Toyo Tire & Rubber : Supporting a “Dakar Rally 2019” team

Hyogo, Japan, - December 20, 2018- Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture; President: Takashi Shimizu) is supplying our 'OPEN COUNTRY' series off-road tires for pickups/SUVs to a team participating in the 'Dakar Rally 2019' being held in Peru (South America) from January 6th (Sunday) to 17th (Thursday), 2019 (local time), and supports their efforts in the rally.

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(Left: Robby Gordon, a Dakar Rally 2019 driver; Right: OPEN COUNTRY M/T)

TOYO TIRES is providing tires to support the three cars entered as one team, 'Team SPEED', centered on their contracted driver, Robby Gordon. We are supplying our off-road tire for pickups and SUVs 'OPEN COUNTRY M/T' which is highly evaluated in both domestic and international markets, especially in North America.
The Dakar Rally has been held in South America since its 31st iteration (2009). After starting in Lima, the capital of the Republic of Peru, the 'Dakar Rally 2019' takes on some really tough roads, including along the coastal desert region stretching along the Pacific Ocean before heading inland and back along the mountainous Andes, and returning to Lima, covering some 5,000 km (approx. 3,107 miles) along the way. En route, the drivers will compete in ten special stages (competition sections) to determine their cumulative driving time.

By supplying tires to the Robby Gordon team, we build up valuable technical knowledge and experience participating in such off-road racing, and leverage this experience in the product development of consumer tires. The aggressive yet functional tread design on the 'OPEN COUNTRY M/T' tires delivers race-winning performance in tough off-road conditions including excellent traction and braking performance. Moreover, an extremely tough tire construction with exceptional resistance to external damage has been achieved by applying the know-how accumulated through such off-road races.

Robby Gordon has captured 17 stages wins and five top 15 overall finishes since his first Dakar Rally in 2005, and he is a favorite among fans. He is participating in this rally for the first time in three years since 'Dakar Rally 2016'.
■ Team data
Team name : TEAM SPEED
Tires supplied: 'OPEN COUNTRY M/T' (Tire size: 33×10.50 R15)
Vehicle name : SPEED TEXTRON XX
Driver : Robby Gordon, Cole Potts, Blade Hildebrand

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（SPEED TEXTRON XX）

Please see here for more information about the 'Dakar Rally 2019.'
Official Dakar Rally site
http://www.dakar.com/

Our North American sales subsidiary, TOYO TIRES U.S.A. Corporation, also provides information about the Dakar Rally 2019. (English only)
http://media.toyotires.com/press-releases?item=122526