In a prime location amongst some of the race’s most prestigious brands, the Goodyear booth offered insight into the products, racing DNA and passion of the Goodyear brand. At the centre of the booth was one of the “Garage 56: NASCAR to Le Mans” development vehicles from the hugely popular Innovative Car programme that was adapted to race at Le Mans 12 months ago.
To highlight this year’s racing activities, the Garage 56 car was joined by the Goodyear Wingfoot Award trophy which will be presented at the end of the season. The Goodyear Wingfoot Award recognises the art of consistent performance and the winner is the driver who has the best average lap time over the course of one or two stints. Porsche driver Richard Lietz won the award at the previous round, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, and his race suit, helmet and trophy were on display.
Meet and greets and signing sessions with top LMGT3 drivers from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche added to the excitement, while a brand new Goodyear fashion range proved popular with the fans, adding a further touch of style.
Visitors to the booth could also find out more about Goodyear’s consumer road tire ranges, and particularly how performance road tires like the Eagle F1 SuperSport family relate to the racing tires used on the track. An interactive quiz allowed visitors to find out more about different tires and their needs, while also offering the chance to win exclusive prizes.
Beyond the booth in the fan village, Goodyear had a number of other areas at the circuit in which to engage with guests and VIPs. The Goodyear Racing Club overlooks the action from a dedicated grandstand, while the Goodyear Garden offers a break from the fast-paced environment as somewhere to relax. Guided tours of the operations area, the base of 100 Goodyear engineers, tire fitters and support staff, provided behind the scenes insight to guests, too.
Luca Davide Andreoni, Head of Brand Consumer Europe, Goodyear: “On the track, this was Goodyear’s biggest Le Mans operation in history, working with a record number of teams and prestigious sports car manufacturers in the new LMGT3 class. This made it the perfect opportunity to engage with fans and guests about Goodyear’s activity beyond the track. Attendance figures at Le Mans are more impressive each year, and a prime location in the fan village gave us an unrivalled opportunity to meet consumers and share our brand with them through our road tire display, motorsport experience or popular new merchandise range.”
On the track, Porsche-supported team Manthey EMA became the first ever LMGT3 class winner at Le Mans, coming to the fore in a race that was characterised by inconsistent rain and safety car interventions. Goodyear’s new slick and wet LMGT3 tires impressed teams on their Le Mans debut, with teams hitting Goodyear’s target of completing four fuel stints (around 40 laps or 545 km) on one set of tires even in the first day of track action.