Name: 
Michael Richard Mulder
How long have you been working and/or been involved in racing?
I have been involved in racing since 1986, I helped Axel Belio on the # 9 sportsman car at Saugus Speedway, it was strictly on a volunteer type of basis, my father and Axel have known each other since the beginning of time and one night we went to watch him race, well on the way home we passed him on the freeway and he was all by himself, I felt bad for him and offered to help the following week, we still race the car occasionally with Terry Custer as the driver.
How did you get your job with Goodyear?
I got my job with Goodyear through Terry, I went to watch the tour race at Orange Show in 1994 and Terry [who was working there at the time ] told me they needed help at Mesa and at Phoenix in October, I have only missed one tour race and a couple of west races ever since.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is all of the wonderful people I meet and all the traveling I get to do, I love to travel.
What part of your job do you least like?
The worst part of the job is being the first ones at the track and the last ones to leave, at some races we put in some very long hours which also prevents me from having any social life whatsoever, but the pay-off is worth it.
Do you work full time for Goodyear, If not what do you do for a living when you are not at the track?
I do not work full time for Goodyear, I am a full time service technician, with a degree in automotive mechanical repair, at Vista Ford in Woodland Hills, California.
How important are tires to winning a race?
Tires definantley play a part in winning a race, lets face it, racing is so competitive these days, if you don't have a great driver, a great crew, great equiptment, a little luck and a good tire, you don't have a chance.
Do tire pressures vary from track to track?
Tire pressures don't vary too much from track to track unless we are talking from a radial to a bias-ply, radial tire pressures are somewhat higher.
Do you feel there is any one track where Goodyear excels?
Goodyear tire's best track, now thats a sticky question, Vegas on the big track we were the dominant tire, but a lot has changed since that race, I will say that Hoosier tire definantley has their act together at this point in time, but things change so fast in the racing world it could swing either way in a matter of a couple of races.
When do you run radials?
We run radial tires at all dual Winston Cup events as well as at Las Vegas and Pikes Peak.
When do you run inner liners?
The standard for an inner liner is a mile and a half or bigger, let me tell you those are a pain in my body, it's like trying to mount a tire inside of a tire.
Do you do your own tire tests?
We haven't conducted any tire tests since before LVMS opened. We conducted a test there prior to the tracks opening.
Can a driver that starts a race with one brand of tires change to another brand?
I am not sure if a competitor is allowed to change tire brands in the middle of a race, but I don't think so.
For more information on Goodyear Tires, please visit http://www.goodyear.com/race/
