Stories
The Story of June, 2024
30 Jun 2024
Podium success for Hankook Competition at the Nürburgring 24 Hours
The 52nd staging of the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring from 30th May to 2nd June saw the Hankook Competition team make its debut at the endurance classic in Germany. The Hankook-supported team ran a Porsche 911 SPX with Dutchman Recardo Bruins, Steven Cho from Canada and Korean Kim Jongkyum at the wheel. In front of 240,000 visitors over the course of the weekend, the Hankook Ventus Race provided its customary high level of grip in differing weather conditions at the demanding 25.378-kilometre track. Right from the word go, the Hankook tyre allowed fast lap times, until thick fog caused the race to be suspended and ultimately aborted. Bruins, Cho and Jongkyum received the trophy for an excellent second place in the SP-X class.
Poland and Jansen are unstoppable: Win number five with perfect grip from the Hankook Ventus Race
The Supercar Challenge was at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps from 31st May to 2nd June. The drivers in the cult Dutch series contested two races in challenging conditions at the Belgian racetrack. The Hankook Ventus Race always provided reliable traction, both in the dry and the wet. The Dutch pairing of Jordin Poland and Mex Jansen triumphed for the fifth time this season at the 7.004-kilometre circuit in the Ardennes. The brace of wins in Spa saw the two drivers in the Koopman Racing BMW M6 GT3 extend their lead at the top of the table to 68 points. The action continues from 5th to 7th July at Circuit Zolder in the Flanders region of Belgium.
Giltrap and Osborne win to retain championship lead
The Bend Motorsport Park in southern Australia hosted round two of this season’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia from 7th to 9th June. The opening 50-minute race saw Dan Wells (Hong Kong) and Frenchman Emilien Carde take full advantage of the Hankook Ventus Race to work their way through from third on the grid to take victory. New Zealanders Marco Giltrap and Clay Osborne claimed a lights-to-flag victory in race four of the season. The Kiwi duo successfully defended their lead at the top of the table. Hankook’s home race takes place from 26th to 28th July at Inje Speedium in Korea.
Full replay of race 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhu44xkq7t4&t=4310s
Full replay of race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpsFVkrNkLo&t=2564s
Al Azhari takes championship lead after brace of wins
Round two of this season’s Spanish Formula 4 Championship, in Portimão on the Portuguese Algarve coast, proved to be a particularly successful weekend (7th to 9th June) for Keanu Al Azhari from the United Arab Emirates. The young driver from MP Motorsport secured pole position in both qualifying sessions, thanks to the strong performance of the Hankook tyres. He then converted pole into victory in races one and three. The youngster also started race two from the front of the grid but had to settle for second place behind Mexican Ernesto Rivera from the Griffin Core by Campos team. The two wins and the podium earned Al Azhari 69 points, sufficient for him climb to the top of the table with 102 points.
Highlights – Portimão: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2j29nrjM54
Excitement in the title race: Three drivers level on points
The 4.653-kilometre Autódromo Internacional do Algarve played host to the third showdown in the Eurocup-3 junior championship from 7th to 9th June. The situation was a rather unusual one, as the drivers got to contest not two but three races in Portugal. This was because the series was playing catch-up after the second race of the season was cancelled at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Christian Ho from Singapore had particular cause for celebration: having first secured pole position in the opening qualifying session on the Hankook Ventus Race, he then took his first win of the season and set the fastest lap of the race. The Campos Racing driver repeated his success in race five and once again climbed onto the top step of the podium. Kazakh Alexander Abkhazava then shone in the catch-up race, bringing his tyres up to the perfect working temperature before crossing the finish line in first place. The table had a rather bizarre look to it after the event. Not only do Javier Sargrera (Spain), Owen Tangavelou (Vietnam) and Bruno Del Pino (Spain) all race for the MP Motorsport team, but they are also tied on 80 points at the top of the championship.
Highlights – Portimão: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xLsoSYO-Q
Thrilling touring car action at Lago di Pergusa
From 8th to 9th June, Autodromo di Pergusa in Italy witnessed some intense battles between the protagonists in TCR Italy, as the series showed why it is one of the leading touring car championships in Europe. Italian Salvatore Tavano emerged victorious against a strong field in the opening race at the 4.95-kilometre circuit. However, a five-second penalty received after the race saw him relegated to fourth place. The main beneficiary of Tavano’s misfortune was compatriot Nicola Baldan, who “inherited” the victory. The fourth race of the season started with track temperatures around 50 degrees Celsius, as the Hankook Ventus Race once again demonstrated its high level of reliability. Estonian Ruben Volt took full advantage of the Hankook tyre, converting pole position into his first win of the season. After two events, Tavano tops the table with 146 points, ahead of Canada’s Nicolas Taylor on 116. Volt and Korean Junui Park are tied in third place on 107 points. The Italian championship now heads to Mugello for round three of the season from 13th to 14th July.
