Yokohama Sponsoring "Asia Cross Country Rally 2010"

Yokohama Rubber has pledged its support for the Asia Cross Country Rally 2010, which will be held in Thailand between August 7 and 11. This is the tenth time the tyre maker has been involved with the FIA certified cross country rally, the largest in Asia, and Yokohama will provide its Geolandar tyres to all entrants in the newly established sports class category and award prizes to the winners in all categories. It will also support many drivers, including Takuma Aoki, who will participate in the T2-D class (non-converted commercial diesel) and Tadamitsu Niihori, the race’s overall winner on two previous occasions.

The Asia Cross Country Rally was begun in 1996 to promote international goodwill and friendship among countries in Asia. Yokohama began supporting the rally in 2001. The Japanese manufacturer comments that, compared with the Dakar Rally, now held primarily in a South American desert, and the Baja 1000, in Mexico, the Asia Cross Country Rally route is a very severe course encompassing many different kinds of terrain, including dirt, swamps, deserts, jungles, mountain roads and river-crossings – a total of about 2,000 kilometres, from Pattaya to Phare. Several dozen teams from Asia and Europe are scheduled to participate.