Team Toyo driver Andy McMillin and Toyo Tires won first overall and first in the Trick Truck class during the Best In The Desert Vegas-to-Reno race this past weekend. Billed as “The Longest Off-Road Race in the United States”, the two-stage, 644-mile race began Friday north of Las Vegas and ended Saturday just outside Reno, NV.
Finishing in the overall lead at the end of Day 1 was Team Toyo’s BJ Baldwin driving his #97 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires / Can-Am Toyota truck. Baldwin finished the 267-mile leg with a time of 03:08:11 at an average speed of 85.1 mph. McMillin finished the day in third overall with a time of 03:11:43 and an average speed of 83.6 mph.
McMillin ultimately won the race overall, completing the course in a time of 08:36:02 with an average speed of 74.9 mph. His #31 Toyo Tires / Fox / Method Race Wheels Ford truck relied on 39-in Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires to help deliver his win.
“I’m so stoked to get my first win of 2016 for all my new sponsors and the entire TSCO Racing Team. The race was intense and we had some great battles out there with the top drivers and teams in our sport,” said McMillin. “I owe a lot to my Toyo tires. Tire performance played a huge role in this race and Toyo took the win on both days, one and two. I don’t think they could have dominated this race any more than that.”
“To say I’m excited is an extreme understatement,” continued McMillin. “This is exactly the momentum our team needs heading into the SCORE Baja 1000.”
“We are proud that our Open Country tires played such an important role in Andy McMillin’s win this weekend,” said Stan Chen, senior director of events and sponsorships, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “Once again, McMillin and BJ Baldwin demonstrated ‘All or Nothing’ attitudes out there in the desert, and proved the toughness of our Open Country tires.”
To learn more about the durable Open Country line of tires for light trucks and outdoor adventure vehicles, log on to www.toyotires.com/opencountry.