Race 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArSz_V6cDdY&t=2431s
Race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTC6q0DkZiw
Johansson claims second win of the season on home soil
Spectators at the Royal Rally of Scandinavia from 13th to 15th June were treated to a fantastic event in the heart of Sweden’s picturesque countryside, with local favourite Mille Johansson claiming his second victory of the FIA Junior ERC season on the Hankook tyre. Right from the outset, the rally developed into a three-way battle between the Swedish trio of Johansson, Calle Carlberg and Patrick Hallberg – a battle that raged until the eleventh stage. Johansson took the lead ahead of Hallberg on stage 12. The eventual winner took advantage of the consistently high grip level provided by the Hankook tyre on the different surfaces, going on to celebrate a very special success in front of his home crowd. The next event takes the young drivers to Estonia, where the Rally Estonia takes place from 5th to 7th July.
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFiDZ2ZcZHA
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport on course for the title with optimal grip
The young drivers in the Formula Regional Americas Championship had a busy June with the Hankook Ventus Race. The youngsters contested no fewer than five races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in Mid-Ohio. Three of the five victories went to Ryan Shehan (USA), with his Canadian team-mate Patrick Woods-Toth picking up the other two wins. The high grip level also allowed the drivers from the Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport team to set the pace at the top of the table. Shehan currently leads with 188 points, ahead of Woods-Toth on 165.5 points. The next opportunity to add to their points tally is from 25th to 28th July at New Jersey Motorsport Park.
Large field entertains at Watkins Glen
A total of 38 cars in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America produced two thrilling sports car races at Watkins Glen International from 20th to 23rd June. Race five of the season at the 5.47-kilometre racetrack in the US state of New York was won by Ryan Norman (USA) and Danny Formal (Costa Rica) from the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti team. Second place went to the TR3 Racing team with South African Giano Taurino and Ernie Francis from the United States of America. The same two duos were also first across the finish line in race two, only in reverse order. Frenchman Nico Jamin and Brazil’s Kiko Porto continue to top the table with 72 points.
Full replay of race 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNvxJUmGb7Q
Full replay of race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIMFqXr-6W0
Triple dose of race action in the Stock Car Pro Series: Baptista is the new championship leader
Spectators at the 3.493-kilometre Autódromo Velocitta for round five of the Stock Car Pro Series from 28th to 30th June truly got their money’s worth. As well as the two regular races, the fourth race of the season, which was cancelled due to adverse weather on 24th March, was also held on the Friday. The postponed race was won by Brazilian Daniel Serra on the Hankook Ventus Race tyre, which allowed consistently quick lap times. The sprint race saw Brazil’s Gaetano Di Mauro emerge triumphant against a strong field, before Julio Campos from Brazil won the main race. Ten races into the season, Felipe Baptista (Brazil) leads the championship with 451 points. The protagonists in Brazil’s top racing series will assemble for the second time this year at Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia Ayrton Senna on 27th and 28th July for round six of the season.
Full replay of catch-up race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc2BW4H2Nv0&t=195s
Highlights of sprint race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2R5Napa2Rc&t=204s
Highlights of main race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc2BW4H2Nv0&t=195s
Da Costa triumphs at Hankook Portland E-Prix in the USA
Spectators in the busy grandstands at Portland International Raceway in the US state of Oregon witnessed two exciting races on 29th and 30th June, with the lead changing hands on numerous occasions and plenty of strategy in play. With temperatures around 25 degrees on both days, the field soon brought the Hankook iON Race into the optimal working window, allowing them to exploit the high grip level of the premium tyre. After an impressive performance, it was Mitch Evans from the Jaguar TCS Racing team who crossed the finish line first on Saturday. However, the New Zealander was handed a time penalty for his part in a collision early on in the race, which saw him relegated to eighth place. That left Portugal’s António Félix da Costa the beaming winner. Da Costa triumphed again on Sunday after 27 laps of the 3.190-kilometre circuit – his twelfth victory in the Formula E World Championship. The driver from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team again benefitted from good energy and tyre management. “The Hankook iON Race was still providing plenty of grip at the end of the race and helped the drivers go to work out on the track,” said Hankook race engineer Ji Woong Choi. As title sponsor of the race weekend in Portland, two Hankook officials also took their place on the podium: on Saturday, Sooil Lee (Vice Chairman & CEO of Hankook Tire & Technology) presented the trophy to the second-placed driver. On Sunday, da Costa received his trophy from Rob Williams (President of Hankook Tire America). 14 races into the season, Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing) tops the table with 167 points, ahead of Evans and Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team), who both have 155 points to their name. The final round of the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the Hankook London E-Prix in Great Britain on 20th and 21st July.
Highlights of race 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQxR1o1Hcg
Highlights of race 14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvey6SUWRAc