BRC showcases past, present, potential future Pirelli Star Drivers
Double British Rally Champion and former Pirelli Star Driver Keith Cronin claimed victory on this weekend’s Pirelli International Rally, the third round of the 2012 Pirelli-supported MSA British Rally Championship. Pirelli Star Driver Jukka Korhonen shone in his TEG-prepared Skoda Fabia R2 at the weekend, securing his best finish of the season with sixth overall, and second in class. Meanwhile, a sterling performance in a Ford Fiesta R2 allowed 21-year old, Jussi Kumpumaki who is part of the Finnish Ford Junior Team, was presented with the coveted Pirelli yellow jersey and a nomination towards the end of season Pirelli Star Driver shoot out.
Continue ReadingMaxxis Japspeed drivers take top two drift spots
Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed dominated the opening round of the Maxxis British Drift Championship on 21-22 April at the Teeside Autodrome, as the team scooped three of the top four spots in the Super Professional class, which the title sponsor refers to as the premier league of drifting. Maxxis-sponsored SATS Motorsport, also using the MAZ1 Drift tyre, leads the constructor’s title race after Steve Moore made it on to the second step of the podium in the Super Pro class. The Infinity Tyres sponsored Acorn Motorsport Division team also had a successful time at the Teeside Autodrome, finishing in third place in the team standings.
Continue ReadingDunlop heads to Spa for Endurance round two
Dunlop Motorsport general manager Jean-Felix Bazelin says that the tyre manufacturer faces “one of the biggest challenges in motorsport”, as it travels to the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps presents numerous challenges, with Dunlop highlighting “one of the greatest compressions seen by race tyres on any circuit as cars streak through the downhill to uphill transition from Eau Rouge to Le Raidillion, and the fickle Ardennes weather, which can mean a track with both wet and dry sectors. The six hours of racing take place on 5 May, and Dunlop tyres have been chosen by all of the bumper LMP2 class of 13 cars, with sole representatives in the LMP1 and GTE Am classes.
Continue ReadingMaxxis-sponsored BSB team celebrates double podium
Maxxis-sponsored Swan Yamaha got its 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship campaign off to a flying start at round two, when reigning champion Tommy Hill posted a double podium finish. The brand says it is reaping the benefit of its sponsorship deal thanks to the exposure it provides, not least through the TV coverage, to one of the tyre manufacturer’s key consumer audiences. The company said that it eagerly awaits round three of the series at Oulton Park. Hill’s two second places at Thruxton mean he is lying fourth in the overall standings after two rounds. All championship competitors ride on Pirelli Diablo tyres.
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres the dominant European Rallycross tyre supplier
When American racer Tanner Foust won the opening round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill over Easter weekend, he helped to continue Avon Tyres’ dominance of the category in recent years. Champions of the prestigious series in the last 20 years have all used Avon’s rallycross rubber.
Continue ReadingPirelli at Donington for GT Cup opener
Pirelli will be at Donington Park this weekend (28-29 April), supporting the GT Cup Championship for the third consecutive year at its opening round. The championship has introduced GT3 homologated cars for the first time in its five-year history, and with a steadily expanding entry list, and a 23-race calendar the season is hotly anticipated. World-class brands such as McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari, Mosler, BMW, TVR and Chevron are involved, and all will roll on Pirelli’s slick DM and DH compound and wet WS and WH compound tyres. Due to the various cars appearing on the GT Cup grid, Pirelli will supply a range of different tyre sizes will be on offer to competitors.
Continue ReadingDunlop heads to high-speed Thruxton with BTCC
Round three of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Thruxton this weekend (28-29 April), with three races on Hampshire’s high-speed circuit. Thruxton is the fastest track on the calendar for the teams and drivers of Britain’s premier motor racing championship with cars running bumper-to-bumper at close to 150mph. Once again, title-sponsor Dunlop will supply the rubber for what will be another exciting round of action, while support races come from the Ginetta Junior, Ginetta GT Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup and Renault Clio Cup grids.
