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Record-shattering weekend for Goodyear-shod NHRA drivers

      BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 24, 2015) – Goodyear-shod cars won four times in the NHRA’s Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway and records fell along the way.      Richie Crampton (in Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) won on Goodyear rubber in the NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series for professional teams. Mark Taliaferro (Top Alcohol Dragster) used Goodyear tires to win in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series for sportsman teams.      The atmospheric and track conditions during the weekend led to astonishing performance by cars in the nitro classes, all of which race on Goodyear tires.      Jack Beckman lost in the semi-final round of Funny Car eliminations but he set a new elapsed time record for the category with a 3.901-second blast down the 1,000-foot drag strip. Beckman’s teammate, Matt Hagan was even quicker, recording a 3.879-second pass. Hagan’s time was not certified as an NHRA record because he did not record a fast enough backup time during the weekend. However, Hagan did set a new Funny Car speed record for the 1,000-foot distance, 329.58 mph.      Antron Brown established a new elapsed time mark in Top Fuel, 3.680 seconds. Shawn Langdon went quicker, 3.664 seconds, but did not record a sufficient back up time to establish his time as a record. Spencer Massey hammered home a new speed record for the category, 332.75 mph.       Robert Hight won the race in Funny Car, defeating Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final round. Hight’s victory was the 35th of his career.      Crampton beat Brittany Force in the Top Fuel final, Crampton’s fourth win this season.      Erica Enders-Stevens beat Jason Line in the Pro Stock final, her fifth win this season. It was a great race; Enders-Stevens’ margin of victory was a scant .0181 of a second. Enders-Stevens used the win to vault herself back into the category point lead.      Taliaferro’s victory was his second in national event competition.      Goodyear employs about 69,000 people at manufacturing plants and facilities in 22 nations. Based in Akron, Ohio, Goodyear is among the largest tiremakers in the world and is the worldwide leader in race tire innovation.