For Immediate Release, NEWS from Crandon International Off-Road Raceway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Tuesday, February 6, 2007 Contact: (715) 478-2222, www.crandonoffroad.com 

Toyo Tires® Returns as Major Sponsor of Crandon Off-Road Raceway
 

CYPRESS, CALIFORNIA -- Toyo Tires® has announced a major sponsorship agreement with Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, located in Crandon, Wisconsin. Crandon hosts two annual Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing (WSORR) events. In addition to the "June Brush Run Races featuring the FCP Chairman's Cup Challenge", the "BorgWarner World Championship Off-Road Races" every Labor Day weekend is the premier closed course off-road racing event in the country.

Toyo Tires has signed a two-year contract with Crandon through the 2008 season. As a part of the sponsorship agreement, which includes various signage on both the track and track support vehicles, the Toyo Tires name will also be prominent on a bridge crossing a section of the circuit known as the "Toyo Tires Chicane".

According to Stan Chen, Manager of Events and Motorsports, Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corporation, "We are very enthusiastic again to be associated with Crandon International Off-Road Raceway. Crandon is an excellent facility for spectators and always boasts enormous crowds. The challenging layout also makes it popular for viewing on SPEED Channel television broadcasts," he said.
Toyo Tires has been a sponsor at Crandon Raceway since 2005.

The track provides an opportunity to demonstrate the off-road performance of Toyo's Open Country M/T tires. The Open Country M/T features excellent on-and-off road performance and adds style to any lifted vehicle.

 
No less than 18 major off-road truck racing teams are sponsored by Toyo Tires. Leading this prestigious group is off-road champion and NASCAR driver Robby Gordon. Gordon is a multiple winner in desert racing and also competed on Toyo Tires in the 2007 Paris to Dakar Rally.

Closed course off-road champions competing on Toyo Tires include Ben Wandahsega, Dave Waldvogel, Kevin Probst, Kyle LeDuc and Curt LeDuc. Curt LeDuc is a two-time winner of the FCP Chairman's Cup Race and also won the BorgWarner Shootout at Crandon in 1998.

Other top Toyo Tires sponsored off-road racers include Jon Probst and George Schultz, Ross Hoek, Josh Hintz, Rick Huseman, Jesse Jones and Todd LeDuc. This combination of front running drivers assures that Toyo will be competitive in all of the top truck classes featured at Crandon and on the WSORR "Tour 2007" schedule.

Additionally, Toyo Tires sponsorship extends to other forms of off-road racing including desert and rock crawling. Also running the desert racing series for Toyo are Scott Steinberger and Jones. In rock racing, Toyo Tires sponsors four top drivers and teams including R. J. Brown, Peter Wells, Rick Deremo, Ride Motorsports and Clay Egan.

"Toyo Tires is making an impact in off-road racing circles and Crandon is a must on our list," said Chen. "We are out to show off-road race fans and consumers that Toyo Tires can meet and beat the fastest and most punishing off-road race track in the country. We're thrilled to part of off-road racing's super show at Crandon. Drivers test the limits at Crandon and we are sure Toyo Tires will continue to be proven winners," he said.

For more information on the entire product line from Toyo Tires®, log on to www.toyo.com. Toyo manufactures and distributes a complete line of high performance and original equipment replacement tires for passenger car, light truck, commercial truck, bus, off-road and construction applications.