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December 29, 2003 BFGoodrich® Tires Chasing 3rd Consecutive Paris Dakar Rally Win; Off-Road Rally Race Challenges Racers, Vehicles And Tires Greenville, SC In November, BFGoodrich® Tires won its 18th consecutive Baja 1000 championship. In January, the brand hopes to win its third consecutive and fifth out of six Paris-Dakar races, considered by many to be the world's premier rally event. Beginning in Clermont-Ferrand, France on January 1, 2004, this year's Dakar rally takes racers through some of West Africa's most challenging terrain. The first days of the race will provide teams with an opportunity to evaluate the rally. Driving and navigational skills are tested to the limit once crews enter Mauritania where physical conditioning and stamina will become key as the stage's length increases. The race will then proceed to Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal where rocky trails and a scorching Sahel desert await the teams before reaching the banks of Lac Rose and the rally finish. In 2003, Hiroshi Masuoka and Andreas Schulz raced their Mitsubishi to the brand's fourth consecutive Dakar victory scoring BFGoodrich Tires' fourth consecutive rally win. BFGoodrich Tires teams hope to complete their sweep of the two most demanding off-road races in the world. "This year's route will challenge each driver's resolve and equipment," says Thom Peebles, BFGoodrich Tires brand director. "To race this race is one thing. To finish and to finish on top is another. Since first entering rally racing in 1997, we have used 30 years of off-road racing experience in the U.S. to develop the best tires for our teams." "Rally-raid type racing is similar to off-road racing in the U.S.," said Mark Miller, Baja 1000 Trophy-Truck Class champion and Paris-Dakar driver. "Both races are very challenging physically and require excellent equipment. To be competitive, you not only have to be on top of your game, you have to have great tires. Tires are absolutely critical and I have had great success with BFGoodrich Tires." Racers competing in four-wheel drive vehicles will race on BFGoodrich Baja T/A tires including the rally-specific Baja T/A Rock and Baja T/A Sand. The Baja T/A Rock (235/85R16) is the 2002 and 2003 Dakar winning tire. Highly adaptable and designed for overall durability, the Baja T/A Rock tires is designed to perform equally well on both hard ground and on sand. The Baja T/A Rock is also available in a wider dimension (245/80R16) designed specifically for more powerful vehicles. The Baja T/A Sand, with its distinctively open tread pattern and soft compound is designed for use on predominately sandy terrain. During the race, teams will switch between the two tires to enhance performance during certain stages of the race. Racers driving two-wheel drive vehicles will race on the BFGoodrich Baja T/A Rock, Baja T/A KR and Baja T/A Mud. The Baja T/A Rock is the same tire used by the four-wheel drive vehicles while the Baja T/A KR (35/12.50R17) was designed specifically as a rear tire for the two-wheel drive vehicles. The Baja T/A Mud (35/12.50R15) was developed exclusively for the rear wheels of the rally cars and is used during stages that feature predominately muddy terrain. BFGoodrich Tires is no stranger to off-road racing success. In 2003, the brand claimed 241 overall off-road racing and rock crawling class victories, a record unmatched in the history of off-road motorsports. The brand once again outperformed the competition in desert racing by winning 10 out of 11 overall desert racing wins, winning both the SCORE and Best In The Desert points overall championships and 28 out of 35 class championships, far more than any other competitor. In addition to success in desert racing, BFGoodrich Tires successfully defended its position as "King Of The Rocks". Since 2002, BFGoodrich Tires has brought home 17 rock-crawling championships and in 2003, captured 48 out of 69 class victories and 10 out of 14 year-end class championships, including UROC, ERoCC, NEUROC and the unlimited championship in ProROCK. BFGoodrich® Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle from ultra-high performance tuner vehicles, sports cars and SUVs to the hottest sport trucks, pickups and rock-crawling rigs in the world. For more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires has used motorsports as a proving ground. Success on the street begins with winning on the track and BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, road, drag, desert and extreme rock-crawling. With 18 consecutive Baja 1000 wins, the most victories in rock-crawling history, and an unmatched record on pavement, BFGoodrich Tires has proven the only records it breaks are its own. Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at: www.bfgoodrichtires.com. |
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