Cooper Tire's Ultimate Bowl Tour Tests Endurance of Four Fortunate Football Fans; Contest Drives Traffic to Dealers Where Consumers Can Enter-to-Win

FINDLAY, Ohio--July 26, 2004--COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY is sending one lucky college football fan - and three eternally grateful friends - on a memorable odyssey to five of this year's top college football bowl games. The Ultimate Bowl Tour winner and friends are flying via private jet to San Antonio, Memphis, Pasadena, New Orleans and Miami to enjoy all the bowl game festivities in one fun-filled week.

College football fanatics - and consumers everywhere - can enter-to-win at any of Cooper Tire's 5,000 dealer locations nationwide, or by logging onto www.ultimatebowltour.com between Aug. 2 and Nov. 1, 20045, 2004. One lucky winner is being chosen in early December. Certificates for a set of Cooper Tires (value: $500 per set) are being awarded to 25 first prize winners, while 50 second prize winners are receiving ESPN/Cooper Tires football jerseys.

"The Ultimate Bowl Tour is a truly unique opportunity for college football fans," said Dave Craig, director, North American advertising for Cooper Tire. "For Cooper, the Ultimate Bowl Tour is a great way to demonstrate our commitment to college athletics."

Cooper Tire is the official tire of six major collegiate conferences, the presenting sponsor of Thursday Night Football on ESPN, and the presenting sponsor of the Cooper Tire Bowl Challenge Cup. For the Ultimate Bowl Tour, Cooper is teaming up with ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit who will be part of a national advertising campaign.

"I want to win the Ultimate Bowl Tour! This prize is unbelievable," Herbstreit said. "College football is full of great schools, great teams and great traditions. The winner of the Ultimate Bowl Tour is going to experience this first-hand and have memories for a lifetime."

Broadcast, print and Web ads including Herbstreit are scheduled to run on ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN.com, in ESPN The Magazine and on ESPN Radio. The Ultimate Bowl Tour is also being advertised on regional football broadcasts of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Mountain West, PAC-10 and SEC conference games. Promotion of the Bowl Challenge Cup presented by Cooper Tire is slated to air throughout the bowl season.

Cooper has sharpened its focus on collegiate sports with extreme promotions such as the Ultimate Bowl Tour, allowing the company to extend its evolving brand reach beyond its traditional buyer, while promoting its new products.

"We're connecting with more consumers than ever before," Craig continued. "Along with adding the Zeon, our new line of ultra-high-performance tires, and extending our SUV and light truck offerings, we've also added a full line of tires for the growing tuner market.

"The Ultimate Bowl Tour allows Cooper to engage our local dealers, while targeting the younger demographic of new tire buyers as well as the brand-loyal consumers."

Involving thousands of dealers in the contest enables Cooper Tire to ignite enthusiasm and create loyal and influential brand advocates at the point of purchase. To support the contest, Cooper is providing dealers point-of-sale materials, including posters, counter cards and entry forms, beginning in mid-July. Important consumer contact information gathered from the entries will also help dealers to cultivate and maintain relationships with new and existing customers.

"The Ultimate Bowl Tour is the chance of a lifetime, like winning the lottery," said Bill Watkins of Moore's Tire, a Cooper Tire dealer in Oswego, N.Y. "Collegiate sports reach the tire buying public - young couples, the tuner market - and help tire dealers create loyalty with their customers. I love the fact that we are giving consumers added value to their tire purchase."

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire is the official tire of the Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10, Mountain West and SEC collegiate conferences.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, specializes in the manufacture and marketing of products for the global automotive industry. Products include automotive, motorcycle and truck tires, inner tubes, tread rubber and equipment, as well as sealing, trim, NVH control systems and fluid handling systems. Cooper has more than 20,000 employees and 52 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.coopertireandrubber.com.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and the Ultimate Bowl Tour are not affiliated with, or sponsors of, the football bowl games in the cities included in this news release. Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and the Ultimate Bowl Tour are not affiliated with, or sponsors of, the football bowl games that constitute the championship series.