Press Release

Hyogo, Japan – February 1, 2019 – Toyo Tire Corporation (HQ: Itami, Hyogo, Japan; President: Takashi Shimizu) announces that Blade Hildebrand, a racer in a company-supported team, has won the OP.1 class* in the 2019 Dakar Rally held in Peru from January 6th to 17th this year, racing in a vehicle equipped with Open Country M/T tires.
*A vehicle category based on the U.S. off-road race SCORE Series that includes the Baja 1000

(Left: Racer Blade Hildebrand, winner in his class; Right: His vehicle equipped with Open Country M/T tires)

Toyo Tire provided Open Country M/T tires, which are geared toward professional-grade off-road pickup trucks and SUVs, to Team SPEED, a team that competed in the race with a system of three cars, one driven by contract driver Robby Gordon. From this team, Blade Hildebrand won the OP.1 class and Robby Gordon came in third place in the same class.

In the 2019 Dakar Rally, racers competed for the fastest time over a total distance of roughly 5,000 km (3,107 miles) on harsh road surfaces that included a coastal desert area stretching from the Pacific coast to the Andes Mountains. Open Country M/T tires are characterized by their tough construction that gives them handling ability, traction performance, and damage resistance on bad roads. This superior off-road performance was in full effect at the rally, helping win first place in this class.

Going forward, TOYO TIRES intends to continue participating in off-road races and other events in order to improve brand strength and further increase presence in the pickup truck and SUV tire market.