News Release: Cooper Tire and A1 Grand Prix Race Into Second Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 2006

 

COMPANY CONTACT:

Michelle Zeisloft

419-424-4251

mrzeisloft@coopertire.com

 

Cooper Tire and A1 Grand Prix Race Into Second Season

 

FINDLAY, OHIO, September 29, 2006 - COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
is set to start its second season as the official tire supplier to
the A1 Grand Prix this Sunday in the Netherlands.

 

Cooper Tire produces slick tires and treaded rain tires fitted to
16-inch wide racing rims for all 23 of the countries participating in
the World Cup of Motorsports. Because the cars and engines are the same
for each team, strategic use of the Cooper-A1 tires can decide a race.

 

Designed to run at very high temperatures, the Cooper-A1 tire's
distinctive blend of compounds create a soft and tacky tire to provide
an incredible level of grip by literally sticking the car to the track.
Cooper Tire has also designed a grooved wet weather tire to handle even
the most severe weather conditions but with a construction that provides
enough resilience to endure a full race distance.

 

Cooper Tire will continue to support and supply tires to the series
through its Avon Tyres Racing operation based in Melksham, Wiltshire,
UK. 

 

"We were confident entering last year that our Cooper-A1 racing radials
would meet and exceed driver and team expectations," said Julian
Baldwin, vice president of European operations and managing director for
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd. "We fully expect to continue
that high level of performance this year while also gathering data that
is crucial to technology developments for our consumer tires."

The 2006-2007 A1 Grand Prix championship schedule is:

 

LOCATION

CIRCUIT

DATE

 

 

 

Netherlands

Circuit Park Zandvoort

October 1, 2006

Czech Republic

Auto Motodrom Brno

October 8, 2006

China

Beijing

November 12, 2006

Malaysia

Sepang International Circuit

November 26, 2006

Indonesia

Sentul

December 10, 2006

New Zealand

Taupo

January 21, 2007

Australia

Eastern Creek

February 4, 2007

South Africa

Durban (street race)

February 25, 2007

Brazil

TBD

March 18, 2007

Mexico

Mexico City

March 25, 2007

China

Shanghai International Circuit

April 15, 2007

Great Britain

Brands Hatch

April 29, 2007

 

A1 Team France was the overall winner of the inaugural season with A1
Team Switzerland taking second and A1 Team Great Britain finishing
third. 

 

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the
design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car, light truck,
medium truck tires and subsidiaries that specialize in motorcycle and
racing tires, as well as tread rubber and related equipment for the
retread industry. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has 59
manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities
within its family of companies located around the world. For more
information, visit Cooper Tire's Web site at coopertire.com
<http://www.coopertire.com/flash/index.aspx> .

 


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