DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 15, 2016) — The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Yokohama Tire Corp. have expanded their partnership to make Yokohama the official tire provider and presenting sponsor of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama.
The deal replaces a contract IMSA and Porsche Motorsport North America had with Michelin Motorsports since 2011 and means competitors in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series in the U.S. and Canada both will compete on Yokohama tires.
Yokohama has been the marketing and technical partner for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA since 2009.
“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 and 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.”
Yokohama said it 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; and
- 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 Corp.
“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.