BFGoodrich Dealers Experience WRC Thrills

A group of BFGoodrich dealers recently experienced rallying at its best, enjoying a once in a lifetime trip to an FIA World Rally Championships (WRC) event as part of a dealership incentive programme from the leading performance and 4×4 tyre brand.

The dealers were invited to experience one of the most gruelling of the sixteen rounds of the WRC, the Acropolis Rally of Greece. BFGoodrich’s involvement in the 2006 WRC continues to bring further success to the brand, supplying tyres to all three teams currently topping the leader board, Citroen, Ford and Peugeot. The Acropolis Rally of Greece marked the eighth round and the trip was one of a series of incentives offered to UK dealers following their purchases and support throughout the year, as part of the Teamworks Dealer Programme, exclusive to BFGoodrich dealers.

Twelve dealers were flown out to Athens where, after settling into their five-star accommodation, the action began. While the WRC drivers battled it out over loose gravel on hillsides across some of the championship’s most challenging surfaces, the dealers received a bird’s-eye view by helicopter chasing the action as it happened. When not in the air, it was ‘access all areas’ VIP treatment, enabling the group to capture all the excitement of the rally in amongst the crew technicians and engineers.

“To be that close to the action was a truly thrilling experience” commented David McCarthy, George Tyre Services Ltd. “The intensity and adrenalin on the stages was mind-blowing. Being right in the heart of the action meant we could experience first hand, the amazing skill and determination of the drivers.”

From spectator to passenger, the gears then shifted inside the car as one by one the dealers took co-driver position alongside ex- professional drivers Bruno Saby and Philippe Bugalsky. Not for the faint hearted, the dealers’ nerves were put to the test as were the BFGoodrich tyres as the group experienced first hand, the speed and driving skills demanded by the competition, and the high-level performance of the tyres.

Speaking at the event, Dominic Clark, brand manager, BFGoodrich said: “We are extremely proud of our involvement in the WRC and are confident that its success brings tangible benefits to our dealers. By taking its place among the rallying elite, the brand is bringing its competitive image and reputation for quality and road-holding to the dealers’ point of sale. This really was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and gave the dealers a unique opportunity to check out the high level of performance and the quality of the tyres that they sell all year round.”