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Rolling along nicely on Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S tires, defending SNORE Unlimited Class champion Cameron Steele took the overall win at the Feb. 14-15 season-opening “Battle at Primm” in Nevada.
His 800-horsepower Desert Assassins Chevrolet Silverado finished the two-day, 120-mile race well ahead of the competition, according to SNORE, the sanctioning body representing the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts association.
“My truck was awesome,” says Steele, still flushed with victory. “I had all the power I needed and the Yokohama tire/ATX wheel combo was perfect with no flats as we continue to develop the best possible desert product with our family at Yokohama.”
Steele, from San Clemente, Calif., is also a commentator for ABC, ESPN and Fuel TV off-road coverage. Since 1985 he has won 25 major off-road races – including a 2003 victory at the Baja 1000 – and has twice been named SCORE “Person of the Year” by the Southern California Off-Road Enthusiasts. (SCORE was founded in 1973 by racing icon Mickey Thompson.)
“We’re excited because (Steele’s) 37-inch Geolandar A/T-S tires that have been specially engineered for extreme off-road conditions have performed very well,” says Mark Chung, Yokohama’s director of corporate strategy and planning.
Steele had earlier flown to Costa Rica to be with critically injured motocross rider Jeremy Lusk and his family. When Lusk died on Feb. 10, Steele was uncertain about racing at Primm. “I decided to dedicate this race effort to the memory of Jeremy, a great friend and true motocross talent,” Steele explains.
Keeping the winning ways in the family, Heidi Steele, a double off-road series champion in 2008, reached the winners’ platform in two classes at the Jan. 23-25 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge; her co-drivers were Ross Savage and Rene Brugger.
Cameron Steele took second, with co-driver Justin Smith, behind NASCAR racer Robby Gordon in the highly competitive Trophy Truck class.
Cameron set the stage for a podium finish, driving the Silverado outfitted with Geolandar M/T+ tires on Saturday, before tending to announcing duties at ESPN’s Winter X-Games in Aspen, Colo. on Sunday. Co-driver Smith piloted the Trophy Truck for the remainder of the race for a second place win.
Heidi Steele moved up in class at Laughlin, winning the Class 6 competition. She also advanced from Class 7SX to Class 7, taking a third place finish.
“I’m working my way up to Trophy Truck class, and this move up to Class 6 was really fun,” she says. “It was the first time I’ve been able to race a more unlimited truck, and also my first time doing the ‘Laughlin Leap.’”
In both classes, she drove off-the-shelf Geolandar M/T+ tires on a Ford Ranger.
“My Yokohama tires were exceptional,” says Steele. “We had no flat tires – even though the course was really rough.”
“We’re looking forward to another season of record-setting racing with a queue of outstanding off-road drivers,” notes Robert Dole, Yokohama product promotions manager. “We know our tires can conquer the challenging terrain, and it’s exciting to see them tested to the maximum, giving us real life feedback that ultimately benefits our customers.”
The next SCORE race for the various Yokohama-sponsored teams is the March 13-15 Tecate San Felipe 250 in Mexico. The SNORE Mint 400 runs March 26-29 in Las Vegas.
For more information, visit www.yokohamatire.com, www.snoreracing.net and www.score-international.com.
