SANTA ANA, Calif. — Continuing its longstanding involvement in off-road racing, Yokohama Tire announced it has joined the newly formed American Off-Road Racing Championship as a supporting sponsor. AORC unites two prominent desert racing sanctioning bodies – Unlimited Off-Road Racing and Best in the Desert– into a single five-race points championship.
Yokohama is gearing up for the 2026 AORC series with a strong roster of drivers ready to take on the toughest terrain on GEOLANDAR® tires. The season kicks off January 14 at the iconic Parker 400 in Arizona.
With championship titles as the ultimate goal, Team Yokohama is well represented across multiple classes. Isenhouer Brothers Racing and Dave Mason Jr. will continue to showcase the GEOLANDAR® MT-R in Unlimited Truck Spec and Unlimited Truck (2WD) classes, respectively. Additionally, Josh Row, Michael McFayden, and Mitchell Alsup will take on the Pro Open UTV class on GEOLANDAR® SD and GEOLANDAR® M/T G003 SXS tires.
The storied Mint 400 in Las Vegas, NV will see other Team Yokohama members in attendance like The Warrior Built Foundation, and Josh and Martin Barkey of MBRP, try their hand at the toughest terrain in the U.S.
Yokohama’s participation in off-road racing dates back to the early 1980s and the introduction of its iconic Super Digger tire. Known for race-proven durability and performance, Yokohama has long supported off-road racers and events worldwide, using competition as a proving ground to develop tire technology that performs in the harshest desert conditions.
“Racing is the ultimate proving ground for our tires,” said Candace Cogan, Yokohama’s director of product marketing. “Every lap delivers critical data, real-world feedback and hands-on experience that directly shape the products we create for everyday drivers and off-road enthusiasts. This newly unified league provides an unparalleled platform to showcase our athletes’ performance and demonstrate how our tires thrive under the most extreme conditions.”
“Yokohama Tire has been involved with off-road racing for over four decades,” said Matt Martelli, CEO of the American Off-Road Racing Championship. “We are thrilled to have them join us not only as a sponsor of the series, but to have them supporting racers as well as developing new products for Unlimited Trucks and UTVs.”
