Speed Racer Visits Yokohama Tire at Long Beach Grand Prix

SEE ALSO: Video Previews and Trailers - Cool!

FULLERTON, Calif. April 21, 2008; Speed Racer actors Matthew Fox, Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon stopped by the Yokohama paddock at the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix for photo session with drivers Gerardo Bonilla and Ben Devlin and the Yokohama- and BP- sponsored Mazda LMP2 race car. Yokohama Tire is promoting its relationship with Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming live-action family film. Yokohama's ADVAN® tires were named the official tire of the movie and Mach 5 race car earlier this year. The latest film by the Wachowski brothers and producer Joel Silver, creators of The Matrix trilogy, Speed Racer will open across North America in theatres and IMAX on May 9.

The LMP2 car featured Speed Racer movie logos as well as the famous letter "M" on the front. Drivers Devlin and Bonilla looked the part, wearing specially-designed suits inspired by the movie. The suits had blue tops and white bottoms and feature Speed Racer logos. The crew also was in Speed Racer-designed shirts. In the ultimate nod to the Mach 5, the LMP2 race car's number changed from 8 to 5.

Hirsch and Fox were also co-Grand Marshalls of the American Le Mans Series race, gave the start command to the field.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global producer and distributor of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation offers a complete line of tires, including high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, as well as off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama's extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com. For details on Yokohama's environmental efforts, go to www.ecotreadsetters.com.

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the "Taking Care of Your Tires" section at www.yokohamatire.com.

The high-octane, live-action family adventure Speed Racer follows the adventures of the young race car driver Speed (Emile Hirsch) in his quest for glory in his thunderous Mach 5. The Wachowski brothers directed Speed Racer from their own screenplay. Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski are the producers, with David Lane Seltzer, Michael Lambert and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Benno Fürmann, Hiroyuki Sanada, Asian pop superstar Rain, and Richard Roundtree. Speed Racer is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, of a Silver Pictures Production, in association with Anarchos Productions. This film is rated PG for "sequences of action, some violence and language." www.speedracerthemovie.com