Next weekend, the ADAC Ruhrpott-Trophy will start as the second round of this year’s Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). On April 26, Toyo Tires will not only focus on performance, but also on testing and developing more sustainable rubber compounds. The experience gained is later incorporated into
the development of road tyres.
Toyo Tires has impressively demonstrated how well this path works in recent months. The PROXES Sport 2 was awarded “good” by the ADAC/ÖAMTC and “very good” by the Swiss TCS. As in previous years, the PROXES Comfort scored “good” in the big summer tyre test by Auto Bild. But before the tyre received the purchase recommendation, it was tested against sports tyres from various competitors in a tough test which the PROXES Comfort passed well.
Environmentally friendly material mix for NLS
The next challenge now awaits Toyo Tires in the NLS. With specially developed PROXES racing slicks made from 33% sustainable materials, the Japanese manufacturer wants to prove that sustainable rubber compounds and top performance are not mutually exclusive. The innovative tyres are used in the high- performance GT3 cars in the top SP-Pro class. Toyo Tires is also represented in other classes together with partner Ring Racing – the successful cooperation is already entering its sixth season.
In the SP8T class, the tyre manufacturer supports four young drivers from Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), who have already been supported by Toyo Tires during training. Here, too, the aim is to gain valuable insights from racing for future tyre development.
The promising start to the 2025 season showed just how high the level already is: Takayuki Kinoshita, Michael Tischner and Heiko Tönges, who are driving the Toyota Supra with starting number 170, moved up to third position in the SP10-AM class. The TGR duo Yuichi Nakayama and Kazuto Kotaka were also convincing – with second place in the strong SP8T class. After tyre development in the GT4 sector was crowned with the championship title in SP10 in 2024, the development focus this season is on GT3 race tyres.
Source: Tyretradenews