Auto racing is woven into the fabric that makes and shapes The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and has been for more than 100 years.

“Our company stays out front of the many challenges posed by today’s many forms of auto racing,” said Grant. “We do that very, very well since we have more than 100 years of experience, expertise and dedication to the sport.

“Auto racing has been, and will be, important to our company, as it is to nearly anyone in the tire or auto supply business.

“From an overall racing division strategy, we try to align with venues that lend themselves to promotions that can support our businesses,” Grant added. “The premier areas most strategic to our core business are NASCAR and NHRA. Both forms of racing have incredible popularity and give Goodyear tremendous exposure.

NASCAR is Goodyear’s single largest customer and has been for many years, commanding more than 150,000 Eagle- and Wrangler- branded race tires annually.

Goodyear is the official tire and sole supplier to NASCAR’s top three series of Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck, and the agreement runs through 2012. Although Goodyear had been involved with NASCAR since 1954, this tire alliance was first made official in 1997.

“Our major race-related focus with NASCAR in recent times has been dealing with the development for the Car of Tomorrow, which now is the current car design being used full time on the circuit in 2008,” Grant noted. “We’ve worked diligently on tire development to provide the best tires for the COT, but 2008 will still be a challenge as teams continue to tune the new race car. “The way things are in racing, we will see things we don’t expect. But, we are prepared to deal with that by staying on top of what we see at race tracks and in testing,” Grant explained.

Sometimes as you go forward, you also should glance back. In doing that, Grant recalled Goodyear’s racing link reaching back to 1901 when the company first gave a set of tires to then fledgling automotive magnate Henry Ford, who used them to win a race that helped him launch his Ford Motor Company to great heights.

“Many racing successes for Goodyear followed in fast succession as the sport imbedded itself into our corporate identity,” he noted. “That’s the way we like it, to this very day!

“This racing asset assists our North American Tire business segment and its current Get there™ promotional campaign, as it also generates continuing awareness and solid successes for our corporation as a whole,” Grant summarized.

Stu Grant’s career at Goodyear began when he graduated with a chemical engineering degree in 1972 from Iowa State University. After a year with aircraft tire development, Grant joined Goodyear racing in 1973, where he was named chief compounder in 1978. In 1983, he was named manager of racing tire development programs, where he worked until transferring to passenger tires in 1991 and then to Kelly-Springfield as marketing manager of light truck tires. Grant returned to racing in 1994 as director of racing tire sales and marketing. In February 1996, he was named general manager of global race tires.

Greg Stucker has been with Goodyear since 1979, following his graduation from Vanderbilt University with a BS in mechanical engineering. After a year on the technical squadron, he joined the racing division in 1980, moving from short track and NASCAR tire development to become group leader for Indy cars in 1983. In 1986, he was named chief engineer in racing. Following three years in original equipment passenger tire engineering, Stucker returned to racing in October 1998 as manager of race tire product development. He was promoted to director of racing tire sales and marketing in October 2000.