National: Goodyear Racing Indy ORP event summary

ACKERMAN WINS FIRST US NATIONALS VICTORY ON GOODYEAR TIRES

CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 6, 2010) -- Don't ask Al Ackerman to fix something that isn't broken.

Ackerman, the Competition Eliminator driver from Saddle Brook, N.J., won the Mac Tools US Nationals in his category Monday when he beat defending national champion Bruno Massel in an all-Goodyear final round. It was Ackerman's first win in drag racing's biggest event and Goodyear was a big part of the story.

Ackerman estimated his rear tires have made 600 passes down various quarter mile strips and won a dozen races since he bought them about six years ago. Monday, those well-seasoned tires were good enough to win the U.S. Nationals.

"We do have a low horsepower car and we don't burn a lot of rubber," said Ackerman. "It's a quality product and it just works."

Ackerman uses a set of Goodyear Eagle D2085s, a tire that Goodyear no longer makes. He says he bought them six years ago.

Ackerman's dragster qualified 17th at Indianapolis and went through six rounds of racing here. The weather conditions ranged from unseasonably cool at the start of the event to warm and sunny for Monday's finals. Still, the veteran adapted to the changing conditions and kept winning.

After all, his tires had seen it all before.

-source: goodyear racing