Coming in second in the SCORE Baja 500 is quite an accomplishment, especially while using only one set of tires along the rough 432.5-mile course.
This is exactly what Yokohama Tire Corporation-sponsored Heidi Steele did, starting and finishing the race at Ensenada, Mexico, on the same four off-the-shelf Geolandar M/T+® tires.
Steele, who won Baja last year in Class 7SX, moved up in this season and competed in Class 6 with co-driver Ross Savage in a Ford Ranger. The second place finish helped increase Steele’s point lead in the SCORE class standings.
“My 35-inch Yokohama Geolandar Mud Terrain tires performed perfectly in challenging conditions,” says Steele, the overall 2008 champion in Best of the Desert and the SCORE Desert Series, and Dirt Sports magazine’s 2008 Driver of the Year. “Through the 5,000-foot rocky summit, sand washes, silt beds and rock gardens, I was able to tackle 432 miles and complete the race on the same set of tires, which provided us a competitive advantage.”
Cameron Steele, the other half of off-road racing’s “power couple,” battled Baja in the highly competitive Trophy Truck class, finishing 12th in class. Steele, a two-time SCORE Person of the Year and TV commentator, drove the No. 16 Desert Assassins Chevrolet Silverado outfitted with Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S-R® tires.
“The Baja 500 is tough race, but with Heidi taking second and our tires performing well, it was a successful weekend,” says Paul Algarin, Yokohama’s off-road marketing representative.
For more information, visit www.yokohamatire.com.
