Yokohama HPT Clinches Another Championship

The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres, Yokohama HPT, has helped clinch another motorsport championship this year. Tristan Pye has won the Group N class of the BTRDA Rally Championship with two rounds to go, in his Yokohama-shod Subaru Impreza N11 rally car. The series is currently in its 54th year and comprises three awards split across a range of classes. This season is Tristan’s second using Yokohama tyres. So far he has taken class wins on five of the seven events he has competed in and is now uncatchable in the Group N category of the series.

Pye cites the Yokohama tyres as a major factor in his success this year. “I’ve been running Yokohama tyres this year as well as last year and find they work very well. I have tried other tyres but to be honest, even if I wasn’t supported in my efforts by Yokohama, I’d pay to use their tyres!

“It’s not only the tyres themselves which impress though; the back-up I get from Yokohama HPT is second to none. The pre-event work, as well as the input from the specialists who go to every event is invaluable to us on the stages. They always seem to know which tyres will work best.”

Having sewn up the Group N class of the series, Pye is now targeting the overall championship win as well. He is converting his car from Group N, or showroom class, to the more highly-performing Group A option, with a larger engine turbo restrictor, allowing the flat-four to develop more torque and power, as well as a six-speed gearbox for additional speed.

While this will make his car even faster, he is still keenly aware that taking the overall title will not be an easy task. “We won’t really know how competitive the car is with the changes until the next event,” he said. “However, it will still be a tough task, as there are several World Rally Cars in the series as well and they will take some beating. But with the Group N title already won, it means we can push for the overall win without too much pressure.”

Commenting on the new, Yokohama HPT’s Motorsport Manager, Mark Evans, said; “We’re delighted that Tristan has added another championship win to Yokohama’s tally for this season so far. I think this success in particular shows that we are making real progress in rallying, which is a sport based not only on performance but also, longevity and durability. Naturally we will be fully supporting Tristan’s bid for the overall title as well and hope that we will have even more success to celebrate with him at the end of the season.

“The class win is very gratifying but if we can help Tristan to take the overall BTRDA series title as well, this would demonstrate our commitment to developing our products and services in all forms of motorsport. I think the success we’ve already celebrated this year, with Dave Molyneux at the Isle of Man TT, Aston Martin at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and Brett Castle winning the European Drift Championship shows that our products are capable of bringing success to competitors across all disciplines.”