 4 , 2023:
After securing a podium at Bark River, Team RaceCo Honda puts their Talon 1000R Pro Stock SxS on top of the box at the Big House; a historic first for Honda as a manufacturer in the Champ Off Road Series.
"This is a big breakthrough for our team" said Dave Mason Jr, Team Driver. "When we started this season we had high hopes, but realistic expectations. Bringing a new program into a really competitive class with well established teams is a huge challenge, and it hasn't been easy. Making progress each race has been our goal, and this win is a big jump up the ladder."
Mason pulled the holeshot into turn one, but would face fierce battles throughout the race. At the halfway point he was running second, and another driver slipped past him on the restart. While he was still in podium position, he did not want to settle for anything but first.
"We made big changes and found some speed testing here before the race." Team Owner Jamie Campbell had to say after the race. "We brought the engineers from Jackson Racing to test here at Crandon and work with us on tuning the engine and transmission. The main focus was driveability on this long track. We picked up about 2 seconds during the test day and that made all the difference in this race."
After falling to third place at the midway point, Mason Jr. went to work. He immediately passed back for second and then took back first with a couple laps to go. "Once I got back out front I actually built a somewhat comfortable gap. The guys behind me were bashing on each other a little bit and I just had to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. It feels good to win for this team of guys who work so hard. I want to say a huge thank you to Jamie and Evan for preparing this Honda Talon with the speed we needed to win"
Spirits were definitely high after the race as the team had many of their close friends and family in attendance. "We really tried to go all-out in getting ready for this one. It's the biggest race of the year and we wanted to show what we are capable of as a team. This one means a lot to me" said Campbell.
Mason Off Road would like to thank all of their supporters on the Honda Talon Racing Program: American Honda, eBay Motors, RaceCo USA, Yokohama Tires, Jackson Racing, CMI, VP Racing Fuels, Baja Designs, Pro Honda Oils and Lubricants, Benchmark Performance, Viscid Design, Racers for Christ, JW Power Media.
