AKRON, Ohio, April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Four Americans made podium-finishes at the ninth Dunlop Drivers Cup World Finals in Malaga, Spain, in what many were calling an upset of German's perennial top finishers. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070328/CLW129) U.S. consumers Dave Furchak, software customer representative from Romulus, Mich., and Egon Szenttamasy, footwear executive from Pembroke Pines, Fla., broke free from a four-team pack on the final days to win the championship. Thirty entrants from six countries competed in the 2,000-mile marathon rally across three European countries. Guido Simon, cattle breeding consultant, and professional triathlete Kai Hundertmarck represented Dunlop Germany, which placed second. Another U.S. consumer team - Lee A.G. Clark, human resources representative from Topanga, Calif., Kevin Clarke, beverage sales representative from Fryeburg, Maine - grabbed the third spot. The fourth-place team also represented Dunlop USA. Billy Link, Discount Tire Co. store manager in Houston, and Todd Eagan, of Costa Mesa, Calif., writer for Sport Compact Car magazine, led most of the 10-day event, but ran into trouble in the fitness competition and in kart racing. A Swiss team finished fifth. "This finish by the Americans definitely qualifies as an upset," said Janice Consolacion, brand planning manager for Dunlop in North America. "After all, the Germans invented this amateur drivers' challenge in 1999." Last year, two U.S. consumer teams placed a respectable 8th and 14th, the first time Dunlop USA had participated in the drivers' challenge. Two Germans led the celebration of driving in a come-from-behind win over a Netherlands team. Besides a 10-day grueling rally, Dunlop Drivers Cup featured three racetracks in Germany, France and Spain and competitions on all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, karts and off-road vehicles as well as a round of running and mountain biking. All events featured Dunlop tires, including a variant of the SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tire. Besides razor-sharp response skills, the teams required endurance and stamina, which was right up Furchak's alley. The Michigan marathoner had run, biked and lifted weights to build endurance. "The tracks, from Germany's Hockenheimring to the impressive Ascari circuit in Spain, were amazing facilities. It was a surreal experience, and it came down to the last event with five teams contesting for the win. Egon and I were astonished to win, and we are incredibly grateful for the entire experience," the 27-year-old Furchak said. The competition was stiff with professional triathletes and motorcycle racers competing. "We didn't have the home field advantage here, but I think our teamwork was an asset. We complemented each other with our driving skills," Furchak said. Now Furchak is looking for other opportunities to showcase his racing skills, including as a decathlete. Florida's Szenttamasy, 38, says his dream always involved racing across Europe. Although the Brazilian seemingly has "done it all" - he's a surfer, scuba diver, paraglider, sailor, rally driver, white water rafter, cave explorer, Amazon jungle survivor and motocrosser - the opportunity to race on some of southern Europe's most famous racetracks "was an amazing experience." The footwear executive had been mountain biking and jogging to build endurance. "Winning the Dunlop Drivers Cup on great tires was an honor for me. It felt great to win such tough competition against some of the best amateur drivers in the world and getting to travel through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe." The key to the win, he said, was "keeping our heads cool at all times and keeping focused on all the races. I also believe that our team made the best use of teamwork and that helped us be consistent everyday," he said. And then, there's his family lineage. He's Brazilian and proud of it. Racing, he said, is in his blood. He began racing at a young age. Consolacion said, "The Americans were definitely prepared for this competition. They trained and were mentally focused on each driving event. Still, they challenged themselves and won. They must be stoked." Runner-up Guido Simon said, "Our American colleagues were just amazingly quick, and this applies to completely different disciplines. Kudos, to David and Egon; they deserved to win." 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. On a related front, amateur drivers, who are at least 21 and have a valid driver's license, can apply for a spot at September's U.S. Regional competition at http://www.dunloptire.com/driverscup/. Deadline for applying is July 15, 2007. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070328/CLW129 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Dunlop Tires CONTACT: Dave Wilkins of Dunlop Tires, +1-330-796-3758, dfwilkins@goodyear Web site: http://www.goodyear.com/ http://www.dunloptire.com/driverscup

Copyright