Dunlop confirms tyre options for BTCC Diamond Jubilee

Dunlop has confirmed the Sport Maxx tyres to be used at this weekend’s round six of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, which celebrates its 60th anniversary with a special Diamond Jubilee 60-mile race.

Dunlop has selected the Sport Maxx Soft as the Option tyre, identified by its titanium sidewall marking to differentiate it from the yellow sidewall on the Prime tyre. The Option-Soft tyre can only be used in races one or two this weekend as the Prime tyre will be used for the Diamond Jubilee race three on Sunday, where tyre management will be key to the outcome of the double-points race.

The Dunlop engineers were faced with several considerations when it came to selecting the tyres for this very special weekend. Aside from the track and ambient temperatures, types of corners, heavy braking and traction, plus the track surface, the length of the race has been a major consideration in selecting the Prime tyre for the final of three races in Norfolk.

A normal race round at Snetterton is 12 laps and the Diamond Jubilee 60-mile race will be contested over 20 laps. The teams will need to work on their set-up; with no success ballast for race three, which will help with less loading on the tyres, they will still need to manage tyre usage, especially when it comes to camber toe and spring rates.

As for which of the two races drivers and teams will select to use the Option-Soft this weekend, well that makes for interesting reading. Adam Morgan has already selected the option tyre three times in race one, so will have no choice but to use the Option-Soft in the second race at Snetterton. Rory Butcher, Chris Smiley, Jack Goff, Tom Ingram and Sam Tordoff have already chosen the option tyre twice in race one, so it will be interesting to see their decisions come Saturday evening.

Ash Sutton, Rob Collard, Tom Oliphant, Aidan Moffet, Bobby Thompson, James Cole, Sam Smelt, Matt Neal, Dan Lloyd, Dan Cammish, Michael Caine, Ollie Jackson, Stephen Jelley, Josh Cook and Jason Plato have used the option tyre twice in race two, so electing that for Sunday limits their options over the following four rounds.

“We’re very happy with the three current compounds, they all work within their operating window and there’s a nice gap between lap time performance across all three,” says Mickey Butler, UK & One Brand events manager Goodyear Dunlop Motorsport EMEA. “Looking ahead to the long-distance race we tested the hard compound at the Snetterton test last year and ran the medium tyre at the mid-season test there earlier this month, where five or six cars completed full 20 lap race runs and the pace was exceptional. After that performance, I decided to nominate the medium compound tyre for the 60-mile race, where tyre management by the teams and drivers will be crucial.”