Rick Deremo of Team Xtreme Motorsports defeated 34 entries in the XRRA (Xtreme Rock Racing) Western Division season opener in Moab, Utah this past weekend while running on Toyo’s Open Country M/T-R tires.
This marks the first-ever win for a car in rock racing that utilizes an independent front suspension. The “Deremo chassis” was constructed by Randy Rodd at Jimmy’s 4X4 in Cortez, Colo., and the vehicle features an LS-2 Chevrolet V8 for power.
“It had rained that morning, leaving behind a combination of rock, hard sand and loose materials,” says Deremo. “Our Toyo’s worked great all day long,” he adds, noting how the size 40X13.50R17 tires were able to “clean-out better in the mud and bite better in the rock.”
Once the Western Division series is completed in Cortez, Colo. in August, both Eastern and Western Division racers will compete head-to-head at the Sept. 19 U.S. Finals in Colorado Springs.
“We congratulate Rick Deremo on his outstanding season-opening win in Moab,” says Stan Chen, Toyo’s manager of motorsports and events. “This once again demonstrates the versatility of our Open Country M/T, a tire capable of competing in the desert or racing in the rocks, as well as being used for recreational purposes.”
The mud terrain tire comes in a variety of sizes to fit 15- to 24-inch wheels with overall diameters of up to 40 inches. Hook-shaped tread blocks, scalloped shoulder blocks and a high performance cap ply construction deliver excellent off road traction, according to Chen.
A three-ply casing delivers superior handling both on and off-road while adding to the life of the tire, he says, adding that the company’s CASPAN (Computer-Aided Simulator for Pattern Noise) technology has created “one of the quietest mud terrain tires on the market.”
For more information, visit www.toyotires.com.
