LAS VEGAS—The following news items were gleaned by Tire Business Staff Reporters attending the 2000 SEMA Show/International Tire Expo.
BFGoodrich is discontinuing its R1 racing tire—used principally in autocross and other "grass-roots" road racing—and instead will advise competitors in these classes to use the company's G-force T/A KD radials.
The company is dropping this line of tires because it needs the production capacity at its Mogadore, Ohio, plant to turn out racing tires for the Sports Car Club of America Trans/Am and American Speed Association oval track series.
Lucy's Tire Inc. of Miami is adding domestic distribution to its traditional business of exporting tires, primarily to Latin America and the Caribbean.
The 17-year-old company is moving in January to a new 90,000-sq.-ft. warehouse—nearly triple the size of the existing one—and has started distributing Firestone and Continental farm tires under the name Falcon Tire to dealers in southern Florida, General Manager Jose Rios said.
P.T. Mega Safe Tyre Industry, an independent Indonesian tire maker, is looking for distributors in North America for its line of Mega-brand car and light truck tires. Mega operates two plants in Indonesia—one for bias-ply tires and a newer radial one built in 1997 with technical assistance from Cooper-Avon Tyres Ltd.
For now, orders will be confined to container-load quantities, according to Felix Denanta, business development manager. The firm is expanding the radial plant to support its stepped-up export plans.
Mega displayed two product lines—one light truck and one 424/winter line—at the Las Vegas show.