Toyo Tires has a few new faces on its team for 2016. Returning to the brand are off-road veterans Robby Gordon and BJ Baldwin, but Gustavo Vildosola, or “Tavo,” is one of the team’s newest players, while Andy McMillin also joined the team after taking a break from racing a full season in 2015.
Vildosola was able to put an exclamation point on his new Toyo sponsorship at this year’s SCORE Baja 500, as he earned the overall and Trophy Truck victory at the 48th running of the race. Although Tavo etched his place in the hearts and minds of Mexican race fans when he was the first Mexican-born racer to win the Baja 1000 back in 2010, a Baja 500 victory has eluded him until this year.
Vildosola was actually the third truck to cross the finish line at this year’s race, but since he started back in the 13th position, he still finished ahead of the first truck back to Ensenada in Rob MacCachren on corrected time. Vildosola credited his victory to a trouble-free race… and no failures with his Toyo Tires.
“We didn’t get out of the truck one time,” Vildosola said. “We had a clean run, which is what it takes to win. I mean, one flat… if we won it by 3 minutes, one flat and you’re done. It takes a perfect day nowadays, and that’s what we had today.”
One interesting side note is that Vildosola was actually running a race version of the Toyo R/T tires that we tested a few years back (learn more about the DOT R/T here). Toyo compiled a video of the team in action prior to, during and after the race. Check it out here:
MORE SCORE BAJA 500 COVERAGE
SCORE Official Results for Baja 500, Announcement on 3 Fatalities