Phil's Shadow Knows: Goodyear Winter Tires Required
2 February 2000
Phil's Shadow Knows: Goodyear Winter Tires RequiredAKRON, Ohio, Feb. 2 -- No winter tires on your car yet, and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning? If there's snow on the roads where you live, that means six more weeks of slipping and sliding, if you believe the buck-toothed prognosticator. Despite a winter that arrived late in North America, Goodyear said today that it might not be too late to think about winter tires. The tiremaker already has shipped more than 80 percent more winter tires this year than last. "Most people should have winter tires on their vehicles by Groundhog Day," said Bob Toth, Goodyear marketing manager for auto tires. "But for those who thought they could get by, six more weeks of winter without the traction that winter tires offer might seem like an eternity. "Retailers and consumers have responded to our drive for improved winter traction," Toth said. "Despite this tremendous response, we feel we've only scratched the surface with our Ultra Grip line." The tiremaker is expanding its winter tire lineup with more sizes for the 2000-1 winter season, including eight new sizes of its popular Ultra Grip Ice winter radial. Last year, Goodyear introduced an all-new winter tire lineup that featured directional tread designs that are better equipped for all possible winter road conditions, particularly when the snow and ice turn to slush, Toth said. A new mid-priced winter tire called the Ultra Grip even replaced the company's best selling winter tire of all time, the F32. It joined the Ultra Grip Ice, high-performance Eagle Ultra Grip and Wrangler Ultra Grip winter tires. Toth said the new tires contributed to the selling surge as did television advertising and celebrity spokesman and former hockey great Wayne Gretzky. "I believe we made some inroads into educating consumers on the need for winter tires. There's no substitute for the traction that winter tires offer," Toth said. The studless Ultra Grip Ice tire delivers about 25 percent improved ice traction, compared to a conventional winter tire. For further comparison, a winter tire provides about 25 percent better snow traction than an all-season tire. The Ultra Grip Ice tire's excellent ice traction is achieved through an advanced IceLoc silica-based tread compound and a directional, highly bladed tread pattern, Toth said. Ultra Grip Ice, manufactured at Goodyear's tire facility in Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada, is available now in 14 sizes.