Kumho sponsoring TCR racing championship

SEOUL, South Korea — Kumho Tire Co. Inc. has secured the naming rights for the TCR World Tour for touring cars, a global championship that overlaps with seven national and regional TCR series on four continents.

Kumho, which struck a race tire supply deal with TCR series' organizer WSC Ltd. in January 2022, has in the meantime secured the designated tire supply contracts with nine TCR championship series operating around the world — Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Europe, Finland, Middle East, South America and Spain.

The TCR class comprises front-wheel-drive sedans powered by 2-liter turbocharged engines generating no more than 340 hp. Cars eligible include Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi RS3, Cupra TCR, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30N, Peugeot 308 GTi and Toyota Corolla.

All teams that participate in the Kumho TCR World Tour (KTWT) will be fitted with Kumho's Ecsta S700 slick for dry conditions and Ecsta W701 treaded tire for wet conditions, the partners said.

Kumho Tire said it will use this sponsorship deal to demonstrate its technological advances and enhance its brand value. Financial terms of the three-year sponsorship deal were not disclosed.

"Kumho Tire has been recognized for its quality and technological excellence by providing official tires for TCR Europe and other major events," WSC President Marcello Lotti said. "I am certain that the inaugural KTWT this year will be an exciting race."

KTWT organizer WSC has selected 20 races being held at nine venues throughout 2023 as those that count toward the world title. Teams that want to compete for the KTWT title must register with WSC and thus become ineligible for the national/regional championships that are hosting the race weekends.

The designated races will be held in Portugal (April 28-30), Belgium (May 26-28), Italy (June 9-11), Hungary (June 16-18), Uruguay (Aug. 18-20), Argentina (Aug. 25-27) and Australia (Nov. 3-5 and 10-12), with the series finale scheduled for Nov. 17-19 on the streets of Macau, China.

Only teams competing in TRC series that have adopted Kumho as their spec tire are eligible.

There are 17 TCR-sanctioned series operating around the world, including TCR Asia (Michelin), TCR Baltic (Hankook), TCR Benelux (Yokohama), TCR Germany (Hankook), TCR Italy (Pirelli), TCR Japan (Dunlop), TCR U.K. (Goodyear) and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in North America.