From a press release issued by Dunlop Tire Co.:

Dunlop Announces Change in Qualifying Race Tire Policy

Daytona Beach, FL–Dunlop Tire announced today that the company will not be supplying qualifying tires to competitors in the AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike class or the AMA Formula Xtreme class during the 2003 season. This decision will take effect beginning with the 62nd annual running of the Daytona 200 on March 9, 2003.

This decision was reached recently, following ongoing discussions with Dunlop’s contracted Superbike teams at the end of the 2002 season. “It’s simply a matter of cost and of giving the teams additional time to find their best race set-ups during practice,” said Jim Allen, Dunlop’s Road Race Manager. “When we raised the topic in our annual meetings with the OEM teams at the end of 2002, there was general agreement that as long as no Dunlop team had access to qualifying tires and as long as none of our tire competitors were supplying qualifying tires, the extra edge these tires can give wasn’t necessary.”

Dunlop supplies tires to all of the major OEM race teams and the vast majority of the AMA Superbike and Formula Xtreme fields, and has unassailable records on both classes. Specifically, in the 27-year history of AMA Superbike racing, Dunlop has won 17 championships, including the last 13 in a row.

Allen added that an agreement had been reached with Dunlop’s UK division to produce and ship all necessary qualifying tires immediately, should it prove necessary to react to the actions of other tire companies. In addition, a one-race supply of the latest qualifying tires is currently on hand at Dunlop’s USA headquarters in Buffalo, NY.