General Tire's Marc Burnett Wins Class 6 'Ironman-Style' at 2008 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico, Nov 23, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- General Tire made history today when Marc Burnett drove his Boost Mobile / Monster Energy / General Tire Ford Ranger to a Class 6 - Mini Trophy Truck win in the 41st Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Burnett a seasoned traditional 2 wheel guy drove the entire race as the solo driver of the truck.
"This was an incredible win in what was truly a team effort through some of the toughest conditions in years, and we are very proud of Marc's accomplishment here," said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. "In true 'Ironman- Style,' Marc drove the entire grueling 631-mile course. This is yet another step in General Tire's phenomenal return to off- road competition. We put our faith in Marc and he has delivered results!"
General Tire has 'unleashed the fury' in off-road performance with its Grabber competition tires, as General Tire triumphantly returned to off-road competition in 2008. Throughout the season, the tires proved themselves over some of the toughest desert conditions and came out on top.
"When we debuted the Grabber competition tire last year, we knew we had a winner, but we needed to show the desert racing community that this was the tire to beat. With this win, we continue to prove that the Grabber Competition tire has what it takes to compete and win. It is legendary when a new competition tire scores such impressive victories in its debut year," Roffler added.
"This was an unbelievable race," Burnett said. "The course was extremely difficult, but the truck did exactly what it was supposed to and the tires were unbeatable -- they endured through every conceivable kind of terrain and pushed us through to the finish, completing the entire 631 mile course on only one set of Grabber tires. We are so proud to bring home this Class 6 win for General Tire!"
Burnett is a Baja 1000 champion in the motorcycle class. He also holds two championships for motorcycle in the Baja 500. He took second place in the Terrible's 250 and third in the Parker 425.
Designed with a tough, three-ply Duragen(TM)-reinforced body construction to stand up to the rigors of off-road conditions, the Grabber also features a newly-developed competition-specific tread compound. In addition, the Grabber name and General Tire logo are prominently featured on the sidewall in red and white letters. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37x12.50R17 for Class 8 and Trophy Truck/Trick Truck and 35x12.50R17 for class 6, 1, 7 SX, 7 S, ProTruck, and Stock Mini.
General Tire also has a complete line of Grabber tires for the passenger and light truck market, including the new Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire; the Grabber HTS, which delivers the perfect synergy of comfort, durability and performance; the Grabber UHP, which sets a whole new standard in performance and ride quality for SUVs, light trucks and crossover vehicles; and Grabber AT2, designed for aggressive all-terrain traction in all weather conditions.
For additional media information, visit www.ctnamedia.com.
General Tire is part of Continental Tire North America, Inc. ( www.generaltire.com). CTNA, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a company of Germany-based Continental AG. With targeted annual sales of more than euro 26.4 billion ($40 billion US) for 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Today, the corporation employs approximately 150,000 people at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.

General Media Contacts:
Dana Zamalloa
704-583-8165
dana.zamalloa@conti-na.com

Mariellen Fagan
Crowl, Montgomery & Clark
330-494-6999, ext. 201
mfagan@crowlinc.com