Goodyear Racing Tyre Drives Cepsa to FIA Victory

Spanish driver Antonio Albacete has taken out the FIA European Truck Racing Championship for 2006 in his Goodyear fitted Cepasa team MAN. Albacete finished second place at Le Mans, the final race of the season, securing himself a championship winning 346 points from the season’s eight qualifying races.

Goodyear’s pre-eminence in the European Truck Championship this year has been attributed to the development of a new tyre specifically designed for truck racing. Known as the Goodyear Truck Racing Tyre, it is built from the same carcass as the Regional RHS 315/70R22.5 tyres supplied to racing teams in previous seasons. However the new tyre has been optimised to enhance performance and safety, with special attention paid to reducing overheating and increasing lateral rigidity. Additionally, ground contact has been increased through the use of a new tread compound and pattern.

The tread of the Goodyear Truck Racing Tyre features a rounded shoulder, which is positioned on the outside when fitted to the front axle, giving good lateral grip in damp conditions. The square opposite shoulder reinforces stability.

Hubert Moquet, Goodyear’s Original Equipment Sales Truck Tyres in Europe praised Albacete on his win. “We congratulate Antonio Albacete on his splendid achievement of winning the FIA European Truck Racing Championship 2006” stated Mr. Moquet. “It is very satisfying that our belief in the importance of producing a tyre specifically for truck racing has paid off so successfully.”

Goodyear are the world’s largest provider of racing tyres, supplying more than half a million tyres each year for race series around the world.