BFGoodrich-Logo-2-19-13GREENVILLE, S.C. – BFGoodrich Tires announced today the 12 drivers who will make up the 2013 BFGoodrich Tires/Wide Open Excursions “Baja Challenge” (BC) race team that will compete in the 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 on Nov. 14-17.

As in previous years, BFGoodrich Tires will place several of its brand ambassadors alongside guests and a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Champion to take part in the most grueling desert race on the planet. This year, BFGoodrich Tires will have two entries with a total of 12 drivers looking to defend the BC class title.
Team BFGoodrich members included in this year’s running are made up of veteran racers and automotive experts – some new to the experience and others – wily veterans.

This year’s double BC buggy crew consists of Team BFGoodrich members Andrew Comrie-Picard, Terry Earwood, Brian Finch, Brad Lovell, Roger Lovell, Dan McKeever, Rich Minga, Kyle Tucker and John Williams. Included this year are Mike “Junior” Johnson of the Evolution Performance Driving School, Larry McRae of Poison Spyder Customs and our SCCA National Champion and returning Baja racer Chad Gilsinger.

Gilsinger recently won the Touring 3 (T3) class at the 50th SCCA Runoffs at Road America and for that won the most unique contingency award in club racing – a seat on the BFGoodrich Tires BC team. Gilsinger, who returns for his second Baja experience, will take himself out his Acura TL with BFGoodrich® g-force™ R1™-S tires and step into the custom built buggy on BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A tires in Baja, as he looks to continue his on-road successes in the dirt.

Last year, the BFGoodrich team secured the win by nearly an hour with Hollywood TV producer Bud Brutsman, Tucker, Brad and Roger Lovell and two SCCA Runoff Champions- Luke Wilwert and Mike Crawford

The all-star motorsports cast will take to the desert in the coming weeks to pre-run the course in the Wide Open Excursions race cars that will soon be put to the test

The BFGoodrich Tires BC Challenge team will be among many teams in Baja riding on BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires the exclusive tire of the entire Wide Open Excursion Baja Challenge class.

“We have doubled our efforts this year in putting together two of the most talented teams the challenge class has seen,” said Peter Calhoun, motorsports manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “Their collective experience in Baja as well as fabricating, engineering and racing makes for a unique and talented group looking to tackle what looks to be the toughest course in Baja 1000 recent memory.”

The 2013 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will start and finish in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico and run through a treacherous 900 miles. Trucks on BFGoodrich Tires have won the overall four-wheel title 55 times combined in the SCORE Baja 500 and 1000, including 25 of the past 27 years and a record stretch of 20 consecutive victories in the 1000 (1986–2005). More information about the ultimate desert race is available at www.score-international.com.

Wide Open Excursions provides “arrive and drive” seats for the SCORE Baja 1000, SCORE Baja 500 and for adventure tours.  BFGoodrich tires have logged more than 4.5 million miles in Baja with Wide Open Excursions and the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A®KO tire and BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A®KM2 tire are exclusive tires for the Baja Challenge race cars.  More information on the Wide Open Excursions is available at www.wideopenbaja.com.