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Goodyear Hopes to Continue Racing Success in Japan

24 March 1998

Goodyear Hopes to Continue Racing Success in Japan

    MOTEGI, Japan, March 24 -- Following Michael Andretti's
season-opening FedEx CART ChampCar victory on Goodyear tires at the Grand Prix
of Miami, Goodyear operations manager Steve Orlando was the first to reach
Andretti in the winner's circle.
    The emotions were high for Orlando as he embraced Andretti to offer his
congratulations.  The victory at Homestead, Fla., was proof to Orlando and his
team of race tire engineers that a winter of long hours and hard development
work was paying dividends.
    "The true sign of a champion is one who gets up off the canvas and lands a
hard right," Orlando said following the season opener.  "We admit we got
caught off-guard somewhat when tire competition returned to open-wheel racing.
But there was never a doubt from our team that we would come back strong.
We've got too much experience, too much heritage and too much pride."
    That comeback in CART ChampCar takes an ironic twist this week as North
America's largest tiremaker packs up its racing gear and heads to Motegi Twin
Rings, 60 miles northwest of Tokyo, for the Budweiser 500.
    "We know that this race is very important to our competitor since it's
being held in Japan," Orlando said.  "That makes it equally important for us.
We had to listen to a lot of talking last year.  That just made it easier for
us to focus on getting better."
    Orlando knows that the 1998 competition between tiremakers and race teams
will likely be the closest ever ... and he knows it's a long season ... but he
likes the start.  He said the tire competition has helped to rejuvenate an
entire corporation that admittedly became somewhat complacent about winning
after decades of unparalleled success in virtually every segment of
motorsports.
    "The excitement that's being generated around racing today is
unbelievable," Orlando said.  "Not only for those of us closest to race tire
development and performance, but for people within Goodyear who really have
had little interest in racing in the past."
    To continue that success ... in Japan ... would be even more special,
Orlando said.
    With only a third of the teams on Goodyear tires, Orlando said it would be
naive to believe Goodyear tires would carry every winner in 1998.  "But we're
the only ones with a chance to do that right now," he said.  "To keep the
streak going in Japan will be tough ... but we've got a great tire, and a
great group of people throughout the organization working very hard to provide
the best Goodyear Eagles possible."
    Whatever happens in Motegi ... one thing is certain:  "We're back in the
fight," Orlando said.  "Our people know it, our teams know it and the
competition knows it.  That makes for an exciting season."

SOURCE  Goodyear