Andrew is an editor for WhatTyre, Tyrepress, and Tyres & Accessories magazine. He has more than a decade of experience in editing, writing, and journalism.
Davanti Tyres-backed Dan Zelos has stretched his lead in the Mini Challenge 2021 season with a double victory. At Scotland’s Knockhill Circuit, Zelos was fired up and looking to avenge last week’s outing at Oulton Park – where he was denied a deserved triumph following a red flag stoppage.
One of Bicester’s oldest and most popular tyre centres has become the latest independent garage to join the First Stop network. The Victoria Road garage is benefitting from new signage, marketing and social media support, and a broader range of premium tyres already in place. It has also added an MOT station and the latest vehicle diagnostic equipment, worth thousands of pounds. Grip Tyres has provided tyre services to the town’s motorists for around 27 years. First Stop said its popularity in the community was a compelling factor behind the network’s initial approach.
Giti Tire’s all-season tyre range has been boosted by 13 new sizes of the GT Radial 4Seasons tyre. Launched in May 2018 at Tire Cologne, the passenger car portfolio has increased by eight sizes to stand at 28, and now covers 26 of the 30 of the most in-demand sizes in Europe. The manufacturer has added five new SUV-marked tyres, bringing the SUV derivative up to a total of eight size options. The GT Radial 4Seasons range now includes 13 of the top 20 SUV size combinations in Europe, which equates to 70 per cent of market demand.
Goodyear’s venture capital arm, Goodyear Ventures, has added AmpUp to its investment portfolio. The electric vehicle (EV) charging firm operates an advanced charging network and software solutions with operations across North America. AmpUp aims to make charging accessible and seamless for every EV driver. Goodyear Ventures focuses on future of mobility investments and partnerships with seed-to-growth-stage startups in emerging technologies.
Team Razoon made its mark on Hankook race tyres as the Histo Cup got underway with the Ravenol Endurance Sunset Race on Friday. 25 teams competed for an hour in temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius and high humidity on the 5.922km Slovakiaring. The race finished with all three of the Austrian team’s KTM X-Bow Rs on the podium in its first one-two-three result in a Histo Cup endurance race. Michael Bräutigam and his partner, team director Dominik Olbert, drove their Hankook-branded car with car number 819 into second place.
Yokohama has congratulated Chelsea on its victory over Villareal on penalties in the European Super Cup. The tyre manufacturer has backed Chelsea since 2015, commencing with a multiyear shirt partnership worth around £40 million per season. Since the end of the initial deal, Yokohama has continued its relationship with the London club, becoming its official tyre partner in 2020. Since Yokohama launched its relationship with Chelsea, the club has also won two Premier League titles, the European Champions League, the Europa League, and the FA Cup, giving both the club and Yokohama major worldwide exposure.
Hankook Tyre UK has appointed Andy Hodkin as its new regional sales manager, North East, and James Young as national accounts manager. Hodkin succeeds John Spilsbury, who has retired after nine years with the company, while Young takes up the position vacated by David Block, who retired on 1 July.
Yokohama returned as official tyre partner to The Classic, the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival hosted by Silverstone, this year. The tyre manufacturer, whose flagship Advan range has wide-ranging motorsport and classic car models and fitments, welcomed both classic car enthusiasts and families to the event, presenting a range of eye-catching rare vehicles at its stand and co-hosting the Chelsea FC Skills Zone. The football club held football skill sessions for 250 children with coaching by the Chelsea FC Foundation and giveaways and prizes. Action from the track is making it to TV screens this week on ITV4, with highlights broadcast tonight (11 August) at 8pm and on Thursday (12 August) at the same time and channel.
Goodyear has increased operating income considerably in the second quarter of 2021, thanks in part to its merger with Cooper Tire, completed on 7 June. Net income totalled $67 million (£48.45 million at today’s exchange rate $1.00 = £0.72) versus a loss of $696 million (£503 million). Second-quarter sales were $4 billion (£2.89 billion), a rise of 86 per cent versus the second quarter of 2020, which was heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the year to date, Goodyear has sold 40 per cent more tyres than in the same period of 2020, with both replacement tyres (41 per cent) and original equipment tyres (39 per cent) assisting in this rise. Cooper sales between the merger completion date and 30 June (the end of the second quarter) totalled $256 million (£185 million). This figure excludes calculations relating to Cooper inventory and assets.
Pirelli’s new Cinturato WHA wet tyre got plentiful track time on debut in the fifth round of the 2021 British GT Championship at Snetterton, Norfolk. Changeable weather conditions made sure that both the WHA and the dry-weather DHE tyre were used in a pair of one-hour races which produced a different winner in GT3 and GT4 each time.
Uncertainty about the safety and logistics of foreign travel means more holidaymakers will drive to other parts of the UK. YouGov data shows 47 per cent of British holidaymakers are planning to visit another part of the country in 2021, with many relying on their vehicle to get them to their destination. This rise in longer car journeys has prompted TyreSafe to remind drivers that there are more tyre-related incidents on the roads in summer than at any other time of the year.
The UK light commercial vehicle tyre market had a relatively dynamic year in 2020, with value and volume changes in certain sub-segments driven by an increase in higher rim diameter tyre sizes, as well as increased demand for all-season – and even winter – performance. According to GfK panelmarket data, which tracks points of sale, comparing the calendar year 2020 to 2019, these growth subsegments supported a 2020 light commercial vehicle tyre market value change across all rim sizes of 0 per cent, while volume was down only -2 per cent. While LCV operators were not entirely immune to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant lockdowns, these figures show how the essential services supported by van operators, such as last mile delivery resulting from booming e-commerce, allowed LCV tyres to achieve results within touching distance of pre-pandemic norms.
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Diesel spills from HGVs are listed as a major cause of death and serious injury on the UK’s roads. In addition, they represent both an obvious environmental contamination issue and unnecessary wastage of a fleet’s most costly commodity. A company based in the UK, with offices on four continents, TISS has innovated a range of award-winning fuel security products to tackle this issue, called TankSafe. Approved by leading truck original equipment manufacturers, the product can be fitted on new-build trucks or purchased for fitment retrospectively from distributors in 60 countries. In recognition of the brand’s global reputation, TISS has opted to rebrand the company TankSafe. TISS CEO, Ryan Wholey, explained that the “global transport industry trusts and respects the TankSafe brand, so it makes sense to fully align our identity with that.” He added that the flagship TankSafe Optimum “is far more than an anti-siphon. It certainly stops all fuel theft but, crucially, makes roads safer and protects the environment due to its unique capability to prevent overfilling of fuel tanks and diesel spills.”
To find out more about TankSafe and its products, click here.
Launch UK has introduced a new diagnostic tool designed for challenging workshop conditions, the X-431 Euro Turbo. The tool is an upgrade of the Launch Pro S. Developed for the European market, the tool features Launch’s diagnostic software, which includes wide model coverage, powerful test functions, accurate test data, and numerous special functions.
Sri Lanka based tyre manufacturer GRI has designed and developed a special material handling solid tyre to operate indoors and outdoors snowy terrain. The manufacturer said the Peakmaster Snow reflects the company’s “innovation and engineering ingenuity,” developed to meet special customer needs and specifications. The solid tyre combines an innovative design and an advanced construction for performance in winter weather, including snow. GRI developed samples with special compounds to function in sub-zero temperatures, testing the resulting solid tyres in specific regions over a complete winter season. It says the tyre “proved its vitality and utility for material handling customers.”
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