Back in June, I wrote about Mastercraft’s “100 Days of Summer” promotion celebrating Mastercraft’s 100 years in the tire industry. The promo offered eligible customers rebates on tire purchases and the chance to win cash and prizes.

The 100 Days of Summer sweepstakes ended in August and Mastercraft recently released the list of winners. Mastercraft awarded winning participants more than $60,000 in cash and prizes, including a Yamaha FX SHO® WaveRunner® with trailer, Mastercraft tires for life and $100 gift cards to Bass Pro Shops®.

If you are interested in seeing the list of winners or if you think you might be on the list, visit
MastercraftTireRebates.com.

Companies from around the tire industry continue to step up and offer their support as Haiti struggles to cope following the devastating Jan. 12th earthquake.

Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. is contributing $25,000 toward support and recovery in Haiti. Cooper has also pledged to match employee donations up to $25,000.

“We are saddened by this tragedy, one of the worst natural disasters of our lifetime, and genuinely concerned for the health and safety of the people of Haiti,” said Roy Armes, Cooper chairman, president and CEO. “In an effort to provide much needed assistance, the company, on behalf of its employees around the world, will join in the united effort to save lives and rebuild this demolished country.”

To find out more, visit CooperTire.com.

Last week, Kumho Tire U.S.A. unveiled four new tires at its annual dealer sales conference.

1. Ecsta LE Sport KU39 – This premium high performance tire falls between the Ecsta XS and the Ecsta SPT in Kumho’s tire lineup and will replace the Ecsta MX. It’s equipped with an asymmetric tread pattern designed for ride comfort and a solid center rib for straight-line stability.

The Ecsta LE Sport KU39 will be available in 40 metric sizes.

2. Eco Solus HM KR22 - This premium high-mileage tire carries a 100,000 mile limited treadwear warranty. According to Kumho, this tire is the first in a family of passenger and light truck tires “formulated to be less impactful on the environment while delivering exceptional performance.”

The Eco Solus HM KR22 will be released in 22 P-metric sizes and one metric size this spring.

3. Eco Solus KL21 – This new Kumho model brings excellent ride comfort, fuel economy and a quiet ride to crossover vehicles, SUVs and minivans. The KL21 should also deliver long treadlife with its 60,000 mile limited treadwear warranty.

The Eco Solus KL21 will come in 21 metric and P-metric sizes ranging from 235/65TR16 to 265/50VR20.

4. Ecowing KH30 – This new model was developed as a true all-season performance green tire and features a linking leaf sidewall design.

The Ecowing KH30 will be available in 21 H- and V-rated replacement original equipment sizes from P185/60R14 to P215/55R17 this July.

To find out more, check out KumhoUSA.com.

You can add Michelin North America Inc. to the list of tire manufactures making contributions to Haitian relief with a $100,000 donation to the American Red Cross.

Michelin also announced it will match employee donations up to $100,000, which could lead to $300,000 in total contributions.

“We have all been moved by the devastation that has taken place in Haiti and the grief they have suffered over the past two weeks,” says the company.

Visit Michelin USA for more info.

Goodyear unveiled the new Assurance ComforTred Touring tire at yesterday’s 2010 dealer conference in Kissimmee, Fla.

The launch of the ComforTred Touring was not the only thing Goodyear had in store for dealers at the conference. Goodyear announced every dealer present at the event would receive a free set of the new tires.

“We wanted all the dealers to experience the new tires,” said Scott Rogers, Goodyear’s chief marketing officer. “There is no better way to showcase the new tire than to let them try it themselves.”

The new Assurance ComforTred Touring adds innovative comfort and handling features to the existing ComforTred line. The ComforTred Touring will be available for a variety of vehicles including BMW 3-series, Ford Taurus, Lexus LS-Series and Volkswagen Jetta.

According to Goodyear, the Assurance ComforTred Touring features dual comfort zones in the tread and sidewall to optimize comfort and handling, and the tread features a special comfort layer that contributes to 20 percent more cushion than standard passenger tires. The ComforTred Touring’s asymmetric tread pattern incorporates wide circumferential grooves to increase wet surface traction.

The Assurance ComforTred Touring has a projected April release and will be available in 34 sizes from 195/60R15 to P235/60R18, with six 15-inch sizes, 10 16-inch sizes, 13 17-inch sizes and five 18-inch sizes.

The ComforTred Touring will carry T, H and V speed ratings. Six of the sizes are T-rated, 18 are H-rated and 10 are V-rated. The T- and H-rated sizes come with an 80,000 mile limited treadwear warranty and the V-Rated sizes are equipped with a 70,000 mile limited warranty.

To find out more info about Goodyear or the ComforTred Touring, visit Goodyear.com.

