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Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 ‘Star Spec’ Races to Texas SCCA Wins
AKRON, Ohio, May 14, 2008 — It should be obvious that Dunlop’s new Direzza Sport Z1 “Star Spec” tire would do well in the Lone Star State. Consider three Shreveport, La., racers who won big on the new ultra-performance tires at SCCA’s Tire Rack Solo National Tour at Fort Worth, Texas.
Barry Booker and wife Connie won the Street Touring Xtreme (STX) classes for men and women with the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Specs on a 2004 Volkswagen R32 sports car. Car owner Paul Carrig took third in the class. Each took home coveted Sports Car Club of America hardware.
Booker, who has competed for more than 10 years in club racing and auto cross, notched the Texas win with a 2.85-second lead after two days of competition. In the past, the Bookers have won National Tour events in STX and D Stock classes. Barry Booker works for a specialty propeller manufacturer in Shreveport. Carrig, who started auto crossing in 2003 and won rookie-of-the-year honors in SCCA’s Red River region, began preparing his blue R32 in 2007 for STX competition. Last year, the car finished 10th at Nationals and won a ProSolo in STX, two second National Tour finishes and two National Tour STX Ladies wins. This year, he changed tire brands.
The software architect for Praeses LLC, a Shreveport IT consulting firm, said, “Overall, I think the new Zed 1 Star Spec is a great fit for my vehicle. We were very happy with the tire’s performance in cool, low-grip conditions and felt there was more to come as the tire warmed.
“The full-tread tires came up to heat quickly and continued to improve as the weekend progressed. There was minimal loss of grip on the opening runs, and we logged higher Gs in cornering compared with tires we previously used,” Carrig said.
Matthew Neidert, brand manager for Dunlop performance tires, said the Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tire features the new “Star Spec” tread compound, which helps improve a performance car’s initial dry grip during sanctioned amateur driving events, such as autocross and high-performance track-events hosted by regional car clubs.
“The Bookers’ and Carrig’s experience with fast initial runs in cooler temperatures shows the advantage provided by Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec tires. Their consistency over a range of conditions can take a lot of the guesswork out of vehicle setups at an event,” Neidert said.
A high-response directional tread pattern with circumferential grooves helps create a consistent contact patch on the pavement for a smooth feel and seamless transition. An “optimal mold shape” helps provide a consistent footprint shape and uniform pressure distribution across the footprint for enhanced cornering, Neidert said. Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships. For more information on Dunlop’s performance tires, go to http://www.dunloptires.com.
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