SANTA ANA, CA – (May 10, 2023) – It was a family affair at the Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000. Team Yokohama driver Kristin Matlock made history and beat her husband Wayne by 1.46 seconds to win the UTV class and finished 3rd overall. She became the first woman ever to win the UTV class at the Mexican 1000. Kristin’s winning time was 18:05.00 compared to Wayne’s 18:06.46 (Wayne finished 2nd in UTV and 4th overall). Both drivers competed on race-proven GEOLANDAR SD™ tires.
“The super-competitive Matlock battle was the highlight of this year’s race,” said Patricia Wall, Yokohama’s motorsports manager. “They were seconds apart after each stage but Kristen just beat out Wayne at the finish to secure 1st place. This is a major feat for Kristin and a UTV as she also competed against Unlimited Trucks and Unlimited Buggies, as well as 171 other racers.”
“The Mexican 1000 is one of my favorite races, so to win here, in such a dramatic fashion – and over my husband – was fantastic,” said Kristin Matlock. “The durable Yokohama GEOLANDAR SDs proved once again they are the best UTV tires around.”
Yokohama was the title sponsor of the NORRA Mexican 1000 for the seventh consecutive year. The 56th running of the iconic rally, famous for its retro vibe and emphasis on fun competition – and dubbed “The Happiest Race on Earth” – was a five-day,1,300-mile blast through Mexico’s Baja peninsula. For more information, visit www.norra.com.
Other notable finishers on Yokohama tires included:
Evolution Class 10
Eli Yee Jr - 1st place (GEOLANDAR SD)
Evolution Heavy Metal
Perry McNeil - 1st place and winner of the "Yokohama Spirit of Baja" award. (GEOLANDAR M/T-R)
Legend Buggies
Jim Greenway - 2nd place (GEOLANDAR SD)
Pioneer 4x4
Boyd Jaynes 1st place (GEOLANDAR M/T® G003)
Vintage open trucks
Andrea Tomba - 3rd (GEOLANDAR M/T G003)
Vintage short wheelbase 4x4
Larry Trim - 1st (GEOLANDAR M/T G003)
Along with the Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000, Yokohama’s extensive list of 2023 North American-based motorsports activities – both on- and off-road – includes the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama, Global Time Attack and Super Lap Battle USA, Nitrocross, NASA, SCORE, King of the Hammers, Crandon International Raceway sponsorship, 24 Hours of Lemons, Ultra4 National Series, Brenthel Industries partnership, Yokohama Tire Jeepspeed Race Series, TrophyLite Series and the Championship Off-Road Series partnership.
About Yokohama Tire Corporation
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, and commercial truck and bus. For more information on Yokohama’s broad product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com and www.yokohamatruck.com.
CategoriesMotorsportsTeam Yokohama
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