DAF has selected Goodyear Marathon + low rolling resistance tyres for standard equipment on its latest Advanced Transport Efficiency (ATe) trucks. According to the tyre manufacturer, the news comes as a result of the partnership between the two companies aimed at providing vehicles with optimized fuel consumption, yet with no compromise on other performance areas.
Pirelli, Kumho and Dmack have announced that they will supply tyres to the 2013 MSA British Historic Rally Championship, following the competition’s move to an open choice era. Dunlop, the supplier to the UK’s premier historic rally series for the past four years will continue to make its tyres available to the championship, which takes in both gravel and asphalt events across the country. The championship features old-school rally machinery dating from the 1950s to the 1980s. “We firmly believe this is the right time to open up the tyre supply situation,” said championship manager Simon Marks. “More tyre manufacturers are now in a position to supply the historic market and our competitors will now be able to choose between four excellent suppliers.”
A number of tyre trading businesses have formed a collective with the aim of “defending the freedom of tyre trading within and outside the European Union, and also to preserve and protect its values expressed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.” The new association, which is called LETA (European Liberal Traders Association) is based in Milan, but reports that it welcomes membership from businesses anywhere in Europe.
Dunlop Motorsport at Birmingham’s Fort Dunlop is described as one of the best design centres in the business, with the flexibility to produce prototypes in days and manufacture short runs of tyres specifically for the various circuits visited by the tyre supplier every year. Goodyear Dunlop has recently made two new appointments at the facility; Vincent Van Goor moves from the Luxembourg-based Innovation Centre to take up the role of senior design engineer for car, while John Astbury makes a shorter hop from Wolverhampton to his new role as QTech Manager UK.
Goodyear Dunlop has tested 1200 Goodyear and another 1000 Dunlop branded tyres ensuring that these are ready to meet the new EU tyre labelling regulation that takes full effect on 1 November 2012. The tests covered 70 and 50 tyre types for Goodyear and Dunlop respectively.
According to the company, the grading of all the tyres took nearly a year and was done at the Goodyear Innovation Center in Luxemburg, which is the company’s main tyre research and development facility in the region. The new regulation requires each manufacturer to test tyres internally for the new gradings, based on strictly defined EU testing methods.
Tyre labelling will play a key role in driving improved fuel efficiency in Europe, according to Goodyear Dunlop. In a survey carried out by the company, results showed that only 40 per cent of operators purchased fuel efficient tyres for their vehicles. While some may suggest this means many have bought into the technology, Goodyear representatives report that “this implies that more than half of the commercial vehicle fleets in Europe are unnecessarily burning fuel and therefore missing the opportunity to reduce their operating costs.”
Labelling, Goodyear believes, will make operators aware of the importance of tyres with regard to fuel efficiency, and help to reduce not only operating costs through tyre choice but also CO2 emissions.
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Birmingham-based Truck Tyre Solutions (TTS) made its debut at this year's CV Show as part of the company's profile development programme. With a distinctive stand display the company's main objective was to further enhance brand awareness of the Firenza truck tyre range for which TTS act as the appointed exclusive distributors throughout the UK. A full selection of the Firenza truck range were on display for inspection and TTS sales director, Carl Falconer states that there was an encouraging response to the brand throughout the show. He added: “It is a good mid-range performing tyre that continues to gain recognition from our fleet customers.
After 20 years' working with Michelin, BP Oil UK Limited has switched over to Goodyear Dunlop for the service and maintenance of its fleet of 150 tankers.
In addition to Goodyear Dunlop's easily accessible, web-based systems that allow transparent and up to the minute status of all jobs, the level of service provided by the company's TruckForce UK network played an important role in winning the contract.
Art experts take note – the 10 May deadline is approaching for the Dunlop Art Car Competition, in which racing fans and artists have the chance to design the livery for a Ferrari F458 Italia competing in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is the fourth year that a Dunlop car’s design has been created by competition winners – but Dunlop says this year there is a big difference – designers/artists have a much freer canvas for designing the look of the Dunlop-sponsored Ferrari F458 Italia entered by JMW Motorsport.
Dunlop Motorsport general manager Jean-Felix Bazelin says that the tyre manufacturer faces “one of the biggest challenges in motorsport”, as it travels to the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps presents numerous challenges, with Dunlop highlighting “one of the greatest compressions seen by race tyres on any circuit as cars streak through the downhill to uphill transition from Eau Rouge to Le Raidillion, and the fickle Ardennes weather, which can mean a track with both wet and dry sectors. The six hours of racing take place on 5 May, and Dunlop tyres have been chosen by all of the bumper LMP2 class of 13 cars, with sole representatives in the LMP1 and GTE Am classes.
During extraordinary general meetings at Ruia Group companies Falcon Tyres Ltd and Dunlop India Ltd, held on 26 and 28 April respectively, both tyre makers announced that a portion of their equity will be transferred to three companies outside of the Ruia Group. This transfer is aimed at reducing company debt; the recipient firms are Suncap Commodities Ltd, Regus Impex Pvt Ltd and Salputri Commerce Pvt Ltd.
30 Goodride dealers saw the brand-supported Total Control Racing team driver Rob Smith continue his steep AirAsia Renault UK Clio Cup learning curve at Donington Park on 14-15 April. BMTR, Grouptyre and Goodride Performance Tyres were in the BMTR hospitality suite at the circuit. While Smith, a Loughborough University student, finished 17th in each race, Grouptyre says its guests found that the additional involvement of having a car and driver to support added to the experience.
Round three of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Thruxton this weekend (28-29 April), with three races on Hampshire’s high-speed circuit. Thruxton is the fastest track on the calendar for the teams and drivers of Britain’s premier motor racing championship with cars running bumper-to-bumper at close to 150mph. Once again, title-sponsor Dunlop will supply the rubber for what will be another exciting round of action, while support races come from the Ginetta Junior, Ginetta GT Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup and Renault Clio Cup grids.
Dunlop held a showcase of its latest passenger car and motorcycle products, the Sport Maxx RT and the Dunlop RoadSmart II, at the Rockingham Circuit on Tuesday 17 April. 21 sports cars and 32 high performance motorcycles were gathered to demonstrate the tyres a series of workshops and hands-on demonstrations to key customers at the Northampton Circuit.
Pirelli is offering the chance for followers of its Moto Facebook page to compete in an online “social game” with the top prize of a trip to Los Angeles. The complete content of the brand’s “Ride Like an Angel” contest will become available to users promoting Pirelli’s Moto page within their own social groups and purchasing a set of Pirelli Angel ST tyres in April or May 2012, helping to promote the brand both online and in retail stores. The game involves scoring points by completing four tracks set in Los Angeles districts such as Downtown and Santa Monica.
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