Hankook loses racing-tire supply deal due to plant fire

Tokyo – Hankook has lost a deal to supply racing tires for the Japan's Super Taikyu racing series due to a recent fire* at one of its main manufacturing plants.

Bridgestone will partially supply tires from the second round of the 2023 season, the Fuji 24 Hours, said Super Taikyu Organisation (STO) in a 24 April statement.

“Immediately after [the fire], we were informed that it would take at least a year and a half to supply tires,” said the STO statement.

While the series usually has stock for several races in Japan, STO said it had recently changed many tire specifications for both dry and wet racing.

When the fire broke out, STO said it was accumulating inventory adding that the timing also coincided with Super Taikyu selecting its official tire supplier for 2024.

“After being informed by Hankook that it would be impossible to supply tires, Bridgestone was selected as the official tire supplier from 2024,” it stated.

For the remainder of the series Bridgestone will supply dry tires and Hankook will supply wet tires for the Fuji 24 Hours.

From round 3, to be held at Sportsland Sugo in July, Bridgestone will be the official tire supplier.

“It is extremely difficult to suddenly supply tires for endurance races,” said STO executive director Harumi Kuwayama.

“At one point, we had to prepare for the cancellation of the 24 Hours of Fuji and the 2023 season,” the event official added.

The 2023 season, Kuwayama went on to say, is ‘miraculously continuing’, helped by cooperation of teams and partner companies.

*Hankook suspended production of tires at its manufacturing facility in Daejeon, following a major fire at the Korean plant on 12 March. (ERJ report)