Dunlop Expands Operations At Proving Grounds

Dunlop is expanding operations
at the Proving Grounds in Huntsville, Alabama; a dedicated tire
testing facility. In addition to significant facility and track
upgrades, Dunlop has
hired Taylor Knapp to join its motorcycle tire testing team.
Knapp started flat track and motocross racing at age five, winning
many amateur national motocross championships. He started road
racing at age 13, and turned pro at age 16. He has raced in the
British Superbike series, and has been a factory Superbike rider
with KTM and Buell. Knapp had his best MotoAmerica season to date
in 2015, scoring 13 podium finishes in the Superstock 1000 class,
including a victory at Virginia International Raceway, and
finishing runner-up in the championship.
"We're thrilled to expand our capabilities at the proving grounds
with the changes we have made there, and the addition of Taylor as
a motorcycle tire test rider," said Mike Buckley, Dunlop
Motorcycle's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Our proving
grounds is the only one of its kind in the U.S., and it plays a
critical role in the tires we develop and manufacture in the U.S.
These changes will help us do an even better job of delivering
class-leading premium tires to our customers."
Dunlop's proving grounds, together with the high-tech manufacturing
plant in Buffalo, New York-the only motorcycle tire plant in North
America-gives Dunlop the capacity and flexibility to design,
engineer, and manufacture new cutting-edge tire technologies in
America for American riders.