New Kumho Tires Designed To Make Colored Smoke

[350HP930]

I am not a big drifting fan but I have a connection to the story since I do the machine work for Enjuku Racing.

http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2297885#post2297885

For Immediate Release KUMHO Tire USA

KUMHO debuts red smoke tire for drifting competition

FONTANA, CA…In the last few years, KUMHO Tire has achieved a number of firsts: the first company to make a 26-inch light truck tire; the first company to produce a 28-inch light truck tire; a class win in the company’s first race in the American Le Mans Series. And now, KUMHO has another first: a tire that produces red smoke. This special version of KUMHO’s ECSTA MX ultra high performance street tire--dubbed the ECSTA MX-C--will make its public debut with Enjuku Racing at the Formula Drift event at Road Atlanta on May 6 and 7.



Enjuku tested the MX-C for the first time the week of April 18, and it literally left the team’s members speechless. “When we saw the red smoke boiling off the rear tires, we just stood there and stared in awe,” said Enjuku lead driver and team captain Matt Vassallo. “I think people will be blown away when they see this.”

The ECSTA MX-C was developed at the KUMHO Technical Center in Akron, OH. “At a product meeting here late last summer, several people were talking about the sport of drifting,” said Guy Edington, manager of the Technical Center. “While watching a drifting video, someone opined that it would be cool if the tire smoke coming off the cars was colored.”

From there the idea blossomed, and Jim Palombo, KUMHO’s senior product chemist, and Gary Bradnick, lead lab technologist, set about looking for a way to make colored smoke. They developed the right mix of chemicals and now have a patent pending for their colorful compound (they’ve also developed a compound that produces blue tire smoke). Following successful testing, KUMHO produced a limited number of the tires.
“We don’t intend to sell the ECSTA MX-C to the general public,” said KUMHO brand director Rick Brennan. “We built them to demonstrate our forward thinking, technical capabilities and ability to respond quickly to the market. Like our race-winning ALMS tire, the MX-C was developed in a very short time¯about six months. And like our 26-inch and 28-inch light truck tires, the MX-C gets attention by charting new territory that no other tire company even thought about entering.”

Enjuku’s Vassallo agrees. “With the car show market and drifting scene ever-expanding in the U.S., the constant effort to make your vehicle stand out in the crowd is the ultimate goal,” he said. “KUMHO has upped the ante with the ECSTA MX-C.”

Established in 1960, KUMHO TIRE CO., INC., of Seoul, South Korea, had 2004 sales of $1.6 billion. KUMHO manufactures and distributes a complete line of tires for passenger cars, light trucks and heavy duty trucks. KUMHO has manufacturing facilities in Korea and China and operates technical centers in Birmingham, England, and Akron, Ohio. For more information, visit the KUMHO TIRE USA Web site at www.Kumhotireusa.com.

SO we unleashed the secret weapon come qualifying on Friday. What a blast, is all I can say. ALthough I did not make top 12 to move on to the next day, I can say that the powers up above came though for our team. One competitor that was a non seeded driver who made top 12 was running on toyo RA-1's up front (R compound illegal), and another seeded driver had been ignoring SCCA safety rules and was disqualified. This put me into the main even on saturday with my teammate, Rob.

Saturday's practice went awesome, had alot of run, Rob and I both ran the tires, had a freaking blast with them, and come time to qualifying, we gave it what we had.
The guys that had run the course last year definitely knew what they were doing. The judging was what to expect from a subjective sport, and we were very happy finishing 16th and 17th. We had a car into the final 16th (Rob's car) in only our second pro event ever. Rob and I have always considered ourselves to be very close in skill, and very close in style. The fact that we finished 16th and 17th kind of shows that the judges were at least being accurate I guess? Maybe If my front lower control arm ball joint did not break on my 2nd qualifying lap I would have had a slightly higher score as I was going a little faster, but I was very happy with what I got!

Highs:

Meeting Ranzo, shooting some ideas with one another, getting to talk and what not

Meeting Ross Petty, VERY friendly guy! His team was not that friendly towards me however, but Ross himself seems to be a good guy.

Rhys coming up to our team after my qualifying runs and going " You stole my idea! I had a meeting with Yokohama two weeks ago about this!" Sorry, Rhys, we were on this a year ago ;-)

Using the rest of the bottled water we had in our truck support vehicle at the top of the staging area to pour onto Taka's corolla to try and help him cool it enough to beat that goddamn viper

Overall having a good time. On Friday I was fuming, I thought I was screwed on judging. Then on Saturday I ended up 17 out of 55 when it was all said and done - I am happy with what I have, and I will just get better with experience.









Well, what do you guys think? Colored smoke in drifting? Americans bringign something new to the table? Is this good or bad ? I think it's just tons of fun, and one more thing to laugh about! Let me know gang!

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Stupid

I work hard so I can afford to pay for a set of good tires...

[350HP930]

If this helps bring down the price of victoracers I say more power to the tire burners.

[billwagnon]

you aren't a drifter

[cowtown]

Until the smoke smells like yummy cherries, I won't buy 'em. LOL.

[350HP930]

Mmmm, cherry flavored tire smoke. Sounds yummy.

[cowtown]

Hey 350, how long until your monster car is done?

[Jeff Higgins]

I've never understood the attraction of drifting. But hey, if they are having fun with cars, more power to 'em. I'm surprised you didn't comment on the RED smoke there 350; you missed an obvious opportunity...

[cstreit]

...how long will it be before the California EPA starts requiring emissions test for all tire manufacturers? Soon I hope! Why not just pump smoke out of the back like the stunt planes?

Sillyness I tell you!

[350HP930]

Originally posted by cowtown
Hey 350, how long until your monster car is done?

Probably never, but I hope to have it running again sometime this summer.

[widebody911]

So does red smoke mean we have a new president?