Tag Archives: Conrad Grunewald
Hankook Tire Expands Formula Drift Lineup, Adds Celebrity to Time Attack Arsenal
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 3, 2010 – After celebrating a stellar Formula Drift season that included podium finishes in five of the seven Drift events for Hankook driver Tanner Foust, Hankook is announcing ongoing participation in Formula Drift with an expanded driver lineup. Additionally, Hankook adds star power to its Redline Time Attack driver line-up, signing on Paul Walker of The Fast the Furious fame.
Hankook also is exploring a partnership with Oakley for motorsports apparel items.
In 2011, Hankook will be an official tire sponsor for Formula Drift and once again sponsor Team Papadakis Racing and Tanner Foust, the 2010 championship runner-up, as well as Conrad Grunewald, who competed in the Hankook-sponsored Chevrolet Camaro for Conrad Grunewald Racing.
New for next year, the brand will expand its motorsports stable to include Scion Racing with driver Ken Gushi and Chris Forsberg Racing with driver Chris Forsberg. Hankook also will sponsor Rhys Millen Racing by supporting owner/driver Rhys Millen in Formula Drift, Rally Cross Competition and his quest to break the world record at the prestigious Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
All drivers will compete on Hankook’s Ventus R-S3 performance race tires, one of the premier tires in Formula Drift competition. Hankook has applied its latest motorsports technology to these tires, improving dry-grip performance by 30 percent; further enhancing the tire’s handling capabilities.
“We chose each of our new drivers judiciously based on their past records and potential performance,” said Paul Jho, motorsports marketing manager, Hankook Tire America Corp. “We are confident they will prove to be a valuable addition to our team and will contribute to Hankook’s growing success in motorsports.”
For Redline Time Attack, Hankook adds celebrity driver Paul Walker of The Fast and the Furious movie fame to its roster. Walker will be competing in a BMW M3. In addition, he will have Hankook’s support when he competes next month in the 25 Hour Thunderhill Endurance Race by NASA.
Walker will race on Hankook’s proven Ventus Z214 DOT R Compound tires. The Ventus Z214 DOT R offers a symmetric tread design and utilizes a smooth tread surface with two longitudinal tread grooves for outstanding performance on the circuit in both dry and damp conditions.
“Each year drifting and time attack continue to grow and gain popularity in the U.S. and influence the marketplace,” said Bill Bainbridge, Hankook Tire America Corp. director, brand communications. “Hankook will continue to be a motorsports leader, using our advanced technology to ensure the continued development of cutting-edge products like the Ventus R-S3 and Ventus Z214 to meet the demands of enthusiast consumers.”
Hankook Tire Quest for 2010 FD Championship
Hankook Tire Begins Quest for 2010 Formula Drift Championship
Hankook Tire Debuts New Driver, Vehicles on Streets of Long Beach
Readies for Formula Drift Opener, Looks to Repeat 2009 Success
WAYNE, N.J. April 8, 2010 – Hankook Tire is getting back on the track this weekend for the kick-off of Formula Drift’s 2010 season in Long Beach, Calif., where Hankook will introduce a new race team and attempt to carry its convincing 2009 Formula Drift results into the 2010 season.
This year Hankook has expanded its stable of teams to include Conrad Grunewald Racing. Driver and team owner Conrad Grunewald will drive one of the few American muscle cars in Formula Drift – a 2010 Camaro SS outfitted with Hankook Ventus R-S3s.
“Conrad has a reputation as an intense competitor and brings a different element to our racing line-up with his R-S3 equipped Camaro,” said Jason Kim, motorsports marketing manager, Hankook Tire America Corp. “After our success in Formula Drift last year, we are confident Conrad’s addition to the team will take Hankook racing even further in all fronts, complementing our already strong list of pro drivers.”
Hankook is once again sponsoring Team Papadakis and Dynamic Autosports. Papadakis team members include the 2007 and 2008 Formula Drift champion Tanner Foust and returning for Dynamic Autosports will be Robbie Nishida, Eric O’Sullivan and Ryuji Miki.
“Our 2010 team is our best yet,” said Kim. “Our participation in the premier drifting competition in North America is a way of demonstrating our technology and also our most significant investment in professional motorsports here in the U.S.”
In 2009, Hankook’s Formula Drift sponsored drivers climbed onto the podium in six out of seven races, all using Hankook Ventus R-S3 high-performance race tires. In 2009, the first year the Hankook Ventus R-S3 was used in competition, its on-track success of six podium finishes established Hankook’s latest race tire as one of the premier tires in Formula Drift competition. Hankook applied its latest motorsports technology to improve dry-grip performance by 30 percent; further enhancing the tire’s handling capabilities. Additionally, the profile was developed to maximize the footprint contact patch.
“As our performance tires continue to gain popularity and make their mark on the track, Hankook is looking to give consumers an extra incentive to purchase these products,” said Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communication, Hankook Tire America Corp. “That’s one of the reasons why Hankook is offering consumer rebates on three of its top performance products with the ‘Great Catch’ rebate. The rebate provides a great investment opportunity for our consumers by delivering a high-quality, high-value street tire with an industry-leading warranty.”
The ‘Great Catch’ Mail-in Rebate program is available to consumers who purchase four select tires of any size between April 1, 2010 and May 31, 2010 from an authorized Hankook retailer. The tires included in the rebate program are the Ventus V12 evo, the Ventus V4 ES and the Optimo H727.
Along with the rebate offer, Hankook also is offering consumers an opportunity to enter a random drawing and a chance to win a new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, no purchase necessary, as part of the ‘Great Catch’ Car Giveaway. On or about July 10, one lucky grand prize winner will be selected. Information about both the ‘Great Catch’ rebate and car giveaway can be found on the Hankook Tire America website at www.hankooktireusa.com/greatcatch.
Conrad Grunewalds 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
Conrad Grunewald drove down from northern california to Lake forest to throw his new 2010 camaro onto the dyno at Dynamic Autosport.
After battling some gremlins in the motor, the car finally laid down some pulls on the dyno
Conrad Grunewalds 2010 Chevrolet Camaro from Ross Fairfield on Vimeo.
MotorMavens.com Reports 2010 Camaro Enters Formula Drift
MotorMavens.com has just reported that Luke Loneberger will be building Conrad Gruenwald’s new competitioon car for the 2010 Formula Drift season. Sliding on Hankook tires. We look forward to seeing this for the 2010 season. Check out the rendering below. For more on this story visit MotoroMavens.com
Conrad Grunewald to build 2010 Camaro for SEMA
Sources close to GM have revealed to us that Conrad Grunewald has been awarded a 2010 Camaro to build for the 2009 SEMA show. Conrad was one of 8 builders selected to build cars for the show. We anticipate that the car would be turned into a drift car much like how Rhys Millen built a Time Attack-themed car for Hyundai at the 2008 SEMA show which was later turned into his 2009 drift car. The announcement was “leaked” to us, with a formal announcement coming soon. We expect the formal announcement to have some sort of rendering. We believe we are the first media outlet to announce this exciting news, so chalk this up to another EverythingDrift Exclusive!!