Kumho Tires Kickstarts the 2014 Super Race Season

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Kumho Tires Kickstarts the 2014 Super Race Season

Kumho Tires, has been sponsoring motorsports for over 20 years, has recently sponsored a new team to compete in this year’s Super Race.

The Super Race is a series of four different races that take place in various cities around Asia. The event is “rain or shine,” so Kumho Tires is going the put three different versions of their elite tires to the test, no matter what the weather throws at the team.

Kumho’s Ecsta Racing Team, which is named after the high performance “Ecsta” tire, consists of a team of two drivers and four technicians. The team will be using three different tires to compete that have been carefully engineered to perform in any weather or track conditions the team may encounter.

The Kumho Tires Drivers

Kumho Tires had a tough time choosing the drivers to compete in the Super Race series. For years, the company has prided itself in sponsoring and competing in grassroots type of racing, but the Super Race demands drivers at the top level. However, instead of going the traditional route of choosing a rising championship racer to drive their racecar, Kumho Tires decided to give the Ecsta Team a bit of flair. The two racers it chose are Kim Jin-pyo of Korea and Yuji Ide of Japan.

Thirty six year old Kim is a famous hip-hop artist and TV personality who hosts the popular automotive show Top Gear Korea. Kim began his career in 2006 where he competed in the Nexen R-Stars celebrity race. Kim isn’t just a celebrity that enjoys cars, though. He dominated the amateur circuit and in 2008, became a champion in the Super 1600cc division of the only professional racecar competition in Korea, the CJ Super Race.

Ide, 39, began his racing career with kart racing in the early 90s, and moved onto Formula racing in the early 00’s. Kim will be coaching the Ide as the two racers work through the season together.

Kumho’s Racing’s Arsenal

Kumho has carefully chosen three different tires from their Ecsta family for the upcoming season. The V70A, S700 and W710 tires will be used depending on weather and track conditions. The Ectsta Tires have always been a popular brand with tuners, auto-crossers and amateur racers. The advanced silica tread compound makes all of the Ecsta Tire types the most popular choice for professional racers and regular enthusiasts.

V70A

The V70A features a high-grip silica competition tread compound with wide tread ribs for optimum cornering grip. The directional tread grooves have been engineered to preserve wet traction at full tread depth. Kumho advises that the V70A must be shaved prior to use in dry conditions, which is necessary of most extreme tires

Some of the qualities of the V70A include:

High-grip silica competition tread compound
Wide tread grips to maximize dry cornering while enhancing handling and tread life
Two steel belts within nylon cap plies for improved structural integrity
Symmetrical design for enhanced quick steering response and high-speed stability
Ability to be remounted inside-out to prolong life

Experts describe the V70A as a “hybrid” tire when it comes to race tires. Although it’s not meant for use in wet conditions, the V70A has room to adapt in light rain showers

S700

The Ecsta S700 is a full on racing slick. This tire is used for maximum grip in desired, dry conditions. The W700 has a light tread pattern that doesn’t compromise much grip.

Racing slick for circuit use.
Adopted as the official tire for the F3 Euroseries, Marlboro Masters of F3, and the Korea Super Prix
Proven in Euro sports car racing

W710

The W710 is no doubt the choice of the Ecsta Racing Team in wet conditions. This tire delivers outstanding resistance to hydroplaning and excellent grip on wet surfaces.

This tire features:

A directional tread pattern for superior wet acceleration, braking and cornering
Optimized footprint contact area and pressure distribution for outstanding road traction
Extreme tread compound for ultimate wet grip performance
Optimum operation temperature at 195 degrees Fahrenheit

While all of these tires are a bit extreme for trips to the grocery store, there is a still an Ecsta tire that enthusiasts can purchase while remaining street legal. The MX KU15 is an all around performance tire that shines in the wet or dry. It is a mild version of the W710 and provides serious grip during hard braking and spirited acceleration. If you’re looking to have the Kumho “race feel” without strapping on a helmet and climbing over a roll cage, this may be the wheel for you.

About Kumho Tires
In 1960, Kumho Tires started making tires. Originally named Samyang Tire, the company updated its facilities to further enhance tire production. Since then, Kumho has managed to achieve remarkable growth and become a leader for manufacturing tires. Their popular products and pristine reputation earned them the Korea Quality Control Award in 1979 and it brought their tires to the tuning community.
For more than 50 years, Kumho tires have released quality goods to the aftermarket tire industry. In turn, it has lead to a stellar racing history that is continuing to blossom. With the additions to its racing team and advancements in its performance tires, it will be exciting to see how the latest racing season will turn out for Kumho.

By Sean Bowes

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