November
19, 2003 (KUMHO Tires)
F3
DRIVERS LOOK FORWARD TO RACING ON KUMHO Tires
AT THE 5TH INTERNATIONAL F3 KOREA SUPER PRIX
Global
9th tire maker, KUMHO Tires will again supply all the Formula
3 runners for the 5th International Korea F3 Super Prix
to be held at the Changwon street circuit on November 21/23.
The race is one of the most important races of the year
for aspiring Formula 1 drivers.
In
addition to the Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort,
for which KUMHO Tires is also the sole tire supplier, the
Korean Formula 3 Super Prix brings together the world's
best young drivers in 250bhp machines to race for the glory
of victory. Those that master the tight and twisty streets
of Changwon on KUMHO rubber will be recognised as having
the brightest future in the sport.
The
competitive world of Formula 3 and the highly technical
aspect of the sport is supported by KUMHO Tires. The tire
specialist invests heavily to secure its position as one
of the most important tire manufacturers in the world, and
its R & D programme has enabled the firm to establish
a high level of performance from its ECSTA tire.
Leading
drivers from Formula 3 have praised KUMHO Tires' ultimate
performance. Nico Rosberg, son of 1982 Formula 1 World Champion
Keke Rosberg, is a winner in the F3 Euro Series in 2003
and he has raced on the KUMHO Tires all year. Rosberg has
been impressed with the high level of grip the tire produces.
"The tire has been great this year. Only after a few
laps the KUMHO tire provides a lot of grip and there is
a good balance and a good feeling from the tire," said
Rosberg.
KUMHO
Tires was appointed the sole tire supplier to the F3 Euro
Series this year and its ECSTA Formula 3 slicks have an
unrivalled position in major Formula 3 races as all the
competitors of the Korean Super Prix and Marlboro Masters
of F3 in Zandvoort run on the high performance tire.
The
significance of KUMHO Tires' position is that it is at the
cutting edge of motor racing technology and competition.
Its excellent tire performance is made possible by KUMHO
Tires' unique tire formula technology. The first is the
ESCOT(Excellent & Smart Contour Optimisation Theory),
which allows the even distribution of tension during high
speed driving. The second is the compound design technology,
known as Multiple Mixing Step, it improves grip wear performance
during high speed driving.
British
driver Danny Watts, a winner in British Formula 3 this year,
raced the KUMHO Tires at the 2003 Marlboro Masters and says
it compares as well as any other tire he has competed on
before. "When I raced at Zandvoort on KUMHO's, I found
they gave me a lot of grip when they were brand new. Then
you can do very competitive and fast lap times for many
laps without the level of performance dropping off,"
said Watts.
The
Formula technology of KUMHO Tires, a proven tire of international
ability and praiseworthy of many future Grand Prix stars,
applied through the ECSTA brand and UHP category, allows
regular road car drivers a high level of driving experience
when on KUMHO rubber.
It
is no surprise that KUMHO Tires is rated 9th in the '2002
Global Tire Company Rankings' by the authoritive US journal,
Tire Business. It is the highest ranking a Korean tire maker
has ever achieved and, because of the rapid growth in the
global UHP tire market, underlines KUMHO Tires' status as
a leading tire manufacturer.
Nelson
Piquet Jr., the son of the legendary three-times Formula
1 World Champion Nelson Piquet - raced to second place in
the Marlboro Masters this year. The Korean F3 Super Prix
will be his second chance to race on the Korean tire, he
said: "They're very good and I'm looking forward to
running on them again in the Korean Super Prix."
"Being
appointed as the official tire supplier for three of four
international Formula 3 events, it is very successful for
KUMHO Tires this year" said Jae-Suk, Cho, KUMHO Tires'
marketing general manager. KUMHO Tires will continue to
dedicate its efforts to develop Formula technology and also
apply it to the UHP tires which can satisfy consumers with
the proven performances.
