DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Yokohama Tire Corporation have expanded their partnership to include Yokohama serving as the official tire provider and presenting sponsor of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama, starting with the 2016 season.
Competitors in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series in the United States and Canada will compete on Yokohama tires, as Yokohama has served as the marketing and technical partner for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama since 2009. Both IMSA-sanctioned single-make series are among Porsche’s 20 Cup Challenge championships in the world.
“Yokohama’s strong support has been a driving factor in the continued growth of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama,” said Randy Hembrey, IMSA senior series manager, Development & Single-Make Series. “We’re pleased to extend this beneficial partnership into the Canadian series and are excited about its future as we work together with Porsche. With the USA and Canadian series now running on Yokohama tires, there are greater opportunities for teams and drivers to compete in both championships.”
To further the growth of the Canadian series, Yokohama is committed to activation both onsite and through media channels, including:
• Series contingency awards, including the Yokohama Hard Charger Award
• Development of a new driver hospitality area at selected events
• Media activation, including a print advertising campaign
“We’re thrilled to bolster our presence within IMSA’s lineup of world-class series and to be associated with a top-level brand like Porsche,” said Duane Sampson, motorsport manager at Yokohama Tire Corporation. “We will bring the same level of support and service to competitors in Canada that we have to the USA series since 2009, as we relish the increased feedback about the performance and durability of our tires. We’re also excited about the prospect of teams and drivers being able to more easily compete in both series without major setup changes.”
The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama will enter its sixth season in 2016, with intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world’s most produced race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
“We are pleased this relationship with Yokohama and IMSA will expand into the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada,” said Jens Walther, president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America. “This is an important championship among our global single-make series, and our technical and promotional collaboration with IMSA and Yokohama will make it even more attractive for existing and potential drivers and teams.”
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s broad product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.
About IMSA: The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Mazda Prototype Lites Presented by Cooper Tires, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR Holdings group – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected WeatherTech Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. For more information, visit www.IMSA.com, www.twitter.com/IMSA or www.facebook.com/IMSA.
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