WTCC switches to Donington for British round
The second major FIA championship in as many weekends comes to Britain this weekend as the World Touring Car Championship switches from Brands Hatch to Donington. Yokohama has supplied its Advan branded tyres to the series since 2006, and the brand’s UK distributor, Yokohama HPT says it is “eagerly anticipating” this year’s event, believing the change of venue to the revised Donington Park circuit will bring extra interest. This will be the first FIA World Championship event to be held at the circuit since the 1993 European Grand Prix.
Continue ReadingFalken takes top Micheldever dealers to Nurburgring 2011
Falken Tyres recently took a group of top Micheldever tyre dealers to the world renowned Nurburgring 24 hour race, an event that is followed by hundreds of thousands around the world. Micheldever’s guests enjoyed VIP hospitality as they were entertained in the Mercedes Benz suite over the weekend by Falken.
Continue ReadingHankook young driver takes to the circuit at Ypres
Last year’s Hankook MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship ‘Young Driver of the Year’ Award was contested by more than 30 competitors, and at the end of 2010 Jonny Leonard was declared the winner, entitling him to compete, all expenses paid, in an international event during 2011. The event selected was round five of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Belgium’s Ypres Rally, which took place between June 23 and 25.
Continue ReadingTyrepress readers ticket offer – Japfest 2: The Evolution
Japfest 2: The Evolution, the second event in the Adrian Flux Auto Series for high performance Japanese cars, was launched last year at Rockingham. In 2011, the event promises to be “bigger, faster, more interactive” and will this year take place at one of UK motorsport’s heartlands, Donington Park. Readers of tyrepress.com can access specially priced tickets to the event – advance tickets cost £13 with the code MAX04. The event takes place on Sunday, 10 July.
Continue ReadingCorporate and fanatic combine for festival of motorsport – Falken
The ADAC Nürburgring 24 hour race is wrapped up in both the corporate spending in making fast, reliable machines to conquer this most challenging of circuits and what Falken representatives describe as the “punk rock” aesthetic of the camping motorsport enthusiasts – and indeed some of the competitors, as evidenced by the famous Opel Ascona with the fox tail attachment. Speaking with event main sponsor and tyre-supplying participant Falken Tyres Europe, T&A understands the brand’s argument that the race’s blend of research and development opportunities, and the connection with fanatics (a quarter of a million trackside, without taking into account those keeping track on the internet and television) makes it one of the brand’s “most important” events. Falken Tyre Europe’s marketing director, Satoru Ushida explained that the company is keen to show its presence in Europe at such events as it establishes itself further, having taken over distribution of the brand from Goodyear Dunlop in 2009.
Continue ReadingFalken Tyres’ mixed 24 hours at the Nürburgring
With a huge contingency of auto- and tyre manufacturers and a crowd estimated to be close to a quarter of a million, this year’s ADAC Nürburgring 24 hour race was won by Manthey-Racing – the works team’s fifth in the last six years – as Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr drove the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to victory, completing a record 156 laps (3958.968km) of the Nordschleife. Tyre manufacturer and main sponsor of the event, Falken Tyre Europe – a company inaugurated in 2009 to distribute the Sumitomo-manufactured brand in the continent – also ran a highly competitive Porsche 911 GT3 R with its own team in the event, and while a change of engine and gearbox made for ultimate disappointment in terms of its finishing position, persistent top ten lap times meant the team occupied positions between 176 and 14 during the course of the 24 hours, eventually finishing 48th. Falken also supplied specially developed tyres to its eponymously named team.
Continue ReadingRecovered Maxxis-sponsored Impreza hopeful of return in Middlesbrough BDC
Following the recovery of Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed’s Subaru Impreza, stolen from Santa Pod on 11 June, tyre manufacturer and drift team alike are racing to ready the car for action in round three of the Maxxis British Drift Championship (BDC). The series makes a welcome return to the Teesside Autodrome in Middlesbrough over the weekend of 2-3 July, when Team Japspeed driver Steve Biagioni is aiming to be back behind the wheel of the 600bhp Impreza and challenging for a podium in the Super-Pro class.
