Press Release

OSAKA, JAPAN - May 16 2005--Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. hereby announces that it has sent its "D-Rights Racing with TOYO TIRES" team of drivers to the 33rd Nürburgring 24-Hour Race held on 7-8 May 2005 at the Nürburgring Circuit in Germany. The team drove a Suzuki Ignis Sport fitted with the PROXES T1R, an ultra-high performance tire sold under the PROXES brand, and, despite of the first challenge, finished first in the A2 class and took 50th place in the overall standings.

Ultra-high performance PROXES T1R tires freed the Toyo Tire team from tire changes in response to shifting surface conditions. They also reduced pit work to refueling and replacing worn-out tires, enabling the team to reduce time lost during driver changes. The good showing was the fruit of this well-crafted strategy.

Two hundred seventy-one cars took part in this year's Nürburgring 24-Hour Race. Almost all entered the competition with slick or semi-racing tires. The Toyo Tire team defied this trend with the PROXES T1R, a general-use radial tire marketed widely, and produced the results reported above. These achievements at the tough Nürburgring race demonstrated the combined stability and durability of the PROXES T1R at high speeds.

<Entry data>
Tires: PROXES T1R 205/45ZR16 87W
Team name: D-Rights Racing with TOYO TIRES
Car: Suzuki Ignis Sport (known as Swift Sport in Japan)

<Drivers>
First driver: Takashi Ohi
Second driver: Nikolaus Schelle
Third driver: Masaya Kato
Fourth driver: Kazunori Sato

<Results>
Number of cars participating: 271
Number of cars finishing the race: 133
Overall standing: 50
Class results: top finisher in the A2 class