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Yokohama Tire returns as the Official Tire Supplier of Nitrocross. Yokohama will be the exclusive spec tire for all classes competing in the series, including the premier Group E class where new, purpose-built ADVAN A054® race tires will debut on the FC1-X, the world’s fastest electric race car.

Nitrocross features notoriously mammoth jumps with vast, banked turns on a variety of track surfaces all in a single lap. World-class drivers such as Team Yokohama members Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust and the Isenhouer Brothers will test their skills during the five-city, 10-round, action-packed series, which begins September 7-8 in Richmond, Virginia.

Team Yokohama Nitrocross highlights include:

— Group E: Tanner Foust, the first American to win a round of the European Rallycross Championship, is returning to full-time competition after a successful cameo in the class at Utah Motorsports Campus last season. He’ll be driving the Optima Battery/Yokohama-backed FC1-X with team OMSE on the newly developed ADVAN A054 tire.

— SxS: Action sports superstar and Nitrocross founder Travis Pastrana headlines this star-studded field of Can-Am Maverick R drivers competing on GEOLANDAR® H/T G056 tires.

— Baja Bug: Brothers Nick and Chris Isenhouer step out of their 6100 desert racing truck and into a race-modified 1960s-era VW Beetle to compete on Yokohama’s new GEOLANDAR A/T4™ tires and sporting A/T4 livery.

“We’re excited to return as the Official Tire of Nitrocross,” said Patricia Wall, Yokohama’s motorsports senior manager. “We love seeing our brand perform on a wide variety of vehicles, especially in a punishing environment like Nitrocross. It really drives tire development forward across all our platforms from consumer products to motorsports.”

For example, Wall said the new ADVAN A054® was designed to handle the huge amount of torque generated by the FC1-X. “When the FC1-X was introduced its acceleration was impressive, to say the least. But just like an electric car you see on the streets, the FC1-X is heavy and is a little more challenging on a tire than a lighter weight internal combustion race car.”

Wall explained that Yokohama engineers developed this A054 tire around a beadlock wheel for the FC1-X and Group E class. “The new wheel and tire combination will improve the racing significantly. The A054 tread is the right pattern for grip on dirt and tarmac; the construction has been improved so there will still be great tire performance at the end of races. The introduction of the beadlock wheel will allow drivers to push the limits even more which is going to make for some great racing.”

Complete 2024/25 Nitrocross Series schedule:
September 7-8, Richmond, VA
October 5-6, Salt Lake City, UT
November 15-16, Phoenix, AZ
January 11-12, 2025 Miami, FL
March 1-2, 2025 Las Vegas, NV

Along with Nitrocross, Yokohama’s extensive list of 2024 North American-based motorsports activities – both on- and off-road – includes Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Porsche Endurance Challenge, Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy by Yokohama, King of the Hammers, Championship Off-Road Series, Ultra4 USA and the TrophyLite Series.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. announced that it is supplying its “ADVAN Sport V107” tires as original equipment (OE) tires for the BMW M2 high-performance compact sports car that was launched by the German automaker BMW M GmbH in April 2024. The sizes are 275/35ZR19 (100Y) for the front and 285/30ZR20 (99Y) for the rear.

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Diamond America Corporation, a leading U.S. based extruder and die manufacturer, announced the relocation of their Headquarters. Effective September 30,2024, all operations will migrate to 1436 Martin Road, Mogadore, OH 44260 from 96 East Miller Avenue, Akron, OH 44301. This move signifies a major milestone to support the company’s growth and evolution over the last 20+ years.

Prism Worldwide is thrilled to unveil its latest innovation with the launch of CIRX™ car mats, engineered with our cutting-edge Ancora™ TPE technology. These pioneering mats are crafted from Ancora C-1082, a high-performance material that incorporates 50% recycled content derived from end-of-life tires, utilizing Prism’s advanced process technology.

Adam McCarthy, ETRMA’s Secretary General, said, “After a negative trend in full year 2023 with -8% in Consumer and -17% in Truck (versus 2022) , the evolution in volumes in first half of 2024 improved in Consumer mainly thanks to the All Seasons segment but remained negative in Truck. The second quarter was better than the first quarter, even if the inflationary and the geopolitical context led to a drop in demand and a reduction of inventory levels. Agricultural tire sales were supported by rainy weather conditions.”

Smithers announces that Eric Pierce, Principal Engineer, Smithers Winter Test Center & Treadwell Research Park, will be speaking at the 43rd Annual Tire Society Conference in Akron, Ohio, on September 11-13. Smithers is also sponsoring the conference.

Bellofram Elastomers has added custom flash cutting to the in-house services it offers to customers. It will create efficiencies by eliminating the need for customers to execute flash cutting themselves after taking delivery of Bellofram silicone sheets. The move is also expected to reduce waste for Bellofram Elastomers by 25%.

PPG introduces Pitt-Therm 909 Spray-On Insulation (SOI) coating. Engineered specifically for the rigorous demands of the oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical, and infrastructure sectors, this silicone-based coating offers unparalleled asset protection, surface safety, and operational efficiency.

GRI announced the appointment of Cara Junkins and Jeff Cole as National Sales Managers for the United States. These strategic hires underscore GRI’s commitment to strengthening its market position and delivering exceptional value to customers in the North American region.