A lot of BassFans probably remember Kevin VanDam fishing in a Chevy bowtie jersey. Those days are gone, of course, because Chevy pulled out of BASS sponsorship a few years back. Chevy does sponsor FLW Outdoors now, but VanDam fishes only BASS, and he hasn't been associated with a motor company since that time. That all changed an hour or so ago when Toyota announced that it had signed VanDam, the No. 1 ranked angler in the world, to its Tundra team.
His deal comes in at the associate level with Toyota Motor Sales USA. He'll tow with the new Tundra Double Cab (see mockup image to right).
Toyota senior engagement manager Kim Kyaw said: "Kevin's consistent performance on the water lends tremendous credibility to our new Tundra, but equally important is Kevin's longstanding relationship with Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine. With the Tundra being the official truck for both respected brands, the synergy worked perfectly for everyone involved."
VanDam said of the deal: "Toyota's quality is an enormous part of why my wife Sherri and I have owned three Toyota vehicles over the years. Let's face it, professional anglers are extremely dependent on the quality of their boats and tow vehicles. If they don't run, we don't fish and when we don't fish, we don't get paid. I'm excited about the support Toyota has shown professional bass fishing in general, and this new full-sized Tundra will give anglers more reason to support Toyota."
