May 2, 2007
The BFGoodrich^® g-Force R1^™ Tire Scores Top Honors at Modified Shootout and GT Live

GREENVILLE, S.C. – May 2, 2007 – BFGoodrich Tires’ team of high-performance tire engineers and executives need to make room in their caps for another feather, as the recently released BFGoodrich® Tires g-Force R1™ tire played a decisive role in earning the overall title for AMS Performance during Modified Magazine’s “Tuner Shootout 2007.” The results of the magazine’s extensive competition held at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., are featured in its June issue, which is hitting newsstands now.

“We pitted 10 of the top tuner cars in America against each other in four classic time-based performance tests at California Speedway,” said David Pratte, senior writer for Modified. “The Modified Tuner Shootout was designed as a no-holds-barred competition, meaning we placed no limitations on level of car preparation, tire choice, driver choice, or any other aspect of event strategy. Simply put, we wanted the best tuner shops to bring out their fastest machinery and most talented drivers so that our readers and the entire tuner industry could see what’s possible when the gloves come off and the only thing that matters is speed.”

The BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1 tire was touted as the best overall performing tire after finishing ahead of the competition in three of the four events which consisted of – a 1/4 mile, 0-80-0 mph acceleration and braking event, a 150ft skid pad loop and a 15-minute Time Attack event on the infield road course. Modified also broke the competition down by drivetrain configuration (AWD, RWD and FWD), to show that the inherent differences associated with the methods of putting the power to the ground were acknowledged. Each event was timed for speed and the team with the lowest cumulative time from all four events was declared the overall winner.

In the end, the BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1-shod 2003 Mitsubishi EVO from AMS Performance captured the overall honors. The BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1 was also featured on the 2006 Subaru STI from Crawford Performance, which earned second overall in the event. Other competitors, who scored well with the BFGoodrich g-Force R1, included Skunk2 Racing which captured first-place overall on the skid pad, beating out all the FWD, RWD, and AWD competitors in their 2006 Honda Civic Si.

"Just like the BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1 tire, we love competition, and we’re confident that our products will deliver favorably when stacked up against those of our competitors," said Doug Brown, BFGoodrich Tires brand category manager. "We are very pleased that the BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1 was a decisive factor towards winning this shootout and we’re working hard to make sure our entire g-Force line-up continues to deliver results like this."

"The true strength of the BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1 is its durability and consistency,” said Paul Gerrard, AMS performance driver. “We left the same set up on the car for all the events and the BFGoodrich Tires g-Force R1 recorded consistent results every time. It also had very impressive grip which was good everywhere, particularly under acceleration."

Tanner Foust who drove for Crawford Performance also commended the tire, stating; “The BFGoodrich g-Force R1’s tread compound formulation warmed up quickly, and the wear profile allowed us to read our suspension set-ups much easier.”

In addition to its exceptional performance at the Modified Tuner Shootout, the g-Force R1 also captured a Time Attack win at the GT Live Festival, which took place at Miller Motorsports Park near Tooele Utah, April 28-29. The GT LIVE Festival presented by BFGoodrich Tires is an “interactive motorsports festival,” combining drifting, Time Attack, karting, stunt bikes, car shows and music. Tanner Foust again driving for Crawford Performance took home the Time Attack trophy and set a new East track lap record of 1:37.54 seconds.

To read more about the results from Modified Magazine’s “Tuner Shootout 2007” check out their Web site at www.modified.com

For more information about GT LIVE, visit its Web site at www.gtlivetour.com

BFGoodrich designed the g-Force R1 tire for drivers looking for a competition-ready tire with superior grip and sharp steering response. The symmetric, non-directional tread design also provides for excellent cornering power and precise turn-in, which stimulates confidence for garnering the quickest lap times in competition. The tire is currently offered in two sizes, 225/40ZR18 and 285/30ZR18, with 15 additional sizes coming out later this spring.

Other features of the BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tire include:

• Minimal break-in required, as the tire is molded to 4/32nds of an inch tread depth and no shaving necessary
• Tread compound formulation, which offers quick warm-up, superior cornering power and consistent grip, making the g-Force R1 tire the ultimate DOT legal tire
• Predictable grip character that is forgiving and easy to drive at the grip limit make the g-Force R1 confidence-inspiring, which enables driver precision at the track
• Ability to be used at different vehicle wheel positions, and rotated in different directions will maximize tread life with an even wear profile for the most possible laps at the track

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally (Dakar and WRC) 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 online at www.bfgoodrichtires.com.