Hoosier strikes supply deals with several racing series

LAKEVILLE, Ind.—Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. has struck deals with several road-racing sanctioning bodies covering race tire supply for series in North America and Europe.

The new deals are with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) and the TransAm Euro Racing Series.

The company—a subsidiary of Continental Tire the Americas—also renewed a supply contract with Formula Race Promotions (FRP) for the Formula Atlantic, F2000 and F1600 road-racing series for three more years.

Hoosier's deal with the SCCA involves the creation of the "Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour," which covers a dozen race weekends throughout the 2017 season for the SCCA's various "amateur" racing classes.

The SCCA created the Super Tour five years ago with BFGoodrich as the sponsor, but that relationship expired after the 2012 season, after which it was renamed "Majors Tour."

The Hoosier Super Tour will comprise a dozen race weekends at venues across the U.S., with a pair of races per class scheduled for each weekend. Competitors' finishes in the Super Tour events will carry extra weight toward the SCCA's year-end national championships.

The Super Tour program extends beyond the racing, the partners said, to bring a "heightened experience" for competitors and fans.

Race weekends will include segmented timing and scoring—a service unavailable at other amateur motorsports events—as well as having a dedicated "Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire" team of announcers on hand to provide consistent insight and entertainment both for those at the track and online at SCCA.com.

Hoosier Super Tour races will be broadcast live online at SCCA.com, the SCCA said.

According to Eric Prill, the SCCA's vice president and COO, the Super Tour connects premier events that drivers enjoy traveling to with a dedicated point series that decides nationwide Super Tour Champions separate from U.S. Majors Tour Conference Championships.

"While many of our racers like to keep their racing close to home," Mr. Prill said, "there are others that prefer to travel to these showcase events. The new structure provides something for both groups."

Bruce Foss, Hoosier's business unit manager for circuit racing tires, said getting involved with the SCCA in this manner is a "great partnership opportunity and makes perfect sense.

"Hoosier's fortunate position in the Club Racing marketplace allows us to extend monetary support for this opportunity. The Hoosier Super Tour will provide an upgraded event experience for the participants and for those who follow the action via the Internet, while providing an opportunity to further promote the Hoosier brand."

Hoosier offers a wide range of bias and radial racing tires for many of the SCCA's classes—including DOT-approved types and sizes for those classes that require them.

Hoosier's deal with the SVRA calls for Lakeville-based Hoosier to be the association's official tire in 2017, a designation that provides perks such as paddock displays, signage and public address presence at events as well as advertising and marketing across all of the SVRA's media platforms.

SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella called joining forces with Hoosier "another critical piece of the puzzle as we enhance our national racing platform with an impressive and growing list of investing sponsors."

Mr. Parella said the SVRA is confident Hoosier—with more than 1,000 tire types in its portfolio—can supply tires for the "broad array" of cars ranging from a few decades to 100-plus years old that participate in its events.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are greatly impressed with the fast growth of the SVRA, which in just the past three seasons has expanded into a national organization," Hoosier's Mr. Foss said. "We want the Hoosier Racing Tire brand to be a key part of that growth momentum."

The SVRA will run 15 major race weekends in 2017 featuring cars across a dozen groups, with numerous classes in each, encompassing open-wheel formula, prototype and sports racers, production-based sports cars, sedans and GTs etc.

This wide array of car types, together with the selection of varying types of circuits, imposes special challenges for tire suppliers, the SVRA said.

Each major race weekend can attract up to 500 competitors.

Hoosier's deal with TransAm Euro Racing Series covers a start-up series that is based on the decades-old TransAm series in North America. It is scheduled to debut in 2017 with eight events at tracks in France, Spain, Belgium and Italy.

The series is and will be limited initially to three body styles—Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Charger. It is being promoted by Quirin Bovy, a former touring and endurance car driver from Belgium.

"The TransAm Euro Racing Series is a great addition for Hoosier, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with them," said Martin Heckers, managing director of Hoosier Tire Europe.

Ironically, Hoosier's deal with TransAm Euro coincides with the end of its supply contract for the TransAm series in North America. Trans Am Race Co. L.L.C. struck a deal in late 2016 with Pirelli Tire North America L.L.C. for Pirelli to become the series' spec racing tire and presenting sponsor for the next three years.

The cars in the European series will race on Hoosier's TA2 tire line, used for the U.S. TransAm series.

The deal covering the Formula Atlantic, F2000 and F1600 road-racing series extends a relationship that began in 2008, when Hoosier became the spec tire for the F2000 Championship Series. Since then, Salem, N.H.-based FRP has expanded its program with Hoosier to include the F1600 and Atlantic Championships.

"Our goals are aligned to draw interest and participation from the vast motorsports market within the Hoosier network and other areas of the motorsports industry. The F1600, F2000 and the Atlantic Championship Series will become a certifiable 'gateway' to higher level open wheel circuit racing in the U.S. and elsewhere," said Hoosier's Mr. Foss.

A key component will be creating a promotional campaign using social media, traditional media, expanded targeted marketing and promotional activities.