Team Toyo’s BJ Baldwin wins the Silver State 300

Team Toyo Off-Road’s “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin won overall in the Canidae Tap It Silver State 300 held this past weekend near Crystal Springs, Nevada with a time of 5:25:56.  Winning Class 1500 (buggy) and finishing in third overall with a time of 5:26:22 was Team Toyo’s Robby Gordon.  Both drivers relied on Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires for their overall podium finishes.
 
The Silver State 300 had 131 entrants and is the third stop of the six race Best In The Desert race series in 2012.  Situated more than 80-miles north of Las Vegas, the race course had a challenging mix of high speed desert, and mountain terrain.  After leaving the starting line area near Crystal Springs and the entrance to Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway, the course crossed the Delamar Valley and then traversed the mountains near the Delamar Ghost Town.  The north end of the course passed the historic mining towns of Panaca and Pioche while reaching more than 7,000 feet in elevation at its highest points.  The finish for the race was located at the remote Caliente Air Strip off of Highway 93.
 
Baldwin and navigator, Johnny Nelson, both residents of Las Vegas, Nevada, drove the #1 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Chevy Silverado to the victory, while winning the Trick Truck class.  This is Baldwin’s second desert racing victory with Toyo Tires in 2012, winning Round 1 of the 18th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in January.
 
“This is a very fast paced race. To win this race you need a tire that can smash rocks at 140mph and still withstand the abuse of sliding around corners at 120mph,” said BJ Baldwin.  “The tread wear and puncture resistance of the Toyo Open Country M/T-R’s is outstanding.  I couldn't win without them.”
 
Robby Gordon, a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, remains undefeated in Class 1500 with his #1537 SPEED Energy / RPM Offroad / Toyo Tires open wheel buggy.  Gordon also won both the Bluewater Resort & Casino Parker 425 and The Mint 400 this year.
 
“We started the season just to go to Parker and have a little fun… and we overalled it there.  Clyde (Stacy) asked if I would run the next race at the Mint 400… sure enough, we overalled it there.  And then we went to the Silver State.  We didn’t win overall, but we finished first in class, so that’s three wins in a row,” said Gordon.  “Obviously, we’re in a position with the RPM / SPEED Energy / Geiser truggy to win the overall championship in Best In The Desert, which would be awesome for all of us, from Toyo Tires to RPM to SPEED Energy.  All of us have a great opportunity there and we’re just going to do the best job we can.”
 
“We congratulate BJ Baldwin on his overall win, and Robby Gordon for remaining undefeated in his class at the Silver State 300,” said Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.  “We have enjoyed being on top of the podium with them at every Best In The Desert series race this year.”