Ken Motonishi Wins STR Class of SCCA ProSolo on Toyo Proxes R1R Tires

by Jon Crowley on 20/04/10 at 7:53 pm

CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA – Team Toyo drivers celebrated another great weekend in motorsports.  Ken Motonishi took the win in Round 1 of the 2010 SCCA ProSolo National Series in the STR (Street Touring R) class beating 10 other cars while piloting his 2009 Mazda MX-5 equipped with Toyo Proxes R1R extreme performance tires.  The first in a series of eight national race events, last weekend’s ProSolo event was held at the historic El Toro Airfield in Irvine, California.  In addition to Motonoshi’s STR class win, Toyo Proxes R1R shod cars captured wins in ST (Street Touring) and Ladies Class 1, and finished second in STX.

“The new car is awesome. The 2009 Mazda MX-5 running on 255/40-17 R1Rs feels great,” said Motonishi. “Over this past weekend- the El Toro Pro Solo- the grip level of the Toyo was huge, allowing me to concentrate on the driving aspect. One of the biggest advantages the tire gave me over my competitors is its forward tractive bite at the Pro Solo launch. I could consistently put time on anyone who wasn’t on the Toyo from the very beginning because of this.”

Competing on the quarter mile, Thomas Bayer was barely edged out in the final round of Super Comp to finish runner-up in the NHRA® SummitRacing.com® Nationals at The Strip in Las Vegas.  Bayer’s Lucas Oil/Toyo Tires/K&N dragster rolls on Toyo Proxes® Drag Slicks, the same tire brand that has delivered 2006 and 2009 Pacific Division Championships for Bayer in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

In off-road racing on Saturday, Kyle LeDuc scored a second place finish  in the Pro 4 Unlimited race during the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series in Surprise, Arizona.  Piloting his #99 Rockstar/Makita/Toyo Tires Ford F-150 truck equipped with Toyo Open Country M/T®-R tires, the young LeDuc was followed closely by his father Curt in his #43 Rockstar/Makita/Toyo Tires Ford F-150.  Curt finished fourth both Saturday and Sunday.

The Toyo Tires World Challenge road race at Long Beach in California saw a packed 36 car field take the green flag… all cars competing on spec Toyo Proxes® R888™ street legal, r-compound tires.  During Round 3 of this professional SCCA series, three class winners were crowned.  In the high-horsepower GT class, Kuno Wittmer scored a flag-to-flag win driving his Dodge Viper.  The GTS and Touring Car classes were both captured by rookies.   Tyler McQuarrie piloted a Lotus Exige S to the win in the GTS class while 18-year old Robert Stout took the top spot for Touring Car in his Scion tC.

“We congratulate Team Toyo’s Ken Motonishi for his win in the STR class of ProSolo, and all of the drivers that captured wins and podiums on Toyo tires this past weekend,” said Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.  “Once again, Toyo Tires products have proven themselves in autocross, road racing, at the drag strip and off road racing.”

To learn more about the full line of products from Toyo Tires, the brand voted #1 overall by independent tire dealers across North America*, log on to toyotires.com.  Toyo Tires manufactures and distributes a complete line of replacement tires for high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as tires for commercial trucks, buses and off-road and construction applications.

* Tire Review magazine, 2009 Annual Brand Study

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