Trophy truck competitor Toby Price and co-driver Brent Bauman have been disqualified from the San Felipe 250 due to allegations of unsportsmanlike conduct after race officials discovered they were stacking rocks on the course to hinder other racers. This is a serious and rather astonishing incident, especially considering these athletes compete at an elite level backed by Red Bull.
The San Felipe 250 is a key annual off-road race in Baja, Mexico, organized by SCORE, which also oversees the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000. The most recent race took place last weekend, with Price competing and finishing eighth out of twelve in the SCORE Trophy Truck class, clocking in at five hours and two minutes, trailing the class winner Luke McMillin by approximately half an hour.
However, after evidence emerged that the team had moved rocks during their prerun, SCORE’s Competition Review Board disqualified them, resulting in Price being removed from the leaderboard. Of the 194 vehicles entered, 127 finished, with the slowest time nearing fourteen hours. Thus, eighth place, while not stellar, is significant in context, as Price is a highly experienced competitor in both four-wheel and two-wheel racing, previously participating in the Dakar Rally for Toyota GR.
Justin Nguyen, the off-road news editor, has provided thorough coverage on this situation at 131 Off-Road, including reactions from other competitors. Baja and Dakar racer Brock Heger criticized the actions, stating, “Shitty way to try and win.” Fellow Red Bull driver Bryce Menzies expressed that Price “shouldn’t even be racing. What a shame.”
Moreover, Jason Duncan, co-driver to Luke McMillin, made a strong statement against Bauman, accusing him of misleading others about the rock incident: “Brent has been telling the other racers that I put rocks in the course when this whole time it was him… I feel bad for Toby, but he didn’t stop Brent from doing it.” A widely shared video from Instagram shows Price appearing confused while interacting with a Can-Am prerunner, but it doesn’t capture any outright misconduct. It seems that those filming may have suspected wrongdoing and caught Price unexpectedly.
Paul Weel, who co-drives the #46 Trophy Truck with Price, has initiated his own investigation, asserting no involvement in the incident and emphasizing the importance of safety for all racers involved.
In his own statement, Price acknowledged the unexpected turn of events at the San Felipe 250, expressing his disappointment with the situation. He intends to take a break from desert racing and will evaluate his future with the team. Following the allegations, Bauman has since resigned, further complicating the circumstances surrounding this incident.
