A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 150 equipped with Toyo Tires Open Country M/T, off-road tyres has won its class in the T1G (petrol vehicle) division at the 27th Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2024, held in Thailand, from 11th – 17th August
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.
“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,” commented Director Sho Aikawa.
Masato Kawabata said “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 realised 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.”
Source: Tyretradenews
