SANTA ANA, Calif. — The organizers of the TrophyLite R4 Series have designated the Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 as the spec tire for the "affordable" spec off-road racing series for the next three seasons.
TrophyLite trucks are identically prepared tube chassis vehicles with one of three "sealed" 200-hp engine options that provide aspiring racers an affordable way to get started in the otherwise prohibitively expensive sport of off-road desert racing.
The trucks will use a size 33x12.50R15 of the Geolandar M/T, which Yokohama Tire Corp. launched last June as an extension of the Geolandar light truck line.
The series previously designated the General Tire Grabber as its spec tire.
In 2018, the TrophyLite series will compete both on a national scale, as part of the Best in the Desert (BITD) series, which has six events scheduled, and regionally at one BITD event and three SNORE events.
The series opened Feb. 1-4 in Parker, Ariz., where 17 TrophyLites competitors competed.
TrophyLite racers compete against each other for a separate TrophyLite purse. Yokohama has established a $20,000 contingency program to support the TrophyLite engagement.
The TrophyLite R4 package starts at $64,999, according to TrophyLite L.L.C., the series organizer.
The remainder of the 2018 TrophyLite schedule consists of:
- March 8-11 — Mint 400, Las Vegas;
- May 3-7 — Silver State 300, Las Vegas;
- Aug. 15-18 — Vegas to Reno, Las Vegas;
- Oct. 11-14 — Laughlin Desert Challenge, Laughlin, Nev.; and
- Nov. 29 - Dec. 2 — Pahrump 250, Pahrump, Nev.
This contract announcement is the latest in a string of off-road-racing sponsorship and endorsement deals YTC has struck lately, including: title sponsorship of the 2018 Sonora Rally, an off-road rally raid scheduled for Mexico's Sonora desert March 19-24; and the NORRA Mexican 1000 down the Baja Peninsula April 20-27.