BFGoodrich today, in conjunction with Jackson Motorsports Group, unveiled an all-new UTV tire at the 47th SCORE Baja 500: the Baja T/A KR2 UTV tire. Off-Road.com is currently south of the border covering the Baja 500, so we were able to get a first-hand look at the KR2 and talk to BFGoodrich and Jackson Motorsports Group about this unique new product.
The new KR2 UTV tire was developed through BFGoodrich’s race efforts, and it features the company’s race-proven CoreGuard technology. BFGoodrich piggybacked off the success of its KR2 tire and its accomplishments on Class 10 buggies and similar off-road racecars; however, this tire is not simply a repackaged and re-sized version of the KR2, as it is designed with unique compounds and dimensions to meet the demand of UTV racers. According to BFGoodrich PR manager Tom Sullivan, the growth in UTV racing classes created an opportunity for BFG to produce a unique and better product than what is currently out there. Although this non-DOT tire is designed for racing applications, BFG sees the KR2 UTV model as a great option for enthusiasts who demand a tough tire that performs on the trails, dunes or the desert.
The reason BFG and Jackson Motorsports Group decided to launch the tire here at the SCORE Baja 500 is because two teams will be using it in tomorrow’s race, including Brandon Schueler on the 1932 Jagged X Polaris RZR team and Alonzo Lopez on the 1949 Polaris RZR 900. Both teams will be looking to beat the Baja 500 course record of 13:01:56.178, which explains why the teaser site for the tire is aptly named Beat1301.com. Schueler, who has been testing the tire for the past few weeks, was able to provide insight on how the KR2 differs from the rest.
“They are fantastic,” Schueler said. “We were running the KM2 for a long time before that, and the different construction that they’ve used, I would take this tire in terms of traction, stability, cornering, etc., over any of the KM2s hands down.”
BFGoodrich’s Matt Hanlon, the race designer of the KR2 UTV tire, shared a little more insight into the its design as well, noting the key differences between DOT tires and others like the KR2 that are designed specifically for off-road use.
“There are a lot of things you have to do for a truck tire to meet DOT regulations that are a lot for truck safety, carrying high loads and for overloading to a certain extent, and those things make a tire less optimal for off-road use, especially on a lightweight vehicle such as a UTV,” Hanlon explained. “The biggest thing is compliance, and making it right for the highway takes away a lot of the compliance of the tire, so going to something that is closer to an ATV tire, but not all of the way there, is something nobody has really done before. To do something that really walks the line down the center is fairly unique.”
Hanlon says the new KR2 is designed to be tough and durable but is engineered with unique compounds that allow it to flex and grip rough terrain for optimal traction.
There will only be one size available at launch (30×9.5×15), though more sizes could be available in the near future. The non-DOT KR2 UTV off-road tires will be distributed through Jackson Motorsports Group, and we are told they will be available in the coming weeks. For more information, head over to Beat1301.com.
Be sure to check back with Off-Road.com for more coverage of the SCORE Baja 500.
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