The politics of tires


The 4th of July weekend... three days of racing! We watched IMSA sports cars live from Daytona and witnessed the Mazdas finish one-two for the first time since... I don’t know... 1985? Indy cars were on the road course at IMS battling the heat with their homely canopies. But what does it often come down to in racin’? Tires. They’re often the deciding factor. Who has the most grip? Longest life? Most communicative? Least likely to kill you? Witness the Austrian Grand Prix that ran on Sunday morning. For a quick second it looked like Kimi Raikonnen’s tire was trying to climb into the cockpit with him. I didn't hear anyone blame Pirelli for that, but fast forward 10 hours into the closing laps of the NASCAR Brickyard 400. The leader, Denny Hamlin, is sailing into the distance, and all the announcers can say is, “Be careful with those tires...” and then ka-pow, his right front GOODYEAR explodes and he’s heading for the wall and a ball of fire. After the wreckage clears and the race restarts, you gotta wonder if the next leader is driving for the same fate. Not your best public relations moment for Goodyear, but it sure beats 2008 when the tires had a lifespan of 10 to 12 laps... Time to pile on? Indycar driver Graham Rahal thought so and tweeted, “What a bummer for @dennyhamlin. All his race. I watch this and it just makes me so thankful to have @FirestoneRacing tires. Never have I personally entered a corner and worried about a tire blowing. Thank the lord!”  
The summer of extra rewards continues

Nice to see tire manufacturers going the extra mile this season of so much heartburn. Cooper is paying their Medallion dealers ‘Double Bucks’ on CS5, AT3, S/T MAXX, STT Pro and their newest line the Enduramax. This promo runs right through to August 15th. Enjoy. 
Two new for you 

You might have noticed that the supply of Cooper’s RM170 pick-up and delivery all-position tires has dried up. This is a very temporary situation as Cooper is phasing in their new and improved RM170+. The ‘+’ designates the reformulated compounding that’s all about longer tread life. Look for the RM170+ in 19.5 and 22.5 sizes. The next Roadmaster change you’ll see is the RM257 replacing the RM253. The new RM257 has an aggressive open shoulder tread pattern, 3D siping, cut and chip resistant compounding. and carries the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol.  
Every man has his price. Is yours $10?

During August and September Falken will be offering their Fanatic associate dealer counter salespeople a $10 spiff for every WildPeak trail they sell. Counter salespeople will be responsible for uploading documentation through Channel Fusion to be paid the spiff on a reloadable card. More details to come and for a refresher on what a WildPeak Trail is, click HERE .
Captain Kim - Caption This winners

Here are your top captions from last issue’s strange pic. Hey, didn’t notice North Korea on the list of countries facing the new tariff... big opportunity? Thanks for playing along guys.  

"I know Donald will like this gift." from Mike in VT
“Reminds me of my first wife, she got around.” from Barry in PA
“Jeff Short, you should stock these missile launcher tires! I’ll give you a great deal on them.” from Mike in CT.



Need to talk? Call me at 717-314-4949

Jeff Short
VP of Sales
Thank you for your continued support!

K&W Tire