Toyotas are fixtures at the 1000. Proving their quality and durability again and again. 2017 marked the fourth year TCT Magazine joined Canguro Racing at the Baja 1000. Once called ͞privateers,͟ this homegrown team of Land Cruiser enthusiasts and their 2010 200 series Toyota Land Cruiser has proven that hard work and a strong team is as good as the best factory sponsorship. Along the way we have gotten to know some of the other amazing Toyota entries and teams. This year we drove 4,000 miles round trip from our home base in Colorado and let the pictures do the talking.
Toyota Racing Development sponsored Trophy Truck #97 driven by BJ ͞Ballistic͟ Baldwin blasts past TCT Magazine photographer Jackson Philby near Race Mile 100.
The Canguro Racing #8155 Stock Full class Land Cruiser rolled through Contingency just ahead of Homemade Motorsports #701 Toyota Racing Development sponsored class 7 Toyota Tacoma team of Brandon Walsh. Both stopped in a moment of pure Toyota awesomeness.
Photo Credit: Tomas Dawson
The Racing 905 #704 Pro-Comp sponsored Class 7 Toyota Tacoma driven by Aaron Celiceo blasts by Race Mile 100.
The Homemade Motorsports #701 Toyota Racing Development sponsored class 7 Toyota Tacoma of team, Brandon Walsh blasts by Race Mile 100.
A quiet moment at Contingency gave us a chance to closely drool over Brandon Walsh’s #701 Tacoma
A common view in Baja is a long dusty road that goes on forever, in this case to Mike’s Sky Ranch, a Baja favorite.
The FJ40 is no newcomer to the Baja 1000 and Timothy Vail’s vintage class #911 caught our eye in Contingency. We did not get to see their expression after a few hundred miles on leaf springs and a solid axle!
The Mexican sun hit #701 just right after it finished passing Contingency.
Racing is a family and team affair, shown here with Brandon Wash and wife Lauren.
The Canguro Racing #8155 Stock Full class Land Cruiser catches air coming out of a dip at speed at Race Mile 100.
Photo Credit: Tomas Dawson
Toyota desert racing legend Ivan ͞Ironman͟ Stewart honored Canguro Racing by signing ͞Monica’s͟ hood at Contingency. And this is no showpiece. They raced it.
Photo Credit: Tomas Dawson
Drivers and chasers line up with Ivan ͞Ironman͟ Stewart in front of the #8155 race Land Cruiser ͞Monica͟ at the start of Contingency row.
#8155 taking fuel and switching drivers at a pit stop just outside San Ignacio, B.C.S.
Canguro driver Will Carroll stands in front of teammate Ryan Davis’ Toyota Tundra chase vehicle ready to take the night shift in the race truck, making the most of the 16 hour time difference after flying from Japan.
After losing a front wheel and limping back to a hastily assembled pit at Coco’s Corner, #8155 is fixed and soon back racing due to the all-Toyota-enthusiast drivers and chasers.
The Baja 1000 Contingency day stretched for two-days for this 50thAnniversary race. Here the #8155 Land Cruiser and #701 Tacoma are about to climb the start ramp podium for their interviews.
Big smiles by the Nakaya brothers, Ryan, on the left, and Dru just after the finish.
We don’t know what they were saying, but Ryan Nakaya, on the left, and Kurt Williams at the finish line surely had lots to celebrate after closing the gap behind class leader Rod Hall to just 15 minutes (out of 37 hours) in the fight to the finish.
Photo Credit: Jackson Philby
Canguro Racing Chase 7, a 1993 FZJ80 Land Cruiser (foreground) took the long way home and met with veteran Baja traveler couple Ples and Sabrina, who after nearly 600 days living in their flip-pac equipped Tacoma, shared a few of their favorite Baja beaches.
After the race in LaPaz, Baja California Sur, Canguro Racing Chase 6, the IH8MUD 80 Series Land Cruiser, is pictured here wearing BF Goodrich KM3’s.
To make it from Colorado to the tip of Baja, Chase 7 made use of its Denver-built Gobi rack for its extra fuel and Maxtrax.
No Baja story is complete without the ubiquitous taco. Seated in the background, team Canguro Racing. Tacos fuel races.
After a hard day relaxing on this remote beach, fishing for dinner and paddle boarding, its easy to see why Baja is a travelers favorite.
The serenity of the Sea of Cortez is a great way to unwind after the grueling 1000 mile race.
Baja has many secrets and this FJ55 Land Cruiser sits quietly in the Bay of LA just begging to be restored.
That pristine hood we showed you on the last page is now race-proven. It will probably never get washed.
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