Yokohama’s latest racing partnership certainly has juice: The tire maker is now the official tire of the 24 Hours of Lemons, the madcap race series featuring cars that cost a whopping $500 or less (not including tires, of course, plus safety equipment, wheels, etc.).
Created by longtime auto journalist Jay Lamm in 2006, the just-for-fun 24 Hours of Lemons endurance road racing series features everything from stretch limos and junked Maseratis to sturdy Toyotas, beaten-down BMWs and Camaro-eating Mustangs. In short, anything goes.
“Even really bad cars deserve really good tires,” said Lamm. “Listen, Lemons racers need all of the help they can get and I’m delighted that Yokohama is onboard and giving us some credibility.”
“This will be a wild series,” said Fardad Niknam, Yokohama’s senior director of consumer product planning and product marketing. “It’s unconventional to say the least, but everyone has a good time and it’s certainly the first racing series we’ve been involved with where the tires cost more than the cars.”
Niknam added that Yokohama also has the naming rights to six of the 19 U.S. races as part of the deal. “Lemons races have funny names like the ‘Button Turrible,’ ‘Southern Discomfort,’ and ‘Pacific Northworst GP’ and that’s part of the charm. It’s what makes the 24 Hours of Lemons so cool.”
For more on the 24 Hours of Lemons 2018 schedule, visit https://24hoursoflemons.com/schedule/.
About Yokohama Tire Corporation
Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s broad product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.
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Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tire Care & Safety” section at www.yokohamatire.com.
About 24 Hours of Lemons
Created by longtime auto journalist Jay Lamm in 2006 as a ‘wouldn't it be funny if we could hold a $500 car/500-mile rally...’ discussion, the 24 Hours of Lemons has evolved into the biggest endurance-race series in the world. Some 9,000 drivers participate in its 20-25 nationwide events each year, including international races in Australia and New Zealand. For more info, visit https://24hoursoflemons.com/.