Nitto Tire Takes Two Podiums at Best in the Desert Parker 425

February 7, 2007

Nitto Tire made its 2007 debut in the Best in the Desert (BITD) off-road series at the Parker 425 on February 3-4, 2007. Nitto sponsors two teams in the series, Team Donahoe and Camburg Engineering. Both teams performed exceptionally well, each finishing in third place in their respective classes. Kreg Donahoe of Team Donahoe campaigned the team's Ford F-250 Super Duty in the 8100 class, and Jerry Zaiden and Jason Campbell of Camburg Engineering campaigned their Ford Ranger in the 7200 class. Both vehicles were outfitted with Nitto's Grappler Series tire. Nitto® sees this promising start as an indication of season's future success.

The BITD Parker 425 consisted of three, approximately 141-mile loops through some of the most grueling desert terrain, including sandy washes and gravel roads. The course was also very narrow, which made passing difficult. Of the more than 200 racers who started the course, roughly one-half did not finish. "This was a very challenging and technical course," said Conrad Galamgam, Technical Director at Nitto Tire. "It gave our teams a great opportunity to test our Dune Grappler competition-spec tire in rugged terrain. We're very pleased with the results and the podium finishes." The competition-spec Dune Grappler is a specialty tire is engineered to resist punctures and withstand the brutal Nevada deserts. Nitto has also developed a consumer line of Grappler tires, which are available in retail stores.

Both teams were also excited by their finishing positions. "This was our first race with Nitto Tire as our sponsor, so we looked at Parker as proving grounds for the Dune Grappler," said Kreg Donahoe. "Our third-place finish is a testament to the tire's performance. We even had some engine problems, making our win all the more impressive." The Nitto Tire/Team Donahoe F-250's engine oil overheated and the engine management system cut back the power to 50 percent in order to compensate.

"The best part about Parker was how rough the track was. It was a great opportunity to test our parts and tires. The course also disqualified quite a few teams that would have given us a run for the championship. It's still early, but we hope our early points lead is a sign of things to come," said Jerry Zaiden of Camburg Engineering.

Nitto looks forward to the rest of the Best in the Desert races. "This was a great showing for us," said Jonathan Ozeretny, Marketing Supervisor at Nitto Tire. "We hope this is an indication of many more podiums for both teams -- and hopefully a 2007 Best in the Desert class championship."

Look for Nitto Tire, Team Donahoe and Camburg Engineering at all of the Best in the Desert events in 2007.

Nitto, Dune Grappler and Grappler tires are registered trademarks of Nitto Tire North America, Inc., at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630.