Santa Pod Raceway calls itself home to the “fastest and loudest motorsport on Earth” thanks to its hosting of the FIA European Drag Racing Championships, but the circuit isn’t just about dragsters and funny cars. Fans flock to Podington in Bedfordshire to participate in huge festivals and public track days – events that require tyres aplenty. This is where Nankang enters the picture.
A new Official Tyre Partnership deal between Santa Pod Raceway and Nankang Tyre UK will see their management and teams “working enthusiastically to activate mutual growth plans to benefit both parties.”
“One of the key reasons we chose to partner with Santa Pod – the UK’s premier drag strip – is our deep admiration for how its events are branded and promoted,” states Chad Price from Nankang Tyre UK. “Santa Pod’s world-class reputation and expertly crafted advertising are truly impressive. We’re confident this collaboration will drive significant advantages for our business, from boosted tyre sales to enriched marketing exposure. It’s a strategic move we’re enthusiastic about, and we look forward to working closely together over the coming years.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Nankang Tyres as an official tyre partner,” adds Caroline Holden, Santa Pod Raceway’s Commercial Manager. “Their commitment to performance, innovation, and motorsport excellence aligns perfectly with our own values. With their proven track record in high-performance tyre technology, Nankang is a fantastic fit for our performance, drift and enthusiast events. We look forward to an exciting partnership that keeps our participants pushing the limits.”
More than just drag racing
So, what is the thread that links Europe’s premier drag racing venue with a tyre manufacturer from Taiwan? Nankang points out that there’s more to the Santa Pod story than 300mph Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars and the hulking, specialised slicks that transmit their power to the ground. ‘Conventional’ drag races are just part of the Santa Pod programme of 60-plus events each year.
There are the huge festivals, such as Bug Jam and Ultimate Street Car; an array of modified and enthusiast car shows – The Fast Show, Revvd Up!, Das GTI Show, JapShow among them; and events dedicated to individual marques – BMW Show, Vauxhall Show, Ford Mega Weekend, and others. Street-and-strip is a growing sphere of motoring activity, and then there are the frequent public track days – Run What Ya Brung for all-comers on the dragstrip, Drift What Ya Brung for the drifting community on Santa Pod’s extensive paved acres. And it doesn’t only happen on four wheels – there are motorcycles aplenty too.
Nankang comments that all this is right up its street. The tyre firm elaborates: “Nankang Tyre UK offers a huge product range, and the Santa Pod partnership adds a fertile new market for the company’s established distribution network to serve from its headquarters hub in West Bromwich and the growing range of Nankang Performance Centres rolled out across the UK. It also adds a fresh dimension to Nankang’s existing specialist motorsport market, already established in circuit racing, sprinting and hill climbing, grass track and off-road competition.
“Nankang’s world-class motorsport tyre range has already earned multiple podiums and championships. Now invigorating new worlds of drag and drift beckon,” concludes Nankang Tyre UK.
