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MILLVILLe, N.J.
Nerves and anticipation ran high this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) as BFGoodrich® Tires made an impressive splash at the first-ever U.S. RallyCar Rallycross event. BFGoodrich Tires dominated the marquee All-Wheel Drive (AWD) class as drivers took advantage of the grip, acceleration and toughness of their BFGoodrich tires, sweeping all three podium spots, with X Games champion Tanner Foust (Ford) coming in first, closely followed by Travis Pastrana (Subaru) and Dave Mirra (Subaru).
"First off, congratulations to the RallyCar organization, all of the teams and sponsors who helped make the U.S. RallyCar Rallycross debut a huge success," said Roberts Kukainis, motorsports manager, BFGoodrich Tires. "We're excited with the drivers' performance supported by BFGoodrich tires' exceptional grip on the tarmac. This is the same grip that BFGoodrich has brought to motorsports for more than 40 years and we are proud to bring this grip to this inaugural event."
Being the first event of the series, teams were eager to test the different types of BFGoodrich tires on the approximately 85 percent tarmac and 15 percent dirt surface. The BFGoodrich tires demonstrated their exceptional grip, acceleration and toughness as they provided supreme traction to the 450-plus horsepower vehicles that tore through the dirt corners and made the aggressive transitions to tarmac seamlessly.
All-Star Traction Conquers the All-Wheel Drive Class
The heavy hitters came out swinging in the AWD class Sunday evening, capping off an exhilarating weekend of rally racing. The AWD class consisted of a qualifying round and three heats of lightning-fast times as drivers put both their vehicles and their tires through the paces of the challenging course. All the excitement of the three-heat challenge led to an action-packed six-car main event on Sunday afternoon that featured the BFGoodrich-shod powerhouse combination of Foust, Pastrana, Mirra and Andrew Comrie-Picard (Mitsubishi).
In the five-lap race, Foust secured an early lead with his Ford Fiesta while Pastrana drove his Subaru WRX STI to the limit. As Pastrana made his move going into a sharp left corner before the track's final dirt section, he slid wide and soared into and over a tire wall, prompting a red flag and the restart of the race. Pastrana's car was relatively unscathed and he was able to restart in sixth place. Once the race restarted, Foust again dominated the course and drove to a first place podium finish, maintaining his perfect U.S. Rallycross record, which began with his SuperRally gold medal at X Games 16 just a few weeks ago. BFGoodrich-shod drivers rounded out the podium with Pastrana securing second and Mirra taking home third to complete the sweep.
RallyCar U.S. Rallycross Championship events will be televised on eSPN2. Please check local listings for airdates and times.
BFGoodrich Tires will look to continue showcasing its grip, acceleration and toughness at the next U.S. RallyCar Rallycross race at NJMP Oct. 1-3, 2010.
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 35 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com.
BFGoodrich Tires' enthusiasm has extended online as well, with a gathering place for auto enthusiasts to celebrate the thrill of GO through Nation of GO, where people with a passion for driving can celebrate and share what they love to do best at www.NationofGo.com.
About BFGoodrich
BFGoodrich Tires is dedicated to providing high performance tires for those who have a passion for driving in virtually any environment. Combining technical expertise with 50 years of motorsports experience, BFGoodrich delivers tires for a full range of driving experiences from ultra-high performance street to off-road terrain with one common theme – extreme performance. Come upgrade your performance with BFGoodrich and see where our tires can take you at BFGoodrichTires.com, BFGoodrichRacing.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram at @BFGoodrichTires and TikTok at @BFGoodrich.