YOKOHAMA RETIRE FROM LE MANS


Media information: 15 June 2008


After completing 18 hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Yokohama-supported Tokai University-YGK Power team was forced into retirement with transmission problems.

The student team persevered throughout the night despite a recurring breaking system problem but announced their retirement at 10:14 (CET). The LMP1 entry was brought into the pits at 00:19 (CET) to repair an oil leak due to a braking system problem, getting back on track at 01:15 (CET) after a driver change from Masami Kageyama to Haruki Kurosawa.

At 04:14 (CET), the skies opened at the historic track; the unexpected downpour brought the Courage ORECA-YGK L70 into the pits to change from dry to wet Yokohama ADVAN tyres. The recurring brake problem forced the team to pit again at 04:30 (CET); the car was back on track at 05:07 (CET).

“The students are disappointed, but they are very satisfied to have done the race at Le Mans,” said Yokohama’s Global Motorsport General Manager Akinori Tokieda. “They have done around 18 hours; it’s a good result for them. They gained a lot of experience from the race. We’re very proud to have been involved in the first university team at Le Mans.”

This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the 25th anniversary of Yokohama involvement at the prestigious race meeting. The Tokai University-YGK Power team are the first university to compete at the demanding race meeting, and with Yokohama’s support, they have made the record books.