Mitas: exclusive tyre supplier to UK speedway

The rough environs of the UK Speedway scene is dominated by just one tyre brand: Mitas. The company supplies every tyre used on every speedway bike throughout the UK and in a sport that makes particularly stringent demands on its rubber, the company believes this fact says a lot about the quality and consistency of its products. Having supported the sport under an exclusive arrangement with the British Speedway Promoters Association for more than 10 years, filling the void left when Dunlop pulled out of the market, Mitas says it is now the only company that manufactures tyres for Speedway, delivering a high level of commitment and support.

David Weeds, a technical specialist for Mitas Tyres provides the company’s technical link with speedway in the UK. A fan of the sport since 1969, when he attended his first meeting at King’s Lynn, he is an enthusiast as well as a supplier, attending one or two events every month. He explains that Mitas’s involvement with the sport in the UK involves a high level of commitment: “We supply 9,000-10,000 tyres per season to UK speedway.

“Because of the demanding nature of the sport each rear tyre only lasts for one meeting and as the bikes travel in an anticlockwise direction the tyre is reversed after two races to even out the wear, although those on the front can last a full season. Whilst the only restriction on the size or type of the front tyre is that its overall width must not exceed 80mm, the rules of speedway only permit homologated rear tyres to be used and no modifications to the tyre as manufactured are allowed. The only rear size which we supply for British League speedway is the 3.75-19, which complies with FIM regulations. The SW-07 tread pattern has an extensively siped tread and reinforced sidewalls which give excellent riding properties during starting and cornering.”

The British Speedway Promoters Association, based in Rugby, incorporates three leagues: Elite (Birmingham Brummies, Coventry Bees, Eastbourne Eagles, King’s Lynn Stars, Lakeside Hammers, Belle Vue Aces, Peterborough Panthers, Poole Pirates, Swindon Robins and Wolverhampton Wolves); Premier, which comprises 14 clubs; and National, which includes young riders with eight clubs.

Under speedway rules, all Elite League and Premier League Competitions each team may choose and use seven new tyres during a meeting. Tyres are taken there by official Mitas distributors and must be made available to the teams between one and two hours before the advertised start of the meeting. Each rider is allowed to have ready for use a tyre that has been used and marked at a recent meeting, which will be subject to approval by the opposing team captain/manager and marked again. Once marked no tyre, new or used, can be removed from the pits until the close of the meeting. After fitting, the tyre is inflated to approximately 33psi and left for 30 minutes before being deflated to its optimum racing pressure of 7-9psi, with tyre screws used to prevent it from spinning.

Angela Price, manager of the British Speedway Promoters Association, states: “Mitas Tyres provide a good quality, reasonably-priced product with a good distribution network and donate back to the sport by supplying tyres for the six or seven Speedway GB events which are held every year. They also supply additional tyres for Team GB and Under 21 Team GB whilst competing in the UK.”

Mitas says the sport is currently thriving in the UK, with a strong family image. In other countries Speedway is even bigger, attracting more significant TV coverage and larger attendances; in Poland, for example, individual meetings attract up to 20,000 fans. The unpredictability of the breathless minute-long, four-lap races and the camaraderie between friendly supporters gives the sport it enduring appeal, Mitas representatives told Tyres & Accessories.

The motorcycles have no brakes, one gear and are powered by 500cc, single-cylinder GM or Jawa engines operating at up to 11,000rpm and producing over 80bhp. Capable of accelerating to 60 mph in three seconds, they race around 300 metre-long oval circuits in an anti-clockwise direction, their riders negotiating the tight corners at high speed by leaning the machine over at a steep angle, allowing the rear wheel to step out and the bike to slide.

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