Continue ReadingCooper-shod Schlesser wins sixth Desert Challenge win
Jean-Louis Schlesser won the 2012 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for a record-breaking sixth time on Cooper’s Discoverer STT tyre. Cooper says the tyre excels in these extreme conditions, with an aggressive tread pattern and tapered stone ejectors, which help prevent stones and debris lodging in the tread, keeping them clear and maintaining traction. Schlesser’s victory meant he took the overall points lead in the 2012 FIA World Cup Cross-Country Rallies Championship.
Continue ReadingFederal motorsport tyres accredited by CAMS
Federal's FZ-201 and FZ-202 semi slick R Spec tyres have been approved for production car racing in Australia by The Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS). Federal Tires Motorsport project manager, Taz Yeh said that to have the Federal brand approved for fitment at national level is “an honour” for a company only recently involved in motorsport. The company believes CAMS approval – linked to the FIA – is key to the brand taking the FZ-201 and FZ-202 to other territories as the brand expands internationally its motorsport involvement.
Continue ReadingKumho reports top rallying success in Ireland
Kumho’s motorsport division has topped its previous best performance in the upper tiers of rallying with its tyres’ performance in the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally (April 6-7), according to its management. Drivers using the company’s rubber are currently leading two classes of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, as well as leading the Group N class of the Irish Tarmac Championship and the Irish Forestry Series. European Motorsport manager, Steve Thompson said: “We’ve achieved some great results in rallying over the last few years, but this beats our previous record at this level of the sport.”
Continue Reading“Tale of two tyres” in Thruxton BSB round
Pirelli has called the second round of the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton a “tale of two tyres”, as the SC2 harder rear Diablo Superbike tyre compound was fitted to the winning bikes in both races. Ian Lowry took his first ever series win and the Championship lead, as he and race two winner, Josh Brookes both opted for the SC2 to beat series Tommy Hill towards the end of each race. British Champion Hill used the softer SC1 compound rear tyre in both outings.
Continue ReadingPirelli to hit Thruxton hard in BSB round two
Pirelli is recommending its hardest SC2 compound for riders tackling Thruxton at the second round of the British Superbike Championship. Bad weather meant the opening round at Brands Hatch was dominated by those best equipped to deal with damp conditions, and Pirelli suggests podium finishers, Jon Kirkham, Alistair Seeley and Michael Rutter may just be quietly hoping a repeat. Thruxton will demand different machine set-up’s and strategies for riders and teams, and if the weather stays fine, the Superbike competitors have three slick options on the rear – SC0 (softest), SC1 (medium) and SC2 (hardest) – and the SC1 and SC2 on the front;. Fully wet conditions will see riders opt for Pirelli Diablo Rain and the intermediate Diablo Wet tyres will be available for difficult in-between conditions.
Continue ReadingBrit Superbikes head to Brands Hatch on Pirelli tyres
Pirelli will travel to Brands Hatch over Easter weekend, to provide tyres to the MCE British Superbike Championship. Last year’s series provided some of the closest racing in the world, and the tyre supplier believes there is more to come in the 2012 Superbike, Supersport and Ducati 848 Challenge classes. The new Rapid Solicitors National Junior Cup for riders aged 13-18 riding Kawasaki Ninja 250R machines also joins the portfolio of championships run on Pirelli tyres.
Continue ReadingHankook takes over as Formula 3 Euro tyre supplier
Last year Kumho announced it would cease its nine year-tenure as tyre supply to the Formula 3 Euro Series at the end of 2011. The series, run as part of the Hankook-supplied German Touring Car Masters (DTM), now has a new sole tyre supplier. Unsurprisingly, it’s Hankook.
Continue ReadingCooper Tires British F3 2012 season to open
The Cooper Tires British F3 Series – long established as a feeder series to the pinnacle of single-seat racing – begins at Oulton Park on Easter weekend, alongside the British GT Championship, provided and sponsored by Cooper brand, Avon. The F3 series runs on Cooper rubber, and the brand has been title sponsor since the 2009 season, when it took over from Avon; in total the company has now been involved in the series for 30 years, its first season being 1982.
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