SCCA Pro Racing strikes multi-year deal with Hankook Tire
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 30, 2018) -- SCCA Pro Racing, the sanctioning body behind the successful Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda and the new F3 Americas Championship Powered by Honda, announced today that Hankook Tire America will be its exclusive tire supplier for its formula championship ladder starting in 2019.
Hankook Tire’s experience in other F4 Championships around the world and the F3 European Championship means their products have exhibited the durability and performance demanded of a highly competitive series. Plus, Hankook Tire meshes well with other series technical partners Honda, HPD, Onroak and Liger.
In a multi-year agreement with an option to extend, Hankook Tire will not only deliver Hankook-branded slick and rain tires to F4 U.S. and F3 Americas competitors, but also provide marketing services to drivers and teams. Per FIA guidelines, a maximum of two sets will be available for purchase at each event with no limitations on tires at official series tests. Hankook Tire will provide trackside mounting service and tire engineering support at each race and test.
“Hankook is thrilled to support F3 and F4 as the primary tire supplier,” said Hankook Tire’s Sooman Choi, Vice President of Marketing. “We are excited and eager to provide our state-of-the-art racing tires to a series that is designed to develop young American racing talent.”
As part of the F4 U.S. Championship scholarship, Hankook will also present the F4 title winner with two full sets of tires per event for the season to progress into the F3 Americas Championship, starting with the 2018 F4 U.S. champion Dakota Dickerson.
“We put extra effort into securing this sponsorship because we believe in the future of Formula racing in the United States,” says Danny van Dongen, the founder of the motorsports division. “We have a full range of competition sizes from 13 to 19 inches, but we have previously only sponsored GT and prototype cars. Formula 3 and 4 really help us showcase everything our brand can do.”
Hankook Tire America Corp. is a growing leader in the U.S. tire market, leveraging investments in technology, manufacturing and marketing to deliver high-quality, reliable products that are safer for consumers and the environment. With all F4 U.S. and F3 Americas Championship cars designed and assembled in North America, parts availability and quality are assured. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Hankook America aligns with SCCA Pro Racing’s commitment to deliver an attainable and very affordable entry level into professional motorsport.
Fans can view and snap photos with the newly outfitted Hankook Tire F4 U.S. and F3 Americas cars starting at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in the Honda booth (#24887) and in the Acumatica booth (#52019).
About Hankook Tire America Corp.
Hankook Tire America Corp. is a growing leader in the U.S. tire market, leveraging investments in technology, manufacturing and marketing to deliver high-quality, reliable products that are safer for consumers and the environment. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Hankook America markets and distributes a complete line of high-performance and ultra-high-performance passenger tires, light truck and SUV tires as well as medium truck and bus tires in the United States. Hankook Tire America is a subsidiary of Hankook Tire Co., Ltd., a Forbes Global 2000 company headquartered in Seoul, Korea, and led by President and CEO Hyun Bum Cho.
About SCCA Pro Racing
SCCA Pro Racing is a division of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. -- a 65,000-member organization dedicated to motorsports. SCCA Pro Racing provides full-service organization, operation and sanctioning for numerous professional racing series such as Trans Am® and Formula E.
About the SCCA Pro Racing F4 U.S. Championship
FIA F4 is designed as entry-level open-wheel racing for participants, around a contemporary, modern, cost conscious formula. SCCA Pro Racing and its chosen partners that embrace these ideals and support this vision with appropriate technology and products. The selected F4 powerplant is a production-based engine powering the Honda Civic® Type R®, tuned to meet FIA-mandated output of approximately 160 Hp. The engine and the ECU are sealed to provide parity and compliance. The Ligier JS F4 16 carbon fiber chassis is manufactured in the United States by Onroak Automotive North America. From the Hankook Tires, the Honda engine to the Ligier chassis, the F4 U.S. car is assembled and made in the United States.
