FULLERTON, CA (March 14, 2013) – American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Race Week has kicked-off at Sebring International Raceway (through March 16) and Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) is ready to roll.
The Fullerton, California-based tire maker has partnered with a Ferrari 458 (on ADVAN® A005 tires) in the ultra-competitive ALMS GT class, and the orange oil-infused ADVAN® ENV-R2™ will again be the spec racing slick in the GTC Class of the ALMS, as well as the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Presented by Yokohama.
“We’re really anxious to start running this sports car racing season, and it all begins this weekend at Sebring,” said Duane Sampson, YTC motorsports manager. “From the sprint races of GT3 to the ALMS endurance race, Yokohama is ready to race.”
“For 2013, Yokohama has combined with a top-level team, a proven chassis and a strong driver line-up,” said Sampson. The Team West/Alex Job Racing/Boardwalk Ferrari features proven drivers Townsend Bell, Bill Sweedler and Leh Keen at the wheel. Keen captured the 2012 ALMS GTC championship driving for Alex Job. “I know Alex is fired up about Sebring,” said Keen. “As a driver, it doesn’t get much better than to be with a top-caliber team in a competitive car like the 458 GT Ferrari.”
The GTC class features a starting field of 11 cars with what Sampson described as “many well-established and proven race-winning teams.” He believes “the race will come down to precisely-executed pit stops and tire management.” All vehicles in the GTC class run on ENV-R2 tires.
Sampson said the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Presented by Yokohama has a 40-car entry list that includes “a solid mix of young and veteran driver talent, competing for first-rate teams. “The Sebring race is always exciting to watch as many drivers want to make their mark on the season early,” he said. Like the GTC car, all GT3 Cup Challenge Porsches are fitted with ENV-R2 tires. This is the fifth consecutive year YTC has been the series’ sole tire supplier.
For more details on Sebring Race Week, follow Yokohama’s Facebook’s page at http://www.facebook.com/yokohamatirecorp.
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.yokohamatire.com.
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