Long a fixture in amateur motorsports, Toyo Tires has excelled in finding unfulfilled niches. The company was among the first, for example, to recognize the import racing scene of the late ’90s, developing the Proxes RA-1 in suitable fitments.
How good was that tire? Some 25 years later, it’s still on the market.
The R888/R888R line began a decade later, and …
This content is available for GRM+ members and Grassroots Motorsports magazine subscribers only.
Read the rest of the story
We live in wonderful times when a 200TW "street" tire can wax a "previous generation" 40TW RR compound tire around a race track.
I've spend a lot of time driving the Toyo RR tires (and loved every lap) so it's nice to see the new Toyo R pick up the torch and run with it.
That said, seeing how the RE-71RS perform makes me think I've got to try a set for track days.
Being essentially on pace with the 71RS is a nice step up, but if it still lasts a bit longer than the 71RS on a heavier car (and/or experiences less heat soak during DE) that'll really make it another great option.
In reply to QuikMcshifterson :
TW numbers are as clear as mud, with no recognized scale across the board. Basically, each tire manufacturer sets the number on their own tire because that's what they think it should be.
Do we have any idea how long this new Toyo Proxes R can be expected to last? How does the wear rate compare to Super 200s?
Spec3 does not have a space between "spec" and "3" in the name of the class. Thanks!
I'm looking forward to 2025 with the new spec tire in Spec3; I was a big fan of the RR as a spec tire. I think it will also make for some interesting experiments for the ST/TT guys with the RC1 being a +1.6 tire, the R a +1.0, and the 0 modifier R7.
Huh ... I did not expect those results. Maybe it's time to retire the Toyos and head to a set of Bridgestones. Then also get into the new XS class instead of SM.
For those considering the RE71RS over the Proxes R, something to ponder is pace consistency over the life of the tire. The RE71RS will be substantially slower at full tread, maxxing out pace somewhere around half-tread and lower. Details here.
The Proxes R already comes at that lower depth, so it will have none of the tall-tread, squirm-induced pace killers of the Bridgestone.
Of course, you could simply buy your RE-71RS's shaved to 4/32 and skip those slower full tread laps. That added cost also brings the price of the two tires closer.
QuikMcshifterson said:
We live in wonderful times when a 200TW "street" tire can wax a "previous generation" 40TW RR compound tire around a race track.
The RR isn't even "previous generation" that tire hasn't changed in a long time.
Though it's worth noting, as a spec tire - no one I know of racing in a spec series cares about "absolute" pace - we care about behavior through a sprint session, how tough they are to being overheated, and how long they last since everyone is on the same tire - the RR was fantastic in those regards. We're lucky in NASA spec miata we get to run the RR one more year, I guess we'll see where we go after that.
accordionfolder said:
Though it's worth noting, as a spec tire - no one I know of racing in a spec series cares about "absolute" pace - we care about behavior through a sprint session, how tough they are to being overheated, and how long they last since everyone is on the same tire - the RR was fantastic in those regards. We're lucky in NASA spec miata we get to run the RR one more year, I guess we'll see where we go after that.
But, but, but...the F1 guys seem to think it spices up the racing when tires are finicky and also fall off a cliff during a race. 
accordionfolder said: We're lucky in NASA spec miata we get to run the RR one more year, I guess we'll see where we go after that.
I agree, in a spec series if everyone is on the same tire, overall pace is irrelevant. But I think there are better (and less expensive) choices than the Toyo RR for SM.
In reply to QuikMcshifterson :
Agreed, but there are also worse and more expensive options ;)
Most spec tire decisions are a combination of suitability, durability, consistency, pace and...most important...willingness to partner with the sanctioning body. That last one costs the partner money and usually whittles down the list pretty quickly.
Taylor Johnson said:
Spec3 does not have a space between "spec" and "3" in the name of the class. Thanks!
