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Dunlop Unveils New V8 Series Tyre

Dunlop is set to improve the sustainability of tyres supplied for the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series by introducing a synthetic material into the polymer binding agent of the tyre compound, replacing the oil-based additive.

Dunlop’s V8 Supercar operations manager Kevin Fitzsimons explained to journalists that the change represents the only significant alteration to the tyre’s makeup since the company introduced its control tyre in 2002, and that the switch would not affect adversely the tyre’s level of performance.

17th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

What a Difference a Day Makes

On the face of it, twenty-four hours is not such a long time – three sleeps, a long haul flight, the average time it takes hackers to crack new digital music protection software. But in other situations the same twenty-four hours seem like a very long time indeed, and can test the limits of endurance. Such is the case for the Le Mans 24 Hour race, an event in which vehicles and tyres are pushed to the limit and nothing is assured until the very end.

The Virgo Motorsport team wes a case in point. A brilliant performance cut short close to the end. With less than three hours remaining the British team was forced to retire from its GT2 class second place position following engine failure, becoming one of twenty vehicles to withdraw from the original line up of fifty-five. In the end first place went to the Michelin shod Audi Sport R10 TD1 driven by Kristensen, Capello and McNish, and as a further bonus the tyremaker savoured victory in each of the four race categories.

“I’m just gutted,” said Virgo Motorsport driver Rob Bell following the race. “We had a car capable of winning, but it wasn’t to be.” A solid result from Virgo would also have been a feather in the cap for Dunlop, with the Ferrari 430’s tyres proving a worthy match for the competitors’ Michelins. As driver Tim Sudgeon commented, Virgo Motorsport had “three strong drivers, a highly professional team, a car with the capability to win, great tyres.” He added: “We had all the ingredients, and it’s not often that’s the case, so it makes it all the more disappointing for us. It is renowned as the hardest race and that reputation is for good reason.”

First across the line at Le Mans was, as previously mentioned, the Audi Sport R10 TD1 driven by Kristensen, Capello and McNish. This year’s win was the German marque’s eighth victory on the Sarthe circuit and the fifth in a row since 2004. And of course a victory for Audi is also a victory for Michelin, who has not tasted defeat in the Le Mans 24 Hour race since 1998. This year the French company took first spot in every one of the competition classes: In LMP2 victory went to the Van Merksteijn, Verstappen and Bleekemolen Porsche RS Spyder; in LM GT1 to the Brabham, Garcia and Turner Aston Martin; and in LM GT2, drivers Salo, Meli and Bruni drove to victory in their Ferrari F430 GT.

“This year’s Le Mans was one of the greatest challenges we have ever faced,” commented Audi sport Director Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “We really needed a tyre partner we could rely on to get us to the end of the race. Michelin’s people did that superbly for us, supplying a product that was absolutely right, and perfect service to go with it. We work as one with our Michelin technician: he’s part of the team, he thinks the same way we do and he did absolutely everything he could to give us the best advice in very difficult racing conditions. So thanks and hats off to Michelin!”

“Once again we learned a great deal this year with all our partners and it was a difficult race,” added Michelin competitions director Frédéric Henry-Biabaud. “Looking at the broader picture, we have won all four classes and that’s just fantastic. We have every reason to be proud of what we have done, and I would like to thank all Michelin employees who work hard all over the year to provide the best product for our partners.

“It was a very taxing race,” he added. “One that brought the full range of available tyres into play. The first part of the race, on a dry track, showed how well our soft and medium tyres coped with double of triple stints in the various classes, while the wet second part of the race meant we had to call on our intermediates and our choice of part- and full-wet tyres. It was a wonderful Le Mans, one where we were able to put everything we learned from testing this season with our 2008 range in the LMS and ALMS series into practice.”

Pirelli reports a second place finish for the “most Italian” Ferrari, the BMS-Scuderia Italia 430 GTC driven by Babini, Malucelli and Ruberti. The Pirelli shod car, the only vehicle on the grid fitted with the Italian manufacturer’s products, competed in the GT2 class. The BMS-Scuderia Italia Ferrari finished 22nd overall.

