The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company said today it will debut a new drive tire for the National Hot Rod Association’s Top Fuel and Funny Car categories during the SummitRacing.com Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 16-18.

The new tire, designated the D2681, employs a new tread compound but no other changes to the existing tire. The new compound, Goodyear’s D2F, has been developed from the same compound family as the current compound.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company said today it will debut a new drive tire for the National Hot Rod Association’s Top Fuel and Funny Car categories during the SummitRacing.com Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 16-18.

The new tire, designated the D2681, employs a new tread compound but no other changes to the existing tire. The new compound, Goodyear’s D2F, has been developed from the same compound family as the current compound.

"The cars and the conditions under which they operate evolve continuously and we feel the tire needs to evolve as well,” said Carolyn Ashbee, Goodyear’s sales account manager for drag racing. “We have made this change for that reason. It is important for the teams to know that we are not changing any other aspect of the construction of the current tire.”

Goodyear will offer both the new D2681 and the existing D2550 at Las Vegas. Goodyear’s manufacturing plant in Akron, Ohio has built a full supply of the D2681 for use by the competitors in Las Vegas.

The D2550 was debuted in July of 2008.   It has been a successful tire, Ashbee said, but advances in technology never stop and Goodyear’s efforts to stay current do not stop either.

NHRA will allow the D2550 tire for so long as the tire is available in sufficient supply from Goodyear onsite to be used by all the Top Fuel and Funny Car teams.  After that point, the D2681 tire will be the only one available for use by the teams.  Full conversion to the D2681 is expected to begin at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.