Michelin to Field Aromatic Oil-Free Race Tyres at Le Mans
This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, the 78th running of the famous endurance race, takes place on 12 and 13. Michelin says the weekend event will mark a new step in the firm's “commitment to protecting the environment”. The French tyre major’s participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours will, it says, feature an all-new range of eco-friendly tyres. In addition, Michelin will organise, for the second time, the "Michelin Green X Challenge" which has now become an integral part of the regulations that govern the discipline.
Continue ReadingCooper and Avon Looking Forward to 2010 Following 2009 Motorsport Successes
Following a year on the world’s racetracks in which more than 120 champions were crowned using its motorsport products, Avon Tyres Motorsport of Melksham, Wiltshire in the UK is to participate in a variety of competitive motorsport championships in categories as diverse as rallycross, hillclimb, sprints and historic racing in 2010. Perhaps most prominently, the division of Cooper Tire will continue its title sponsorship of the British GT Championship.
Continue ReadingConti Gets Underway as Grand-Am Control Tyre at Daytona
Continental Tire North America calls it a “new era in motorsports” – on January 29, the Grand-Am Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge took the first green flag of the year at Daytona International Speedway, setting into motion both the 2010 Grand-Am racing season as well as a new long-term partnership between Conti and Grand-Am Road Racing in the US. Continental Tire recently became title sponsor and official tyre for the popular endurance road-racing series, which attracted nearly 80 entries for January 28’s ‘Fresh From Florida 200’ event. A tremendous variety of race machines, from Mini Cooper S to Ford Mustang, took to the field, yet despite the size difference all share the same type of tyre, the Continental Extreme Contact DR.
Continue ReadingWorld Rally Championship to Tie Up Pirelli Deal Until 2013: Reports
Reports on Wednesday 3 February suggest that Pirelli is about to be confirmed as the tyre supplier for the World Rally Championship after its current deal runs out at the end of the 2010 season. An anonymous source for Autosport's report suggests that the Italian manufacturer is in fact “the only firm in the running for the contract. We saw that when the envelope with the tenders in was opened last year.” Autosport also states that the value of the company’s bid is likely to be some way short of the 11 million euros paid as part of the current three-year deal. The final decision will be made at a World Motorsport Council meeting in March.
Continue ReadingConti Ups Ante in Grand-Am Racing
The Continental tyre brand will be all over Grand-Am Road Racing in 2010-11, as Continental Tire North America has signed the brand on as the official tyre of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and as the official tyre of Watkins Glen International Raceway. The new commitments complement CTNA’s previously announced title sponsorship of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Title Supporter for Two Regional Formula Ford 1600 Championships
Avon Tyres has put its name to two regional Formula Ford Championships for 2010; they will be known as the Avon Tyres Club Formula Ford Northern Championship and Avon Tyres Club Formula Ford Southern Championship. Having been the control tyre throughout Formula Ford 1600 racing for many years, the sponsorship of the two Club Championships, organised by the British Racing & Sports Car Club (BRSCC), was a natural progression for the brand: “Our tyres are synonymous with Formula Ford so we are delighted to support the marque’s leading entry level championship,” said Roger Everson, sales and marketing manager for the Avon Tyres Racing Division.
Continue ReadingSilverstone Arena GP Circuit Development “Well Underway”
Work on the new Arena Grand Prix circuit and improved spectator viewing facilities is well underway at Silverstone. The Northamptonshire circuit’s managing director Richard Phillips has confirmed that work on the new circuit – which will host MotoGP and World Superbike motorcycle racing in 2010 – is on schedule and due for completion in early March. He also confirmed that discussions are on-going with Formula One Management regarding the possibility of staging the 2010 British Grand Prix on the new circuit.
Continue ReadingToyo-Equipped Robby Gordon Wins Dakar Stage 4 by Just 1 Second
Robby Gordon has won stage four of the 2010 Dakar with a time of one hour, forty minutes and twenty one seconds, just a second ahead of the factory BMW of Peterhansel. Racing on Toyo Open Country MT-Rs tyres, fis first stage victory of the 2010 race brings to three the number of Dakar stages the US racer has now won outright. As predicted before the race commenced, the privately entered Team Hummer have “humbled the mighty factory teams with their giant killing performance,” according to the company.
