DUBLIN, Ohio Longtime Superbike supporter Dunlop Tire will serve as title sponsor of the qualifying races at the AMA Superbike Shootout at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, September 30 – October 1. The event will be the 2006 season finale of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited and will feature a unique qualifying format titled the Dunlop Qualifying Races. The format will feature three heat races and a last chance qualifier (LCQ). The heat races and LCQ will be short, intense five-lap sprints. The top five riders from each heat race and the LCQ will make up the grid for the exclusive 20-rider final. It has been 16 years since AMA Pro Racing last used heat races to determine grids for the final at regular series races. “We’re pleased to be associated with motorcycle racing, Mid-Ohio, and such a unique and exciting event,” said Dunlop Tire Vice President of Motorcycles Mike Buckley. “The Shootout is a great concept and the intensity of the Dunlop Qualifying Races should make it even more so. We’re certainly looking forward to it.” “We’ve enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Dunlop and are excited to have them involved in this unique new event,” said TrueSports, Incorporated President Michelle Trueman Gajoch. “We were looking to create something truly exceptional with the Shootout, and the support of the AMA and Dunlop has made that happen.” The qualifying races will be held on Saturday of race weekend, while the AMA Superbike Shootout will be run on Sunday. In addition to five Superbike races, the weekend also will feature championship-crowning events in the AMA Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme classes. Tickets for the AMA Superbike Shootout at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course are available now by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or logging on to www.midohio.com. Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring “tuner” tire sizes and race series sponsorships. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Incorporated is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.