TOPEKA, Kan. (Jan. 17, 2008) €“ Following its release in 2007, the Toyo® Proxes® R888™ will replace the Proxes RA1™ as the official tire of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships at the start of the 2008 season.The new R888 (pronounced R-triple eight) is poised to break World Challenge lap records at all of the 2008 venues. Drivers can expect improved cornering thanks to a semi-slick shoulder area, as well as better braking performance with Toyo€™s Continuous Center Contact. The unidirectional groove pattern provides more traction on wet surfaces and new material for the side-wall has sharpened the steering response of the latest D.O.T.-approved competition tire from Toyo.It encompasses everything a World Challenge racer needs for tackling everything from the tight streets of Long Beach to the high speeds of Mosport."Toyo is committed to providing the best racing tires to the best racers," Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. Manager of Events and Motorsports Stan Chen said. "As part of that commitment, we are extremely excited to introduce the Proxes R888 as the new official spec tire for SCCA SPEED World Challenge. This tire takes Toyo racing technology to a higher level."Toyo Tires? has been the official tire of SPEED World Challenge since 2001. The GT Class began using the Proxes RA1 in 2003, followed in 2004 by the Touring Car class.€œToyo continues to set a high bar for competition tires in North America,€ SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Bob Wildberger said. €œBased on the performance of the Proxes RA1s, I expect the new R888s to further enhance the competition in World Challenge and I€™m eager to see them in action.€Divided into two separate series and races (SCCA SPEED GT and SCCA SPEED Touring Car), the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships are American€™s top production car-based series. SCCA SPEED World Challenge events are a maximum of 50 minutes in length, feature standing starts, and regularly have grids of more than 30 cars composed of the world€™s most popular manufacturers. The 2008 SCCA SPEED World Challenge season begins March 12- 14 at Sebring International Raceway. For more information see www.world-challenge.com.Toyo manufactures and distributes a complete line of replacement tires for high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as tires for commercial trucks, buses and off-road and construction applications. Visit www.toyo.com for more.