Grand American Road Racing Association has named Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. the exclusive tire supplier for its Rolex Sports Car and Grand-Am Cup series' 2005-2007 seasons.
The deal displaces Goodyear with its Goodyear and Dunlop brands from being a supplier to the sports car and sedan racing series, which are in their fourth seasons under Grand American. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal covers supplying, for the next three years, upwards of 75 cars with tires throughout the series' 12-race schedules. It represents enough demand to require Hoosier to expand its engineering and manufacturing staffs at its plant in Plymouth, Ind., as well as service-related staff at its distribution and service center in Lakeville. The company did not quantify how many jobs might be created.
Hoosier joined Goodyear this year as a supplier to the road-racing series, after Goodyear and Dunlop had been the sole approved suppliers during the series' first seasons. Goodyear continued to supply the Rolex sports prototypes exclusively, however. Hoosier has been the sole supplier of tires to Grand American's Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series for street legal sports sedans.
``Hoosier is the largest racing tire manufacturer in the world, and I am convinced that they are fully equipped to supply tires for the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Grand-Am Cup Series,'' said Grand American President Roger Edmondson at a press conference held to announce the deal.
Hoosier manufactures and distributes racing tires for most types of racing, including road, drag, oval and go-kart applications. The company makes tires at its 12-year-old plant in Plymouth.
Specific information on the Grand American's various classes is available at www.grandamerican.com.