Hankook Tire said it will continue its participation in professional drifting and time attack competition in 2010, as well as re-establish a contingency reward program for grassroots motorsports enthusiasts.

In 2010 Hankook will once again sponsor Formula Drift’s Team Papadakis and Dynamic Autosports, and will expand its stable of teams to include Conrad Grunewald Racing. Team driver and owner Conrad Grunewald will drive one of the few American muscle cars in Formula Drift – a 2010 Camaro SS equipped with a set of Hankook Ventus R-S3’s.  

Hankook also will continue to sponsor former two-time Formula Drift champion Tanner Foust in his Rockstar/Scion tC, as he looks to capture his third Formula Drift title.

In time attack, Hankook’s 2010 driver line-up includes Gary Sheehan from GST Motorsport, Jonathan Bomorito from Sierra Sierra Enterprise and World Racing’s Chris Rado.

All of Hankook’s time attack drivers will compete on Hankook’s Ventus Z214 DOT R Compound tires, which offer a symmetric tread design and utilize a smooth tread surface with two longitudinal tread grooves for outstanding performance on the circuit in both dry and damp conditions, according to the tiremaker.

“Each year drifting, time attack and grassroots motorsports – including club racing and autocross competitions – continue to grow and gain popularity in the U.S. and influence the marketplace,” said Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications for Hankook Tire America Corp. “This is in spite of these challenging economic times. Hankook will continue to be a leading next-generation tire maker in this arena, producing class-leading technology and delivering cutting-edge products like the Ventus R-S3 and Ventus Z214 to meet the demands of enthusiast consumers.”