Korean multinational Kumho Tires is preparing to round off one of the most exciting years in its motorsport history with the international Formula 3 grand finale in Changwon, South Korea this month.

The 2002 season saw Kumho as Official Tire Supplier for both the prestigious Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 in Zandvoort Holland, and the ultra-competitive French Formula 3 Championship.

The annual Dutch event brings together the leading teams from the national F3 series and the advanced research and design technology of Kumho Tires has led to them being designated the Official Tire Supplier for this event until 2006.

Brazilian Fabio Carbone, who won the Zandvoort Masters in commanding style, taking the first Formula 3 victory of his career, was extremely impressed with the Kumho compound. "Kumho tires are good," he said. "This is a big race, so everything is difficult and very competitive. Tires therefore are also important and these are perfect for me". Carbone will be pleased to be returning to the Kumho tires which helped him clinch his momentous win in Europe, when he lines up on the grid for the Korean Super Prix.

Tristan Gommendy, newly-crowned French F3 Champion commented recently, "It's one thing to have one tire for a championship, but if it's not a good tire it doesn't make for good racing. The ECSTA racing compound tires have made for a very good championship which I am delighted to have won."

Winner of the 2001 International F3 Korea Super Prix, Frenchman Jonathan Cochet, was also highly impressed by his Kumho Tires saying, "They are so consistent. In the build up to the race I used tires that had run for 60 laps and they were still perfect."
India's Narain Karthikeyan who returns to Korea this year in a bid to repeat his 2000 victory, described his Kumho Tires as "world class" in last year's event.

Kumho's meteoric rise in success and stature in the fiercely competitive tire world can be largely attributed to its acclaimed Ultra High Performance (UHP) tires with the company's ECSTA compound spearheading its worldwide campaign.

The ECSTA brand has played a vital role in challenging Kumho's tire rivals on the world's race tracks. By testing the boundaries of performance and durability at the height of competition, the Korean manufacturer has been able to directly influence the quality and performance of its commercially available road tires.

Such has been the success of the company's use of motorsport that the ECSTA KH11 compound finished in the top three in the 2002 Giant Tyre Test organised by top UK weekly motoring magazine, Auto Express. The compound was praised significantly for its wet braking capability and premium performance, finishing well ahead of renowned manufacturers, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli and Bridgestone.

Kumho's dedication to its research and development programme and effective utilisation of motorsport is set to continue with soaring sales in the global market reflecting the high regard in which Kumho tires are held.

Established in 1960, Kumho Tires is owned by Kumho Industrial Company Limited, and is the 10th largest tire manufacturer in the world, with sales last year of $11.3 billion. Kumho manufactures and distributes a wide range of tires for private cars, light and heavy-duty trucks. It has manufacturing facilities in Korea and China, and has Technical Centres in Birmingham (UK), Ohio(USA), and Gwangju(Korea).

November 20, 2002
Kumho Tires