Sep 1, 2020
Toyo Tires Breaks Records at the 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. (Toyo Tires®) returned to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the 98th running of this prestigious event that sends vehicles charging up the 156-turn 12.42-mile road to the 14,115-ft. Summit. Toyo Tires was once again an Official Sponsor of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and supported six teams this year. Team Toyo Drivers Blake Fuller and Daijiro Yoshihara finished at the top of their respective divisions with Fuller breaking the record for Production Electric vehicles. Scott Birdsall broke the Diesel record by 13 seconds.
“Every year, we look forward to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb," said Stan Chen, senior manager, events and sponsorships, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “It is the perfect setting to prove the capabilities of our competition tires, collect real-world data that feeds into our R&D, and partner with dedicated race teams.”
The Electric Performance Tesla Racing Team and driver Blake Fuller returned to Pikes Peak with Toyo Tires this year and looked to continue his winning ways from 2002 and 2016. Fuller and his 2018 Tesla Model 3 finished at the top of the Exhibition division, while also breaking the Production Electric Car record with a time of 11:02:802, 45 seconds faster than the previous record he set back in 2016. This marked the first time a Model 3 has competed, finished, and won to set a record at Pikes Peak. Fuller’s production Model 3 raced on Toyo® Proxes® R888RTM tires on his way to victory.
“I couldn't be more pleased with our result this week,” said Fuller. “Winning the division, breaking the record by 45 seconds, and being the fastest ever Model 3. I have to give huge credit to our Toyo Proxes R888R tires that enabled us to smash the record and achieve my 3rd win at Pikes Peak.”
Scott Birdsall from Chuckle’s Garage and his “Old Smokey F1" 1949 Ford also returned to Pikes Peak with Toyo Tires. Birdsall’s vintage pickup powered by a 1,200-hp Cummins diesel engine set a new Diesel record with a time of 11:24.065, using Toyo Proxes Slicks to break the previous record by 13 seconds.
“My first two thirds of the race were very fast, until the truck started to overheat and went into limp mode near the start of Devils Playground,” said Birdsall. “Fortunately, the speed below pushed me over the top, and the previous record of 11:37 held by factory Mercedes Benz fell. My Toyo Proxes Slicks were awesome, and they had amazing adhesion giving me the supreme confidence to push hard!"
The Evasive Motorsports Team debuted with Toyo Tires with driver, Daijiro Yoshihara, at this year’s Pikes Peak making only the second time the driver has competed at the famed event. Yoshihara placed first overall in the unlimited division with his 2013 Turn14 / Evasive Motorsports / Toyo Tires Toyota 86. On Toyo Proxes Slicks tires, Yoshihara put in a winning time of 10:05:006.
"It was a really challenging week with multiple mechanical issues so just crossing the finish line made me happy, but to win the unlimited class was amazing,” said Yoshihara. “This was my first time running on the Toyo Proxes Slicks and I was very impressed with their grip and consistency.”
The Toyo Proxes line of ultra-high performance and competition tires are used by enthusiasts and racers alike. In addition to supporting Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Toyo Tires is the Official Tire of NASA – the National Auto Sport Association – and the spec tire of the Mazda Spec MX-5 Challenge, BMW Car Club of America’s E36 and E46 classes as well as Porsche Club of America’s SP1 and Boxster classes. To learn more about the full line of products from Toyo Tires, visit www.toyotires.com.
For more information about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, visit ppihc.org.
About Toyo Tires®
Established in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality, performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered worldwide for 75 years. The company offers a full line of premium tires for nearly every vehicle including light trucks, SUVs, crossovers, sports cars, luxury cars and hybrids as well as commercial trucks. Many of the tires are built in the United States at their state-of-the-art factory in Georgia. To find the right tire for your vehicle as well as an authorized dealer, visit www.toyotires.com. You can also join the Toyo Tires community on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb are available at: https://media.toyotires.com/2020-pikes-peak-international-hill-climb
Media Contact: John Pangilinan, JP+CO
562-715-8781, [email protected]
Toyo Media Site: http://media.toyotires.com/
