TOYO PROXIE PATCH
TOYO PROXIE SERIES

Toyo states that the ideal hot tire pressure range for the RR runs from the high 30s to low 40s. The RR likes more tire pressure than its Toyo siblings. SCCA’s T4 rules limit camber at -3.5 degrees, so we prepped our car to that limit. While the R888 and R888R operate best in the -1 to -3 degree of camber range, Toyo says the RR’s ideal camber begins at -2.5 and goes through a mindboggling -5 degrees. In amateur road racing, five minutes is hardly enough time to add fuel, so our T4 Nissan would run the duration of the race on the same tires without a rotation. The two-hour SCCA endurance race we entered required a minimum of a single five-minute pit stop. And being front-wheel drive, most of that weight sits on the front tires. The T4 Nissan sports an in-class minimum weight of 2,750 pounds, per SCCA’s General Competition Rules. Durability was key, as the racecar being used would be an SCCA T4-class Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. Toyos are known for their durability and consistent speed, and this is what attracted us to the brand for our two-hour endurance race. Of them, the 235/40-17 fit our racecar perfectly. In fact, in the past year, Toyo rolled out a variety of new RR sizes targeting late model muscle cars, expanding the RR’s offering to a total of 26 sizes over seven wheel diameters. Today, the RR boasts an incredible selection of sizes, from the tiny 205/60-13 to a gargantuan 325/30-20. In fact, the RR was unveiled in late 2012, but back then, its production was limited. No rain was in the forecast for our race weekend. Conversely, taking to a wet track with a tire void of tread can be a dangerous exercise in frustration.

TOYO PROXIE PATCH

Tires with even the slightest of tread patterns will disperse water, but in turn, tread blocks reduce a tire’s contact patch and add squirm, which can be unnerving at speed.

TOYO PROXIE SERIES

The difference between the RR and the likes of the R888, R888R and RA1 is that the RR features no tread pattern, save for a pair of symmetric grooves and a series of 4/32-inch depth holes. For our needs, we were interested in dry weather performance – but that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Toyo’s R888, R888R, RA1 and RR tires each serve a specific purpose, but only the RR specializes in on-track performance in dry conditions. Toyo produces a robust lineup of popular, proven, DOT-approved R-compound competition tires under the Proxes name. If you’ve been around the racetrack, you’re familiar with Toyo Tires.

Toyo proxie