The powerhouse combination of Robby Gordon and navigator, Andy Grider, won the 2009 SCORE Overall Point Championship and SCORE Trophy-Truck Championship this weekend, both being the first-ever for Toyo Tires. Running on 37X13.50R17 Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires, Gordon and Grider had accumulated enough points during the season in this historic desert racing series to only have to finish last weekend’s 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 to secure the overall point championship.
Gordon’s Monster Energy/Toyo Tires Chevy CK1500 trophy truck endured the 672.85-mile course around the Baja California peninsula to finish in fifth place with a time of 15:14:31. The team competed against 327 other starters from 39 U.S. states and 14 countries, nearly half not finishing the punishing race.
“I can't say enough about the commitment, hard work and dedication Toyo Tires has given our team this year,” said Gordon. “They are committed to being the best in the off-road industry and this championship proves it; I couldn't do it without them.”
“Winning the overall SCORE-International championship is the perfect ending to a year that has been filled with off-road racing victories,” said Steve Hutchinson, vice president of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “Robby Gordon has been a member of Team Toyo since 2005, delivering wins such as the 2006 Baja 1000 and stages of the Dakar. We are glad that our Open Country M/T-R tires helped deliver that success.”
The next event for Robby Gordon and Toyo Tires is the 2010 Dakar race which begins January 2 in Argentina. Last year, Team Dakar USA shook the international community by finishing third overall with their Open Country M/T-R equipped Hummer H3. It was the only two-wheel-drive vehicle in the top ten. With their successes throughout 2009, the team is even more determined to take the overall win at Dakar.
To learn more about Team Toyo’s Robby Gordon, and the full line of products from Toyo Tires, log on to www.toyotires.com.
