Dunlop 'Maxxed Out' Awards for Souped-up, Tricked-out

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2007 -- A Phoenix man and a classic 1969 Chevrolet C-10 Shortbed truck has received Dunlop Tire's top "Maxxed Out" Award.

Rob Coniam, 26, a builder for Street Beat Customs Inc., was selected for Dunlop's fourth annual best-of-show "Maxxed Out" Award at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas. The restored truck is owned by Rick Freeman, owner of Street Beat Customs and also of Phoenix.

Coniam said the year-long project included changing every nut and bolt, new sheet metal, full AirLoc air suspension system, a 1965 Buick Nailhead engine, custom wheels and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tires.

The Arizona man said he's been building SEMA vehicles since 2001, but this was his first classic. The "shaved" truck is devoid of exterior door handles, providing a clean, understated appearance, he said.

Gary Medalis, general manager for Dunlop, said, "We expected the Dunlop 'Maxxed Out' Awards to be very competitive, but the creativity and style exceeded our expectations. The SEMA vehicles epitomized the Dunlop attitude of passion, performance and style, which is part of our DNA."

Other Dunlop category winners included: P'nut Zeya, of Los Angeles, Lexus LS400 with Air Runner air suspension system for VIP-Style Sedans; Greg Baker, of Lexington, Ky., 2004 Injected Performance Nissan 350Z for Import Performance; Marcel Horn, of Surrey, British Columbia, 2008 HPA Motorsports Ford Focus FPD Edition for Domestic Performance; Tetsuya Hibino, of Osaka, Japan, Car Studio Nissan Silvia S-15 for Race-Prepped Car Destined for Competition; and Jerry Starling, of Branson, Mo., 1996 chopped Chevrolet Tahoe for Perfect Wheel and Tire Combo.

The annual Dunlop Maxxed Out Awards often feature repeat winners. For example, the Canadian Horn won the inaugural award in 2004 with an HPA Volkswagen R32 sports car.

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.

For more on Dunlop tires, go to www.dunloptires.com.