TUSTIN, Calif. – The MillenWorks-prepared Toyota FJ Cruiser Stock-Mini race truck driven by Rod and Ryan Millen andAdam Dupre successfully finished the vehicle’s debut race at the 39thannual SCORE Baja 1000 this past November. What had started as an exposition of the production FJ Cruiser’s durability and off-road performance became a sprint race as the team chased down the factory Mitsubishi Raider with only 100 miles to go.

Despite early problems with a bent upright and engineelectrical problems that sidelined the FJ Cruiser for more than four hours, the Raider’s lead stood at 20 minutes with only 100miles to go. Riding next to Ryan Millen, Adam Dupre radioed to the team that they were going after the Raider. Ryan pushed the FJ Cruiser to its limits and despite runningin the Raider’s thick dust eventually caught the Raider 15 miles from the finish.

“We got down to the bottom of the summit… and I had caught him at that point,” remarked Ryan about his drive to catch and pass the Raider. “He obviously knew it was us. He would not move over. I got up and kind of tapped him once… and he wouldn’t move over. I finally just took the big risk and went over the big bumps. I hit him so hard that he had no choice. We got by him and just went for it, as hard as we could.”

After racing for 34 hours, 37 minutes, and 18 seconds the FJ Cruiser crossed the finish line in La Paz a minuteahead of the Raider, but needed a minute and a half to overcome the start line interval. The finish, the closestStock-Mini class finish ever, netted the FJ Cruiser second place a mere 34 seconds behind the Raider. The FJ Cruiser finished a full two hours ahead of the GM factory effort, the Hummer H3 driven by the legendary RodHall, and more than eight hours ahead of the factory Honda Ridgeline.

OFFICIAL Results from 2006 SCORE Baja 1000
STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini Trucks)
1. Dan Fresh, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Sean Douglass/Dale Godges, Irvine, Calif., Mitsubishi Raider, 34:36:44. (30.27mph race avg.)
2. Rod Millen/Ryan Millen, Newport Beach, Calif., Adam Dupre, Tustin, Calif., Toyota FJ Cruiser, 34:37:18
3. Rod Hall, Reno, Nev./Emily Miller, Crested Butte, Colo./Mike Winkel, Reno, Nev., Hummer H3, 36:37:174. Gavin Skilton, Orange, Calif./Kevin Jensen, Apple Valley, Calif./Clive Skilton, Orange, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 42:51:25
(6 Starters, 4 Finishers)

Gateway Global, Inc., parent company of AUTOart will be faithfully reproducing the Millenworks Toyota FJ Cruier in detailed 1:18 scale diecast metal. AUTOart Diecast Model No. 80716 is expected to arrive in US stores in late April, 2008.