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Kumho Tires (Representative: Oh, Sae-chul) is off to a great start in global motor sports as it wins the 1st round of the 2009 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (Irish Rally) held in the UK, and records its highest rank ever at the Dakar Rally.
Eugene Donelly, driving a Skoda equipped with Kumho Tires rally tires, competed in the A8 class (Over 2000cc, Group A) finishing in 1st place in the 1st round of Irish Rally held in Galway, UK last weekend. In addition to Donelly, 3 other vehicles equipped with Kumho Tires ranked 1st and 2nd in N4 Class (5th and 6th overall), and 1st in A7 Class (7th overall) among 139 vehicles, demonstrating the superiority of Kumho Tires rally tires.
Previously, Donelly had won the Irish Rally 3 years in a row from 2004 to 2007 while his rally car was equipped with Kumho tires. He, however, failed to win the rally in 2008 after switching tires to those made by another tire maker. Donelly’s team made the decision to switch back to Kumho Tires in 2009, proving to the experts that Kumho Tires make the difference. “Harsh wind, hail and wet roads made this race extremely difficult, but with Kumho’s high performing tires, we were able to win,” said Donelly during an interview after winning.
Kumho Tires’ performance at Dakar Rally was also outstanding. Dakar Rally 2009, also known as the ‘Extreme Race,’ ended on January 18 after a 15-day race covering 10,000 kilometers. The French SMG team equipped with Kumho tires ranked 3rd in T1.3 class (20th overall) where 177 vehicles participated and only 90 vehicles were able to finish. This is the highest ranking ever recorded by a car using Kumho Tires products in the Dakar Rally.
“Kumho Tires’ technology and passion for motor sports has been proven in world race events where global tire companies such as Michelin, Pirelli, Dunlop and Goodyear are fiercely competing,” said Cho, Sung-tae, R&D Director of Kumho Tires’ rally tires. “2009 will be the year that Kumho Tires demonstrates its technological prowess.”
Four-time Irish Tarmac Rally Champion, Eugene Donnelly, is starting his bid for a record tying fifth Irish Tarmac title this weekend. Motor sports fans worldwide will be watching to see if Donnelly and Kumho Tires will once again prove their dominance in competition.
