28 Apr 2014 : TIRE RACK CELEBRATES 12 YEARS AS TITLE SPONSOR OF THE ONE LAP OF AMERICA

America's largest independent 'personal shoe shopper for your vehicle' continues to 'fit' the fastest street-legal cars on America's toughest racetracks for a good cause



Revolutionizing tire buying since 1979

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - April 28, 2014 - Ti re Rack, America's largest independent tire tester and consumer-direct source for tires, wheels and performance accessories, celebrates its 12th Anniversary this year as the title sponsor of the Tire Rack One Lap of America (www.onelapofamerica.com), a charitable street-legal road rally race started by the legendary auto writer, Brock Yates, 31-years-ago.

The 2014 Tire Rack One Lap of America begins May 3 at Tire Rack's state-of-the-art 11.7-acre test facility in South Bend, Indiana, and returns there for a final test eight days later on May 11. During that week, drivers will race at storied iconic and new tracks alike such as Mid-Ohio Raceway in Ohio; NOLA Motorsports Park in Louisiana; the road course and drag strip at Memphis International Raceway, Tennessee; and the track at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina. This year, more than 80 entrants will be covering over 3500 miles during the eight day competition. The full lineup can be seen here.

"Tire Rack is proud to celebrate a 12 year partnership with Brock Yates Sr. and Jr. as title sponsor of the Tire Rack One Lap of America," said Matt Edmonds, vice president, Tire Rack. "With nearly 4 decades of experience in the tire and wheel industry, we feel passionate about continuing to support and educate drivers from all experience levels about the capabilities of their tires and how proper maintenance, traction, safety and durability can be maximized on the street and =the track."

The Tire Rack One Lap of America is a high-level driving competition lasting 24 hours each day and features a selection of the fastest street-legal cars run by all types of drivers from pros to rookies and everyone in-between, as long as they've had some racing experience (and/or two drivers' schools). The event, as it always has been, is one of endurance and vehicle preparation. No support crews are allowed and teams must manage their tires to finish on the same set on which they started. That means frequent checks of air pressure, tread depth and wear and tear for damage. At each scheduled race track, entrants are put through a series of timed lap trials including wet and dry skid pad challenges. Even though scoring is based on performance at the race tracks, the vehicles and their drivers' bragging rights truly kick in when they survive the long distance of driving miles required throughout the competition.

Racing for a Good Cause

Outside of its performance panache, the Tire Rack One Lap of America also attracts people from around the country and all walks of life, driving cars as varied as their personalities, for a good cause. The official charity of the Tire Rack One Lap of America is The Brock Yates Tribute Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit. The Brock Yates Tribute Fund, through the Alzheimer's Association, was created in 2013 to raise money for and awareness about Alzheimer's disease. Currently suffering from this disease, legendary automotive and racing veteran journalist Brock Sr. continues to dedicate his life to all car enthusiasts around the country and the Tribute Fund aims to honor him for all that he has given to the world of the automobile.

All funds raised by the Brock Yates Tribute Fund go directly toward supporting the Alzheimer's Association mission. The Tribute Fund, will once again be competing in the Tire Rack One Lap of America with the Tribute Fund's heavily customized Ariel Atom piloted by Jack Beecham and Charles Esplenaub.

Another inspiring story this year comes from Liam Dwyer, a professional racer with Freedom Autosport, who races in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series. Liam, a disabled veteran, who proudly served in Iraq in 2007 returns to the One Lap of America for his second year. A motivated contender and talented driver, Liam served as an inspiration to all of the competitors last year by placing 11th overall. Aside from his role as a driver, Liam is also serving as the Tire Rack One Lap of America's Veteran Ambassador and will be welcoming veterans who attend One Lap events.