Four-wheel vehicles equipped with Goodrich’s tires have finished first 70 times, collecting 24 overall wins. The most recent competition has the tire maker claiming victory in 17 of the 23 car/truck/buggy classes that completed the event.
“With an astounding number of entries in this year’s challenging race down the peninsula, we are proud to have Vildosola Racing capture the overall win and help them make history as well as become part of ours with BFGoodrich Tires’ 70th overall win,” says marketing communications manager Tom Jupena.
The Vildosola team, using the company’s Baja T/AKR tires, was second off the starting line in Ensenada, but once they took the lead from the Trophy Truck driven by Roger Norman that left first, “there was no looking back,” according to Jupena. Norman, the 2008 Baja 1000 overall winner, was also running on Goodrich’s tires. He netted third place this year.Averaging 55.87 mph, the Vildosolas finished 20 minutes faster than the first motorcycle across the line – marking the first time since 1973 that a four-wheel vehicle beat a motorcycle’s time in a peninsula run in La Paz, and only the seventh time in the history of the race.
As soon as he emerged from his Ford F-150, Vildosola Jr. began a long celebration. “This race means a lot to me and my family,” he says. “Every time we go out and race, I say we have the privilege of representing Mexico because we’re the only Mexican SCORE Trophy Truck team. It’s obviously an honor to finally be able to win a race for them and for all of our fans who have been supporting us for all these years.”
His father had purchased the truck eight years ago with a dream of winning the event, his son now noting that “we were able to fulfill that dream.” Other class winners on Goodrich rubber included Class 1 victors Steve and Chris Appleton, who finished sixth overall among four-wheel vehicles in addition to winning Class 1 for the second time this year after his win in June at the SCORE Baja 500.
Dan and Tom Chamlee won Class 7 for the fourth time in the last five years. With a win in Class 6, David Caspino, with driving partner Jason Ruane, pulled off a rare SCORE Desert racing feat by going undefeated in all five of the circuit’s events races this season.
For more information visit www.bfgoodrichtires.com.
