ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MX – Team Toyo driver Gustavo (Tavo) Vildósola, Jr. and Toyo Tires won the 48th Annual SCORE Baja 500 this past weekend, finishing first overall for Four Wheel Vehicles and first in the Trophy Truck class. Mexican-born Vildósola endured extreme temperatures to conquer the 477.52-mile desert course in a time of 08:20:52.105. His #21 Vildósola Racing / Toyo Tires trophy truck relies on 40-inch Toyo Open Country R/T-R tires to get through the tough desert terrain.
“Winning a race in Baja requires perfection. We have spent significant time testing our tires coming into the SCORE Baja 500, as we knew conditions were going to be extreme,” said Vildósola. “The course was technical and rough, and the weather exceeded 120 degrees. Thanks to the dedication of my team and Toyo Tires in preparing for this race we were able to capture the overall victory. This is a great victory in preparation for the SCORE Baja 1000 and other races in the future.”
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This is the first overall SCORE Baja 500 win and second class win for Vildósola, who joined Team Toyo in December of last year. He also has two SCORE Baja 1000 overall wins in his career.
“The SCORE Baja 500 is one of the toughest desert races in the world and to be first is a testament to Tavo’s talent and dedication. We are proud to make tires that can match his toughness and tenacity, and we look forward to celebrating many more victories together,” said Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.
Also finishing first this weekend was the Ampudia Brothers who took the top spot in Class 8 driving the #836 Team Papas and Beer race truck equipped with Toyo Open Country M/T tires.
Thursday, Team Toyo’s Robby Gordon was the fastest qualifier for the third consecutive year. His #77 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires Chevrolet Trophy Truck relies on Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires for its performance.
Toyo Open Country tires have won the SCORE Baja 500 two times, and the SCORE Baja 1000 three times thanks to Tavo Vildósola, Robby Gordon and BJ Baldwin. To learn more about the durable Open Country line of tires for light trucks and outdoor adventure vehicles, log on to www.toyotires.com/opencountry.