Hankook Has Developed a Tire Specific to the Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2June 21, 2023By Mark RobinsonIMSA Wire Service Entry List (Click Here) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America heads to Watkins Glen International this week for the second doubleheader round of the 2023 season, competitors are settling into the routine of the single-make series. That includes new tire supplier Hankook.The South Korean manufacturer took over as exclusive tire supplier to all three Lamborghini Super Trofeo series – North America, Europe and Asia – this year from Pirelli. But facing a short timeframe to prepare the tire specifically developed for Super Trofeo, few if any teams had the opportunity to try the new rubber before last month’s season-opening weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.No worries. The Hankooks performed admirably, coming within two-tenths of a second of equaling the fastest qualifying lap posted from the year before and actually outperforming by 0.004 seconds the top race lap clocked in 2022.Jiwoon “Mike” Choi, Hankook’s chief marketing officer, said the high-grip medium compound Ventus Race tire designed for Super Trofeo is a derivative of a tire that’s been in development for close to six years, so company officials believed it would meet the needs of the series featuring the powerful Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 cars. “We have proven that our technology of the tire that we have developed is suitable for such a car in Lamborghini,” Choi said. “Our performance appears to be (at) a similar level as the previous supplier. We hope that teams will develop the skill of learning our tires throughout the year and will maximize the tire performance.”That learning process has been an act of ongoing cooperation among Hankook, Lamborghini and the teams,” said Thomas Baltes, chief engineer, Hankook European Headquarters. Developing a race tire for the unique Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 has been the kind of challenge that any engineer relishes.“The best (aspect of the tire development) for me also is one of the complicators,” Baltes said. “The car is really powerful but the weight is also pretty high. It’s not that easy for the tire manufacturer, so therefore we have to learn a lot together with the Lamborghini factory. … We are learning all together, I would say, the teams, the manufacturer Lamborghini themself, and also us about the tire.“It is a challenge but the car is really, really impressive.”Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal, the 2022 North American Pro class champions, appeared to adapt well to the new tire at WeatherTech Raceway. The co-drivers of the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán swept both wins to gain the early advantage in their bid to repeat. Their car is among 36 entered this week at Watkins Glen – six in the Pro class and 10 each in ProAm, Am and LB Cup.Other class leaders entering the weekend are:Keawn Tandon and Shehan Chandrasoma, who managed a pair of podium finishes together at WeatherTech Raceway but will be split between two NTE Sport, Lamborghini Austin entries at The Glen.David Staab (No. 48 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach), whose win in Race 2 at WeatherTech Raceway gave him a one-point lead over teammates Anthony McIntosh and Glenn McGee (No. 69 PPM, Lamborghini Palm Beach) in Am.Mark Wilgus (No. 50 Forte Racing Powered by US RaceTronics, Lamborghini Beverly Hills), who won both LB Cup races at WeatherTech Raceway, his first series victories.A pair of Super Trofeo practices are scheduled Thursday at the 3.4-mile, 11-turn natural terrain road course. Qualifying for both races begins at 9:20 a.m. ET Friday, with Race 1 starting at 2:25 p.m. Race 2 goes off at 11:10 a.m. Saturday. Both races stream live on IMSA.com/TVLive. |
