CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA – Team Toyo’s Robby Gordon clinched the Class 1500 Championship and was crowned  2012 Grand Champion in the Best In The Desert off-road series during the Transwest Ford Henderson 250 this past weekend in Jean, Nevada.  Gordon’s #1537 SPEED Energy/RPM Offroad/Toyo Tires/4 Wheel Parts ‘truggy’ was dominant the entire season, thanks in part to his Toyo® Open Country M/T®-R tires.

In February, Gordon won the Bluewater Resort & Casino Parker 425 overall.  In March, he won overall in the Mint 400.  In May, Gordon won his class and placed third overall at the Canidae Tap It Silver State 300.  During the Vegas to Reno race in August, Gordon placed second overall.  The series then returned to Parker, Arizona in October where Gordon swept the entire weekend of the BlueWater Desert Challenge.

“To be able to race in the Best In The Desert series this year with RPM and Clyde Stacey’s team while riding on Toyo tires was pretty cool,” said Gordon. “I’ve had a great season.  We pretty much had a dominant season in Class 1500 and overall.  We’ve been very good week in and week out, so hats off to everybody on the race team for doing a great job… Geiser Bros., RPM and the Toyo tires that I ride on.”

“Robby Gordon’s decisive Class 1500 Championship and being crowned 2012 Grand Champion in the Best In The Desert series is a testament to his ability to win in any vehicle,” said Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.  “We congratulate Robby on a job well done, and are proud that our Open Country M/T-R’s were on board for another Championship title.”

Gordon has won several desert off-road races for Toyo Tires since he began in 2006.  His accomplishments for Team Toyo include:  winning the 2006 Baja 1000, winning Stage 6 of the 2007 Dakar®; placing third overall in the 2009 Dakar; winning the 2009 SCORE Overall Point Championship and SCORE Trophy-Truck Championship; winning Stage 4 in the 2010 Dakar; and capturing three stage wins and a total of seven podiums during the 2012 Dakar.

This is the third off-road championship for Toyo Tires and Team Toyo this year. In October Kyle LeDuc won the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro 4 Unlimited Class Championship and earlier this week BJ Baldwin was declared the 2012 SCORE Overall Points Champion.