This seems to be an ongoing problem....lol
I think it now behooves GRM to test RE-71's at full tread depth against the new R compunds! For us endurance racers, they would appear to be the ticket.
edmknapp said:
I think it now behooves GRM to test RE-71's at full tread depth against the new R compunds! For us endurance racers, they would appear to be the ticket.
If you combine the Toyo test with the preceeding Hoosier TAP test, you have your answer on pace. Note that the common element, full tread RE71RS, turned the same lap times in both tests. It was literally the same tires, used a couple weeks apart on the same track in similar weather.
Besides...who wants to start an enduro with 30% less tread?
In reply to QuikMcshifterson :
Price is one component, contingency money is another. The Toyo contingencies are pretty good (Especially with them giving out $100k one year for the NASA championships)
IndustryPartner said:
Taylor Johnson said:
Spec3 does not have a space between "spec" and "3" in the name of the class. Thanks!
This seems to be an ongoing problem....lol
Curse whoever decided not to put a space there at NASA HQ back in the day, but I'm on the perpetual quest to get it correct when I see the space :D
Taylor Johnson said:
IndustryPartner said:
Taylor Johnson said:
Spec3 does not have a space between "spec" and "3" in the name of the class. Thanks!
This seems to be an ongoing problem....lol
Curse whoever decided not to put a space there at NASA HQ back in the day, but I'm on the perpetual quest to get it correct when I see the space :D
Perhaps the path of least resistance is to add a space.
Taylor Johnson said:
In reply to QuikMcshifterson :
Price is one component, contingency money is another. The Toyo contingencies are pretty good (Especially with them giving out $100k one year for the NASA championships)
Little known fact...manufacturers pay a fee to sanctioning bodies (NASA, SCCA, etc.) to participate as official contingency partners.
"You have to pay us to be able to pay our competitors for using your product"
But yeah, RacerMath is amazing at convincing competitors to use a product. "If I win all the time, I never pay for XX again". But there can be only one winner.
That said, most NASA race/TT groups are pretty good at spreading the contingency love around between participants. Especially when a partner will only offer bucks for one race or TT "event"...which is one day of the weekend meeting.
Andy Hollis said:
Taylor Johnson said:
In reply to QuikMcshifterson :
Price is one component, contingency money is another. The Toyo contingencies are pretty good (Especially with them giving out $100k one year for the NASA championships)
Little known fact...manufacturers pay a fee to sanctioning bodies (NASA, SCCA, etc.) to participate as official contingency partners.
"You have to pay us to be able to pay our competitors for using your product"
But yeah, RacerMath is amazing at convincing competitors to use a product. "If I win all the time, I never pay for XX again". But there can be only one winner.
That said, most NASA race/TT groups are pretty good at spreading the contingency love around between participants. Especially when a partner will only offer bucks for one race or TT "event"...which is one day of the weekend meeting.
Yup, that's the tricky part when people ask why classes don't just run a cheaper tire. It's all in the contract. I heard a rumor (that makes sense) that Maxxis paid a good amount to get Spec E30 on their tire.
We've been lucky to have really good contingencies with Toyo, but I say that as someone who benefits from the higher payouts. Spec3 (and other spec classes) have Toyo Bucks paying out all the way back to 14th place given there are enough racers. If you're in 15th every time, I can imagine running a tire that lasts all season would be a lot more attractive. For the non-spec classes, it's a rough go from the contingency stand point. I'll sometimes run a non-spec class to help them with the entry counts and I'm shocked that I can't win a single Toyo Buck unlesss I win (or get second place with 9+ competitors or thereabouts)
In reply to ross2004 :
Hey Ross!
You'd think that, but since the class's inception, there are quite a few other products out there called "Spec 3" like motorcycle exhausts, an RTR mustang model, and others. Reinforcing the name without the space helps you find the class and information specific to it. It doesn't seem as bad anymore now that we have a lot of content out there, but it used to be impossible to find anything about the class if you added the space.
Perhaps things had been different if the name was trademarked with the space.
