In this episode of Slow Baja, we highlight our sponsor, Toby Pond of Scheel-Mann USA. Toby and I met during the 2022 NORRA 1000 event. I was on the side of the road in the Mag 7 pit, watching as my 50-year-old bench seat frame was being repaired.

Pond was there supporting a Baja racing Porsche 911, which was the first Porsche to finish the NORRA. We struck up a conversation about seats, and he gently probed my thoughts on aftermarket options. Given the circumstances of the repair and how the seat had broken in the first place, I was feeling a bit cranky. I realized I was being snippy, so I adjusted my tone and poured Toby a sip of my sponsored Fortaleza Still Strength tequila.

He mentioned that a colleague on the Porsche team was in the tequila industry and invited her over to join us. She quickly informed me that Still Strength was illegal in Mexico and was very curious about how I was "so connected" to be pouring Fortaleza—especially since they "never sponsor anything" —and Still Strength, which was quite rare, expensive, and illegal where we were enjoying it.

Our friendship began during that dusty roadside repair in Baja. A few weeks later, a pair of Scheel-Mann seats: a Vario F for me and a Vario F XXL for my navigator were in Slow Baja. The improvement has been life-changing, and my back is much happier now. No exaggeration—the Scheel-Mann seats are by far the best modification I’ve made to my truck.

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