Goodyear belts rev up NASCAR support

TALLADEGA, Ala., April 29 - To increase support of NASCAR race teams, Goodyear’s automotive belts and hose business has expanded its race staff to offer a variety of skills.

More than doubling in size, the Goodyear team provides business development, R&D, sales, marketing and communications backgrounds that compliment its technologically advanced automotive belts.

According to Todd Hechler, marketing manager for Goodyear’s automotive aftermarket products, the increased face-to-face availability at the track and race team shops demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to the sport.

“Racing is important to us, and we want to be on hand whenever and wherever race teams need us,” said Hechler. “We’ve introduced a series of new products for NASCAR during the past three years as a result of our close work with engine builders, crew chiefs and drivers.”

With championships on the line, NASCAR teams have increased their investment and trust in Goodyear belts. “We won’t ever take that trust for granted,” he said. “Our credo is simple but direct – ‘It’s the customer first, always!’”

Goodyear began supplying belts to NASCAR in 1985 and is the exclusive NASCAR licensee of automotive aftermarket belts and hose, which includes Goodyear automotive Gatorback Poly-V and v-belts, timing belts and curved hose.

Today, Goodyear offers more than 200 Gatorback Poly-V belt sizes, varying in length and number of ribs, to meet the individual engineering demands of every Nextel Cup race team.