YOKOHAMA’s Motorsports Plans for 2013
05 Mar 2013

Major activities include the following:

■ FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)

As the official tire supplier, YOKOHAMA has been providing control tires for the WTCC since 2006. Since 2010, YOKOHAMA has supplied ADVAN racing tires combining solid grip with improved environmental performance thanks to its orange oil compounding technology. With the contract extended this year for three years, YOKOHAMA will be supplying tires for ten consecutive years, through 2015. The 2013 WTCC will consist of twenty-four rounds staged in twelve events, including rounds in Russia for the first time.

■ SUPER GT

As it did last year in the “SUPER GT” series (the most popular motorsport event in Japan), YOKOHAMA will again support KONDO RACING’s NISSAN GT-R and Racing Project Bandoh’s  LEXUS SC430 in the GT500 class. In the GT300 class, European Supercars and Japanese GT cars engage in fierce competition, and cars equipped with ADVAN racing tires have won the series championship for four consecutive years. YOKOHAMA looks forward to making this the fifth. 

■ GT Races

〈ADAC GT Masters〉

The “ADAC GT Masters” is the most popular FIA GT3 sprint race in Germany, where FIA GT3 regulated machines compete, and to which YOKOHAMA will supply its ADVAN racing tires as control tires.

〈GT ASIA〉

As it did last year, YOKOHAMA will supply ADVAN racing tires as control tires for the FIA GT3 sprint race series that travels among Japan, Malaysia and Macau. The final round will be held as the Macau GT Cup.

〈Other Races〉

YOKOHAMA will support various GT races, including the “IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge” in the U.S. and the “Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge” in Brazil.

■ Rally

〈FIA European Rally Championship (ERC)〉

YOKOHAMA will support the Stohl Racing and the drivers, Toshihiro Arai and Andreas Aigner, who will participate with a SUBARU WRX STI R4 in the ERC, which was merged with the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) from this year. Arai won the Production Cup championship in the IRC in 2011 with a SUBARU WRX STI R4 equipped with ADVAN rally tires. 

〈Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)〉

YOKOHAMA will supply tires to many teams, looking forward to winning as many rallies as possible.

〈All Japan Rally Championship〉

Partnering with ADVAN PIAA LANCER (ADVAN PIAA Rally Team) and Fumio Nutahara, YOKOHAMA aims to recapture the championship in the JN4 class. It also supports many teams, looking forward to winning the championship in each class.

■ Endurance Races

〈American Le Mans Series (ALMS)〉

Partnering with “Team West Alex Jobs Racing“, YOKOHAMA will participate the series with a “Ferrari 458“.

〈VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring (VLN)/24 Hours of Nürburgring〉

YOKOHAMA will participate in the VLN endurance race series and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

〈Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER)〉

In the MMER, to be held this year from the end of August to early September, cars equipped with ADVAN racing tires have earned two consecutive victories and YOKOHAMA hopes this year will mark the third.

〈Super Taikyu Series (Japan)〉

YOKOHAMA will again provide ADVAN racing tires as control tires. Last year, the GT3 class was added, sparking immediately increased interest.

■ Formula Races

〈Macau Grand Prix〉

YOKOHAMA will supply control tires for Formula 3, the main event of the Macau Grand Prix, which will celebrate the 60th anniversary in this year. Many cars in concurrent events , including the WTCC, will compete on YOKOHAMA tires.

〈Japanese Formula 3 Championship/ATS Formula 3 Cup in Germany〉

As it was last year, YOKOHANA will be the sole tire supplier, providing its ADVAN racing tires to both championships, where top drivers challenge each other in thrilling competitions.

〈Other〉

Including the Super FJ in Japan and British BRDC F4, YOKOHAMA will provide tires for the junior formula races.

■ Other Races

〈Pikes Peak International Hill Climb〉

As it did last year, the “Team Yokohama EV Challenge” racing team will continue to take on the challenge with an electric vehicle (EV) and its fuel-efficient tires.

〈Off-road races〉

With its GEOLANDAR tires for SUVs, YOKOHAMA will also participate in off-road races, including the Baja 1000.

■ Kart Races

In Japan, as it did last year, YOKOHAMA will participate in the KF1 category of the All Japan Karting Championship, and will continue to supply control tires to the FP-Junior CADETcategory of the Japanese Junior Karting Championship and Asian Karting Open Championship.

It will also provide tires extensively for circuit races in the Philippines, Indonesia and elsewhere.

This year, YOKOHAMA will again support teams using its tires, helping them to achieve the best possible performance. YOKOHAMA will use the data and experience it gains through motorsports activities in the development of tires for consumers. Information will be updated as necessary on the relevant races at YOKOHAMA’s motorsports web site (http://www.advan.com/english/motor_sports/index.html).

FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)

SUPER GT

ADAC GT Masters o

GT ASIA

FIA European Rally Championship (ERC)

Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)

Macau Grand Prix

ATS Formula 3 Cup in Germany