In her first race of the season, Yokohama Tire Corporation-sponsored off-roader Heidi Steele returned in style, taking second place at June 1-3 SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Steele and co-driver/Desert Assassins teammate Rene Brugger battled the treacherous Baja terrain in a Ford Ranger equipped with off-the-shelf Geolandar M/T+ tires.
“It felt great to be racing again,” said Steele, the defending Class 6 SCORE (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) champion who missed the first part of the off-road season to give birth to her first child. “Jumping back into major competition like the Baja 500 was a lot of fun. Baja is a challenge, but we always know our team and our Yokohama tires are going to get us to the finish.”
Steele is the wife of Trophy Truck veteran and two-time SCORE Person of the Year, Cameron Steele, who entered two 800-horsepower Geiser Brothers Trophy Trucks in the Baja 500. Each were shod with newly developed 40-inch Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S R tires specially engineered for extreme off-road conditions. Both trucks suffered major mechanical issues that slowed them down, but they fought back to complete the race and finish inside the top 20.
“Taking second place in the legendary Baja 500 is a major accomplishment,” said Andrew Briggs, Yokohama’s director of product planning and motorsports. “It was great to see Heidi racing again…and nearly winning.”
The Desert Assassins’ Brent Parkhouse and co-driver Brian Burgess claimed victory in the Class 12 (SCORE Lite) division, piloting their winning buggy on Yokohama tires.