Fort Mill, SC – (December 21, 2011) General Tire is pleased to announce their partnership with Baja Automotive to sponsor three entries in the 2012 Dakar Rally. The event begins December 29, 2011 in Mar de Plata, Argentina and finishes January 15, 2012 in Lima, Peru, a pan-American adventure of more than 5,590 miles (or 9,000 kilometers). Darren Skilton will pilot an Unlimited car in the Open Production 1 (OP1) class while Joaquin De Uriarte and Mark McMillin will pilot a Raptor and JeepSpeed in the Open Production 2 (OP2) class respectively. Dakar is one of the world’s great adventures and a true test of the human spirit. This is simply the ultimate event that the General Tire Grabber has been designed and built for.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Baja Automotive for the Dakar Rally again,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. “General’s Grabber tire was born from competition and we feel the arduous terrain of the Dakar Rally is a perfect testament to what this tire is capable of. Darren drove a Ford Raptor outfitted with General Grabber’s to the Class win in OP2 last year and the tire performed superbly, so we look forward to adding to our win record in 2012. We wish Darren (Skilton), Joaquin (De Uriarte) and Mark (McMillin) the best of luck as they embark on the ultimate adventure.”

General Tire is “unleashing the fury” for a fifth season of off-road action with the Grabber competition tire. Designed with a tough, three-ply Duragen™-reinforced body construction to stand up to the rigors of off-road conditions, the Grabber also features a specially-engineered, competition-specific tread compound. In addition, the Grabber name and General Tire logo are prominently featured on the sidewall in red and white letters. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37×12.50R17 for Class 8 and Trophy Truck/Trick Truck and 35×12.50R17 for Class 1, 6, 7, 7 S, Stock Mini and Protruck.

General Tire also has a complete line of Grabber tires for the passenger and light truck market, including the new Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire; the Grabber HTS, which delivers the perfect synergy of comfort, durability and performance; the Grabber UHP, which sets a whole new standard in performance and ride quality for SUVs, light trucks and crossover vehicles; and Grabber AT2, designed for aggressive all-terrain traction in all weather conditions.