LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 10, 2015) — Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) is cranking up its ground game for the 2015 Formula Drift season.
The tire maker is returning for the fourth consecutive drifting season, which begins April 10-11 in Long Beach with the “Streets of Long Beach” event. YTC has three drivers in its stable this year, including 2013 Formula Drift champion Michael Essa, along with Masashi Yokoi and Matt Field.
Mr. Essa will be piloting a new car this season — Street Legal Performance's Chevrolet Camaro, which has a 750-plus-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine. Mr. Yokoi, who competed last season in Formula D Japan events, will drive the Nissan D-MAX Racing Silvia S15, which has a 1,000-horsepower Toyota 2JZ engine. Mr. Field, a Formula Drift podium winner, will be in the Drift Cave Nissan 240SX (S14), powered by a 1,000-horsepower Vortech supercharged Chevrolet V8 engine, according to YTC.
All three will compete on YTC's Advan Neova AD08R tires.
“We're fielding a strong group of experienced, talented drivers this season,” said Matt Johnson, YTC performance marketing supervisor, “and with that talent, combined with the very capable Advan Neova AD08R, YTC expects top-level results.”
In the six years YTC has been involved with Formula Drift, the Santa Ana, Calif.-based company said its teams have won three championships.
