LAS VEGAS (Nov. 5, 2003) – Paying homage to its European racing heritage, Goodyear's Dunlop brand launched two street-legal racing tires, one for drag racing and one for autocross competition, at the 2003 Specialty Equipment Market Association/International Tire Expo in Las Vegas.
The Dunlop SP Sport Inferno is a street-legal competition drag tire designed for enthusiasts who drive their high-performance machines from the street to the track. The Inferno is emblazoned with leaping flames on the sidewall and features an “eye-popping” direction tread design, Goodyear said.
The sweeping tread grooves optimize treadlife and maximize the tire´s longitudinal (straight-line) performance, Goodyear said, and features a tread compound based on the Dunlop drag racing slick. It will be available from select distributors in size 205/50R15 in the first quarter of 2004.
"As radical as the appearance of the Inferno is,” said Mike Pule, Dunlop´s
manager of extreme performance, “the technology below the surface is really what will fire up this crowd.”
The second launch, the SP Super Sport Race, is an extreme high-performance, Z-rated sport radial that combines qualities of Dunlop's DTM Race Series tire and the consumer-oriented SP
Sport 9000, Goodyear said, resulting in a DOT-legal tire that provides the maximum in dry grip.
"The SP Super Sport Race is targeted at expert drivers who understand the balance of tires and machine, and who can appreciate the difference an extreme sports tire can make," Mr. Pulte said.
The new tire already has been track tested by select members of Porsche and BMW owner clubs across the U.S., who gave the product “rave” reviews, Goodyear said.
The SP Super Sport Race is available eight Z-rated sizes: 225/45ZR17; 245/40ZR17; 225/40ZR18; 235/40ZR18; 245/35ZR18; 255/35ZR18; 265/35ZR18 and 285/30ZR18.
Targeted vehicles include: Audi TT, A4 and A6; Porsche 996 and 986; BMW 3-Series, M3, Z3 and 5-Series; Honda S2000; Mercedes SLK, CLK, C-Class and E-Class; and VW Golf GTI.