AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Houston's Discount Tire Co. store manager Billy Link has hit it big in NASCAR Country and will represent the United States in Hanau, Germany, next April at the Dunlop Drivers Cup championship. Link, 31, store manager at the 2300 S. Highway 6 location in Houston, won the Drivers Cup U.S. Qualifier at Virginia International Raceway in the retailer class. He is the lone qualifier from that category for the multi-day driving event that begins in Hanau on April 14 and ends in Marrakech, Morocco. The self-described adrenaline junkie said he began competing in amateur motocross events when he turned 16 and has been riding ATVs, motorcycles and go-karts since he was 7 years old. The experience paid off handsomely at the six-event U.S. Regional competition here. He won half the events, grabbing the checkered flag in ATV, autocross and motocross. "I'm aggressive, usually the last one off the gas. And I like to push the limits," he said. No doubt. When he raced motorcycles, he usually finished first, second or crashed. Nothing halfway about Link. But he said he didn't know what to expect in Virginia. A unique competition, Drivers Cup included on-track racing, karting, autocross, off-road sport-utility, off-road all-terrain vehicle and motocross events to test the skills of hard-core driving enthusiasts. The competition featured SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tires. "It was more than I bargained for." He also was thrilled to compete at Virginia International Raceway in the heart of NASCAR Country. Nextel Cup brothers Ward Burton and Chase points-leader Jeff Burton are from nearby South Boston, Va. Janice Consolacion, brand planning manager for Dunlop in North America, said Cup organizers were impressed by Link's "passion for driving fast. When Discount Tire Co. found out that they had two slots in the U.S. Regionals, they immediately offered a spot to Billy. They felt he had the best chance." Link was teamed with Ryan Brenneman, a Discount Tire Co. manager in San Dimas, Calif. Although they had never met previously, they both have 12 years service with Discount Tire and a "love for racing," Link said. "I'm proud to be carrying the Discount Tire Co. and Dunlop USA banners to Europe for the World Finals. My fellow Discount Tire Co. associates are very happy for me, and I can't stop talking about it." Link and Brenneman competed with the following retailers in Virginia: - Josh Baughman, general manager of wholesale operations, North Central Tire, Canton, Ohio; - Steven Andre, vice president of retail operations, and owner Steven Sorbaro, Mavis Tire, Mt. Kisco, N.Y.; - Jim Uliano, vice president of retail operations, Town Fair Tire, East Haven, Conn.; - Angelo Ianelli, general manager of wholesale operations, Albert Tire, Pennsauken, N.J.; - Fred Allen Jr., vice president, Allen Tire, Los Angeles; - Marco Brodeur, region manager, Unimax, Granby, Quebec. "The best thing about Drivers Cup was arriving in Virginia as strangers and coming away as friends. The camaraderie was tremendous," he said. Link will be joined by four lucky consumers - Kevin Clarke, of Fryeburg, Maine; Lee Clark, of Topanga, Calif.; Todd Furchak, of Romulus, Mich.; and Egon Szenttamasy, of Pembroke Pines, Fla. - and Todd Eagan, a writer for Sport Compact Car magazine, in representing Dunlop USA. The 10-day excursion is scheduled to travel through six European countries - with driving events in each nation - and finish on the African continent. 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 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 those automotive enthusiasts who want to enter next year's Drivers Cup event, apply now at http://www.dunloptires.com/driverscup. DATASOURCE: Dunlop Tires CONTACT: Dave Wilkins of Dunlop Tires, +1-330-796-3758, or Web site: http://www.dunloptires.com/driverscup

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