Tokyo—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that vehicles fitted with its GEOLANDAR M/T G003 mud-terrain tires for SUVs and pickup trucks will be participating in The Mint 400, an off-road race to be held in Nevada, USA, from March 9 to March 13. The GEOLANDAR-equipped vehicles will be driven by world-class off-road racers including Justin Lofton, Ikuo Hanawa, Kristen Matlock and Wayne Matlock.

The Mint 400, the oldest off-road race in America, is a grueling race over a 400-mile (about 644km) desert course near the foothills outside Las Vegas. More than 450 teams from all over the world participate each year, and more than half of those retire before crossing the finish line.

GEOLANDAR M/T G003 tires deliver superior performance on the full range of off-road surfaces over an exceptionally long lifespan. In addition, the tire features a sturdy and aggressive design that enhances the off-road driving sensation. YOKOHAMA’s GEOLANDAR tires have demonstrated their superior off-road performance in many races over the years, including a one-two finish in the 4800 class at the 2021 King Shocks Area BFE Beatdown and a first-place finish in the Trick Truck class of the 2021 King Shocks Laughlin Desert Classic—both races held in the United States.

Under Yokohama Rubber’s three-year (2021–2023) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023), the consumer tire business aims to maximize the sales ratios of high-value-added YOKOHAMA tires, namely the global flagship ADVAN brand, the GEOLANDAR brand of tires for SUVs and pickup trucks, and various winter tires. YX2023 also positions participation in motorsports activities as crucial to the company’s effort to develop new tire technologies that will further strengthen the ADVAN and GEOLANDAR brands. Yokohama Rubber therefore is again participating in a wide variety of motorsports events in Japan and around the globe, from top-category to grassroots events.

Driver: Justin Lofton
Class: Unlimited Truck
Tire: 39X13.50R17 GEOLANDAR M/T

Driver: Ikuo Hanawa
Class: Class 7
Tire: LT285/75R17 GEOLANDAR M/T G003

Driver: Kristen Matlock/Wayne Matlock
Class: UTV PR-100
Tire: 33X10.50-15 GEOLANDAR SD