DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (March 6, 2014) — Nexen Tire America Inc. has withdrawn its sponsorship with the Formula Drift series for the 2014 racing season.
Kyle Roberts, Diamond Bar-based Nexen's director of marketing, said although the tire marketer was happy with its partnership with Formula Drift and its team of drivers, “Nexen needed to focus its marketing efforts on programs that better fit the company's core competencies.”
“We manufacture high-quality tires at a great value,” he continued, “and some of our patterns fit the need of casual drift enthusiasts perfectly. However, we are currently in the beginning stages of developing a competition tire that is designed to perform consistently at the high level demanded by us and our drivers.”
Mr. Roberts added that Nexen has plans on re-entering a partnership with Formula Drift once the company has developed and tested a competition tire that showcases Nexen's brand better.
“We love being involved with the drift community and sharing in the passion exhibited by its fans, drivers and sponsors,” he said. “We look forward to coming back in the near future, and when we do, we are coming back to win.”