Goodyear Eagles, Chevy Corvette Win at Rolex 24 Hours
CONTACT: Dave Wilkins (330) 796-3758 dwilkins@goodyear.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Goodyear Eagles, Chevrolet Corvette Win at Rolex 24 Hours DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 5 In its biggest sports car win ever, a
Chevrolet Corvette C-5R on Goodyear Eagle race tires erased a 26-lap
deficit and won the Rolex 24 Hour endurance race here.
The two factory Corvette race cars finished first and second in the
GTS class and first and fourth overall. The teams used Goodyear tires and
race rain tires in America's most prestigious road race.
In a related development, Goodyear also announced that it would
produce its latest Goodyear race-inspired tires for late model Corvettes.
Goodyear fine-tuned its Eagle F1 Supercar ultra performance tires at
the racetrack for the 2001 Corvette Z06, and now the tiremaker is
engineering tire sizes for 1988 model year and newer Corvettes, including
the ZR-1 model.
Bob Toth, marketing manager for auto tires, said the Corvette win was
the first time Chevrolet has won the overall title in the 24-hour race
since Roger Penske's Chevrolet-Lola win in 1969.
Toth said Goodyear's race tires performed well throughout the 24
hours. "Our superiority, however, was evident when it started to rain.
Our race rain tires, which look like our street-approved Eagle F1 GS D2
ultra-performance tires, showcased our rain-tire technology superiority,"
Toth added.
The winning car was driven by Chris Kneifel, Johnny O'Connell, Ron
Fellows and Franck Freon. "This win has to rank as Corvette's and one of
Goodyear's biggest sports car wins ever," Toth said.
Toth said Goodyear and Dunlop race tires dominated the 79-car field.
Canadian Corvette driver Fellows took 65 minutes to erase the 26-lap
deficit and take the lead. He raced until the gearbox began to overheat in
the final hour. With less than 30 minutes and a 19-lap lead, he pulled the
car onto pit lane and parked until the final moments.
In the final 10 minutes, Fellows ran three slow laps to take the
checkered flag for an eight-lap victory over a Porsche in the GT class.
Corvette covered 656 laps and 2,335 miles on the 3.56-mile Daytona
International Speedway road circuit at an average 97 mph.
The No. 3 Corvette driven by Andy Pilgrim, Kelly Collins and NASCAR
stars Dale Earnhardt and son Dale Jr. overcame transmission problems to
finish fourth, two laps behind the GT class of two Porsches and 14 laps
behind the winners.
Toth said Corvette's finish benefited Goodyear as well. He said the
company will expand the Eagle F1 Supercar tire line with four new sizes by
summer 275/40ZR17, 245/45ZR17, 315/35ZR17 and 275/40ZR18.
"These new sizes are our commitment to Corvette owners. It's a chance
to improve the breed with the latest ultra performance tire that Goodyear
offers," Toth said.
On the Corvette Z06, Chevrolet credits the wider, grippier tires for
the sport car's "racetrack" performance. "From 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds
flat, and more than 1 G of cornering acceleration, the Z06 truly takes
Corvette performance to the next level," according to Dave Hill, Corvette
chief engineer and vehicle line executive.
Now, Corvette owners will be able to get these tires in the
replacement tire market. For the tiremaker, it makes perfect sense.
Goodyear's OE auto tire brand loyalty has increased in the past
decade, with more than 42 percent of tire buyers replacing their
original-equipment Goodyear tires with Goodyear aftermarket tires today.
On the Corvette, thanks to unprecedented owner loyalty, Goodyear's Eagle
tire replacement share is more than 70 percent, Toth said.
"We value our relationship," Toth said. "To have tire fitment on
America's sports car is to be part of its legendary performance. And we
can proudly say that Goodyear technology provides the tenacious grip that
allows Corvettes everywhere to deliver ultra performance on the streets and
at the racetrack."
Over the years, Goodyear has been recognized as the leader in
high-performance tire market share, Toth said; however, the company's ultra
performance tire share is significantly higher than its overall performance
tire share.
"Ultra performance is where we really shine. It's a fantastic market
to bond with loyal enthusiasts in racing and street performance. It's also
the most profitable segment in auto tires," Toth said.
Toth said growing numbers of "tuner" enthusiasts and expansions in the
value-priced Z-rated Eagle HP Ultra Plus tire line also are driving market
share improvements in Goodyear's ultra performance line. The company is
adding 11 new sizes by March in 16-, 17-, 18- and 20-inch rim diameters.
John Eagleburger, Goodyear team leader for the General Motors
engineering team, said the Supercar tires are "very controllable at the
limit. Although they are not true race tires, these street tire compounds
approach race tire performance. They are extremely focused on maximum
handling."
The P265/40ZR17 (front) and P295/35ZR18 (rear) Eagle F1 Supercar tires
are larger than the Eagle F1 GS EMT run-flat tires on the 2001 Corvette
coupe and convertible. The new tires are up to 5 percent wider in the road
contact patch than the C5 Corvette tires.
The Chevrolet Corvette has been America's favorite sports car for 47
years, with more than 1.2 million in sales. Goodyear tires have been
standard equipment on the sports car since 1978.
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