Bridgestone announced it’s contributing approximately $77,000 toward Haitian relief efforts in response to the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Bridgestone Tokyo is donating 2.5 million yen, or roughly $27,000 to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas is contributing $25,000 to the Clinton Bust Haiti Fund, and Bridgestone de Costa Rica is adding $25,000 to Habitat for Humanity International to help rebuild homes in Haiti.

According to Christine Karbowiak, executive vice president, community and corporate relations, Bridgestone Americas, “The global Bridgestone group has a long tradition of lending support in a crisis, and we’ll now join together to help survivors of the tragedy in Haiti.”

Bridgestone de Costa Rica is leading Bridgestone’s relief efforts in Latin America. The Costa Rica subsidiary has also started a campaign to raise additional funds by encouraging its employees to match the company’s donation.

“The Costa Rican people truly sympathize with the tragedy suffered in Haiti mainly because a year ago we lived through a similar experience with the earthquake of Cinchona,” said Oscar Rodriguez, president of Bridgestone de Costa Rica. “Bridgestone Costa Rica participated actively in relief efforts after our country’s tragedy and wants to do the same in Haiti, a country with so many needs.”

To find out more info, visit Bridgestone.com

After seven decades of exclusive fitments from Michelin, French automaker Citroën has selected Bridgestones as original equipment on two 2010 models.

The 2010 Citroën vehicles running on Bridgestones are the compact C3 and the premium DS3. The 2010 C3 5-door hatchback will feature the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 in size 185/65R17 88H. The 2010 DS3 3-door hatchback, the first model in Citroen’s new premium DS line, will be equipped with the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A.

“Bridgestone is extremely pleased to work with Citroën and supply flagship Potenza and Turanza tires for the launch of these two exciting new models,” stated Didier Schneider, vice president Original Equipment, Bridgestone Europe. “Both our companies share the same commitment to creativity and technology. Expanding our business with French car manufacturers and a top European player like Citroën strengthens our position as a global player.”

To find out more about Bridgestone’s European operations, check out Bridgestone.eu.

Continental Tire North America Inc. has secured a deal making it the official tire of Major League Soccer (MLS). The sponsorship is a multi-year deal beginning at the start of the 2010 MLS season.

“Continental has been a longtime sponsor of the FIFA World Cup and this new partnership fits that effort while raising our profile in the U.S.” stated Matthias Schoenerg, CEO of Continental Tire the Americas.

Under the new partnership, Continental has the right to use MLS League and team trademarks in its advertising and marketing materials. Continental will also have advertising signage rights on all four corners of each stadium around the country, covering more than 240 games and nearly 300 television broadcasts.

Along with stadium ads, Continental receives 30-second spots in national televised broadcasts, visibility in game programs, a large presence on the MLS website and VIP hospitality suites in select markets.

To find out more, visit Conti-Online.com.

This week, Michelin unveiled the first concept tire engineered specifically for electric vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Known as the EV, it’s designed to meet the performance demands of an electric vehicle while still providing excellent grip and treadwear.

Because electric motors require higher low-end torque than traditional motors, specific tires are needed for lighter weight, lower rolling resistance and reduced noise generation.

Michelin designed the EV relatively narrow with a large rim diameter. The low profile integrated with the tall diameter decreases rolling resistance and minimizes energy consumption by allowing the tire to turn fewer times when covering a given distance. Michelin claims the EV delivers up to a 15 percent reduction in rolling resistance compared to its best conventional tire.

Making the tire taller and narrower removes rubber from the contact patch but increases rubber in the tread, improving total mileage and reducing operating costs. The EV dimensions also decrease heat build up and deformation, which improves energy savings.

In order to reach the necessary performance qualities, the EV features Michelin’s latest rubber technology and silica tread compounds, a profile developed for specifically for urban use and a tread pattern designed with long, narrow, directional longitudinal grooves that maximizes the area of rubber in contact with the road.

To find out more, check out Michelin.com

Goodyear announced it’s the original equipment on the 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE premium model. The 2011 Sienna XLE will feature the Goodyear Eagle RS-A in size P235/55R18.

The new 2011 Toyota Sienna is the third generation in the popular minivan line. The 2011 Sienna XLE is designed with state of the art features and comforts such as leather-trimmed seats, moonroof, anti-theft system with engine immobilizer, remote keyless entry and heated front seats.

The all-season Goodyear Eagle RS-A is designed for year round, high-performance traction. The Eagle RS-a features a unique asymmetric tread designed to provide excellent cornering a quiet ride and should be a great fit on the 2011 Sienna.

Goodyear is original equipment on automobiles from many of the worlds leading manufacturers including Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan and other Toyotas.

To find out more information, check out GoodyearTires.com.