From sleek Porsches to rugged off-road vehicles to everyday lemons, Yokohama Tire’s 2018 motorsports program is ready to roll.
“Yokohama produces tires for a wide variety of racing disciplines,” said Drew Dayton, Yokohama’s manager of motorsports, “which helps us push our tire development. Our tires have to successfully handle everything from the rocky, desert terrains to road courses.”
Yokohama’s 2018 racing slate includes:
- Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
The eight-venue, 16-round Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama features semi-pro drivers in two classes of matched Porsches. It is one of the largest single-make series in North America and for the 10th consecutive season, Yokohama will be the series’ sole tire supplier. YTC has served as the marketing and technical partner for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama since 2009.
All Porsche GT3 Cup cars will compete on YTC’s ADVAN ENV-R2 racing slick, with more than 25 cars vying for championships in three GT3 classes-Platinum, Platinum Masters and Gold- at iconic tracks throughout North America, including Sebring, Road Atlanta, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen.
The racing begins March 14-16 at Sebring. For details, visit porschegt3cupusa.imsa.com.
- Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama
For the third consecutive season, Yokohama’s ADVAN ENV-R2 is the spec tire of the six-venue, 12-race series. Scheduled across six event weekends, the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama features two 45-minute races per weekend. Champions will be crowned across the series’ three classes: Platinum Cup, Gold Cup and Platinum Masters Cup.
Season opener is March 14-16 at Sebring. For more info, visit porschegt3cupcanada.imsa.com
- The 24 Hours of Lemons
Yokohama is now the official tire of the 24 Hours of Lemons, the wacky race series featuring cars that only cost $500 or less (not including tires, plus safety equipment, wheels, etc.).
Created by longtime auto journalist Jay Lamm in 2006, the 24 Hours of Lemons has evolved into the biggest endurance-race series in the world. Some 9,000 drivers participate in its 20-25 nationwide events each year, including international races in Australia and New Zealand.
For more on the 24 Hours of Lemons 2018 schedule, visit https://24hoursoflemons.com/schedule/.
- Ultra4 Series
Yokohama is teaming up with GenRight Off Road to compete in the Ultra4 series. GenRight, makers of innovative Jeep parts and accessories, will compete on GEOLANDAR M/T R-Spec tires in the Ultra4 Racing 4400 Unlimited Class.
Driver Jordan Pellegrino is stepping up in class after many successful years in the Ultra4 Stock Mod Class and will make his Ultra4 Racing 4400 Unlimited Class debut in the first race of the season: King of the Hammers, Feb. 2-10 in Johnson Valley, California.
For more on the 2018 Ultra4 race schedule, visit ultra4racing.com.
- TrophyLite Series
Yokohama’s GEOLANDAR M/T G003 is the spec tire of the 2018 TrophyLite R4 Series. First race of the season is the Best in the Desert (BITD) Parker 425, Feb. 1-4 in Parker, Arizona.
Debuting on the off-road racing circuit in 2007, the TrophyLite R4 Series provides an affordable alternative to the high cost of desert racing while offering extreme performance.
For more info, visit trophylite.com.
- Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000
Yokohama is the title sponsor of the Yokohama National Off-Road Racing Association’s (NORRA) Mexican 1000.
Dubbed The happiest race on Earth, the Mexican 1000 is a five-day, 1,300-mile blast through Mexico’s Baja peninsula. The 51 running of the iconic rally begins April 22 in Ensenada, with pre-event activities starting on April 20. Yokohama will highlight its GEOLANDAR tire line at the Mexican 1000, including the GEOLANDAR M/T G003 mud-terrain tire.
For more information on the Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000, visit norra.com.
- Yokohama Sonora Rally
Yokohama is the title sponsor of the 2018 Yokohama Sonora Rally. Modeled after the world-renown Dakar Rally, the fourth running of the popular hardcore off-road rally in the beautiful Sonora desert takes place March 19-24.
For more information, visit sonorarally.com.
- Off-Road Contingency Programs
For 2018, Yokohama has cash contingency programs for participants using Yokohama tires in the Best in the Desert (BITD) series and SCORE.
For more info on Yokohama motorsports programs, go to yokohamatire.com/motorsports/racing-series.
Besides motorsports, Yokohama has a full schedule of sports sponsorships. The roster includes Chelsea FC, Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels, Nitro Circus Live US Tour, Nitro World Games, Spartan Race Series and the Needham Memorial Day Soccer Tournament Driven by Yokohama.