Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. has sealed a sponsorship agreement with Adrian Cenni and Mark Porter of Cenni/Porter Motorsports for the 2008 and 2009 Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR) seasons.
The first event will be April 26-27, 2008, at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. The event will be aired live on the Speed channel at 12:30 PST.
The newly merged team will campaign its Nitto Navy Seals Pro 4 and Nitto Navy Seals Pro 2 trucks in CORR. Both vehicles will be outfitted with Nitto's competition-spec Mud Grappler Extreme Terrain tire.
"We're really looking forward to this partnership," says Tim Coltey, Nitto's marketing representative. "Adrian has a proven track record, and we are confident that we have the right combination of talent and performance parts to get us to the top of the podium."
Nitto will use the sponsorship to further test and develop the Mud Grappler Extreme Terrain radial. It has a specialized racing compound that helps to resist punctures and withstand the extreme conditions found on the off-road tracks, the company says. The team will use size 35x12.50R17. Nitto offers a commercial version of the tire.
The company also plans to launch a national Web campaign that includes videos of the team practicing and competing.
Nitto also sponsors two teams for the 2008 Formula Drift season -- Ryuji Miki of Bergenholtz Racing and Conrad Grunewald of Tanaka Racing.
Additionally, Nitto's NT01 competition radial (size 225/45ZR17) is the official spec tire of the 2008 United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC).
