ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and NASCAR today jointly announced they have signed an extended agreement for Goodyear to continue as the exclusive tire used in NASCAR's top three racing series for the next five years.
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The agreement through 2012, naming Goodyear the "Exclusive Tire Supplier" of NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was signed here in front of more than 2,000 attendees at the 2007 Goodyear Dealer Conference. Goodyear Chairman and CEO Bob Keegan, Jon Rich, president of the company's North American Tire business, and Mike Helton, NASCAR president, delivered the news to Goodyear's customers.
"This extension of the more than 50-year relationship of two American icons is one that we are extremely proud to announce," said Rich. "Nothing says racing like NASCAR, and Goodyear has been recognized as the longest- running sponsor of the sport. We plan to have our Eagle tires in the winner's circle for another 50 years."
"Our longtime relationship with Goodyear is a testament to the company's consistent high-quality tire it supplies the race teams," said Helton. "Goodyear has been a vital partner, which has been essential to NASCAR's side- by-side competition."
Goodyear has had an uninterrupted commitment to NASCAR since becoming a race tire supplier in the 1950s. This relationship has become one of the longest-running supply programs in any sport.
Over the last 50 years, Goodyear has worked to bring innovation to its racing products, which, in turn, has helped foster heightened competition on the track. Since it first began supplying tires to NASCAR, Goodyear tires have logged 1,410 NEXTEL Cup (and formerly, Winston Cup) victories, and the number continues to rise. As a further extension, Goodyear takes innovations and cutting-edge technology from the race track, and applies that technology to tires that consumers use on streets and highways.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body for one of America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport - holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S., the No. 2-rated regular season sport on television with broadcasts in more than 150 countries, and has 75 million fans that purchase more than $2.1 billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports and as a result, more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three major national series (NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) as well as four regional racing series. NASCAR sanctions 1,300 races at 100 tracks across more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach, NASCAR has offices in Bentonville (Ark.), Charlotte, Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Toronto.
About Goodyear
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs more than 75,000 people worldwide. For more tire information on Goodyear tires, go to http://www.goodyeartires.com/.
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