RACE: Goodyear Racing June Sprints Sunday notes

NINE DRIVERS USE GOODYEAR TIRES TO WIN AT SCCA JUNE SPRINTS

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (June 26, 2005) -- John LaRue stood on the victory podium at Road America and grinned from ear to ear.

LaRue was celebrating a surprising double win at the 50th running of the Kohler/Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints. He'd won the Formula Ford race, while racing on Goodyear tires, then won a drawing and was presented with a check for $5,000 by racing icon and event Grand Marshal Carroll Shelby. The prize was offered by Auto Meter.

LaRue was one of nine drivers to use Goodyear tires on the way to winning at the June Sprints. The June Sprints is the longest continuously running SCCA club event and the 50th running attracted a large field of cars for the 23 classes.

"I'd like to thank Goodyear," said LaRue after winning his race. "They put in a lot of development work on these tires. The tires keep getting better and better."

The other Goodyear winners at Road America included Brad Stout (Formula Vee), Lawrence Loshak (E Production), Gerald Lamb (F Production), Bill Wessel (G Production), Chris Crisenbery (H Production), Bill Davidson (GT Light), Bill Baten (Touring 2), Andy McDermid (American Sedan) and Mike Cyphert (GT3).

The winners at Road America picked up the first leg of the SCCA Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is awarded to any driver that wins their race at the June Sprints, their division championship and their race in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

Goodyear's wins came in a variety of racing types. The tiremaker swept the production classes, Stout's win came in an open-wheeled class, Baten gave Goodyear a win in a touring class, McDermid's win came in a Sedan class and Cyphert won in a GT class.

Stout's victory was his sixth straight at the June Sprints. He said, "The Goodyear tires are just phenomenal on my car and with my driving style. We couldn't wish for a better package. -- The setup we had, we just didn't abuse the tires at all. They were there, right to the end."

Davidson's victory came in a new class. He said he has been racing on Goodyear tires since 1997. "This win was particularly special. We struggled with ignition problems all weekend. It was a good, strong field. The new class is working well."

The GT Light class replaces two production classes that the SCCA had in previous seasons.

Teams using Goodyear tires took a total of 27 podium finishes, nine of them in second place. The best race of the weekend might have been behind Stout as the Formula Vee field struggled for second place. Michael Beaumia eventually emerged from a pack of four cars to get second place and Chris Kendall took third. Like Stout, Beaumia and Kendall used Goodyear tires.

Among the second-place finishers on Goodyear tires was Graham Rahal, the runner-up in the Formula Atlantic class. Rahal is the son of Bobby Rahal, winner of the Indianapolis 500 as both a driver and a team owner. The younger Rahal races in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear series and used the same car at the June Sprints. The Star Mazda car is allowed in the Formula Atlantic class.

"We've kept our tires always consistent and they last forever," Graham Rahal said.

Goodyear's history of road racing excellence is alive and well in 2005.

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