In the 2024 King of the Hammers Toyo Tires Desert Challenge, held in Johnson Valley, California, Christopher Polvoorde emerged victorious, driving his new 1000 horsepower Optima Batteries / Toyo Tires / Ford Raptor. Polvoorde completed the race, which spans 182 miles of varied terrain including rocky and high-speed areas, in a time of 3 hours, 16 minutes, and 58 seconds. This marked his first win of the year and his second in the Toyo Tires Desert Challenge over the past three years. He achieved this feat starting from the pole position in the Unlimited Race on Sunday. Polvoorde’s success in the T1 class was attributed in part to the use of Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires.

Additionally, Rodrigo Ampudia secured a first-place finish in the B3 UTV Pro Stock Turbo class, clocking in at 3 hours, 56 minutes, and 55 seconds. Ampudia drove a Can-Am / Monster Energy / Toyo Tires UTV, equipped with off-the-shelf Toyo Open Country SxS tires. These tires are available to the public and are designed for side-by-side vehicles, incorporating features from the Open Country M/T-R tires.

Both Polvoorde and Ampudia expressed satisfaction with their vehicles and the performance of their Toyo tires in navigating the diverse and challenging race conditions. Stan Chen, senior manager of events, sponsorships, and motorsports at Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp., highlighted the achievement of winning in two competitive classes with different tire models as indicative of Toyo Tires’ championship quality.