CYPRESS, CA – Toyo Tire USA has a long history of participation in U.S. motorsports. The Toyo Tires brand has been synonymous with championship wins, whether off-road or on the tarmac.  In 2015, the company continues its ‘All or Nothing’ approach by sponsoring racing series and top level race drivers.  Whether Open Country off the road or Proxes on the asphalt track – Toyo Tires helps to turn racer’s dreams of winning into reality.

Off-Road:

The Dakar^® rally kicked off the racing season early, running January 4 – 17.  The 2015 rally spanned three countries (Argentina, Chile and Bolivia); providing an opportunity for Toyo Tires to showcase the capabilities of its Open Country M/T-R with all-American, #308 Team SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires Gordini with Robby Gordon at the wheel.  Frenchman, Guerlain Chicherit, also competed with his #323 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires buggy.  Both racers scored podium finishes during rally stages.

Two desert off-road racing series are also on the Toyo Tires motorsports calendar, SCORE-International and Best In The Desert.  Team Toyo Off-Road drivers Robby Gordon and BJ Baldwin (both past overall SCORE-International Champions and Baja 1000 winners for Toyo Tires), will be competing once again for championships in each racing series.

The first race in North America is the 28th Tecate® SCORE San Felipe 250, January 22 – 25 in Baja California, Mexico.  Additional races in that series include:

SCORE Imperial Valley 250 in April

SCORE Baja 500 in June

SCORE Imperial Valley 250 in September

SCORE Baja 1000 in November

In Best In The Desert, both Robby Gordon and BJ Baldwin are past champions.  The series begins Feb 6-8 in Parker, AZ with the Parker 425.

Lucas Oil^® Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) – Kyle LeDuc won the 2014 championship for Toyo Tires in the Pro 4 Unlimited class (4WD trucks), and will return to defend his overall championship win in 2015.  Last year, he won 12 out of 16 LOORRS races, including the Lucas Oil^® Challenge Cup.  He was awarded Driver of the Year for LOORRS.  In addition, he won in the TORC World Championship Off-Road Races^® weekend at Crandon taking home the World Championship Ring and the AMSOIL^® Cup.

SPEED Energy^® Formula Off-Road – Toyo Tires has been a major sponsor of the series created by Robby Gordon.  2015 will mark the third season of the series that brings off-road racing to a diverse and exciting mix of venues and track layouts including popular stadium venues, several prominent IndyCar^® races and prestigious international events.    http://stadiumsupertrucks.com/ssts/

Road Racing:

Toyo Tires is the Official Tire of NASA (National Auto Sport Association.)  NASA has several amateur road racing classes including: American Iron, Factory Five Challenge, German Touring Series, Honda Challenge, Spec Miata Challenge, the new for 2015 NP01, and many others.  NP01 is a new, affordable prototype racer unveiled at the 2014 PRI Show in Indianapolis.  Like most other spec classes, the Proxes RR (40-treadwear, DOT competition tire) is specified.  In addition, Toyo Tires supports racers at the longest road race, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and is the presenting sponsor for the NASA Championships.  https://www.nasaproracing.com/

SCCA^® Solo and Pro Solo^® - amateur racers in the Street Prepared classes have won continually on the Proxes R1R Extreme Performance Tire.  Toyo Tires will continue to make the Proxes R1R available, meeting the newly specified minimum of 200-treadwear for those classes.

Toyo Tires is also presenting sponsor of The Cadillac Challenge.  You can learn more about this road racing series at http://cadillacrace.com/

Fans can learn more about Team Toyo^® in racing at http://toyotires.com/teamtoyo

About Toyo Tires^®

Established in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality, performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered worldwide for nearly 70 years.

The company offers a complete selection of premium replacement tires for nearly every make and model including light trucks, SUVs, high performance cars and luxury vehicles as well as commercial trucks.  Consumer product lines include the popular Open Country^® tires for light trucks and SUVs; Proxes^® ultra-high performance tires; Versado^® tires for luxury passenger cars; and the value line of Extensa^® passenger car tires. Many of the tires are built in the United States at their state-of-the-art factory in Bartow County, Georgia.

For more information log onto www.toyotires.com and connect with the community at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+.