Red Bull Racers Disqualified for Booby-Trapping in Desert Rally Sabotage Controversy

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      Trophy truck racer Toby Price and co-driver Brent Bauman have been disqualified from the San Felipe 250 “for unsportsmanlike conduct” after race organizers found they were moving rocks to hinder competitors. This is a serious and quite shocking situation, especially because these are elite athletes backed by Red Bull, competing at the pinnacle of Baja racing.

      The San Felipe 250 is a major annual off-road event in Baja, Mexico, managed by SCORE, which also oversees the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. The 2026 race took place just last weekend. Price participated, finishing eighth out of 12 in the SCORE Trophy Truck category (with a race time of five hours, two minutes), about half an hour behind class winner Luke McMillin, who completed the race in just under four and a half hours.

      However, after evidence emerged showing the team was relocating rocks on the course during their prerun, SCORE’s Competition Review Board disqualified them, removing Price from the leaderboard. For context: 194 vehicles entered the race, 127 finished, and the slowest time was just under 14 hours—adding that detail since “eighth out of 12” might not sound particularly impressive. To be clear, Price is a serious competitor with extensive experience in both four-wheel and two-wheel racing. He has previously raced the Dakar Rally for Toyota GR and boasts numerous significant victories.

      This official announcement was featured on SCORE’s homepage on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. SCORE

      Off-road news editor Justin Nguyen has extensively covered this incident at 131 Off-Road and gathered reactions from other racers:

      Baja and Dakar competitor Brock Heger expressed his views bluntly: “A terrible way to try and win.”

      Trophy Truck icon and fellow Red Bull racer Bryce Menzies remarked that Price “shouldn’t even be racing. What a shame.”

      Nguyen also shared a particularly sharp comment from Jason Duncan, co-driver for Luke McMillin, who criticized Brent Bauman for misleading others:

      “Brent has been claiming that I placed rocks on the course, but it was actually him … I feel bad for Toby because he got involved, but he didn’t stop Brent, and I’m taking this personally because we would have been the first to reach those rocks, which could have damaged either the truck or us. That’s not how we compete. We are all friends, or so I believed.”

      The primary video circulating online features an apparently confused Toby Price awkwardly exiting a Can-Am prerunner. He doesn’t seem to be caught in any wrongdoing, but the interaction is certainly peculiar. According to SCORE’s statement, it appears the Competition Review Board had access to more detailed information than just this brief clip.

      From what I gather about this situation (and the video), it seems the filmmakers received a tip about some potential sabotage on the course, sought out the culprit, and were surprised to find Price involved.

      The incident reportedly occurred near Race Mile 52 (Matomi Wash). SCORE

      Paul Weel, who manages Team Australia and also shares driving responsibilities for the #46 Trophy Truck with Price, has started his own investigation and insists he was not involved in the incident. 131 Off-Road shared this statement from Weel:

      “As a team owner, the safety of every competitor on the track is paramount to me,” Weel stated. “I have heavily invested in off-road racing because I believe in it, and everything I do in motorsport is founded on these values.

      “I do not endorse any of the alleged conduct. I want to be transparent that I will be conducting my own internal review since I was not present. This will rely on the information and evidence presented to me. I respect the Competition Review Board’s decision and acknowledge the process they followed. That process exists for a reason.

      “What I can confidently state is the standard I maintain for this team. That standard remains unchanged. I will continue to act in the best interest of this sport, my team, and the competitors I share the course with.”

      Left to right: Toby Price, Brent Bauman, Paul Weel. SCORE

      Price issued a lengthy statement addressing the situation:

      “This is certainly not how I anticipated the San Felipe 250 would unfold, but that’s how it turned out. While I believe there should be a higher standard of proof given the implications, I will fully respect the decision of the Competition Review Board and public opinion.

      “I will be taking a break from desert racing. This decision is not made lightly due to the significant ramifications. I will reassess my position with the team and whether I will be competing in the series soon.”

      Price is now stepping back from desert racing