Chad Gilsinger wins BFGoodrich ride in Baja 1000

SCCA National Champion to Join TeamBFG Members on BFGoodrich® Tires for 43rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000

T3-class Runoffs Champion, Custom Car Designer, Rock Crawler, Short Course Racer, Rally Racer, Hollywood Producer Win Seats in BFGoodrich Tires Wide Open Excursions Baja Challenge Race Car

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Oct. 6, 2010) - When Chad Gilsinger won his first-ever Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Runoffs Championship in his Touring 3-class BFGoodrich® g-Force™ R1™-shod Honda S2000 at Road America, he thought he was at the pinnacle of his motorsports career. That was until the Honda engineer realized that he had also won the unique BFGoodrich Tires SCCA contingency prize - a spot on BFGoodrich Tires/Wide Open Excursions "Baja Challenge" (BC) race team in the 43rd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The legendary off-road event, to be held Nov. 18 - 21, is on the "bucket list" of most racers, and this year will mark BFGoodrich Tires' 35th anniversary of toughness, grip and acceleration conquering the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.

"The race to the Touring 3 SCCA championship was exciting and it was made even sweeter with the win for a seat in the Wide Open Excursions BFGoodrich BC buggy," said Gilsinger, who hails out of Marysville, Ohio and has never driven in an off-road event before. "I'm thrilled to jump in anything with a motor and four tires and can't wait to put the insane toughness and grip of the BFGoodrich Mud-TerrainKM2s to the test on the Baja peninsula in November."

Gilsinger will join TeamBFG members Bud Brutsman, Jason Scherer, Casey Currie, Lars Wolfe and Kyle Tucker, who, in honor of BFGoodrich Tires' desert domination, engaged in a contest that rewarded the coveted seats in the Baja 1000. Having produced SCORE Baja 1000 documentaries "Chasing Baja" and "Born in Baja" and raced on the 2007 BFGoodrich Tires BC team, Brutsman is no stranger when it comes to running the peninsula. Scherer brings years of off-road and rock crawling experience to the team including a reign as the winner of the 2009 King of the Hammers. Currie, fresh off his TORC Pro Light Championship, also has plenty of experience racing both trucks and motorcycles in Baja. Wolfe's rally background has prepared him for racing in the dirt while his endurance racing should prove helpful for hours behind the wheel. Tucker, owner of Detroit Speed Engineering, will draw upon his multiple autocross championships to deliver precise driving on his section of the Baja race course.

"We're putting winners, all of whom upgrade their performance with our tires, in a SCORE Baja 1000 car - and showcasing that it can all be done and it can all be won on BFGoodrich tires," said Roberts Kukainis, motorsports manager, BFGoodrich Tires. "Congratulations to Chad Gilsinger for winning the SCCA Runoffs T3 crown, and we look forward to seeing him, and our TeamBFG members, at the finish line in La Paz!"

The 2010 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 starts on Nov. 18 in Ensenada and will finish in La Paz, running the length of the Baja peninsula. In 2010, BFGoodrich Tires is commemorating 35 years of winning grip and toughness with SCORE International in Baja racing. BFGoodrich Tires has won the overall four-wheel title 50 times combined in the SCORE Baja 500 and 1000, including 23 of the past 24 years and a record stretch of 20 consecutive victories in the 1000 (1986 - 2005). More information about the granddaddy of off-road races 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 BC race cars. More information on the Wide Open Excursions is available at www.wideopenbaja.com.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com.

-source: BFGoodrich / wide open excursions