But for every happy ending at Le Mans there is a story of opportunity lost, and like their counterparts from Virgo Motorsport, the Yokohama supported Tokai University-YGK Power team was forced into retirement late in the race. After completing 18 hours the team’s Courage-ORECA-YGK LC70 vehicle experienced transmission problems that made competing further an impossibility. “The students are disappointed, but they are very satisfied to have done the race at Le Mans,” said Yokohama’s Global Motorsport general manager Akinori Tokieda. “They have done around 18 hours; it’s a good result for them. They gained a lot of experience from the race. We’re very proud to have been involved in the first university team at Le Mans.”

Plans for next year’s race had begun even before the chequered flag waved on June 15. Michelin’s Henry-Biabaud commented that “During this 2008 race our minds were already turning to 2009… Naturally we will have a full debrief, and we should be able to sort out the priorities for the rest of the season pretty quickly.”

17th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

The Long and the Short of It

In Europe more than 80 per cent of total freighted transport is shipped by road. This huge chunk of the logistics industry has been secured courtesy of two main benefits offered by truck transport, plus one disadvantage apparent in the primary alternative. Despite this position of dominance, ever-rising operating costs make optimising value for money a growing priority in all aspects of the business – not least in choice of tyre. Dunlop’s introduction of two key products for the regional and long haul sectors is intended to meet this need plus deliver the safety and handling features drivers have come to expect from the brand.

The popularisation of supply management techniques such as just-in-time since the 1970s has made the delivery of just the right amount of materials exactly when needed a matter of vital importance, and if multiple deliveries of varying product quantities are needed, road freight is clearly the most logical option. Furthermore, the point to point delivery offered by trucks eliminates dependency upon a railhead or other freight interchange facility. Thirdly, those arguing that a shift to rail transport would clear our congested motorways – perhaps a notion many have entertained on occasion – are most likely unaware of how little coordination occurs between Europe’s 25 or so national rail networks. Although a 2003 EU directive permitting the formation of private rail freight operators has brought about a more competitive environment, rail has yet to deliver a product matching road transport in terms of speed and flexibility of delivery.

16th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Three Jailed Over Marine Hose Industry Cartel

Three men have been imprisoned for rigging bids, fixing prices, restricting supplies and allocating customers within the global marine hose industry following prosecution by the Office of Fair Trading in Britain. This is the first case of its kind since the implementation of a law in 2002, which gave the consumer watchdog the ability to crack down on cartel activities.

The UK-based trio, Peter Whittle, David Brammar and Bryan Allison were sentenced to jail time of up to three years after pleading guilty. The men had already been successfully prosecuted in Texas, but the British stretch will serve towards the 20 to 30 months they were handed by the US court. After sentencing, the OFT named Dunlop Oil and Marine Ltd, Bridgestone Corp, Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd, Parker ITR S.r.l., Manuli Rubber Industries SPA and Trelleborg Industrie SA as the businesses involved in the cartel. An investigation into these companies’ activities, conducted by the European Commission, is ongoing.

13th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Decides Against Management Buyout

Goodyear Dunlop UK’s management has decided not to sell the HiQ tyre chain to a team of four managers led by retail director Neil Burrows. Instead the company will continue with its plans to sell franchises in 15 regional zones across the UK. HiQ’s management team will be based at Goodyear Dunlop’s TyreFort in Birmingham. Tyres & Accessories understands that, despite missing out in the bidding process, all four managers involved in the buy-out proposal will be offered roles at Goodyear Dunlop.

Mark Brickhill paid tribute to the quality and vision of the Management Buyout Team’s proposal: “The team presented a thoroughly professional bid, concept and business model. An announcement on specific future roles will be made shortly, with announcements on the individual regional franchise partnerships to follow after the due diligence process with each successful applicant.”

13th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

980 Tyres in 8 Days – Dunlop Prepared for Le Mans

A fifth of the vehicles starting at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14 are not running on rubber supplied by a certain French manufacturer – these eleven vehicles will instead have their tyres supplied by Dunlop, a company that some would be surprised to learn had driven more cars to Le Mans victory than any other make of tyre. Since 1923 Dunlop tyres have helped to deliver a total of 34 wins during the famous endurance race.

