Did you know Hyundai was racing rally cars in North America? Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. But they were, and they've decided to call it quits.
Hyundai officials said yesterday that the company is withdrawing from all North American motorsports programs.
North American racing had been somewhat of an experiment for the Korean automaker, which eschewed mainstream NASCAR and IndyCar sponsorships for fringey, low-cost competitions like Formula Drift and the Global Rallycross Championship. But now, Hyundai will focus on other marketing strategies, whatever those are.
Luckily for teams like Rhys Millen Racing, Hyundai will stick around until the end of the 2012 season. They also debuted an i20 racecar concept at the Paris Motor Show today. The car is slated for the World Rally Championship, which Hyundai left in 2003.
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