Automotive Performance Brands - Yokohama Tires Win 25 Hours Of Thunderhill

FULLERTON, Dec. 12, 2012: When the checked flag came down after the demanding 25 Hours of Thunderhill, the Porsche 911 with Yokohama’s ADVAN® ENV-R2™ orange oil-infused tires was alone in the winner’s circle. Yokohama-sponsored driver Tyler McQuarrie helped lead the Motorsport Solutions/Ehret Family Winery Porsche to victory at the 25-hour, 1,953-mile endurance contest, December 8-9 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California.

McQuarrie, with co-drivers Memo Gidley, Pierre Ehert, Christian Bollrath and Anthony Ward, drove to a convincing 16-lap victory in the 10th running of the National Auto Sport Association’s United States Air Force-sponsored sports car contest.

“The Yokohama ENV-R2 tires were awesome and truly helped us get to victory lane,” said McQuarrie, who is also a Yokohama-sponsored Formula Drift driver. “They really out-shined the rest on the double stint. I could do the same lap times whether the tire was on lap 1 or on lap 80, and having the ability to double stint your tires without giving up lap time over 25 hours is a massive advantage.”

“It is great to see Yokohama’s orange oil technology take another win,” said Duane Sampson, Yokohama’s motorsports manager. “The last time Yokohama competed in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill at this level, back in 2009, we took the win.”

“Just finishing the 25 Hours of Thunderhill can be a major accomplishment, but winning the grueling race is big and taking the overall victory is massive,” said McQuarrie, who notched his first Thunderhill endurance overall win. “We couldn’t have done this without the Motorsports Solution Team, and my co-drivers really helped bring this home. Thanks again to Yokohama for supporting this effort and helping us reach the top step on the podium.”

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the all-new AVID Ascend® – the first mass-market tire using Yokohama’s breakthrough orange oil technology – as well as 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 extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

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