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Racing Ahead

Last July Tyres & Accessories attended the opening of the completely refurbished HiQ outlet in Nuthall road, Nottingham. The reason for our visit to the East Midlands, and what set this particular occasion apart from the numerous store openings that take place each year, is that the revamped Nottingham store was representative of things to come at HiQ. The Goodyear Dunlop group chain of retail fast fit outlets, as we reported in detail within our September 2007 article “What the HiQ “Revolution” Looks Like, was embarking of a programme of standardising its brand image and expanding its nationwide profile considerably. Six or seven months later, these plans are still in their early stages, but with some 30 outlets already refurbished, definite progress has taken place.

26th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

New Brembo Range Arrives in the UK

Power and Performance Products (Triple P) has introduced the UK to a new two-piece brake disc set from renowned Italian specialists Brembo. Triple P is the exclusive importer for Brembo High Performance products in the UK, and the new Turismo range is aimed at some of the market’s best-performing road cars. Turismo is suitable for the Audi R8, BMW M5 and M6 (E63), Lamborghini Gallardo, Mini Cooper and Cooper S, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Nissan 350Z, Porsche 996/997 – C2S/C4S, and the Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

14th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Students Invited to Become Bridgestone E-Reporters

Once again Bridgestone is offering students throughout Europe the opportunity to have their budding journalistic talents noticed. The 2008 Bridgestone e-reporter competition is open to all full-time students in Europe who are aged between 18 and 30, and submissions are being sought by those who wish to, in the tyre major’s own words, “help launch their reporting career.”

Entry into the competition is as simple as penning a 300 word article (and interview questions) on a newsworthy story, and completed pieces can be submitted online at www.bridgestone.eu/e-reporter. A panel of highly respected media personalities and international journalists will critique the respective merits of each received entry, and eight finalists will be selected. Each will attend a European Formula One Grand Prix weekend, where their skills will be honed as they report upon the Bridgestone backed GP2 Series. All eight finalists will also be invited to the first European Grand Prix of the 2008 season, in Barcelona (25 – 27 April), to launch and celebrate the Bridgestone e-reporter competition’s fifth year.

5th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Motorsport Valencia Test Summary

The Valencia race circuit in Spain played host to Bridgestone’s medium compound Potenza for ten of Formula One’s eleven teams for the second test of 2008 on January 22-24. The medium compound Potenza dry grooved racing tyre was in action for the entirety of the test, which took place in dry conditions, with blue skies overhead on the first two days, but a mainly cloudy and overcast day three. No runs were completed using any of Bridgestone’s wet range of Potenza Formula One tyres.

Teams completed valuable evaluation work with both the latest and last season’s cars run to the 2008 regulations. New cars from BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Honda, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault, Toyota and Williams and were all put through their paces along with older cars from some of these teams as well as Force India and Toro Rosso. Super Aguri were not present at this test. Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres will be in use next week at Barcelona on 1-3 February, where Bridgestone’s hard compound Potenza will be used for the first time this year.

25th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

First Test for ‘Official’ Bridgestone F1 Tyres

Bridgestone Motorsport had its first outing in the capacity of official tyre supplier to the Formula One world championships between January 14 and 16, when nine of the eleven competing teams attended the opening test of the 2008 season at the Jerez circuit in Spain. A mixture of 2007 and 2008 specification cars were tested by a variety of race and test drivers through the field over the three days, and in keeping with the 2008 regulations, teams ran without traction control and used the standard ECU.

Mixed weather conditions greeted all teams present – BMW Sauber and Honda Racing opted not to attend – and Bridgestone’s dry weather medium compound Potenza grooved racing tyre dominated the proceedings. The wet and extreme wet racing rubber were not wholly relegated to the tyre rack, however; conditions on Monday morning and Wednesday provided an opportunity for their use. Afterwards, Bridgestone Motorsport Technical Manager Tetsuro Kobayashi spoke of the lessons learned at Jerez:

18th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

F1 Slicks Not a Certainty

Despite the anticipation from some quarters for the return of slick tyres to Formula One in 2009, FIA president Max Mosley has warned that their reintroduction is by no means certain. The grooved tyres currently in use are scheduled to be scrapped after 2008, but Mosley has told Autosport magazine that if new bodywork rules, intended to reduce aerodynamic downforce by up to 50 per cent, to not sufficiently reduce cornering speeds, the return to slicks may yet again be postponed.

