Kumho Competes in American Le Mans Series

Kumho Tire is to join the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) this year, as a race tyre supplier, according to American news source Tire Business.

The company will begin both tyre testing and the selection of a racing team this month. The tyre manufacturer is reportedly already in talks with GT and prototype teams.

“We have been involved in amateur road racing in the US for a dozen years,” said Rick Brennan, brand manager for Fontana-based Kumho. “We’ve enjoyed success and have learned a great deal and are ready to enter a professional series.

“ALMS is the only professional road racing series in the US that promotes tyre competition, and that’s important to us,” he continued. “We don’t want to compete against ourselves in a spec tyre series because that doesn’t prove how good our tyres are. We want to showcase the performance of our tyres by competing against—and beating—other tyre companies.”

The ALMS arena will certainly be a competitive environment for the manufacturer with companies including Michelin North America, Goodyear, Pirelli Tire North America and Yokohoma Tire Corp already present in the sport.