Yokohama expands motorsports portfolio with 'max-grip' tire

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Yokohama Tire Corp. has expanded its lineup of motorsports tires with the Advan AO55, a DOT-approved "max-grip" shallow-grooved tire designed for use in open-tire category racing classes.

The A055, which is offered in seven sizes covering 15- through 18-inch rim diameters, is "purpose built for on-track racing with impressively fast lap times and continues Yokohama's decades-long legacy of UHP and motorsports tires," according to Drew Dayton, Yokohama's senior product planning manager of consumer tires.

The tire is targeted at racing series that require a DOT-approved tire, YTC said, such as the National Auto Sport Association's Super Touring classes.

Some of the product's highlights include:

• An advanced motorsports compound that provides "outstanding" dry grip for extreme cornering, braking and acceleration on the track.
• Symmetric alternating twin grooves maximize the contact patch for increased dry track performance.
• Motorsports-derived tire construction, with an ultra-high ply turn up that increases stiffness for enhanced cornering.
• A rounded profile that transitions from straight-line sprints to high-speed cornering for predictable handling.
• Optimized tread depth and design that eliminate the need for shaving.

Sizes available are: 205/50R15 86W; 245/40R17 91W; 275/40R17 98W; 275/35R18 95W; 225/45R16 89W; 255/40R17 94W; and 245/40R18 93W.

For more on Yokohama's motorsports tires, see yokohamatire.com/motorsports.