Four U.S. Drivers Advance to Dunlop Drivers Cup World Finals

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2005 -- Dunlop USA's two teams may be claiming "home field advantage" in the international Dunlop Drivers Cup World Finals, scheduled for March 20-28 in California, but they also have renewed respect for European precision driving skills.

The top scoring U.S. teams consist of Albert Andrade, store manager of America's Tire Co., of Upland, Calif.; Jim McCauley, store manager of Discount Tire in Las Vegas; Wallace Hattenhauer, an SBC telephone company engineer from Little Rock, Ark.; and Brad Sutika, a marketer for Valassis in Livonia, Mich.

Three U.S. teams recently received a dose of European driving at a Dunlop Off-Road Camp in Dieskau, Germany. The competition narrowed the field to four Americans, who will take on Europe in the finals.

With temperatures in the 30-degree range and significant rainfall, the U.S. drivers faced polished European amateur racers and mud - lots of mud - in the camp. Janice Consolacion, Dunlop brand planning manager in North America, said the German experience "was very different from the triple-digit heat endured at the qualifier in Phoenix."

This is the first time that drivers from the United States have competed in the 8th annual international competition. They faced European teams from the Netherlands, Germany, Romania, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria.

Out of 40 international competitors, Andrade finished an impressive fifth overall with top 10 scores in the quad (all-terrain vehicle) and enduro (motocross). Hattenhauer also scored well with a ninth place overall, with a third place in quad and top 10 finishes in supertrail and enduro. McCauley and Sutika compiled the top U.S. team score, securing their invitation to the finals.

Consolacion said McCauley's first place showing in enduro and second in quad were the highlight of the weekend. Sutika's top 10 finish in quad and solid overall performance helped nail the team's win.

From the outset, McCauley seemed to have the advantage at the camp. A self-described expert off-road, with 30 years' experience on a motorcycle, McCauley said he "regularly" drives SUVs in "severe off-road conditions." A bit of an understatement. He "regularly" competes in amateur Nevada desert races as well as in the Best in the Desert racing series.

The Las Vegas tire store manager isn't betting against the Europeans in the finals, however; although he's hoping the Americans do well. He said drivers proficient in autocross and on the racetrack have the advantage over him, but a team balanced with on-track and off-road skills should hold the key in the finals.

Consolacion said that while the United States dominated the quad, enduro and ATV events, the Europeans pose a daunting challenge in the finals. "They showed precision driving skills -- even off-road. These same skills on a racetrack give them an overwhelming benefit," she said.

Dunlop USA will face 15 European two-person teams in the finals.

Dunlop officials in Europe started Drivers Cup to showcase Dunlop's racing heritage and its broad range of passenger, truck, motorcycle and all-terrain- vehicle tire lines. For more on Dunlop Drivers Cup, go to http://www.dunloptires.com/driverscup.