Podium Finish in American Le Mans Series Completes Strong Weekend for Yokohama Tire Corporation at the 57th 12 Hours of Sebring Endurance Race
Farnbacher, James take third-place finish in GT2 Class and Faieta, Snow double winners in Patron GT3 Challenge support race
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kevin Fisher, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4969,
kfisher@pcgcampbell.com
FULLERTON, CA (March 23, 2009) - At Saturday's American Le Mans Series (ALMS) 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race the Yokohama Tire Corporation-sponsored Panoz Team PTG finished third in the strong GT2 Class. Drivers Ian James and Dominik Farnbacher piloted the well-developed, Yokohama ADVAN® A005-shod Esperante GTLM in what is arguably this season's most competitive class. The Panoz, which raced against Ferrari 430 GT and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR factory teams, finished with an average speed of more than 100 miles-per-hour for the grueling 12 hour race.
"What a great way to start the ALMS season than with a podium finish," said Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate strategy and planning. "Team PTG was considered an underdog against the Porsches and Ferraris but came through with a strong performance. Congratulations to the drivers and the whole team."
The drivers were impressed with the consistency of the ADVAN race slicks. "The tires were awesome," said Farnbacher, 24, of Ansbach, Germany. "They were just perfect -- consistent and no blow-outs. I love them."
Added co-driver James, 34, of Phoenix, Arizona: "The tires were great; really consistent. We couldn't do without them. As soon as the sun set and it got cold, the tires just came alive and we were flying there. We'd like to thank everybody in Japan and at Yokohama USA."
In addition to the stirring ALMS race, Yokohama scored earlier in the week with the debut of its eco-friendly orange oil race tires in the Patron GT3 Challenge. Bob Faieta and Melanie Snow claimed class victories in both GT3 Challenge races driving Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars equipped with Yokohama Tire's ADVAN® ENV-R1™.
The ADVAN ENV-R1, the Official Spec Tire of the GT3 Challenge, reduces petroleum by approximately 10 percent and increases recyclability while maintaining the high performance levels of previous race slick compounds. "In its race debut this weekend, the tire has performed well with lap times remaining consistent throughout both races," said Chung. "Several drivers have told me how impressed they were with the drivability of the tire. I'd like to congratulate Bob and Melanie on superb performances."
Yokohama's orange oil race technology will transfer to passenger tires when the dB Super E-spec™ becomes available this summer in sizes designed for Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and other fuel-efficient models.
For more information on the dB Super E-spec tire, visit http://www.yokohamatire.com/video/ktlavideo.html
For American Le Mans Series race details go to: http://americanlemans.com/
For Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama race details go to: http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/events/sebring/R2%20Race%20Summary%20GT3%20Sebring.pdf
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers a complete line of tires, including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama's extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com. For details on Yokohama's environmental efforts, go to www.ecotreadsetters.com.
Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the "Taking Care of Your Tires" section at www.yokohamatire.com.
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