Miami Footwear Executive Is Dunlop Drivers Cup Shoo-in

AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 5 -- A Miami footwear executive has been selected to participate in the Dunlop Drivers Cup driving challenge.

Egon Szenttamasy, 38, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., will be competing against 11 other amateur drivers at the U.S. Regional Qualifier in Danville, Va., on Sept. 11-15. He is vice president of operations for Schmidt Irmaoes Footwear, a supplier of premium women's shoes.

Szenttamasy said the Virginia International Raceway event fits perfectly his "eclectic lifestyle." He is a surfer, scuba diver, paraglider, sailor, rally driver, white water rafter, cave explorer, Amazon survivor and motocrosser.

"The world is there to be discovered," he said. But even the world might not have prepared him for Drivers Cup.

Szenttamasy said he realizes Dunlop Drivers Cup is completely different from any other type of driving challenge. A unique competition, it includes on-track racing, autocross, off-road sport-utility, off-road all-terrain vehicle and motocross events to test the skills of hard-core driving enthusiasts.

Two two-driver teams from the three-day U.S. Regional Qualifier will represent Dunlop USA at the world Drivers Cup next year. The 10-day excursion is scheduled to travel through six European countries -- with driving events in each nation -- and finish on the African continent.

Janice Consolacion, brand planning manager for Dunlop in North America, said Cup organizers were impressed by Szenttamasy's adventurous lifestyle. "Egon's accomplished more in 38 years than most people could ever hope in a lifetime. There's nothing in the world that he wouldn't try."

Born and reared in Brazil, Szenttamasy earned a degree in agronomic engineering from the University of Sao Paulo, with a specialization in food technology. In the early 1990s, he owned a farm in the Brazilian countryside, and just prior to moving to America, owned a successful shrimp farm on lakeside property in Sao Paulo. Family members now run it.

Szenttamasy said Drivers Cup is another milestone in his lifelong love of the automobile and driving. Many of his most memorable experiences came in the Amazon rain forest. In one case, he traveled by Jeep until it fell apart. He finished the 2,485-mile trip on a dirt bike.

One of his best times was a 12-day motorcycle journey that included four days in an Indian reservation, stranded by a broken chain and sprocket. "Definitely the longest and most fun pit stop ever," he said.

Want to go back? His dream drive involves traversing the 3,107-mile Transamazonica Roadway during the rainy season. Only 109 miles are paved.

European Dunlop officials started Drivers Cup in 1998 to showcase Dunlop's racing heritage and its broad range of passenger, truck, motorcycle and all- terrain-vehicle tire lines. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tires and Mud Rover off-road tires will be featured in the competition.

Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original- equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships.

Szenttamasy entered the Drivers Cup after seeing an item in AutoWeek magazine.

Applications are being accepted now for those interested in competing in the 2007 Dunlop Drivers Cup U.S. Regionals. To apply, go to http://www.dunloptires.com/.