Continue ReadingPirelli Shod Hirvonen Ford Takes Monte Carlo Rally Honours
Pirelli celebrated a first place finish at the weekend’s Monte Carlo Rally with partner Ford and driver Mikko Hirvonen following a successful debut of the Ford Fiesta Super 2000, the only car officially fitted by Pirelli in the event. Leading from the start, Pirelli says the Finnish rally star was able to easily overcome the challenges of changing road conditions in his Ford Fiesta Super 2000 thanks to the Winter Sottozero and P Zero tyres it was fitted with – tyres capable of adapting to all the conditions encountered, from the ice in the mountain passes to the dry coastal asphalt.
Continue ReadingPirelli Historic Rally Gets “New Look” Following Competitor Feedback
Feedback gained from competitors in previous events has led to changes been made for the 2010 Pirelli Historic Rally. The organiser of the Pirelli sponsored event, the Cumberland Sporting Car Club, states the “radical shake-up” it is bringing to the format will give it a “totally new look” when it is held on April 24.
Continue ReadingDunlop Extends Australian Superbike Control Tyre Deal
Dunlop Tyres’ control tyre supply to the Australian Superbike Championship has been extended for a further three seasons. The tyre maker has already served in this capacity for the past two years. “We at Dunlop are excited with this announcement and are proud to be appointed this tender,” said Dunlop’s motorcycle and motorsports National Manager Ken Wieden. "This was an important contract for us and our distributors to win.
Continue ReadingPirelli to Sponsor & Service Red Bull Pro National MX Series
Pirelli UK is to take on a three-year sponsorship and full support partnership with the Red Bull Pro Nationals MX Series. The tyre maker will provide the series with a dedicated tyre supply and changing vehicle capable of meeting all riders’ competition requirements, and Pirelli staff will be present at every round to fit tyres and advise competitors on fitment, type and pressure. A wide range of Pirelli Scorpion MX tyres will be available to riders at “extremely competitive” supply and fitment prices. Pirelli also hopes to benefit from rider feedback, which it will utilise in the development of future products.
Continue ReadingCooper-Supported Team Claims Second Place in 2010 Dakar Rally
The Toyota Cooper Tire team claimed second place in the T2 production car class at this year’s Dakar Rally. Dakar veteran driver Xavier Foj and co-driver Pablo Jaton overcame a faulty ECU unit; a day spent digging themselves out of the sand dunes; and an encounter with a massive rock in a river, which almost destroyed their car’s rear differential, to finish on the podium at the rally’s conclusion.
Continue ReadingMaxxis-Shod Short Track Season Ends with Sell-Out Spectacle
After an exciting ACU British Short Track Championship season, which saw Pete Boast take the victor’s spoils, some of motorcycle racing’s most famous names headed to Essex for the final event of 2009, the Braintree Bonanza on 27 December. Manufacturer Maxxis began its association with Short Track UK four years ago when Triple A Racing, the Manchester-based Maxxis tyre distributor, supplied tyres to a number of competitors. In 2009 all riders used the Maxxis DTR-1 flat track tyre, thanks to an agreement between the organisers and Triple A Racing, who jointly sponsored the series.
Continue ReadingDunlop and Aston Martin Aiming for Le Mans Glory
Dunlop, Aston Martin Racing’s official global GT2 Development Partner, is to work closely with the British manufacturer over a three-year period in order to develop the Vantage GT2, which the Dunlop supported team JMW Motorsport will race in the 2010 Le Mans Series and Le Mans 24 Hour. According to Dunlop, an intensive testing programme gets underway this month ahead of the opening Le Mans Series race, the 8 Hours of Le Castellet, on April 9-11. Participation in a number of selected high profile events may be added to the team’s calendar at a later date.
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