AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A former competitor and coach of
the World Pro Ski Tour and Fryeburg, Maine, auto enthusiast has been
selected to participate in the Dunlop Drivers Cup driving challenge.
Kevin Clarke, 50, a former pro skier with long ties to Maine, Vermont
and New Hampshire ski country, will be competing against 11 other amateur
drivers at the U.S. Regional Qualifier in Danville, Va., on Sept. 11-15.
The sales manager for Maine Beverage of Augusta, also has worked as an
announcer in ski racing and motorsports.
Clarke said the Virginia International Raceway event "is a perfect fit
for my racing skills. Ski racing and motorsports are more alike than people
realize. In both, you have to 'find the line,' use the apex as your turning
point. You have to be smooth, clean, ahead of the game."
He drove a modified BMW E30 M3 and supercharged Chrysler PT Cruiser in
two One Lap of Americas, a 4,000-mile endurance event on highways, country
roads and racetracks. "Who knew sleep deprivation could be so much fun?"
Clarke asked.
Clarke said he realizes Dunlop Drivers Cup is completely different from
any other type of driving challenge. A unique competition, Dunlop Drivers
Cup includes on track racing, autocross, off-road sport-utility, off-road
all- terrain vehicle and motocross events to test the skills of hard-core
driving enthusiasts.
Two two-driver teams from the three-day U.S. Regional Qualifier will
represent Dunlop USA at the world Drivers Cup next year. The 10-day
excursion is scheduled to travel through six European countries - with
driving events in each nation - and finish on the African continent.
Janice Consolacion, brand planning manager for Dunlop in North America,
said Cup organizers were impressed by Clarke's One Lap and road racing
experience as well as his off-road motorcycle and ATV skills.
"Kevin's diversity in road racing, off-road motocross, karting and all-
round car experience gives him an advantage over most other competitors. He
also collects BMW sports cars, another natural fit for the Dunlop brand,"
Consolacion said.
Clarke said the drivers' challenge is another milestone in his lifelong
love of the automobile. "My 5-horsepower mini-bike started it all. My first
street-legal vehicle was a Kawasaki 250 Big Horn. When I discovered girls,
I bought a 1960s Volvo 164. At 19, I bought my first BMW and have owned
them ever since."
His most memorable automotive experience came when he was announcing
the skiing finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. A friend, who had won a ride in the
ultra- fast, $1-million-plus Bugatti Veyron to benefit the Sun Valley Ski
Education Foundation, offered the prize to Clarke. The ski announcer won a
coin toss and drove the luxury sports car "very quickly up the mountain."
Clarke said he would use a "fast, controlled and consistent" driving
style in Virginia. If he could add any feature to a vehicle or his Kawasaki
KLX400, it would be "a perpetual fueling system, so I never have to stop."
European Dunlop officials started Drivers Cup in 1998 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 Mud Rover off-road tires will be featured in
the competition.
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.
Clarke entered Dunlop Drivers Cup after seeing an item in AutoWeek
magazine. For more on the U.S. team, go to http://www.dunloptires.com.
SOURCE Dunlop Tires
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Related links:
http://www.dunloptires.com/
CONTACT:
Dave Wilkins of Dunlop Tires,
+1-330-796-3758, or dfwilkins@goodyear.com
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