The kitcar industry’s favourite tyre company, Toyo Tires, has clearly signalled its intention to become a leading supplier of competition rubber with the news of its latest products in the UK. In addition to new stocks arriving of the firm’s road-legal trackday rubber, the company has also officially unleashed its totally track-focussed RS1 slick design onto the UK market for the first time.

The Proxes RS1 is a full-slick competition tyre that has been proven in literally dozens of American race series before being launched here in the UK. This tyre provides consistent performance throughout the life of the case and copes well with the massive heat cycles generated during track work. Excellent dry braking capability and stability at high speed is matched by stiffer steel wire reinforced sidewall to provide responsive handling to maximise performance while minimising lap times in dry weather conditions.

As a tyre for uncompromising trackday and race enthusiasts, the RS1 will also be eligible for many ‘non-control’ series and championships, making it a cost-effective way for competitors to achieve slick grip levels on a sensible budget, when compared to many existing solutions. Leading race-car prep outfit JabbaSport will be proving the tyre’s worth by campaigning a set on its own Time Attack Clio during the 2015 season. Initial sizes will be 195/570R15 and 205/580R15 with 235/620R17 arriving later in the year.

In addition to this exciting new tyre, the fully road legal Proxes R888R has now arrived into the UK in its initial key sizing. This includes 195/50R15 and 225/40R18 sizes. As one of only a handful of ‘semi slick’ designs that can be sold for road use, the R888R is bound to be another best-seller for Toyo.

In addition to this two new designs, the previous Proxes R888 design continues to sell well and shoe many UK club championships as control rubber. Toyo will also have a number of sizes of R888 SG soft compound coming into stock over the coming weeks. These are the perfect road-legal hillclimb and sprint solution.

Commenting on the firm’s burgeoning motorsport portfolio, Toyo UK’s Technical and Motorsport Director, Alan Meaker, said: “Our track and race line-up for 2015 is quite simply the best product range we’ve ever had. The RS1 gives competitive drivers and track enthusiasts unprecedented levels of grip and response, while the R888 SG and R888R are perfect for all-weather track use and of course, will continue to be the backbone of our motorsport support in British Club Motorsport. Not every end-user has fully appreciated the benefit of road-legal semi-slicks yet, but remember, many track-spec tyres produced after  November 1, 2014 are no longer road-legal in the UK. I think it will help these products to stand alone in terms of value, performance and legality.”

For more details on Toyo’s ultra-high-performance range, visit www.toyo.co.uk ENDS.