Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

How much difference does a brand name make?

AMA Pro Racing officials banned Continental dirt track tires after a single incident involving tread separation, late in the 2000 racing season, at the Springfield Mile.

There is no talk of banning Dunlop road racing tires despite four tread separation incidents in the last seven months that resulted in the tires losing air and the involved riders crashing.

Dunlop 16.5-inch radial slicks mounted on GSX-R1000 Superbikes came apart and lost air twice during the May, 2003 AMA National at Road Atlanta, causing Brian Livengood to hit a wall and break his back and causing Mat Mladin to crash out of the lead of a Superbike race, without injury.

In October, 2003, during tire testing, another Dunlop 16.5-inch radial slick came apart as Ben Spies came through the tri-oval at Daytona on a GSX-R1000 Superbike, sending Spies on his head at 186 mph. He suffered abrasions and has undergone skin grafts.

Two days ago, during tire testing, a Dunlop 17-inch radial slick came apart as Jason DiSalvo came off NASCAR turn four at 172 mph and headed for the tri-oval at Daytona aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1 Superstock racebike.

The Continental dirt track tires were reinstated in 2001 and were used until the AMA dirt track series adopted a Goodyear spec tire in 2002.