Kumho Tyre Australia has announced it has become the new naming rights sponsor for the Australian Junior Rally Challenge further expanding the company's backing of the ECB Australian Rally Championship.

Kumho is already the official tyre supplier to the Championship and backing of the Australian Junior Rally Challenge will help uncover the champions of the future.

The Kumho Tyre Australian Junior Rally Challenge will give rising stars of the sport the chance to battle for prizes worth in excess of $34000, while showcasing their talent in the first five rounds of the series.

The top performers in the five rounds of the Kumho Tyre Australian Junior Rally Challenge will qualify to fight it out at the final at Rally Victoria in November.

In announcing the Kumho Tyre Australian Junior Rally Challenge, Kumho's national marketing and training manager, David Basha said the Challenge aims to encourage up and coming young drivers providing a greater incentive to compete at the highest level of the sport in Australia with some significant rewards.

"Kumho believes in the future of the Australian Rally Championship and backing the Junior Challenge is all about nurturing the future stars of the sport who will help build interest in the championship overall," said David Basha.

"The Kumho Tyre Australian Junior Rally Challenge is all about encouragement for young drivers who are often competing on a shoe string budget and we see this as a way of helping them climb to the next level," he added

"Talented, young up and coming drivers need the most encouragement and are often the ones that have the least resources, so it is important that they have the chance to showcase their abilities," he said.

The winners of each of the first four KAJRC rounds at Canberra, WA, SA and Queensland, will qualify for the final at Rally Victoria in November, while the winner and runner up from the prestigious Coates Hire rally Australia in September will also earn a spot at the final.

Drivers who nominate for the Junior Challenge will earn points depending on their placing in the Challenge on both heats of each round and the drivers with the most points at the end each round will be selected as the qualifiers for the final.

The Kumho Junior Rally Challenge is open to drivers who are either an Australian resident or eligible to compete in the Australian Rally Championship under the terms of the Trans-Tasman Agreement and are aged less than 28 years as at 31st December 2014.

Drivers will not have to register for the Kumho Tyre Junior Rally Challenge but will have to nominate on the event entry form of the round or rounds they enter to be eligible for the Challenge, while there is no age limit for co-drivers. Drivers who have previously won the Rallyschool Australian Junior Rally Challenge are not eligible.

Entrants in the Kumho Tyre AJRC can use two-wheel drive PRC or Group N rally cars, which can be either front or rear, drive with no restriction on engine capacity. Four wheel drive PRC rally cars can be converted to two wheel drive spec providing that the car remains PRC in all respects other than the conversion to two wheel drive.

The rich prize pool for the Kumho Tyre AJRC will see the overall winner receive 20 Kumho rally tyres valued at approx. $4800, free outright registration for the 2015 ARC ($3300), free entry for Rally Australia in 2015 ($2500 approx.), Pedders Suspension products and services to the value of $2,000, a compilation video professionally produced by Black Magic an exclusive Rallyschool Day for 2015 Sponsorship making the value of the outright prize in excess of $16,000. In addition each of the six qualifiers will receive $3000 from Kumho payable following their start in the final of the Kumho Tyre AJRC in Victoria.

The 2014 Australian Rally Championship kicks off in Canberra on 1st March with the National Capital Rally followed by another five rounds across Australia culminating with the final round in Victoria in November.

Since its inception in 1960, Kumho Tyres has been a model of steady growth amid dramatic changes of business landscape. Driven by innovation in management and technical development Kumho has become one of the top ten tyre companies in the world.

Over the past half-century Kumho Tyres has built the foundation for a sustainable company, which has thrived through a full range of business environments.

Kumho has succeeded in the development of superior tyres for all vehicles including high performance, passenger, sports utility and recreational vehicles, as well as light trucks, heavy truck and buses, industrial, agricultural, mining and construction vehicles as well as aircraft.

Kumho produces more than 68 million tyres annually with a massive research and development program which comprises more than 600 research personnel and 300 testing machines at proving grounds in South Korea, China, Europe and North America, Kumho leads the world with the latest in tyre technology, safety and performance. In Australia Kumho markets an extensive range of tyres for cars, 4WD's, light commercials, trucks and buses with a network centred around five state locations with the ability to distribute tyres to retailers across all areas of Australia.

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