Fort Mill, SC - (March 7, 2016) General Tire sponsored angler, Edwin Evers had his dreams come true Sunday by earning the coveted trophy for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro Champion. The event is considered the greatest annual bass tournament in existence that dates back to 1971. This year's 55-angler field tested their fishing skills on Oklahoma's famed Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. Evers was competing in his 16th Classic and the win marks his 11th B.A.S.S. event title in 200 total events. Prior to this year, his best Classic finish was third in 2014.
Going into the final day of competition, the Oklahoma native, and local favorite, was in third place, six pounds behind the leader, Jason Christie. Evers' 29-pound limit on Sunday brought his total weight to 60-pounds, 7 ounces allowing him to beat Christie by 10 pounds. The dramatic turnaround set a new record with the biggest final day swing in Bassmaster Classic history.
"It's something I dream about every day and think about throughout the entire year to make it here," exclaimed Evers. "When I saw shooting stars as a kid, my dream was to win the Bassmaster Classic. I'm truly happy," he admitted.
Just last week, General Tire announced their support of four pro anglers and a media partnership with B.A.S.S. Three of those anglers were qualified for this year's Classic. All three made the Top 25 cut to compete for the title on the final day. Skeet Reese finished 19th with 32-pounds, 3 ounces and John Crews came home 20th with 31-pounds, 13 ounces.
"We are so pumped for Edwin and his family," stated Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire. "His perseverance and faith this weekend is a perfect example of why we chose him to join our team. He stayed focused and pulled off a historic win."
ESPN2 will air 12 hours of the dramatic Classic coverage in the coming weeks. The next Bassmaster Elite tournament is set for March 17-20 on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla.
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For 100 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of ARCA; Best in the Desert Racing Series; Major League Fishing; King of the Cage; Lucas Oil – Off Road Racing Series, Late Model Dirt Series, Pro Pulling League, Modified Series, Drag Boat Racing Series and ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series; Expedition Overland; FreestyleMx.com Tour; Zero One Odyssey; and Spec Tire of JeepSpeed. Team GT supports athletes: CJ Hutchins, Jim Beaver, Jeff Proctor, Chase Motorsports, Doug Fortin, Jim Riley, Camburg Racing, Lee Banning Sr., Bryan Folks, Jerett Brooks, Carl Renezeder and Stan Shelton.
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Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2014, the corporation generated sales of approximately €34.5 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tire, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs more than 208,000 people in 55 countries.
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