Dunlop’s ‘most successful’ status continues at Le Mans, Isle of Man
Dunlop’s long record of success at the Le Mans 24 hours and the Isle of Man TT was continued in 2018, though the tyre brand added victories in other four and two-wheel series too.
Dunlop’s long record of success at the Le Mans 24 hours and the Isle of Man TT was continued in 2018, though the tyre brand added victories in other four and two-wheel series too.
When the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) returns for the 2019 season, it will have a new title sponsor. TOCA has announced that automotive servicing and repair company Kwik Fit is succeeding Dunlop in this capacity; Goodyear Dunlop will remain tyre supplier to the BTCC under its current contract, which runs until at least 2022.
Dunlop Motorsport tyres have been chosen as original equipment for a new sports car from UK-based manufacturer Revolution Racecars. The Revolution, which is built upon an advanced carbon-fibre chassis and brings Le Mans Prototype technology to the customer racing and track day market, will wear Dunlop-supplied dry and wet weather tyres in size 200/580R15 on the front and 265/605R16 on the rear.
Continental’s WinterContact TS 860 has won its third consecutive Auto Express winter tyre test. The tyre beat strong competition from major manufacturers, most notably Hankook, whose Winter i*cept RS2 received a “commended” rating in second place, in a test tweaked this year “to better reflect UK driving conditions”. Outside the winter tyre competition, Auto Express also commented that the all-season control tyre, the Michelin CrossClimate+, not only finished close to the top in dry and wet tests, but was also only behind Hankook’s star performer in the snow – a result Auto Express described as “remarkable”.
BMW Motorsport and Dunlop have extended their long-established partnership in the VLN Endurance Championship for at least another two years. The tyre maker will continue to equip all BMW Cup-class cars in the VLN races. These races are run at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and Dunlop will also supply its 265/660 R18 racing tyres for the circuit’s 24-hour race.
UK-based motorcycle magazine, Fast Bikes, has named the Dunlop SportSmart TT as the winner of a blind track test of six of the leading hypersport tyres on the market. Testing each tyre independently on the 2018 Yamaha YZF-R1M, Fast Bikes’ Mike Booth considered feel, stability and outright grip on each of the tyres tested.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI), manufacturer of the Falken tyre brand as well as the Dunlop tyre brand for Japan and several other markets, has entered into a sponsorship agreement for the Australian Open. The agreement with Tennis Australia sees SRI become official supplier of tennis balls for the Australian Open starting in 2019, and official supplier for the Emirates Australian Open Series. As such, SRI is the first Japanese company to become an official ball supplier for a Grand Slam tournament.
Britain’s round of the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships take place at Silverstone’s GoPro British Grand Prix over the weekend of 24-26 August. The event marks the first appearance of the British Talent Cup (BTC) alongside the World Championships, supported by Dunlop tyres. The manufacturer states that it is using the BTC to support young talent coming up through the ranks by giving them the tyre knowledge and skills they need to progress. It aims to provide a pathway to MotoGP for British riders.
The UK round of the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships takes place at Silverstone’s GoPro British Grand Prix over the weekend of 24-26 August. The event marks the first appearance of the British Talent Cup alongside the World Championships.
Rights to use the Dunlop brand name on tyres and related products are mainly divided up around the world between Goodyear Tire & Rubber and Sumitomo Rubber Industries. In Australia, Goodyear acts as rightsholder to the Dunlop brand, and this makes a recent court decision significant.
Dunlop has confirmed the Sport Maxx tyres to be used at this weekend’s round six of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, which celebrates its 60th anniversary with a special Diamond Jubilee 60-mile race.
UK-based endurance racing championship Britcar has announced an extended partnership with Dunlop. The new agreement, which will include tyre supply, paddock service and promotion of the championship, covers the seasons between 2019 and 2023.
With a new 30,000 square metre facility, Sumitomo Rubber Europe GmbH and Dunlop Tech GmbH now have the capability to develop and test tyres, produce liquid latex and design tyre pressure monitoring systems. Following the start of operations in May, their ‘European Development Centre’ in Hanau-Steinheim, Germany officially opened yesterday.
Dunlop has hailed the official birthday party for Harley-Davidson a success after over 100,000 visitors reportedly attended the ‘Celebrating 115 years of Freedom’ festival in Prague, Czech Republic. Dunlop maintained a strong presence at the event, with its official motorsport tyre fitting service on site. The Dunlop team also displayed the brand’s extensive range of exclusive co-branded Harley-Davidson tyres.
The first week of June is Isle of Man TT time, and Dunlop says it focused on three areas – safety, stability and performance – in order to address the event’s unique challenges.
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