KUMHO
TIRES, Invincible in F3
Korean multinational
Kumho Tires is preparing to round off one of the most exciting years in
its motorsport history with the international Formula 3 grand finale in
Changwon, South Korea this month.
The 2002 season saw
Kumho as Official Tire Supplier for both the prestigious Marlboro Masters
of Formula 3 in Zandvoort Holland, and the ultra-competitive French Formula
3 Championship.
The annual Dutch event
brings together the leading teams from the national F3 series and the
advanced research and design technology of Kumho Tires has led to them
being designated the Official Tire Supplier for this event until 2006.
Brazilian Fabio Carbone,
who won the Zandvoort Masters in commanding style, taking the first Formula
3 victory of his career, was extremely impressed with the Kumho compound.
"Kumho tires are good," he said. "This is a big race, so
everything is difficult and very competitive. Tires therefore are also
important and these are perfect for me". Carbone will be pleased
to be returning to the Kumho tires which helped him clinch his momentous
win in Europe, when he lines up on the grid for the Korean Super Prix.
Tristan Gommendy,
newly-crowned French F3 Champion commented recently, "It's one thing
to have one tire for a championship, but if it's not a good tire it doesn't
make for good racing. The ECSTA racing compound tires have made for a
very good championship which I am delighted to have won."
Winner of the 2001
International F3 Korea Super Prix, Frenchman Jonathan Cochet, was also
highly impressed by his Kumho Tires saying, "They are so consistent.
In the build up to the race I used tires that had run for 60 laps and
they were still perfect."
India's Narain Karthikeyan who returns to Korea this year in a bid to
repeat his 2000 victory, described his Kumho Tires as "world class"
in last year's event.
Kumho's meteoric rise
in success and stature in the fiercely competitive tire world can be largely
attributed to its acclaimed Ultra High Performance (UHP) tires with the
company's ECSTA compound spearheading its worldwide campaign.
The ECSTA brand has
played a vital role in challenging Kumho's tire rivals on the world's
race tracks. By testing the boundaries of performance and durability at
the height of competition, the Korean manufacturer has been able to directly
influence the quality and performance of its commercially available road
tires.
Such has been the
success of the company's use of motorsport that the ECSTA KH11 compound
finished in the top three in the 2002 Giant Tyre Test organised by top
UK weekly motoring magazine, Auto Express. The compound was praised significantly
for its wet braking capability and premium performance, finishing well
ahead of renowned manufacturers, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli and Bridgestone.
Kumho's dedication
to its research and development programme and effective utilisation of
motorsport is set to continue with soaring sales in the global market
reflecting the high regard in which Kumho tires are held.
Established in 1960,
Kumho Tires is owned by Kumho Industrial Company Limited, and is the 10th
largest tire manufacturer in the world, with sales last year of $11.3
billion. Kumho manufactures and distributes a wide range of tires for
private cars, light and heavy-duty trucks. It has manufacturing facilities
in Korea and China, and has Technical Centres in Birmingham (UK), Ohio(USA),
and Gwangju(Korea).
November 20, 2002
Kumho Tires
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