Toyo expands Open Country M/T tyre line; appoints new US sales managers

Cypress, California - Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corp. engineers have developed new non-DOT (US Department of Transportation) competition versions of its Open Country M/T tyre.

The tyremaker said the new compounds were not used exclusively because track conditions may favour the use of the traditional DOT-approved Open Country M/T tyres.

Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports for Toyo, said the new tyre version was essential because track conditions varied from muddy and slick to polished dry, such as asphalt, and trucks that exceeded 800-horsepower needed optimised compounds to perform at their best.

''This form of ongoing tyre development also benefits consumers, as continuous feedback in punishing environments leads to data which helps to further advance product technology,'' Mr. Chen said.

The tyre, now in its second year of competition, had new racing compounds that gave racing teams the edge they required to continue winning races, Toyo said.

The tyremaker has also appointed three people to new sales posts in the US.

Matt Futrelle, who previously worked at Snider Tire, was named sales manager for the eastern division covering North Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland.

Ken Newsom was named director of sales, southern division.

He had worked at Toyo since 1989, the tyremaker said.

Lowell Slimp was named truck tyre sales manager for the central US.

Slimp most recently served as commercial products manager with Continental Tire North America Inc.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)