After the debut of the Toyo Tires® Proxes® R DOT competition tire at the Performance Racing Industry show in Indianapolis in December 2023, NASA embarked on a series of extensive tire tests during the 2024 season to determine which classes would be best served by switching to the new Proxes R competition tire.
As a result of those tests, and Toyo winding down production of the previous Proxes® RR competition tires, NASA is thrilled to announce that Spec Z, Honda Challenge and Spec3 will race on the new Toyo Proxes R in 2025. A grace period in 2025 will allow drivers to compete on the previous Proxes RR tires they have left over from the 2024 season, and sizes will remain the same.
The new Proxes R comes at a slightly higher price than its predecessor, yet Toyo has boosted the Toyo Bucks contingency program by an even greater percentage than the tire’s price increase. The NASA contingencies page will be updated with 2025 figures in the near future. Additionally, the Toyo Proxes® RA1 will remain the designated rain tire for all Toyo spec tire classes.
“As our product portfolio continues to evolve with the exciting new Toyo Proxes R, we are eager to put these NASA classes on the new tire and watch the lap records fall,” said Stan Chen, Toyo Tires’ Senior Manager, Events, Sponsorships and Motorsports. “The new Proxes R is the result of a great deal of research and development in construction and compound, and we can’t wait for racers to get their hands on it.”
The new Proxes R is available from NASA National partner and official tire supplier TrackDayTire.com and others.
NASA relied on input from NASA racers, professional drivers and industry experts while conducting testing at Buttonwillow Raceway and Willow Springs International Raceway, two vastly dissimilar tracks with different wear characteristics. Tires were subjected to brutal racing conditions at ambient temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees along with cooler temperatures during testing in the spring and fall.
“We worked with our longtime partners at Toyo Tires to validate the characteristics of its next evolution of competition tire in the new Proxes R,” said NASA CEO Jeremy Croiset. “We are excited to transition Honda Challenge, Spec3 and Spec Z to the Proxes R, which performed admirably in testing and to debut the enhanced Toyo Tires Contingency program. 2025 will be the first of many great years of competition on the new Proxes R.”
To learn more about Toyo’s line of Proxes tires, visit ToyoTires.com/Proxes.
