Inaugural Season of Yokohama Drivers Cup USA Heads for Watkins Glen After Successful Debut at California Speedway

Media Contact: Michael F. Hollander, PCGCampbell (310) 224-4981, mhollander@pcgcampbell.com

FULLERTON, Calif. - (April 13, 2007) - The roar of Porsches brings a new level of racing in the 2007 as the inaugural season of the Yokohama Drivers Cup USA is under way. The season began at California Speedway in Fontana, where 25 drivers participated in the first event. Future events will be held at five other sites: Watkins Glen (Jun. 14-17), Road America (Aug. 3-5), Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Aug. 24-26), Infineon Raceway (Oct. 26-28), and the season finale at a location to be announced, in November.

Designed as a bridge between traditional club racing and professional road racing, the Yokohama Drivers Cup USA aims to prepare drivers who want to move up in the racing ranks. Innovative weekend schedules include tech sessions, data acquisition debriefs, video analysis and one-on-one driver coaching, all of which are applied during on-track sessions. On-track time is a key element during each race weekend and competitors have multiple sessions, including Friday's test and tune day, followed by practice, qualifying and races on both Saturday and Sunday.

"For Yokohama, the fit is natural," said Robert Dole, Product Promotions Manager for Yokohama. "We've been involved with Porsche Owners Club (POC) and Porsche Club of America (PCA) racing activities. The Yokohama Drivers Cup USA serves as a natural extension of that relationship as well as our ALMS relationship with Porsche Motorsports North America and OE fiTMents on some of Porsche AG's newest street products."

Yokohama Drivers Cup USA Porsche 996 and 997s are shod with the ADVAN® A005 slick, 250/650R18 soft compound on the front and 280/680R18 medium compound on the rear. If rain ensues, the ADVAN® A006 is used in corresponding sizes. Twenty-five to 30 competitors are expected each weekend.

"From day one, the Drivers Cup USA series has generated excitement with Yokohama," said Dole. "It's a great opportunity for Yokohama to showcase its ADVAN brand with its target audience while furthering our relationship with Porsche, which has roots in both OE and racetrack fiTMents."

"We're going to be the premier racing series focused on education and coaching," said Greg Franz, President of Competent Motorsport, LLC, and founder of the series. "The goal is to make the participants competent drivers at all levels, but do it in an environment that really focuses on racing."

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based 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.

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.