News Release

Yokohama Rubber Motor Sports Activities in 2010

2010.March.05

  • Motor sports relation

Tokyo-The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced its Motor Sports Activity Plan for 2010. Motor sports are part of the company's strategy for the global development of its "ADVAN" flagship brand, and the company will actively support racing in Japan and many other countries.

Below are the highlights of the activity plan.

[FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)]
In 2005, the WTCC joined the F1 and WRC as the third FIA world championship. This is the sixth year it has been held. Yokohama Rubber has supplied ADVAN racing tires to the race as its one-make supplier since 2006. It has earned high marks for the balance that its tires bring to FF and FR cars and has decided to continue to supply them through 2012. Beginning this year, it will supply all 35 teams with eco-racing tires that give excellent grip with better environmental performance in both dry and wet conditions. The tires will be used in a total of 24 races, including the 12 rounds that begin in Brazil on March 7 and finish up Macau. The event will be held at the Okayama International Circuit once again this year, giving Japanese fans the opportunity to experience the excitement of one of the world's top races at home.

The company plans to supply WTCC spec tires to the "European Touring Car Championship" (ETCC) and to touring car races in Sweden, Denmark, Russia and other countries.

[International F3 Macau Grand Prix (China)]
Yokohama Rubber is the one-make supplier of tires to the WTCC's final event, the Macau F3 Grand Prix, now in its 28th year. In addition to the F3 Grand Prix and WTCC, ADVAN racing tires enjoy a share of more than 50% in the support races for the Grand Prix.

[China Circuit Championship (touring car race) and China Rally Championship]
From this year through 2012, Yokohama Rubber is the one-make supplier to the China Circuit Championship and will be supplying Super 2000 class and Super 1600 class ADVAN racing tires. For the China Rally Championship, we will be supplying the "ADVAN A053" and "ADVAN A006T" tires originally developed in the "FIA Production Car World Rally Championship" (PCWRC) for six cars driven by the "Subaru Rally Team China" and "Honghe"teams. Both are scheduled for launch international markets in May.

[Le mans 24 Hours]
We support "JAGUAR RSR," which has been performed well in the American Le Mans series, for Le Mans 24 Hours. As it celebrates its 75 year, Jaguar is returning to Le Mans to enter the "XKR GT2" in the LM-GT2 class.

[Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)]
Yokohama Rubber enjoys a partnership with the "Cusco World Rally Team," which is racing here for the fifth time and aiming for the series championship. Out of six events, the team plans to compete in all but the fifth (New Caledonia).

[SUPER GT]
In the GT500, we continue to support "KONDO Racing," which has used ADVAN racing tires to achieve a string of wins in 2007, 2008 (Sepang, Malaysia) and the opener in 2009. In the GT300 class, we supply ADVAN racing tires to approximately 60% of the teams, including the 2009 series champion, "RACING PROJECT BANDOH."

[All Japan Rally Championship]
We will continue our partnership with the 2009 series champion, "ADVAN-PIAA RALLY TEAM." The team will be seeking another victory this year in its Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X decorated with the red and black ADVAN colors.

[Super Taikyu Series]
This is the only full-fledged endurance race in Japan, and in 2009 cars equipped with ADVAN racing tires won championships in all classes. This year, the series will be introducing an "official tire," and we are pleased that their strong track record won that position for ADVAN racing tires in the first year. We will be supplying eco-racing tires designed specifically for super endurance racing that offer improved environmental performance and, thanks to the use of "orange oil," excellent grip too.

Yokohama Rubber will be supporting a number of other categories as well, including the "All Japan GYMKHANA Championship" (championships in seven classes in 2009) and "All Japan Dirt Trial" (championship in one class in 2009 ).

[One-Make Tire Category]
We will supply ADVAN racing tires to the following categories.
* Porsche GT3 One-Make Race (the United States, Brazil)
Porsche GT3 race held in the United States and Brazil. Eco-racing tires will be supplied to the US race. The Brazil race is growing in popularity thanks to the introduction of new classes.
* Seat Leon One-Make Race (Spain, Germany)
Seat Leon One-Make Races are held in many European countries. ADVAN racing tires will be supplied on a "one-make" basis to the series in Spain and Germany.
* German F3 (Germany)
F3 race held in Germany.
* Civic One-Make Race (Japan)
Honda Civic (FD2) race.
* Corolla Axio GT One-Make Race (Japan)
Corolla Axio GT (NZE141) race held at Fuji International Speedway.
* F4 Championship, Super FJ, Racing Kart etc.
We also support entry categories in motor sports. We have signed a 3-year supply contract for Super FJ that begins in 2010.

We look forward to supporting teams with ADVAN tires throughout the world and using the data obtained from racing in the development of consumer-market tires.

Major Plans

FIA World Touring Car championship (WTCC)

All cars to be fitted with ADVAN tires

International F3 Macau Grand Prix

All cars to be fitted with ADVAN tires

Le Mans 24 Hours

Teams to be equipped with ADVAN tires: Jaguar RSR (Jaguar XK RS GT2)

Super GT

Teams to be equipped with ADVAN tires:
GT500 class: KONDO Racing (Nissan GT-R)
GT300 class: RACING PROJECT BANDOH and other leading teams (planned)

All Japan Rally Championship

Teams to be equipped with ADVAN tires: ADVAN-PIAA Rally Team (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X)

Super Taikyu Series

All cars to be fitted with ADVAN tires