AKRON, Ohio , Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Off-road racing celebrated a championship weekend in Crandon, WI , with the World Series of Off-Road Racing (WSORR) crowning a number of series winners based on their season-long performances on the hills, bumps and dirt of several tough courses. When the dust settled, six of the 11 class champions were competitors racing on Goodyear Wrangler off-road tires, and North America's largest tire manufacturer was named Off-Road Racing Tire Manufacturer Champion by the series.

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The Lucas Oil WSORR capped its 2008 season with competition at historic Crandon International Off-Road Raceway's 1.5-mile track as competitors battled for a weekend purse of $175,000 . The Labor Day Weekend at Crandon completed the 12 rounds of racing included in the 2008 WSORR season, which also included events held this summer at other leading off-road facilities in the Midwest.

'This is the third consecutive year that Goodyear has had more world champions in the World Series of Off-Road Racing than any other brand, and this is very satisfying for us and those who race on our tires,' said Melissa Montisano, Goodyear's general manager for light-truck tires. 'For off-road enthusiasts, competition in dirt and mud is the playing field, and they recognize when a tire wins consistently in that kind of environment.'

Further evidence of Goodyear Wrangler performance and toughness comes from the fact that five of the six WSORR championships this year were won with 'off-the-shelf' Goodyear Wrangler tires -- not race-specific compounds, but the same off-road tires that any consumer enthusiast can purchase.

The PRO 4x4 World Series Championship was captured by Kent Brascho of Pell City, AL , who wrapped up the title with a second-place finish in the Aug. 30 Round 11 race. Brascho's Goodyear-equipped Chevrolet won the title, making him one of nine new WSORR class champions in the 11 classes competing in the series.

PRO Super Buggy racer John Mason of Plymouth, WI , drove his Mendeola Goodyear Honda to fourth place in Round 11, good enough to clinch the season series. Winning the Crandon race was fellow Goodyear driver Tim Lemons, who finished second to Mason in the season series.

In the WSORR SRT (Sportsman) Division, Keith Steele of Madison, WI , capped off a terrific year in the Super Truck class with two more wins, a World Championship ring and a WSORR championship. For Steele, the Crandon double-win weekend gave him eight race victories in the 12-race season for his Monster Energy Goodyear Chevrolet.

Dave DeMaegd of Mishawaka, IN , was one of only two WSORR points champions to retain his title for a second year, as he secured his SRT Formula 4x4 championship with a pair of second-place finishes at Crandon in his Goodyear-equipped Jeep. He edged out fellow Goodyear driver Tim Moeller for the SRT Formula 4x4 title.

The other repeating WSORR champion was Rob Weiland in the Classix Division. Weiland finished in third place in Round 11, which was good enough to capture the season title in his Goodyear Chevrolet.

Jim Van Rixel, also racing on Goodyear Wranglers, took the 2008 WSORR Enduro title.

All the class winners will be honored at the Oct. 4 WSORR Night of Champions awards banquet in Milwaukee, WI.

The Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tire is Goodyear's superior traction tire for off-road enthusiasts, featuring exclusive Durawall Technology, which helps resist punctures and cuts. This kind of toughness is especially sought after by off-road racers who tackle the toughest terrain, such as sand, mud and rocks. The Wrangler MT/R is available in a variety of sizes ranging from 15'-18' rim diameters and up to 40' in outer diameter to outfit popular off-road enthusiast vehicles. For more information, visit http://www.goodyeartires.com .

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company