Six Drivers Pursue Off-Road Dunlop Drivers Cup in Germany

PHOENIX, Sept. 14, 2005 The Auto Channel reported that a Washington police pursuit driving instructor, Manhattan courier, Detroit advertising executive, Little Rock SBC telephone network engineer and a pair of Discount Tire store managers have qualified for the Dunlop Drivers Cup Off-Road Camp in Germany.

The six amateur drivers beat out 18 competitors in the inaugural U.S. Dunlop Drivers Cup qualifier, an intense two-day driving competition challenging their racetrack, autocross, off-road 4x4, all-terrain vehicle and motocross skills.

Janice Consolacion, brand planning manager for Dunlop in North America, said the winning drivers were "fast, smooth and consistent. They showed they could be as proficient on an ATV as powering a BMW 325 on the racetrack.

"We expect these six men to represent Dunlop USA well in Europe," Consolacion said. In 1999, Dunlop Germany started the Drivers Cup with German drivers and held the first finals in South America. Other countries - such as Austria, Switzerland and Romania - joined the competition in later years. Now for the first time, Dunlop USA is bringing driving enthusiasts to the international event.

The following U.S. drivers will compete Nov. 2-7 in Germany, where a single U.S. team will be selected to advance to the 2006 World Finals in the United States in the Spring.

   - Mike Hansen, a police officer from the City of Anacortes, Wash., is
     Skagit County's senior pursuit driving instructor. Hansen, 33, of Mount
     Vernon, said, "This was a tremendous opportunity to exercise some old
     skills and learn a few new ones outside the confines of police training
     and track days." Hansen has been a driving instructor for eight years
     and spent many hours behind the wheel of Ford's Crown Victoria.  He's
     also been riding motorcycles for more than 16 years and has attended
     several track events aboard a Triumph Daytona 955i sport bike.
   - Wallace Hattenhauer, an SBC engineer from Little Rock, Ark., said,
     "Being chosen for this event is a real honor, and I want to be the best
     representative I can be, not only to my car club members, but also to
     my fellow Arkansans and my family." The 30-year-old Jonesboro, Ark.,
     native has competed in Sports Car Club of America events and road
     course events in Oklahoma and Tennessee. He also is a member of the
     Arkansas Miata Club and the Little Rock Racing Scene.  "And of course,
     the daily commute in Little Rock traffic is akin to Dunlop Drivers Cup
     racing at its finest," he said.
   - Bradley Sutika, an ad agency executive for J. Walter Thompson Co.,
     spent most of his childhood off-road on all-terrain vehicles and dirt
     bikes on his uncle's land near Flint, Mich. Sutika, 26, of Farmington
     Hills, Mich., also was selected to drive alongside an AutoWeek
     advertising writer and detail his experiences in a special AutoWeek.com
     blog.
   - Brian Killourhy, a Brooklyn, N.Y., drummer for The Oggs band, has been
     a taxi driver and courier in New York City. "Driving around NYC all day
     in my 5-speed Volkswagen teaches awareness and car control as well as
     self control to avoid extreme road rage.  Oh, and my 'clutch leg' is in
     really, really good shape," the 25-year-old Killourhy said.
   - Albert Andrade, a Discount Tire store manager in Upland, Calif.,
     described his driving style as "loose, but smooth." But Andrade's real
     passion for driving comes on the racetrack. "I prefer 'sweepers and
     hairpins.' I love cornering. The G's are what I love about
     motorsports."
   - Jim McCauley, a Discount Tire store manager in Las Vegas, is a self-
     described expert off-road, with 30 years' experience on a motorcycle.
     In fact, McCauley easily won the tough off-road motocross event in
     treacherous sandy soil. He also said he "regularly" drives SUVs in
     "severe off-road conditions." A bit of an understatement. The store
     manager "regularly" competes in Nevada desert races as well as in the
     Best in the Desert racing series.

Dunlop officials started the Drivers Cup to showcase Dunlop's racing heritage and its broad range of passenger, truck, motorcycle and all-terrain- vehicle tire lines. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tires and Dunlop Mud Rover off-road tires were featured in the competition.

For more Drivers Cup details, go to http://www.dunloptires.com/news/driversCup.html.