TORRANCE, Calif. — The 2015 Tundra TRD Pro Desert Race Truck not only raced for over 1,200 miles to a first place finish at the 47th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, it was also driven an additional 1,000 miles back to the start line of the race. The Toyota team was first to the finish line in its “Full Stock” class, led by team coach and legendary Toyota off-road racer Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, and piloted by Toyota engineers and Toyota athletes.
“The Baja 1000 is another test to ensure that Toyota trucks continue to exceed the expectations of our customers,” said Toyota Pickup Trucks Chief Engineer Mike Sweers. “The combination of excellent teamwork and Toyota’s quality, dependability and reliability not only got us to the finish line, but it got us there first.”
MORE TOYOTA TRD PRO NEWS
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Toyota TRD Pro Tundra Testing with Ivan Stewart
Toyota has a storied off-road racing heritage dating back to the 1980s, racking up 304 off-road wins. Toyota has earned 27 manufacturer’s championships and 28 off-road driver’s championships. For more than three decades, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) has been an integral component of Toyota’s success in motorsports victories as well as in designing high-quality performance parts and accessories.
The TRD Pro Series is the most advanced, to date, in a long line of TRD trim levels for Toyota trucks. It consists of TRD-tuned suspension and aggressive accessories purpose-built for the rigors of off-roading. The TRD Pro parts and accessories line give Toyota owners a race-proven option for customizing their trucks.
“Winning the Full Size Stock class helps us demonstrate just how robust the new 2015 TRD Pro Series trucks are,” said Andrew Franceschini, Toyota truck marketing and communications national manager.
A trio of chase vehicles including a 4Runner, Tacoma and Tundra made the trip down to Baja and provided the race truck with fuel, tires and crew support.
TRD Pro Desert Race Team
Team Coach:
Ivan “Ironman” Stewart – Legendary Toyota Off-Road Racer, Off-Road Hall of Fame Member/22-time SCORE Baja 500 and 1000 Champion/San Diego, CA
Navigators:
Mike Sweers – Chief Engineer of Toyota Trucks/Ann Arbor, MI
Samantha Stone – Toyota Production Engineer
Drivers:
Ted Moncure – Toyota Racing Development Design Engineer/SCORE Baja 1000 and 500 class-champion/Long Beach, CA
Andy Bell – Toyota Athlete/SCORE Baja 500 Champion/Guinness World Record holder/Long Beach, CA
Jamie Bestwick – Toyota Athlete/Professional BMX Vert Rider/9-time X-Games winner/Port Matilda, PA
Ryan Millen – SCORE Baja 1000 and 500 Competitor/Son of off-road and rally legend Rod Millen/San Juan Capistrano, CA
MORE TOYOTA TRD PRO NEWS
Toyota TRD Pro: Vegas The Hard Way
First Ride: 2015 Toyota TRD Pro Tundra, 4Runner, Tacoma
Toyota TRD Pro Tundra Testing with Ivan Stewart
TRD Pro Series Trucks
The TRD Pro Series is the most advanced yet, to date, in a long line of TRD model trim levels for Toyota trucks that dates back to 1998 when the first Off-Road Package was introduced for Tacoma. Already favorites among serious off-roaders, the 2015 Toyota Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner will get even more capable with these new, aggressive off-road models designed by the experts at Toyota Racing Development (TRD). For more details on TRD Pro, visit: http://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/trdpro.html.
High-resolution images of the Tundra TRD Pro Desert Race Truck and the 2014 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 are available at www.toyotanewsroom.com.