by Jack Baruth

In just its first year of existence, American Endurance Racing is already creating legends. Consider, if you will, the story of the #747 BMW that took the overall win both days at Watkins Glen. By the time the weekend was over, the Internet was already buzzing with the story of how the team suffered a devastating nose-first hit into the bright-blue Armco during practice on Friday, worked through the night to rebuild the front end of the Bimmer from scratch using junkyard parts and whatever they could find in the paddock, then fought their way to the front of the pack using a combination of established pro drivers and untested young guns.

All eyes were on NASCAR Craftsman Truck and American LeMans Series veteran Mike Skeen as he hustled the big four-door around the Glen to bring home the wins— but for much of his second stint on Sunday, the fastest driver on track wasn’t Mr. Skeen, nor was it any other professional hotshoe. It was Matt Johnston, a sheetmetal worker from deep in rural Ohio. Matt had never raced at Watkins Glen before; in fact, he’d never seen a green flag outside the Buckeye State. His secret weapon? A new tire from Yokohama aimed right at the heart of affordable endurance racing.

The Yokohama ADVAN AD08-R is a relative of their well-known AO48 DOT-R tire, but it features a 180 treadwear rating to keep it legal for AER and similar series. It’s got a ton of silica and carbon in the compound, making it a bit of a drama queen to store and operate: the instructions state that it must be kept above 14 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. For those of us who live and race north of the Mason-Dixon line, that means keeping the tires in the house with us.

Fortunately, the performance is worth the trouble. At the Glen, Matt’s RX-7, nicknamed “Black Betty”, effortlessly dropped the other competitors in high-G turns like “The Boot”. In dry conditions, it was absolutely unbeatable. When it rained, the Advan proved well able to handle the twitchy short-wheelbase Mazda. In the hands of another driver, the RX-7 was the fastest car on track in wet conditions on Saturday — until said driver outbraked himself into the gravel. There’s such a thing as being too confident in your equipment.

A full Saturday of racing at the Glen cost the Advans slightly more than 2/32′ treadwear, evenly distributed around the car. Matt’s Sunday was brought to an early close when another car spun and hit the RX-7, breaking the tie rod at the ninety-minute mark. Not to worry; Black Betty will return for the 2015 schedule, on those same tires. Anybody who has dinner at Matt’s rather modestly-sized house over the winter will notice that one of the seats at his table is permanently reserved for a set of Yokohamas, avoiding the cold and waiting to serve the competition in AER’s second season.