Dunlop served as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural RACER Creator Awards, a program that celebrates content creators who share motorsports and car culture with audiences worldwide.
Held at the Los Angeles Auto Show and hosted by Zack Klapman, the event recognized creative voices in storytelling, motorsport media and car culture. The program began with a panel titled “How Automotive Meets the Creator Economy.” Taro Koki, Larry Chen and Diego Rodriguez joined the discussion. Categories covered car reviews, DIY automotive repair, motorsports, cinematic video and more.
“We extend our congratulations to every winner during this event,” said Nick Fousekis, marketing director for Dunlop Tires. “It was a pleasure to collaborate with RACER in this incredible celebration of talent in the automotive sphere. This partnership reflects our commitment to pushing the creative boundaries for the next generation in car culture.”
“We’re extremely proud of what we accomplished together,” stated Taro Koki, President of the RACER Creator Network. “Grateful to Dunlop for the support—this partnership is the start of something special.”
Explaining Dunlop’s Latest Profit Play
Dunlop is in the middle of one of the biggest brand transitions the tire industry has seen in years. After Sumitomo Rubber Industries purchased Dunlop’s intellectual property from Goodyear in May 2025, the company moved fast to rebuild Dunlop as a global premium brand. That means a sharper focus on high-margin products, new technologies like Active Tread, and clear separation from the Falken portfolio.
Goodyear used the multi-billion-dollar deal to reduce debt and support its larger restructuring plan, while Sumitomo poured resources into raising Dunlop’s visibility. The brand is leaning into gaming partnerships with Gran Turismo 7 and expanding into motorsports and creator events, including sponsoring the first-ever RACER Creator Awards. The goal is simple—reach the next generation of automotive fans while strengthening Dunlop’s position with drivers and dealers.
Everything happening in 2025 sets the stage for major expansion in 2026, with technology, marketing, and product strategy all pointing toward a much bigger footprint for the Dunlop name.
Award Highlights
Following the panel, Jeff Zwart and Klapman announced the award recipients. The top honor went to Emelia Hartford. She earned Creator of the Year and also won Best Tuning & Custom Builds and Best Female Automotive Creator.
Event organizers honored the late Ken Block and announced a legacy award in his name. Winners can choose either the Crown Creator Package, which includes a production grant and VIP credentials for a Crown Racing weekend, or the Tucson Filmmaker Experience, which includes a paid trip to Tucson, Arizona, with opportunities to produce content.
2025 RACER Creator Awards Winners
- Creator of the Year: Emelia Hartford
- Ken Block RACER Legacy Award: Lucy Block
- Best Branded Content Award: Warwick Patterson and Christopher Bowes for Subaru Launch Control Season 12.
- Best Car Review Content: “The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Is a $10 Million Hypercar Legend” – Cars & Bids
- Best Cinematic Videos: One of One – Ben Bertucci
- Best DIY / How-To Content: How to Fix a Sloppy Shifter and Leaking Transmission – ChrisFix
- Best Educational / Explainer Content: Dinner with Racers: Dinner(s) with the Rileys – Sean Heckman
- Best Motorsports Content: Sylvain Guintoli – From Bikes to Cars – Adam C. Hughes
- Best Short Form Content: Building a 911 Engine in 90 Seconds – Nicole Johnson
- Best Tuning & Custom Builds: Superbird NASCAR Build – Emelia Hartford
- Best Vlog: Unbroken Pursuit | Robert Wickens’ Inspiring Comeback – Matthew Spivey for IMSA
- Best Newsletter/Written Creator: The Prototype – Sam Mitani
- Best Podcast/Audio Content Creator: The Smoking Tire Podcast
- Best TikTok or Instagram Creator: AI Arena – Ignite Media
- Best YouTube Channel: ChrisFix
- Best Automotive Lifestyle Creator: Luke Huxham – Street Fighters Presented by Peaches
- Best Emerging Creator: Suellio Almeida
- Best Fan Engagement/Community Builder: Polyphony Digital/Gran Turismo
- Best Female Automotive Creator: Emelia Hartford
- Best International Creator: Dino Dalle Carbonare
Broadcast Details
A one-hour special program of the awards show will debut on Dec. 15, 2025. It will air on the RACER Channel on YouTube and the RACER Network.
