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Michelin Launches American Le Mans Green X Challenge

Michelin announced today that it would become the title sponsor of the “Michelin Green X Challenge,” supporting its stated commitment to a cleaner, more fuel-efficient race series. Beginning at the 2009 ALMS season opener in Sebring, the award will be presented at each race to one prototype and one GT team demonstrating the best overall performance, fuel efficiency and least environmental impact throughout the length of the race.

“Stretching fuel in competition wins races. Lowering fuel consumption for consumers stretches wallets at a time when saving money and saving the planet are both top concerns,” said Scott Clark, COO, Michelin Americas Small Tires. “Providing support to the American Le Mans Series through the ‘Michelin Green X Challenge’ is a natural fit for us and together with our partners, we can help encourage teams and manufacturers to demonstrate a cleaner, more fuel-efficient way to race, while maintaining performance and the spirit of competition.”

3rd February 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

How Does This Grab You?

General Tire was introducing a new logo and marketing campaign for its Grabber light truck and SUV tyre, using the slogan “unbridled fury”, so said Kenny Sergeant, of Speedfreaks, on General Tire’s stand at the Sema show.

Sergeant reminded visitors of the success that Grabber has enjoyed in off-road motorsports and General is bringing the same proven off-road competition technology to the light truck market with the introduction of the new DOT legal General Grabber.

A tough, three-ply reinforced body construction and a race-proven Duragen tread compound stand up to the rigours of off-road, as well as, highway conditions. General Grabber’s optimised tread design and multiple tread edges work to deliver great side bite and lateral traction – especially in off-road conditions. Puncture resistant sidewalls and a specially-designed rim protection rib assure the tyre can stand up to any terrain.

30th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Expands “Dreams at heArt” Programme

Following record results in 2008, with more than 40,000 entries from 20 European countries received, Bridgestone plans in 2009 to expand its “dreams at heArt” competition to the Baltic States and Romania. In addition to prizes, says the tyre major, this year winners will again receive school visits from Bridgestone staff, who will arrive armed with a playful educational programme on road safety and ecology that includes an authentic GP2 racing car.

The “dreams at heArt” children’s drawing contest aims to encourage children to start thinking about road safety, and invites them to express their creativity in drawings or paintings. The competition is open to all primary school children in Europe up to the age of 11 years (split into 3 age groups, 0-7 years, 8-9 years and 10-11 years) and features a different theme for each annual edition.

28th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Blackcircles’ Welch Honoured at BT Business Awards

Michael Welch has done very well indeed at the BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur awards. Not only was the Blackcircles.com managing director named one of the UK’s top 20 entrepreneurs, Welch was voted Most Outstanding Entrepreneur, an honour that comes with a £20,000 business grant. This is, admittedly, a well-deserved accolade – in seven years of business the company has cultivated a customer base of more than 300,000, and annual sales of more than £10 million.

23rd January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Nitto NT05

Nitto Tire USA is introducing a summer uhp tyre (W rated) which the company describes as “our most aggressive non-competition street tyre.” Called the NT05, it takes its name from the fusion of two existing tyres; the NT01, Nitto’s DOT-approved R-compound and the NT555, Nitto’s popular uhp tyre. The name signifies that the new tyre is based on the NT01’s race technology, but designed specifically for maximum street performance.

The new tyre was developed through a mixture of extensive computer modelling and on-track testing to identify the optimal tread design and compound. Nitto’s top priority was to optimise dry performance; the large continuous centre rib and big outer shoulder blocks provide optimum tread contact with the road and the reinforced tread blocks give excellent rigidity and stability.

23rd January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

18 New Toyo Sizes

Director of marketing communications at Toyo Tire USA, Julie Sediq, told T&A that the company had introduced 18 new tyre sizes, with products aimed at the performance passenger car segment, as well as light trucks. Some of these are very esoteric; for example the Proxes TQ, which is the first DOT-approved drag radial from Toyo.

Another new tyre, the Proxes R888 is an approved competition radial which is ideal for road racing, track days and high-performance driving schools. It features a semi-slick shoulder area to increase cornering force and a unidirectional tread pattern with v-shaped grooves to enhance wet traction and control. A rounded outer shoulder helps to maintain tyre contact, even during changes in suspension geometry. A continuous centre contact delivers excellent directional control during hard braking.

22nd January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres Northampton is Pirelli Performance Centre of the Year 2008

Pirelli Tyres has crowned Tyres Northampton as its Pirelli Performance Centre (PPC) of the year for the second year running. The award is the culmination of a four month assessment programme which included the PPC technical audit followed by an onsite video “mystery shop”. The PPC technical audit covers a wide spectrum of areas including working practices, standard and maintenance of equipment, housekeeping and tyre/wheel removal procedures. In contrast, the video “mystery shop” focused on the consumer experience and levels of customer service.

