A RACING CAREER THAT STARTED WITH A PHONE CALL

Encinitas native and K1 Speed veteran, Brandon Walsh, tells us how it all started. Walsh reminisces his first trip to Mexico back in 2006 to today finishing the Baja 1000 for his Grandfather.

Brandon is an avid racer and competes in our race league, Challenge GP. He’s won multiple races and championships in the indoor karting series and hones his skills at K1 Speed Carlsbad.

For this year’s 1000, Brandon once again raced in Class 7, this time in a 2016 Tacoma TRD Pro 4WD truck. “I think we have the most comfortable race truck out there. First, we have a windshield, so when there’s a water crossing, we don’t get soaked. Second, it’s 4-wheel drive—so we won’t have to spend hours getting unstuck. Also, this is basically a stock truck that’s been race-prepped with a roll-bar, racing harnesses, long-travel suspension, etc.—it still has air conditioning, opening doors and opening windows! So we can race with our windows rolled up and the A/C on!”

Brandon and co-driver, Ted Moncure, made it to the finish line—no small feat as Brandon stopped to tow a competitor who was stuck in the desert (and no, the competitor was not driving a Toyota).

“Toyota has given us a lot of support. For the longest time, all you saw were Fords and Chevys out racing. My first race truck was a Toyota and I have been racing Toyotas ever since—and now, we’re starting to see more Toyotas and the fans can relate, thinking ‘I have that in the driveway at my house—I can do that stuff!’”

Hats off to the entire team: Brandon Walsh, Donovan Walsh, Ted Moncure, James Lieser, Mike Jarboe, Jetson Lieser, Mark Rotarius, Cody Weaver, Chris Walsh, Travis Freedman, Neil Norman, Doug Boren, Ivan Moncure, Lauren Rae, Tori Ashley Saxon and filmmaker, Dana Brown (Dust to Glory).

Read the full article here http://www.trdusa.com/brandon-walsh.html