AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As drivers take to the track for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, they'll be riding on a newly designed Goodyear Eagle race tire with roots in consumer tire technology.

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Goodyear's new right-side tire for Atlanta marks the introduction of its Multi-Zone Tread Technology, which combines two different rubber compounds in a single tread to face the conditions of one of NASCAR's most demanding speedways. And while Goodyear often applies what it learns in the high-performance world of NASCAR to the development of consumer tires, this time technology was transferred from the street to the track.

"Atlanta is one of our biggest challenges from a tire perspective," said Stu Grant, Goodyear's general manager of worldwide racing. "The abrasive track surface causes extremely high wear, while the length and layout promote very high speeds."

To face this challenge, Goodyear engineers set out to develop a tire capable of offering both superior traction and wear—two typically opposing properties. The solution was found in Goodyear's Assurance TripleTred All-Season passenger tire. The Assurance TripleTred pioneered the concept of multiple tread zones in auto tires, featuring three distinct zones for superior traction in wet, icy and dry conditions.

"Developing the right tire for each NASCAR track always requires finding a good balance between traction and durability," said Grant. "The goal of our new Multi-Zone Tread is to help us offer drivers more of both."

To accomplish this, Goodyear's newest NASCAR tire utilizes two unique tread zones. An Endurance Zone on the tire's inside shoulder features a firmer compound to help manage wear for enhanced durability on the track. The outside two-thirds of the tread makes up the tire's Traction Zone, which uses a more tractive tread compound to help increase grip for superior handling.

Goodyear has tested the Multi-Zone Tread tire several times over the past year. The most recent test took place in Atlanta earlier this month, where 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams put the tire through its paces with very positive results and feedback.

"Teams were able to tune their cars to the tire and get the balance of the car right," said Grant. "Drivers seemed pleased with the performance during the test, and we expect similar results for the races this weekend."

Following this weekend's races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Goodyear will also consider tires featuring a Multi-Zone Tread for additional tracks on the NASCAR schedule.

This is the second notable example of how Goodyear has transferred street technology to its racing tires.  For the 2009 racing season, the tire maker introduced a wet weather radial for use in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that has a tread pattern based on the "street" Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season tire.

Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT) is one of the world's largest tire companies.  It employs about 69,000 people and manufactures its products in 53 facilities in 22 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company