14th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

New Dunlop Race Academy Format Revealed

ITV has Simon Cowell and the X Factor, but Dunlop has the Dunlop Race Academy, and the motorsport equivalent of the popular talent show has announced a number of changes for 2009. This year the Dunlop Race Academy will focus on developing drivers aged between 16 and 30 who have already made a start in their race careers. The competition has also introduces a new geographical element, dividing the UK into six regions, pitting drivers from each region against each other.

6th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Race Academy on New Track

Launched in 2004, the Dunlop Race Academy has processed over 17,000 hopefuls to produce five competition winners, each of them with no previous motorsport experience. The 2005 winner, Simon Shaw, has gone on to make a professional career in motorsport. In 2009 the Academy is set to return, albeit with some significant changes to its format. The competition will switch its focus from attracting talented drivers and newcomers into the sport to developing drivers who have already made a start in their racing career.

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Announces Snow Tyre for WRC Ireland

The opening round of this year’s World Rally Championship kicks off in Ireland at the end of January and Pirelli – the competition’s control tyre supplier – is taking no chances when it comes to selecting the best rubber for climatic conditions. The Italian manufacturer has announced that it will be adding three 40ft truckloads of its Monte Carlo Snow tyre to its usual offering, allowing competitors to find additional grip in the ice – a major problem at 2008’s concluding Welsh rally.

Gordon Noble, the course clerk for Rally Ireland, said that while challenging conditions are a necessity for any world class rallying event, the additional safety offered by the tyre shows that competitors’ wellbeing has been taken into consideration: “Many competitors at Wales Rally GB struggled for grip on the icy roads so it is great that we have this option in place for all entrants in Rally Ireland ’09. The conditions, as in 2007, will be testing for all the drivers but at all times safety must be to the fore. With these provisions in place we will get to see the best of what the world’s top drivers have to offer.”

5th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Federal Acknowledged by MSA in UK

Federal Tyres has joined the Motor Sports Association (MSA) as a fully endorsed member. The company states, “we are dedicated to innovation and deliver industry-leading products in the high performance end of the market.”

Federal’s 595 and RPM asymmetric tyre were accepted in the category 1a for road tyre; along with 595EVO as well as 595RS-R race-proven tyre in the category 1b for road legal competition tyres.

The Motor Sports Association is recognized as the sole motor sport governing body for the United Kingdom. It controls the technical and sporting rules across the various disciplines with over seven hundred motor clubs choosing to share agreed codes of practice under one umbrella. Related information will be officially published in MSA’s 2009 Year Book of Regulations.

22nd December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

TIA Cancels Retread Appearance Contest

The TIA has announced that, due to the current economic situation and other factors including the increased cost of shipping, it is regretfully cancelling the 2009 Retread Appearance Contest that was planned in conjunction with the 2009 TIA Commercial Tire & Retread Conference (CTRC).

19th December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop, French Magazine Unveil New Series Plan

Dunlop and Performance French Cars Magazine have announced that the Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup will be introducing a new trophy for the 2009 season. The production cup has teamed together with Performance French Cars magazine to praise the best performing French car of the championship.

The Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup is part of the Dunlop Great & British Motorsport Festival. With the stated aim of “putting national motorsport back on the map,” Dunlop Great & British hosts three championships: Mini Challenge, Radical Sportscars and the Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup, over six weekends. The Production Cup introduces this new trophy following the success of French cars on the grid during the 2008 season. Renaultsport Megane R26, Renaultsport Clio and Peugeot 106 GTi were amongst the leading French cars with top rankings across the Sport Maxx classes.

18th December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Gould Wins Pirelli Star Driver Award

Following two days of hard-fought competition in Cumbria, 21-year old Bristol driver Adam Gould has become the recipient of the Pirelli Star Driver Award. This honour was gained through winning the Pirelli Star Driver Shootout competition, held on December 11 and 12. In order to win, Gould participated in a range of tests that extended beyond his driving prowess; the judging panel also examined the contenders’ fitness, interview presentation skills and knowledge of the sport. Gould finished the weekend ahead of seven other hopefuls, and in addition to the kudos attached to the distinction of winning, Gould’s prize covers a full funding in the 2009 British Rally Championship.

15th December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Ingersoll Rand Makes Its Mark At Dakar 2009

Ingersoll Rand, which has been involved in the Dakar rally race for the last three years, will team up with the Euromaster, Mitsubishi and Toyota teams in 2009. It will offer them portable tools, including the new IQv range of impact wrenches. These wrenches can release torques up to 500Nm and will last three times longer than similar products on the market. IQv tools are also lighter and more compact than rival products, says Ingersoll Rand, characteristics particularly appreciated by race competitors.

Ingersoll Rand’s main partner is the Euromaster Team and has provided official team support at Dakar since 2006.

15th December 2008/by Tyrepress Editors