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| | | | Yokohama Tires to Be Used by First Student Team in the History of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race | | - Supporting the Tokai University Le Mans Challenge Project - | | Tokyo - The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. today announced that it will support the Tokai University’s "Le Mans Challenge Project" in the 76th 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will be held over the weekend of June 14-15 at the Sarthe Circuit in France. This will be the first student team in the history of the race, in which it will compete in the LMP1 Class, the highest. Yokohama Rubber has a long track record in this race stretching back for more than 20 years, and based on the huge store of practical data it has accumulated it is providing YOKOHAMA ADVAN racing tires.
This support reflects the empathy that Yokohama Rubber feels, as a company in the automotive industry, with Tokai University’s efforts to enhance students’ self-motivation, practical capabilities, and challenging spirit through all phases from the creation of a racing machine through participation in the race. The company is also supporting the OSU Dakar Rally Challenge Project, led by Osaka Sangyo University, the purpose of which is to address environmental problems by means of automobile competitions. A racing driver Ukyo Katayama is acting as a driver in the latter project.
Under the direction of Prof. Yoshimasa Hayashi, who participated in endurance races in Japan and overseas during his time at Nissan Motor, the engine and machine research and development in the Tokai University Le Mans Challenge Project has been entirely student-led over seven years from 2001. Although it is a student team, it has created a machine comprising a modified French Courage-Oreca car, which has previously taken part in 24 Hours of Le Mans, incorporating an originally developed 4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine. In addition, the three drivers - Toshio Suzuki, Masami Kageyama, and Haruki Kurosawa - have extensive experience of competing in this race, and aim to stay the course with a full-fledged team structure. This participation by a student team is attracting considerable attention worldwide.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race is a well-established race with a tradition stretching back to its start in 1923, and it is renowned for being very rigorous for both drivers and vehicles. It has two major categories: the Prototype Class (LMP1/LMP2) for cars that are specially designed for racing, and the Grand Touring (GT) Class (LM-GT1/LM-GT2) for production-based cars. This year a total of 99 cars will be competing in all classes. |  | |
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| Tokai University LC70 YGK (TOP03) car fitted with YOKOHAMA ADVAN racing tires |
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Specifications:
Car name
LC70 YGK (TOP03) |
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Chassis
base car:Courage-Oreca
Total length: 4,461 mm Total width: 1,990 mm Total height: 1,034 mm
Wheelbase: 2,870 mm
Weight: 900 kg minimum |
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Engine
Engine displacement:3,998 cc
Model:8 cylinder V 90˚ |
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Tires
YOKOHAMA ADVAN racing tires |
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