Radar Tires, the flagship brand of OMNI-United, is taking on the best of short-course off-road racing and desert racing with their motorsports debut in the 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) and SCORE Desert Series. Radar’s inaugural effort will feature the brand’s Renegade R5 M/T tires and a team led by championship driver Mike Johnson.
Johnson will compete in the LOORRS Pro Lite Unlimited class and take on Baja in a SCORE Class 10 Buggy.
Prior to taking to these tough events, Radar Tires and Johnson will be featured in OMNI-United’s Booth No. 43225 at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, from October 30 – November 2. On display at SEMA will be the Radar-sponsored Class 10 Buggy, which will compete in all three 2013 SCORE events, the San Felipe 250, the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000.
“Motorsports has always been an incredible proving ground for tires, and Radar is ready to take on the tough competition of the Lucas Oil series and the punishing desert in SCORE racing with our rugged, heavy-duty Renegate R5 M/T tire,” said G. S. Sareen, founder, OMNI-United. “This entrance into off-road motorsports will further Radar and OMNI’s quality commitment to our customers, reinforcing our promise to provide very robust products at a reasonable price point that the brand is known for.”
Off-road competition was chosen by the newly-formed Radar Motorsports team to showcase the Renegade R5 M/T tire, which features open blocks for mud dispersion, deep tread blocks, and reinforced shoulders. This tread pattern and rigorous construction is ideal for the surfaces encountered on tracks such as Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif. and Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., as well as the open desert of Baja California in the legendary SCORE Baja 1000, the most iconic of all off-road races.
The sidewall of the tire has also a pink ribbon on it to symbolize Radar’s commitment in finding a cure for breast cancer through research in partnership with the BCRF.
Johnson lends years of experience and success to Radar’s efforts. Growing up in the off-road motorsports world, his first run in SCORE Desert racing and short-course off-road racing came in the late ‘90s, and since then he’s racked up many wins, podium finishes and multiple “Rookie of the Year” awards. Johnson is also an accomplished businessman, as CEO of Shelly Ward and Pursuit Systems Inc, providing car prep services, camera cars and specialty equipment to the television and motion picture industries. Additionally, Johnson has been a stunt driver for more than 20 years with Driver’s Inc. and his skills have been featured in hundreds of car commercials and major motion pictures, including the Transformers trilogy and Jack Reacher, the upcoming Tom Cruise film.
“I am honored to be chosen as the first driver to represent Radar Tires in motorsports,” said Johnson. “I believe in the company’s mission and products, and I know that with this partnership, Radar will certainly shake up the off-road racing world. The 2013 season will be very exciting with the Renegade R5 M/T tire on my race vehicles.”
