FULLERTON, CA. – (March 15, 2012) – Orange continues to be the new green for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers, thanks to a new three-year sponsorship renewal between Yokohama Tire Corporation and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The agreement retains Yokohama’s eco-friendly, orange oil-infused ADVAN® ENV-R2™ race slicks as the official tire of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama through the 2015 season.
The announcement was made today in Sebring, Florida, at the season opener for the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama series. All Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars in the popular 15-race series will be competing on the revolutionary racing slick that combines orange oil and natural rubber to improve performance characteristics in the tire while using renewable materials. Yokohama’s ENV-R2 is the first – and only – environmentally-friendly tire used in a racing series.
“The IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama is an excellent platform to showcase our product, especially when it comes to green racing,” said Andrew Briggs, Yokohama’s director of product planning and motorsports. “IMSA, like Yokohama, has been a champion of eco-friendly initiatives for years and have embraced creative ways to bring that consciousness to motorsports. We’ve been a partner with GT3 Cup Challenge for four consecutive seasons, and couldn’t be happier with this renewal.”
“IMSA has recognized Yokohama as an innovative company for many years, and they have a rich history in sports car racing in the United States,” said Scot Elkins, COO of IMSA and the American Le Mans Series. “They have fully embraced our initiative to be the global leader in green racing and the ENV-R2 race slick is a testament to Yokohama’s commitment to that mission.”
“The ENV-R2, which we will also campaign in the GTC Class of the American Le Mans Series in 2012, has been a tremendous success,” said Briggs. “It has surpassed all driver expectations from a performance standpoint.”
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the all-new AVID® Ascend™ – the first mass-market tire using Yokohama’s breakthrough orange oil technology – as well as tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohama.ca.
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