Goodyear 125th anniversary: tyre maker unveils retro branding at Donington BTCC

BTCC grid (Photo: Goodyear)

Goodyear will celebrate its rich history in motorsport and transportation with historic branding at the British Touring Car Championship this weekend at Donington Park. The tyre manufacturer and supplier says the historic circuit, which first hosted a motorsport event in 1931, is a fitting venue to host one of several Goodyear 125^th anniversary celebrations around the world.

At the eighth weekend of the BTCC season on 26-27 August, Goodyear will use historic branding at the British circuit, bringing back the first iteration of its Wingfoot logo. The Wingfoot has since become the inspiration for Goodyear’s Wingfoot Award, given to drivers who demonstrate peerless performance and consistency across a BTCC weekend.

“We’re excited to see Goodyear look a bit different this weekend,” says Michael Butler, Goodyear BTCC event leader. “Changes to the sidewall and trackside branding will bring a strong flavour of Goodyear’s heritage to the circuit. We’re immensely proud of our legacy and the Wingfoot has always been a symbol of performance in motorsport, which reflects Goodyear’s time spent at the very top of the sport. When it comes to BTCC, we are proud to have been part of the championship’s long history.”

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s history is inextricably linked with motorsport. It has claimed the most number of Formula 1 victories, Le Mans wins (including its group brands Dunlop and Avon), and the longest-standing partner and sponsor in NASCAR history. In BTCC, Goodyear has been the sole tyre supplier since the 2020 season and, before that, its Dunlop brand exclusively supplied the championship between 2003 and 2019. Both brands have histories in the championship going back to its inception in 1958.

This year also marks the thirtieth anniversary of arguably Donington’s most famous race. In 1993, Ayrton Senna dominated the European Grand Prix in conditions that varied from sunshine to torrential rain. On that memorable day Senna crossed the line, gripped by Goodyear tyres, having lapped every driver up to second place. Only Damon Hill finished on the lead lap, but some 1m23s behind. It was one Senna’s greatest drives, and one of the most dominant of Goodyear’s 368 Formula 1 Grand Prix victories.

Goodyear Wingfoot a “symbol of performance”

The modern Goodyear branding that adorns the BTCC tyre sidewall and trackside decoration will, for the Donington weekend, be replaced by Goodyear’s first Wingfoot logo, originally designed in 1898.

In April, Goodyear underwent similar retro rebranding for NASCAR’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. In Europe, it paid homage to the nostalgic branding during NLS5 at the Nürburgring and the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Monza.

The Wingfoot icon can be traced back to the ancient era of Greek mythology. Mercury was the messenger of the gods, whose image inspired Goodyear’s co-founder Frank Seiberling, who suggested it would be a fitting company emblem.

Alan Gow, BTCC chief executive, added: “We are delighted that Goodyear has selected the BTCC race weekend at Donington Park to activate its 125th anniversary in the UK. The relationship between the BTCC and Goodyear Group – both on-track and off-track – is stronger than ever and is now in its third decade, making it one of the most enduring collaborations in motorsport history.”