The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of cap/base construction where the tread cap layer is the load-bearing running surface of the tread having a lug and groove configuration and the tread base layer underlies the tread cap layer wherein the base layer is a transition zone between the tread cap and remainder of the tire carcass and is not intended to be a running surface of the tread. The tread cap layer is comprised of three distinct load-bearing zones, namely a circumferential annular central rubber zone positioned between two lateral and peripheral circumferential annular rubber zones, each zone extending from a tread base carbon black-rich rubber composition to and including said tire tread running surface, wherein the rubber compositions of each of said zones contain both carbon black and silica reinforcement. In one aspect, said central zone is of a silica-rich rubber composition and said lateral zones are of a carbon black-rich composition. In another aspect, said central zone is of a carbon black-rich rubber composition and said lateral zones are of a silica-rich rubber composition.