Yokohama Rubber revealed its motorsports activity plan for 2024. The company said participation in motorsports activities is crucial to its efforts to strengthen the Advan and GeoLandar brands and is again participating in a wide variety of motorsports events around the globe, from top-category to grassroots events.
Yokohama Rubber will again supply its Advan tires to many teams participating in motorsports events, such as Japan’s Super GT, the Nürburgring 24-Hour Race and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Yokohama Rubber’s GeoLandar tires will be supplied to teams participating in off-road races in North America and Asia, including the Baja 1000, King of the Hammers, the Mint 400 and the Asia Cross Country Rally.
GT and touring car races
Yokohama said Super GT races are contested in two classes, GT500 and GT300. While all GT500 machines must meet certain specifications, GT300 races are open to a variety of cars made in Japan and overseas. GT300 machines can broadly be divided into three types: automakers’ production cars that meet the international FIA GT3 specifications, Japan’s GTA-GT300 machines and the so-called “Mother Chassis” group of machines. In 2023, a Yokohama-supported team was victorious in the GT500 class Super GT third round race, and Yokohama-supported teams finished first in four of the eight GT300 class races. This year, Yokohama said its Advan racing tires are being supplied to two cars in the GT500 class and 15 cars in the GT300 class.
Formula races
Yokohama tires have been the control tires for the Japanese Super Formula Championship series since 2016. Last year, Yokohama Rubber began supplying Advan A005 racing tires for use in dry conditions that have a 33% sustainable material content ratio as the series’ control tire. This season, the company said it is increasing the use of sustainable materials by supplying a new version of its Advan A006 tire for wet conditions that has a higher sustainable material content ratio.
Hill climbs
Yokohama Rubber said it will again participate in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the United States. In 2023, a car equipped with Advan racing tires won the overall championship for the second straight year, while other Advan equipped cars finished first in five classes. In addition, Yokohama said it will again provide the control tire for the Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama, a hill climb competition for Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport vehicles.
Rally and rallycross
Last year, Yokohama Rubber provided teams competing in the Japanese Rally Championship with Advan A051T, Advan A08B and Advan A052 tires for use on tarmac and the Advan A053 for use on gravel. These tires contributed to overall championships in three of six classes.
Yokohama Rubber will again supply the control tire for Nitrocross, a rallycross racing series in North America that began in 2021. The control tire for EV category cars as well as internal combustion engine cars will be the Advan A054 rallycross tire, which was developed specifically for rallycross.
Speed competitions
Last year, cars equipped with Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 and Advan A050 high-performance tires captured the series championship in two classes at the All Japan Gymkhana Championship. Yokohama Rubber also supplied teams competing in several classes with a lineup of tires including the Advan A053 tires and including Advan A031 tires for softer surfaces and Advan A036 tires for ultra-hard surfaces. Teams using Yokohama tires captured series championships in six classes of the All Japan Dirt Trial Championship.
Off-road races in North America
Yokohama Rubber will again supply its GeoLandar brand tires for SUVs and pickup trucks to teams competing in major off-road races in North America, including the Baja 1000, King of the Hammers and the Mint 400. Already this year, GeoLandar equipped vehicles participating in February’s King of the Hammers finished first in three classes—4900 Can-Am Sportsman Stock UTV, 4600 Currie Enterprises Stock and 4500 Yukon Gear and Axle Modified.
