Yokohama Rubber participating in US’s most challenging hill climb—Supporting more than 20 cars, including the first entry by a hydrogen fuel cell car
Hiratsuka, Japan—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that its US subsidiary Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) will be supplying racing tires from its global flagship ADVAN brand to more than 20 cars competing in five divisions of the 103rd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to be held in Colorado, USA, on June 22.
As part of its ADVAN CHALLENGE that seeks to maximize sales of ADVAN tires, Yokohama Rubber is once again participating in the world’s most grueling hill climb race. In last year’s event, ADVAN tires had a significant presence, with five cars running on ADVAN racing tires finishing in the top 10 in the overall results, including first-place finishes in four divisions. This year, in addition to supporting several top-line drivers, Yokohama Rubber is aiming for further advances by providing its tires to drivers taking on new technical challenges. David Donohue, who has finished first in the Time Attack 1 Division three straight years, Cole Powelson, who won the Open Wheel Division last year, and Robin Shute, winner of the overall championship in 2022 and 2023, are among the drivers who will be supplied with ADVAN A005 racing tires. Yokohama Rubber will also supply its ADVAN A052 street sports tires for use on the 2025 Honda CR-V, the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car will be entered in the Exhibition Division and driven by Daijiro Yoshihara, a veteran of many motorsports events in the United States. In addition, the ADVAN A052 street sports tire will be the control tire for an 8th straight year in the Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama, which now features GT4 cars by Porsche, Ford, and Aston Martin.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a hill climb race with a long and illustrious history dating back to 1916. It is also known as the “Race to the Clouds,” as the course starts at 2,862 meters above sea level and covers about 20 kilometers before reaching the finish line at an altitude of 4,302 meters. Cars fitted with YOKOHAMA tires captured the Pikes Peak overall championship in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
The consumer tire strategy in Yokohama Rubber’s three-year (2024–2026) medium-term management plan, Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), aims to maximize the sales ratios of high-value-added tires by expanding sales of YOKOHAMA’s global flagship ADVAN brand, the GEOLANDAR brand of tires for SUVs and pickup trucks, winter tires, and 18-inch and larger tires. Yokohama Rubber positions participation in motorsports activities as crucial to its effort to further strengthen the ADVAN and GEOLANDAR brands. Yokohama Rubber therefore is again participating in a wide variety of motorsports events around the globe, from top-category to grassroots events.
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Yokohama Rubber participating in US’s most challenging hill climb—Supporting more than 20 cars, including the first entry by a hydrogen fuel cell car, source
