The World of Outlaws had no immediate comment, nor, apparently did it have a replacement tire sponsor lined up.
In a terse statement this morning, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and the World Racing Group announced today that Goodyear would not continue as the official tire supplier of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series beyond the 2012 season.
The surprise announcement ends Goodyear’s three-year sponsorship of sprint car racing in what is arguably the most competitive racing series run on dirt. Goodyear, of course, has been racing for more than 100 years going back to Henry Ford in 1901. Supplying tires for the Outlaw series is complicated with one tire with four different compounds on the right rear. The left rear comes in four sizes and compounds. The front tires have three different compounds.
“We wish the World of Outlaws continued success in the future,” said Justin Fantozzi, marketing manager for Goodyear Racing in a statement. Fantozzi was previously a sales manager for dirt and asphalt track racing tires at Goodyear.
The World of Outlaws had no immediate comment, nor, apparently did it have a replacement tire sponsor lined up, or at least ready to announce. Goodyear’s 58-year sponsorship of NASCAR continues through 2017 and it remains active in a wide variety of racing programs.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