From the moment the test session began at Le Mans on June 1, Dunlop’s engineers and technicians started gathering information and making decisions on which tyres to make for the race. The recent wet weather has meant the tyre development programme was not as decisive as Dunlop had hoped, but from early on the morning of June 9 the factory began work to produce an extra 980 of the best performing tyres, in addition to the 3000 already built for Dunlop’s eleven teams. The turnaround for these tyres, including different compounds and for both wet and dry conditions, was just eight days before the trucks left Fort Dunlop in Birmingham for the journey to Le Mans. The company’s 14 tyre fitters left with the trucks and were joined by the rest of the team over the following two days.

12th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Isle of Man TT victories for Dunlop, McGuinness and Plater

Public road racing plays an integral part in the development of Dunlop’s motorcycle tyres, and the British manufacturer’s ‘Race to Road’ philosophy is one that facilitates the delivery of the best race-derived technology to consumers. The recent Isle of Man TT race, an event considered by some to be the most notorious public road racing event in the world, is for Dunlop the perfect testing ground for the company’s tyres – and recent results suggest the manufacturer has passed the test with flying colours.

Following what proved to be one of the most competitive Isle of Man TT Senior races in recent memory, John McGuinness, aboard his Dunlop-shod Padgetts Manx Gas Racing Honda, emerged victorious once again. A year after attaining the first ever 130mph lap around the famous Mountain Course, McGuinness took to the top step of the podium for the 14th time. The result means that only public road racing legend Joey Dunlop, who took 26 wins, is more successful than McGuinness at the Isle of Man TT.

11th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Makes Additional Commercial Increases

Goodyear confirmed that it is increasing the prices of some of its Steelmark and Remington commercial truck tyres by up to 10 per cent, effective July 1. Recently, Goodyear announced an increase of up to 9 per cent on its Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly commercial brands in North America. (Tire Review/Akron)

11th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli P6000 Victorious in Wheels Test

Pirelli’s P6000 has been awarded top marks in Tyre Test 2008 – a challenging series of tasks conducted by Australia’s Wheels Magazine. The P6000 was given a total score of 99.01 out of a possible 100, making it the top tyre tested in the 195/60R15 category.

Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric received similar high praise from the magazine, ranked first in the 235/45R17 category and picking up an almost equally impressive score of 98.95.

6th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

CERM Research Shows Michelin Leads Motorcycle Tyre Performance

CERM (Centre d’Essais Routiers Mécaniques) has tested Michelin’s Pilot Road 2 and new Anakee 2 motorcycle tyres against the leading competitors in the market, with strong results for the French manufacturer. The Pilot Road 2 was tested against the Dunlop Roadsmart as an update to previous tests against six major competitors’ sport touring tyres; while the Anakee 2 was compared to two direct, major-brand competitors – the Metzeler Tourance EXP and Bridgestone Battle Wing. In both cases the tests involved two criteria: wear resistance and wet-surface grip.

The initial sport touring tyre tests, conducted in 2006 and 2007 compared 120/70 R 17 and 180/55 R 17 Pilot Road 2 tyres fitted to Suzuki Bandit 1200s with six comparable tyres from other premium manufacturers. The result were good, from Michelin’s perspective, and showed that the French tyres not only lasted longer but also offered better wet handling than its competitors, defying the supposed performance payoff between the two characteristics. According to Michelin, the same performance advantage was proven again in the 2008 tests against the Dunlop Roadsmart.

4th June 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Geared Up for Success at Isle of Man TT

After a week of practice racing in the Isle of Man TT gets underway on May 31, and Yokohama is proud that its tyres will see plenty of three-wheel action in the coming days. It reports that, once again, it is by far the dominant tyre brand in the sidecar class, with no less than 41 of the 58 entrants running on Yokohama products, serviced by Yokohama HPT dealer Express Tyres.

