There’s lots of excitement building for Yokohama Tire Corp.'s (YTC) off-road racers as they head to Mexico for the 46th SCORE (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) Baja 1000, November 14-17 in Ensenada. YTC’s team, the Desert Assassins, will once again be led by the husband and wife duo of Cameron and Heidi Steele, who will compete on purpose-built Yokohama Geolander A/T-S R tires mounted on 800 hp Geiser Brothers trucks.
This year marks the first time there will be a qualifying session prior to the race. Heidi, who is a four-time SCORE Class champion and won the iconic race in 2009 (in the Class 6 division), drew the No. 1 position for qualifying, which is scheduled today.
Heidi made history this season by partnering with co-driver Jessica McMillin – also a SCORE champion – to form the first all-woman Trophy Truck driver tandem in SCORE racing. When the flag drops, they will become the first female Trophy Truck team to tackle the tough Baja 1000. They finished 15th at the Baja 500, beating 70% of the field.
Cameron, a veteran Trophy Truck driver and two-time SCORE Person of the Year, won the Baja 1000 in 2003 in the 1/2-1600 Buggy Class. He will team with co-driver Josh Daniel in the No. 16 truck over the 883-mile course, the longest non-peninsula run in Baja history.
A strong outing in Ensenada could propel Cameron as high as second place in the final World Championship of Desert Racing standings, which combine the three SCORE races in Mexico and four HDRA (High Desert Racing Association) events in the United States to crown the overall world champion. Cameron won the HDRA season opener at the SouthPoint 250 outside of Las Vegas in January.
“The Baja 1000 is a brutal and grueling event,” says Duane Sampson, YTC motorsports manager, “which gives Yokohama a perfect place to develop our tires. The Geolandar A/T-S® R tires have really proven themselves over the course of the season.”
For more information, visit www.yokohamatire.com.
