Micron Successfully Captures and Stores Video of Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, and CEO Wins Baja Challenge Class of Desert Race

BOISE, Idaho--Micron Technology participated in this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 to digitally capture video of the rugged off-road race using the company’s innovative image sensor and advanced flash memory technology. In the end, Micron accomplished that feat while its chief executive officer, Steve Appleton, also won the contest’s Wide Open Baja Challenge class.

Appleton, driving in one of four vehicles operated by Micron executives in the Baja Challenge class, finished the race in 25 hours and 25 minutes, more than 30 minutes ahead of the next closest competitor in the class of 20 racers. Three of the four Micron team vehicles completed the race that started Nov. 16 in Ensenada, Mexico, and ended more than 1,000 miles south on the Baja California peninsula in La Paz.

During the race, Micron’s DigitalClarity™ image sensors and Lexar Professional CompactFlash™ memory cards specially outfitted for its vehicles successfully captured more than 140 hours of video from the race stored on 288 gigabytes of Lexar CompactFlash cards.

“Micron's technology performed remarkably well in this rugged environment, and our customers can be assured that Micron image sensors and flash memory will operate seamlessly in today’s automotive, mobile phone, consumer electronic and computing devices,” said Appleton.

“Winning the Wide Open Baja Challenge class is certainly an honor, but this entire experience has been an incredible teambuilding effort that has allowed Micron to showcase our innovative technology and corporate culture,” Appleton added.

To experience the excitement of the race firsthand from the “eye of the driver,” go to www.micron.com/baja1000. You can also tune into NBC on Sunday, December 10, from 2:30 to 3:30 EST, where the Micron team and Appleton will be profiled during the one hour broadcast of the SCORE Baja 1000. The broadcast will include a special vignette on Micron’s participation in the race, an interview with Appleton and video clips of the rugged terrain and ride captured with Micron’s technology.

Behind Every Great Digital Image®

With its superior image quality, Micron is the leading supplier of CMOS image sensors in the technology industry today. The company’s imaging solutions can be found in a variety of applications from mobile phones and PC cameras to security and healthcare products. Micron also provides best-in-class image sensors to the automotive industry, with its image chips designed into backup cameras, parking, lane departure warning and several other safety navigation systems in various makes and models of automobiles worldwide.

At Baja, Micron equipped its four vehicles with two specially designed automotive imaging solutions mounted to the frame of the vehicles. One imaging chip captured images that the drivers and passengers viewed through the front of the vehicles, while others captured different angles such as the view from the front bumper, the rear bumper and the front suspension of the vehicles. With high dynamic range and low-light capabilities, Micron image sensors are the ideal solution for a broad range of environmental and lighting conditions.

Additionally, Micron’s NAND flash memory recorders installed in the vehicles contained a series of 8 gigabyte Lexar Professional CompactFlash memory cards. Trusted by professional photographers, the memory cards provide a high-speed, high-capacity removable storage solution that facilitates the ultimate performance in digital still and video recording equipment.

The Micron Technology Wide Open Baja Challenge

Micron was the title sponsor of the Micron Technology Wide Open Baja Challenge presented by BFGoodrich, a class of the overall SCORE Baja 1000 competition that is the largest “arrive and drive” professional motorsports event in the world and featured an event record 20 vehicles this year.

Micron Technology, Inc., is one of the world's leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets DRAMs, NAND flash memory, CMOS image sensors, other semiconductor components, and memory modules for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, and mobile products. Micron's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com.

Micron, the Micron orbit logo, DigitalClarity and Behind Every Great Digital Image are trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. Lexar and the Lexar logo are trademarks of Lexar Media, Inc. Micron Technology, Inc. is an authorized licensee of the CompactFlash™ and CF logo™ trademarks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.