The favourite for the two race wins has to be Dave Molyneux, the third most successful rider ever in the history of the Isle of Man TT in terms of race wins, behind John Surtees and Joey Dunlop. He holds the position as the most successful sidecar racer, with 13 wins to his credit and giving Yokohama an outstanding record of 14 consecutive years with a win on the island. Other top runners in the class have also chosen to ride on Yokohama, with last year’s early leader Nick Crowe looking to heap the pressure on Molyneux once again. Crowe also has the island lap record under his belt, an accolade he took from Molyneux at last year’s event, with a stunning lap averaging 116.667mph over the 37-mile course. On top of this, Yokohama regular John Holden is tipped to put up a strong showing, as he, Crowe and Molyneux were the main protagonists in last year’s event.

30th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

The Oldies are Getting Younger

It’s enough to make you feel old, really. Every year cars considered classic get just that bit newer, and before long we find ourselves all misty eyed about vehicles that sat fresh on the showroom floor just a handful of seasons ago. The day when we get nostalgic over the Ford Focus is perhaps not too far off. But despite their relative youthfulness, obtaining the right tyres for classic cars could pose a problem were it not for the likes of Vintage Tyre Supplies, a company dedicated to tyres that have slipped out of the mainstream.

While remaining true to its name by stocking one of the most comprehensive ranges of vintage tyres available anywhere, VTS is also moving with the times and expanding its range to include fitments for these ‘modern classics.’ As VTS managing director Chris Marchant comments, “our range moves on as each year goes by, a new set of classics emerges.” He adds that “as a tyre becomes discontinued, which occurs as evolution within the motor industry takes place, we are offered the possibility of taking it on. We have to decide whether the particular style and sizes are those that are viable for us to produce.”

One range that has in particular grown of late as a result of such activity is the Avon line-up offered by VTS. “We now supply some fitments for Rolls Royce and Bentley up to the 1990s,” says Marchant. “Today we have reached a situation where we are selling 17-inch low profile tyres such as the 255/55R17 for Rolls Royce cars.” Vehicles such as this are becoming quite collectable, he adds, and as VTS as a company majors on authenticity, the need to expand the range has been inevitable. “Our relationship with Avon originally began 15 years ago, and since then it has grown stronger and stronger. So if we have a customer that owns, say, a later model Bentley, and they want the right tyre for it, its only natural that we approach them about supplying such a product.”

In Cooper Tire’s UK operations VTS has found a company willing to go the extra mile; vintage and classic tyres are not, after all, volume products. “All products are made by Avon racing,” the VTS managing director comments. “Like those used in racing, tyres for vintage and classic vehicles are fairly low volume and the quality of finish is important. They are hands-on low volume products. This is also the case with the Dunlop tyres we sell – they are made by Dunlop’s motorsport division in Birmingham.”

Speaking of Dunlop, Chris Marchant reports that VTS is currently working towards the introduction of a new 220/65 R90 tyre. “This is a size originally fitted to the Jaguar XJ40,” he says. “This tyre was originally made by Dunlop but discontinued, and although the car remains fairly common there is no tyre available. We are trying to get this tyre re-produced.” Another prominent range offered by VTS, for both vintage and more recent classics, is that supplied by Michelin. “The Michelin range also has tyres for 70s, 80s and sometimes even 90s vehicles such as Mercedes, BMW, or the Pilot Sport (in 225/50 ZR16 and 255/50 ZR16) as fitted to the Ferrari Testarossa.”

But although some classic vehicles are relatively new, their status as cosseted treasures perhaps driven only on sunny weekends means that the tyres fitted to some are not so fresh. Tyre ageing is an issue that has been discussed for some years, and increasing attention is being directed towards the owners of classic vehicles. “We have seen owners of vintage and classic cars keeping tyres for a long time, on occasion up to 20 or 30 years,” comments Marchant. “Our advice would be to ensure tyres are regularly inspected. The BTMA recommends tyres be replaced after ten years, and we are very happy to repeat this advice to our customers.”

For VTS, however, another age-related tyre phenomenon is seen as posing a greater safety risk. Chris Marchant explains: “From our perspective an issue of greater concern is the development of internet auction sites; here it is not unknown for tyres to be sold as new but in fact be fifty years old. Unfortunately a fatality occurred last year, when a man unwittingly purchased tyres manufactured many years ago and fitted them to his vehicle. The tyres failed badly after a short period of use, resulting in his death.”

