Building on a rich history of motorsport involvement in Canada, Yokohama has announced its commitment to continued support of the sport for 2013. The company's program this year encompasses activities at several levels from grassroots all the way up to a national championship.
2013 CARS Rally
Considered by many to be the most pure vision of auto sport, rally pits drivers in production-based cars against real roads. The Canadian Rally Championship is the pinnacle of the sport in this country and draws top drivers from across North America and abroad. Yokohama has been a Supporting Sponsor of CARS Rally for 15 consecutive years and many competitors rely on Yokohama ADVAN rally tires to get the job done.
As a performance tire brand, Yokohama recognizes the importance of proving their product in top-level competition like CARS Rally provides. The company invests heavily in R&D to develop cutting edge technologies that perform in the heat of competition that then filters down to creating superior products for the consumer market.
Supporting all six rounds of the Canadian Rally Championship, Yokohama will create recap videos of each event for rally fans to enjoy.
Canadian Rally Championship 2013 Calendar
February 2 – 3
RALLYE PERCE-NEIGE
Maniwaki, Quebec
June 29 – 30
RALLYE BAIE DES CHALEURS
New Richmond, Quebec
September 6 – 7
RALLYE DEFI
Ste-Agathe, Quebec
October 4– 5
PACIFIC FOREST RALLY
Merritt, British Columbia
November 1 – 2
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RALLY
Invermere, British Columbia
November 29 – 30
RALLY OF THE TALL PINES
Bancroft, Ontario
Learn more at www.carsrally.ca
Antoine L’Estage, Nathalie Richard – Sponsored Rally Drivers
Driving a familiar black Mitsubishi Evo Lancer, Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard have won 5 Canadian Rally Championships since partnering with Yokohama on their way to becoming fan favourites at every event. Additionally, L'Estage and Richard have captured 5 North American Rally Cups and 1 Rally America title. The pair are the reigning Canadian Rally Champions and are looking for a repeat in 2013. (www.coyoterallye.com)
CASC-OR, Time Attack – Contingency Sponsor
The Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs Ontario Region (CASC-OR) sanctioned Time Attack series lets drivers compete against the clock on a closed course. Many drivers actually compete in the car they drive to work each day, which provides a perfect setting for Yokohama to showcase the capabilities of their high performance tires.
The Yokohama Contingency Championship gives drivers using ADVAN Neova AD08 street tire, and ADVAN A048 R-compound tires the chance to win a free set of Yokohama tires or valuable coupons towards the purchase of new tires for podium finishes. Learn more about time attack at http://www.casc.on.ca/time-attack/.
Pat Cyr - Sponsored Drift Driver
Drifting, a relatively new form of motorsport, pits two drivers against each other in a battle of tandem style sideways driving. Pat Cyr, driving a Scion FR-S, is one of Canada's top drivers, having finished second in the 2010 Drift Mania Canadian Championship, garnering many event wins along the way. The driver has also successfully competed in Formula D, the top level of the sport south of the border. Yokohama will support Cyr in the DMCC for 2013.
Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining, forestry and construction applications. It maintains distribution centers across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers and more than 2,000 retail locations.
Photo: Liz Somers