Continue ReadingYokohama riders secure 1st, 2nd place in TT sidecar races
This year's Isle of Man TT races saw a win and a second place for sidecar racer John Holden on Yokohama tyres; Holden took second place in the first of the season's two sidecar races and then went one better on the rescheduled second race to claim his long overdue maiden win. Commenting, Yokohama HPT’s head of Motorsport Mark Evans said: “I am delighted that John and [sidecar passenger] Andy [Winkle] have finally achieved their TT win. It's been a long time coming but all the more deserved for it.” Fellow Yokohama runner Tim Reeves narrowly missed out on the podium twice, finishing fourth in both races.
Continue ReadingFour Isle of Man TT winners on Dunlop in 2011
Dunlop increased its tally of victories to 17 over the last four years, as riders using the company’s rubber took wins in the Superbike, Supersport 1, Superstock and Senior TT races in 2011. The 92nd running of the Isle of Man TT race saw yet another victory for Honda TT Legends rider John McGuiness in the final TT race, completing the 37.73 mile (60.72 km) Mountain Course. “This was an excellent performance from Dunlop-shod teams and riders,” said Dunlop Motorsport sales manager motorcycle race, Pat Walsh.
Continue ReadingAvon celebrates 2011 Isle of Man TT sidecar victory
The Avon-shod Honda-powered LCR of Klaus Klaffenbock and Dan Sayle won the first of the two sidecar events at the 2011 Isle of Man TT races, while only technical issues prevented them from capitalising on a 17-second lead on the final lap in the second. Despite the disappointment of race two, the first Sure Sidecar A race win – which they led from start to finish – meant three TT wins in a row for Klaffenbock and the seventh career win for his Manx-born partner Sayle. Avon-shod machines took eight of the top ten positions in both sidecar races.
Continue ReadingDunlop to support National Motorsport Week
National Motorsport Week, which will run between 25 June and 3 July, will receive the backing of UK motorsport tyre manufacturer Dunlop, the company has announced. The initiative is led by the Motor Sports Association and the Motorsport Industry Association and is intended to encourage more people to participate in motorsport and reaffirm the country’s dominant position internationally.
Continue ReadingStolen Maxxis Impreza returned to Team Japspeed
The Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed 1JZ Subaru Impreza has been found and will be returned to the team after it was stolen on Sunday, 12 June from the Performance Vauxhall Show. Maxxis International UK stated that Thames Valley Police found the vehicle early on Monday, 13 June in the Reading area. The Impreza was being used at the Santa Pod Raceway as a display vehicle for the Maxxis display. It had been stripped of its bumper, rear spoiler and rear lights as well as its identifying stickers.
Continue ReadingMaxxis adds new UHP radial to its high performance range
Tyre manufacturer Maxxis recently added the ZR9 ultra high performance radial specifically designed for asphalt track racing to its high performance range. The tyre, which made its UK public debut at AutoSport International and has been available since the end of April in size 195/50 VR15, has a directional tread pattern design with low void ratio for impressive handling. The large shoulder blocks aid cornering and lateral stability, while the centre V-shaped grooves disperse water efficiently to ensure excellent wet traction. The tread, sidewall, bead design and racing compound are designed to meet handling and traction requirements for racing.
Continue ReadingAvon Centenary showbike debuts at Isle of Man TT
Avon Tyres is continuing its centenary celebrations with a special one-off showbike that made its public debut at this weekend’s Isle of Man TT races. Avon’s UK sales manager Gary Bretherton says: “We wanted to have a machine which truly reflected the modern edge of Avon Tyres and its products and the Yamaha YZF-R6 really fits the bill. The bike itself is fitted with a number of go-faster goodies and of course Avon’s own VP2 Supersport tyres. We have used the bike in posters and other promotional literature quite literally ‘reflecting’ a classic motorcycle from an earlier era. This shows both the proud history of Avon Tyres along with the cutting-edge product that our customers rely on to this day.”
Continue ReadingNiezen wins, Maxxis makes podium at British Drift Championship round 2
Making a guest appearance at round two of the Maxxis British Drift Championship, drift star Remmo Niezen from the Netherlands piloted his V8 BMW E30 to victory, while title sponsor Maxxis’s Super-Pro championship leader Mark Luney used his MA-Z1 Drift tyres to make it on to the podium.
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