“We need to address this problem,” Marchant emphasises. “During the last month I wrote a letter and sent it to several magazine editors about this very issue – old stock described as new. A lot of the problem is that people want authenticity, and tyres we sell that are made today look the same as those made 40 or 50 years ago – in fact, they are often manufactured in the same moulds. A tyre that has sat in someone’s garage for up to half a century may sell for a good price online, but there is a reason for the low price tag.”

Like everyone involved in the tyre business, VTS has not been immune from the upward rush of raw material prices. “Recent increases in raw material prices mean that car tyre prices have been going up six or seven per cent,” comments Marchant. “But if you’ve got a car sitting in the garage worth £40,000, you’re going to do it. You’re going to get the tyres you need. I think people are resigned to these price increases to some degree.” Fortunately for VTS, the other issue plaguing a number of UK based suppliers has posed less of a headache. “The exchange rate and the lower value of the sterling has not been such an issue for us. That is one of the advantages of being an international company, Europe is a big part of our business and we can both buy and sell products directly from Euro accounts.”

And in spite of unprecedented raw material costs and other industry-wide concerns, VTS is thriving and steadily expanding. Indeed, right now the company is looking to make new additions to its team. “We are looking for new staff at the moment,” says Marchant. “I think you could describe vintage tyres as an interesting business, and it’s definitely a growing one, hence the vacancies. We are looking for two people; one in our warehouse area, a person that would be involved in fitting and balancing plus warehouse duties, along with attending the occasional show. The other vacancy is in our sales office – we seek a person with language skills in a role that would involve travel throughout Europe.” Anyone interested in a career with a company that has strong connections with the past but is also forward looking is encouraged to contact VTS for further information.

29th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Further Price Rises for Sumitomo Group Tyres Announced

SRI Tire Trading, the tyre exporting company belonging to the Sumitomo Rubber Group, is to increase the export prices of its Dunlop, Falken and Sumitomo brand passenger car, light truck, truck and bus and motorcycle tyres in Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Increases will be implemented gradually from July onwards, and will range between 5 and 15 per cent, depending on tyre type, size and market. The company, however, reports that most increases will be in the vicinity of 5 to 10 per cent.

The increases are due to, SRI adds, surging raw material prices, including those for rubber and crude oil. The company says the level of these increases since last year is now to great for it to absorb internally, and thus it must introduce this, its second price increase this year – a 3 to 7 per cent price rise was also announced in the first half of the year.

14th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Offers Touring Car Tyre Fitting Opportunity

HiQ recently gave a tyre fitter from Derby the chance to showcase his skills to drivers of the British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park. Dave Parker, a mobile tyre technician with HiQ, worked trackside changing tyres for Matt Neal, Darren Turner, and all the stars of Britain’s premier motor racing series.

The 30-year-old will join the Dunlop Motorsport team after HiQ bosses singled him out on account of his quick-change skills. The fast fitter, based at HiQ’s Abbey Street store, vowed to teach Dunlop Motorsport a thing or two about tyre changes as well.

6th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT – A Touch Different

Dunlop’s latest addition to its uhp range is the SP Sport Maxx TT, the successor to the award-winning SP Sport Maxx and which incorporates a host of new features and advanced technologies.
The first of these is the addition of DuPont Kevlar Engineered Elastomer (EE) to apex of the tyre. Kevlar is a fibre that is five times stronger than steel, yet light in weight and its addition to the tyre apex compound creates a stiffer sidewall, which becomes more resistant to torsion, tension and heat and guarantees increased stability during cornering, as well as enhanced road feedback and more precision driving.
The compound is further enhanced by the use of motor sport-derived compound and fillers with particle sizes smaller than 100 nanometers – with one nanometer being one millionth of a millimetre. This ensures better bonding between the filler and rubber matrix, thus increasing the total surface, which in turn ensures that the tyre offers better performance in both adhesion and wear. The concrete benefits are numerous: improved wet and dry grip and braking, as well as longer mileage.

2nd May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors