Vergne the First Frenchman to win Cooper Tires British F3 Series
Red Bull Junior driver Jean-Eric Vergne has become the first Frenchman to win the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Series, after wrapping up the title with three races still to run at Brands Hatch on 25-26 September. Vergne could break the all-time record number of British F3 wins in a season. “To be the first Frenchman to win such a prestigious championship feels incredible,” said Vergne. “It's been an amazing season so far; big big thanks to all the guys from Carlin. We didn't make any mistakes this season; they provided me with a fantastic car, which is why we have been able to win the championship so early.”
Continue ReadingFast Ford Uses Maxxis in Tyre Pressure, Alloy Wheel Tests
September’s issue of Fast Ford magazine carries reports on two performance tests – how different tyre pressure settings affect a car’s handling characteristics and the performance benefits that can be gained from fitting lightweight alloy wheels – both of which were conducted using the Maxxis MA-Z1 tyre. “Fast Ford is the UK’s top Ford tuning magazine and is highly influential in reaching an important performance enthusiast audience, so we are delighted with the magazine’s very positive feedback on the MA-Z1 from these two important tests,” says Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin.
Continue ReadingMichelin Shod LMP2 Makes Historic Hungarian Win
Michelin contributed to a motor racing milestone during the race at the Hungaroring near Budapest. For the first time since the start of the Le Mans Series in 2004, a round of the competition has been won by an LMP2 prototype. Strakka Racing's Michelin-shod HPD-ARX 01c caused a stir by claiming outright victory. All the LMP1 prototypes entered by Michelin's partners were hit by technical problems, including the Oreca-run Peugeot which was delayed by transmission trouble while leading. The collective rout of the front-runners enabled Michelin's sole LMP2 runner – the Strakka Racing HPD-ARX 01c of Watts/Leventis/Kane – to clinch outright victory.
Continue ReadingLuney Set for Victory in Pirelli European Drift Championship
You’re only showing your age if images of vagrants or dossers spring to mind upon hearing the word ‘drifter’. These days, as any fule kno, a drifter is far more likely to be a tyre maker and dealer’s favourite customer. Drifting has long since left its home in Japan and set out to conquer the globe, and the top drifters in our part of the world compete in the Pirelli European Drift Championship. And with just one round to go, this year’s championship title is Mark Luney’s to lose. He needs just three points at Snetterton to assure him of overall victory.
Continue ReadingMaxxis to Attend British Superbike Championship, Performance Car Show
Maxxis has announced it will support MSS Colchester Kawasaki in this year’s British Superbike Championship and attend the Ultimate Street Car show at the Santa Pod Raceway – both events are to take place this weekend (6-8 August).
Continue ReadingDaniel Hemric Wins Legends Million on Federal Tyres
Federal Tires was chosen as an official sponsor of tires for the US Legends Million held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina, over the weekend of 15-17 July. In a fierce battle, Kannapolis, N.C., native Daniel Hemric won the inaugural contest, the largest grassroots race in history, taking home $250,000 with the victory. Doug Stevens held on to finish second, followed by Steven Cantrell, David Ragan, and Tyler Green.
Continue Reading8 Points Separate Top 4 Before Maxxis British Drift Championship Finale
Maxxis’ MA-Z1 Drift tyre has been on show this month in the third and fourth rounds of the British Drift Championship that also bears the brand’s name as title sponsor. The company said the tyre has delivered consistent performance in the changeable weather it has encountered. Through a day of alternating torrential showers and bright sunshine the MA-Z1 Drift’s performance at Lydden Hill, Kent, during round three helped Team Japspeed driver Shane Lynch take victory and with it the championship lead in the pro class. After round four, last year’s European Drift Champion Mark Luney stormed into the lead.
Continue ReadingPirelli GP3 Rain Tyre Sees Use at Hockenheim
Pirelli has described last weekend’s racing at Hockenheim as ‘action-packed’. The two races held during the fifth round of the inaugural GP3 series were characterised by incidents, accidents, and changeable weather – which meant the company’s rain tyre saw its first use on Friday and Saturday during free practice and qualifying.
Continue ReadingYokohama Sponsoring "Asia Cross Country Rally 2010"
Yokohama Rubber has pledged its support for the Asia Cross Country Rally 2010, which will be held in Thailand between August 7 and 11. This is the tenth time the tyre maker has been involved with the FIA certified cross country rally, the largest in Asia, and Yokohama will provide its Geolandar tyres to all entrants in the newly established sports class category and award prizes to the winners in all categories. It will also support many drivers, including Takuma Aoki, who will participate in the T2-D class (non-converted commercial diesel) and Tadamitsu Niihori, the race’s overall winner on two previous occasions.
Continue ReadingHankook's Andreas Mikkelsen Gains IRC Points in Azores
Hankook driver Andreas Mikkelsen celebrated after an eventful finale to the Stat Rallye Acores over the weekend resulting in an impressive fourth overall. During the three day event the Hankook crew of Mikkelsen and co-driver Ole Fløene recorded their maiden IRC fastest time and challenged more experienced teams on their first visit to the island and only their second rally on gravel using the M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 on Hankook tyres. The Norweigen rally ace was comfortably running in the top five on the IRC event until a herd of cows, that had strayed, obstructed the stage causing Mikkelsen to hit them, consequently damaging the crews Ford Fiesta S2000. When speaking about the incident Mikkelsen said: "We were flat-out in sixth-gear and 50 metres after a big crest there was eight or ten cows in the middle of the road. We had to put the car into the ditch where we hit two of the cows. It was a scary moment."
Continue ReadingPirelli Preparing for GP2 at Hockenheim Following ‘Pleasing’ Silverstone Round
The fourth round of the inaugural GP3 series, run on the revised Silverstone track layout, gave Pirelli’s hard compound tyres a chance to show drivers their performance characteristics. Pirelli notes the new hard compound Pirelli PZero 13-inch tyres proved to be “both fast and reliable at Silverstone despite a wide variety of weather conditions that accurately reflected the vagaries of the British climate.”
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Chosen for Trackspeed’s Spa 24 Hours
Leading British GT outfit Trackspeed Racing has confirmed it will fit Avon Tyres to their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the GT2 class of this year’s Spa 24 Hour race on 31 July – 1 August. The announcement follows the company’s tyre performance in the Spa round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship in June, when the British competitors raced alongside the Belcar series (which runs to GT3 specifications using another manufacturer’s rubber). There, Peter Kox set the outright fastest lap in an Avon-shod Lamborghini Gallardo, with all Avon runners “putting in consistently fast times,” says the manufacturer.
Continue ReadingFederal Named as Partner Sponsor of Drifting Series
Federal Tires is the sole tyre sponsor of the 2010 D1 Street Legal Drifting Series, the platform from which drivers can progress to the D1 Grand Prix International Championship. Although the series is geared towards novice drifters, the level of professionalism is high as it attracts recognized D1GP celebrities and former regulars. Fourteen races across four categories that include East, West, Inter Series, and with the Ladies Series will take place at nine circuits across Japan, following a championship event in a special drifting track on the Tsukuba Circuit. Being a national street legal series, there are tighter restrictions on how a car can be modified, which means every car has to prove its road-worthiness by retaining the engine with which it was originally supplied. Also, a competitor wishing to be a part of the race event is required to obtain the D1SL licence.
Continue ReadingCooper Tires British F3 Adopts Pit Stops, but No Tyre Changes
The Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series heads to Rockingham alongside The Avon Tyres British GT Championship this weekend (17-18 July) with the former introducing pit stops and the latter entering the second half of a closely fought season. Teams and drivers from F3 have reportedly welcomed the introduction of pit stops as an exciting addition to the format of the innovative junior single-seater championship. Mandatory pit stops along the lines of those employed in Formula One will be tried for the first time in the second of the weekend’s trio of Rockingham races. The aim, according to Cooper, is to give drivers experience of the race strategy element that takes place in F1, even though tyres will not be changed. Meanwhile Avon’s British GT Championship heads to Rockingham following a six-week break, and things in this year’s title race are looking close. At the sharp end of the grid, the GT3 class the battle looks likely to continue until the final round, with only 16 points separating the top five teams in the championship.
Continue ReadingHard Compound GP3 Tyres Debut at Silverstone
The fourth round of the inaugural GP3 series took place at Silverstone over the weekend and gave drivers their first opportunity to savour the circuit’s revised track layout, which features seven new corners that have increased lap length and average speed. Silverstone also saw the debut of tyre supplier Pirelli’s hard compound tyres, which were left on the rack in favour of the medium compound in Barcelona and Istanbul followed by the soft compound during round three in Valencia.
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