Yokohama and BMW finished first on the New England's Grand Prix podium, at Lime Rock, in July 2006. Yokohama Rubber Company is unquestionably in the top 10 of the greatest tire constructers. Founded at the beginning of the 20th century, in Japan, the company manages to penetrate and to impose its name on the American and European markets very fast, thanks to its inventive technology and to an almost "aggressive" will to expand. In the USA, this Japanese manufacturer is among the first to ever introduce the concept of an asymmetric tread band design. Nowadays, their reputation precedes them: the Japanese tires are famous for their UHP (ultra high performance) line, used in official races. A tire produced in a Yokohama factory, except from its safety, its modern design and its resistance, is famous for its grip in significant slippery angles and in aquaplaning situations. All these features and many others won Yokohama tires a well deserved title of the "official tire" in the American Championship of Monterey, in 2006.