Yokohama's 18th consecutive season sponsoring the Atlantic Championship kicks off with a roar

Courtesy Michael F. Hollander

FULLERTON, Calif. (April 3, 2006) -- New, new, new. When everything else in the 32-year-old Atlantic series is new (including the official name: Yokohama Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship, Powered by Mazda), it's nice to know there's one important component that continues its traditional role. For the 18th consecutive year, Yokohama Tire Corporation is providing high-performance ADVAN racing slicks to the series.

The season-opening Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend, April 7th-9th, will see the debut of the new Swift 016.a chassis; the new Mazda MZR 2.3-liter, 300-hp engine prepared by Cosworth Engineering; and a plethora of new teams and drivers, but the ADVAN racing slicks remain constant.

"There's a new excitement about this series," said Robert Dole, Yokohama product promotion manager, "and we're proud to be supplying the proven ADVAN tires that allow the stars of tomorrow to show their talent today."

The Atlantic series is a driver development program that has sent drivers to Formula One, Champ Car, IRL and sports car racing. Multiple Formula One World Championships, Indy 500 victories and series championships have been won by its graduates.

Former Atlantic drivers who have raced on Yokohama and advanced their careers include Jacques Villeneuve, Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy and Katherine Legge. Now the new class of the "stars of tomorrow" includes former series champion Alex Barron, Alan Sciuto, Graham Rahal, Jonathan Bomarito, Robbie Percorari, Stephen Simpson, Andreas Wirth, James Hinchcliffe, Richard Philippe, Leonardo Maia and Ryan Spencer-Smith.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Yokohama Rubber Company, a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers a complete line of tires, including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama's extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the "Taking Care of Your Tires" section at www.yokohamatire.com.