Rick Deremo of Team Xtreme Motorsports defeated 34 entries in the XRRA (Xtreme Rock Racing) Western Division season opener this past weekend in Moab, Utah, while racing on 40X13.50R17 Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires. This marks a historic first-ever win for a car in rock racing using an independent front suspension. This innovative “Deremo chassis” is constructed by Randy Rodd at Jimmy’s 4X4 in Cortez, Colorado and features an LS-2 Chevrolet V8 for power.
“It had rained that morning leaving behind a combination of rock, hard sand and loose materials… our Toyo’s worked great all day long,” said Deremo. “Toyo Open Country M/T tires clean-out better in the mud and bite better in the rock.”
Once the Western Division series is completed in Cortez, Colorado in August, both Eastern and Western Division racers will compete head-to-head in at the US Finals in Colorado Springs September 19.
“We congratulate Rick Deremo on his outstanding season-opening win in Moab,” said Stan Chen, manager of motorsports and events, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “This once again demonstrates the versatility of our Open Country M/T, a tire capable of competing in the desert or racing in the rocks, as well as being used for recreational purposes.”
The Toyo Open Country M/T is a mud terrain tire which comes in a variety of sizes to fit 15- to 24-inch wheels with overall diameters up to 40-inches. Hook-shaped tread blocks, scalloped shoulder blocks and a high performance cap ply construction deliver excellent off road traction. A three-ply casing delivers superior handling both on and off-road while adding to the life of the tire. CASPAN (Computer-Aided Simulator for Pattern Noise) technology, results in the Open Country M/T being one of the quietest mud terrain tires on the market.