Toyota Signs Championship Off-Road Racer BJ Baldwin to Multi-Year Sponsorship

Two-Time Baja 1000 Champion Reveals Tundra TRD Pro Trophy Truck at AMA Supercross Finals

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, May 7, 2016— Before a roaring crowd of AMA Supercross fans, Toyota announced its sponsorship of BJ Baldwin, off-road racing superstar and mastermind behind the successful #Recoil video franchise. “Ballistic” BJ, an off-roader who has won the grueling Baja 1000 twice without the assistance of a second driver, will join Toyota’s diverse roster of sponsored athletes and will field a Tundra TRD Pro Trophy Truck in the SCORE International and Best in the Desert (BITD) series.

“Joining the Toyota Racing family in an all-new Tundra is really an honor,” said Baldwin. “As a kid I’d watch Toyota trucks dominate the field with one of my all-time heroes, Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart, behind the wheel. I’m looking forward to continuing the winning tradition and returning Toyota to the top of the winner’s circle!”

Much like Toyota and Ivan, BJ is no newcomer to besting the competition in the desert. His two-decades-long career has encompassed a number of high-profile wins: five US national off-road racing titles, three SCORE International championships, one Baja 500 and two Baja 1000 first place finishes, and a class championship in the Dakar Rally.

“BJ’s successful racing record, his adventurous attitude, and his ceaseless dedication to honing himself and his craft speaks volumes to Toyota’s core ‘Let’s Go Places’ and kaizen philosophies,” said Cooper Ericksen, Toyota vice president, vehicle marketing and communications. “We look forward to having BJ and his Tundra involved in this next chapter of Toyota’s desert racing story that so far includes 11 Baja 500 and two Baja 1000 wins.”

Toyota’s off-road success also includes championship wins in the stadiums of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) and The Off-Road Championship (TORC).

Toyota’s Off-Road Championships and Victories
Total Off-Road Driver’s Championships                    27
Total Off-Road Manufacturer’s Championships        19
Total Baja 500 Victories                                             11
Total Baja 1000 Victories                                           2

Look for BJ Baldwin’s Tundra TRD Pro Trophy Truck to begin competing this summer.

For more information on BJ Baldwin, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

More information on the Toyota Racing program can be found at www.ToyotaRacing.com.

Community Engagement

What makes nuns go ‘Whoopi!’ Give ’em a Toyota Sienna

May 05, 2016

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Nate Martinez
Toyota Product Communications
[email protected]
(310) 468-5134

Media Website: http://toyotanewsroom.com
Public Website: http://toyota.com

High-resolution photography can be downloaded at www.toyotanewsroom.com.