BFG "Kick Asphalt-Get A Grip" TourThe BFGoodrich "Kick Asphalt-Get a Grip" Tour made a number of stops throughout the U.S. in 2003, putting consumers behind the wheel to test how the BFGoodrich tire performs. Participants were offered the chance to drive a variety of vehicles equipped with BFGoodrich tires while receiving performance driving tips from a team of BFG and Skip Barber Racing experts. We caught the Englishtown, New Jersey, leg of the tour at the Old Bridge Township Raceway. The event featured two closed-course tracks, where Lexus IS300 and Nissan 350Z vehicles were used to test the g-force tire line, and a freshly watered motocross track, where Hummer H2s plowed through the mud on All-Terrain T/A KO and Mud-Terrain T/A KM tires.
Although the new 350Z was a blast to whip around the track with the BFG g-force rubber holding it to the pavement, the Hummer H2s and off-road vehicle displays received most of our attention. Desert and short-course off-road racer Rob MacCachren was on hand to answer questions about his race trucks and the BFGoodrich tires that have led him to multiple victories. Also in attendance was famed rock-racer John "Johnny G" Gilleland and his Karnivore rockcrawler. Johnny G offered attendees the opportunity to take a ride through a rock course in the Karnivore and get a feel of the ability afforded by the BFG Krawler T/A KX.
The BFGoodrich "Kick Asphalt-Get A Grip" Tour will continue in 2004, stopping in multiple locations throughout the year. For more information about the event and the entire BFGoodrich tire lineup, check out www.bfgoodrichtires.com.
Sema Tests Exhaust Noise
Under a new program spawned from a SEMA-sponsored law, the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) is now testing vehicle exhaust noise in an effort to equip automobile hobbyists with the ability to fight unfair exhaust-noise citations. Approximately 40 smog check stations that provide referee functions are performing the tests and will issue certificates of compliance for vehicles with exhaust systems that emit no more than the allowed 95 decibels. If a vehicle is in compliance and has been unjustly cited, the law allows courts to dismiss exhaust-noise citations. SEMA Senior Director of Government Affairs Steve McDonald stated, "For years, the enforcement policy used by police officers deemed nearly all exhaust system modifications illegal, even where the noise levels were not excessive or unusual. That policy left exhaust system manufacturers, dealers, and their customers without recourse." McDonald added, "By establishing this evenhanded testing process, this program should serve to benefit consumers who favor these state-of-the-art products, the aftermarket industry which markets them, and even police officers who are charged with enforcing the law."