News

A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 150 equipped with Toyo Tires Open Country M/T, off-road tyres has won its class in the T1G (gasoline vehicle) division at the 27th Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2024, held in Thailand, from 11th 17th  August.
(Left: The winning FLEX SHOW AIKAWA Racing with TOYO TIRES team, Right: The Land Cruiser competes in the race)

AXCR is the largest international cross-country rally event in Asia, certified by the FIA. The team, "FLEX SHOW AIKAWA Racing with TOYO TIRES", participated in the event for the first time in five years having last entered in 2019. This year the AXCR covered approximately 2,100 km taking the racers from Surat Thani in Thailand to Kanchanaburi.

Team driver, Masato Kawabata, Toyo Tires brand ambassador, had some trouble with car at the outset, but by the fifth day he had taken the car to second place. On the sixth and final day, the car secured first place, crossing the finish line with a ninety second lead over the following car and winning its class.

The car's Open Country M/T tyres, size: LT265/70 R17, demonstrated excellent off-road performance and contributed to the car achieving its class victory.

Toyo Tires improve the performance of tyres for pickup trucks and SUVs by feeding back the experience of participating in off-road races held in harsh environments into the product development. Using the knowledge gained through this form of racing to deliver increased high-performance, high-quality and attractive products globally.

[Comment from Director Sho Aikawa]
"This victory was won because the team came together. We started AXCR in 2011 and finally got a win. Thank you to everyone for your support."

[Comment from Masato Kawabata]
"This was my second time competing in the AXCR after five years, but it was a difficult rally due to a combination of various factors, such as machine malfunctions and course strategies. However, each time I spoke with team members and my co-driver, we took measures and were able to move forward. Also, the Open Country tyre did not cause any trouble even in a harsh rally, and I once again realized that it is a reliable tyre. I would like to thank Toyo Tires for giving me this opportunity, and everyone who supported me. Thank you very much."

[Comment from Michael Rignall, Senior Maketing manager, Europe]
"Winning in competitive environments is one of the strongest forms of testing for our products. Open Country is Toyo Tires flagship  4x4 and SUV brand.  This victory in the Asia Cross Country Rally is another example of the tire's excellent performance in extreme conditions."

■Open Country Series Tires
Open Country is Toyo Tires' flagship brand for SUVs. Launched in 1983, the brand has achieved many overwhelming results, with succeses in both the Dakar Rally and BAJA 1000, reputed to be the toughest international off-road races in the world. The high basic performance cultivated through racing and aggressive pattern design have been highly evaluated in the North American market, the home of large SUVs.
 

For more detailed product information, please see here:
Open Country