14th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Supports ‘Chip-Fat’ Dakar Entry

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has announced that it will support a bio-diesel powered Dakar Rally 2008 entry. But, unlike most motorsports vehicles, this car will be powered by bio-diesel fuel refined from used tempura (deep fry) oil. The project called the OSU Dakar Rally Project was launched in June last year mainly by Osaka Sangyo University to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection through motor sports. Ukyo Katayama, renowned racing driver and former Formula One driver, will pilot the vehicle. Yokohama Rubber will supply Geolander A/T-S tyres with Dakar Rally 2008 specifications. According to the company, this tyre offers improved durability and running performance improved through the use of a new material called “Orange Oil”. The car will be a Toyota Land Cruier 100.

14th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin an OE Supplier for Student Ingenuity in Dundee

As part of its practice of contributing to the communities in which it is represented, Michelin has entered into a three-year tyre sponsorship deal with a group from Dundee University who have unveiled plans to build a car inspired by Formula One technology. The Dundee University Race Innovation and Vehicle Engineering (DRIVE) team, comprised of students from the university’s engineering and mechatronics faculties, has entered into the national Formula Student competition to build a performance car. Next July the team, along with other entrants, must present their vehicle at the Silverstone race circuit and put it through a series of performance and reliability tests.

27th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

F1 Slicks to be Tested in Jerez?

Reports indicate Bridgestone will supply slicks for Formula One teams to trial at the upcoming test in Jerez, Spain. These tyres have not been used in Formula One since rule changes at the end of 1997 prohibited them, and earlier this year the FIA announced that the 2008 reintroduction of the tyres would be delayed. News printed in the Netherlands based magazine Formule 1, however, indicates that the smooth tyre’s return is still on the agenda.

The article, which quoted a spokesman from the BMW Sauber team, said that every team testing at Jerez in early December will be given several sets of slicks to experiment with, ahead of their likely reintroduction in the 2009 season. However Bridgestone has not confirmed any such activity, claiming that it is too early to discuss its plans for 2009.

23rd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Climbing the Ladder

In every sport a handful of championships typically bask in the lion’s share of media coverage and public attention, and motorsport is no exception to this phenomenon. Mention motor racing and most people will automatically think Formula One, WRC or one of the leading touring car events. Top drivers at this competitive level enjoy the status of being the Wayne Rooneys of their chosen series, and in terms of sponsorship can do very well indeed in their chosen profession.

But just as quality football also can be found in divisions below the Premier League, placing a focus solely upon the big name motorsport championships is to miss out on the opportunity to both witness a spectacle every bit as – and sometimes more – exciting than the high profile series events, and to follow the progression of racing’s most talented drivers through the various championships.

26th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Real Cars – Real Racing

By the time November’s Tyres & Accessories lands in readers’ mailboxes the final round of the FIA WTCC will most likely have been fought out in Macau and the winners of both the Drivers and Manufacturers Championships – both close run affairs at the end of round 20 in Monza – will be known to all. But for now we can only speculate whether or not a UK driver will stand victorious on the dais come November 18.

Whatever the outcome, 2007 has been a spectacular season for the championship, with the round contested on British soil no exception. The Brands Hatch circuit served as host to the WTCC on the weekend of September 22-23, and the four UK drivers competing in the two rounds presented their home crowd with very respectable results. The first race saw two local lads amongst the quickest three drivers across the line, with Alfa Romeo driver James Thompson and BMW’s Colin Turkington recording times less than a second behind race winner, Chevrolet’s Alain Menu. The afternoon’s racing ended with the UK’s Andy Priaulx, competing in a BMW320si, in first place. Third and fourth places were also grabbed by local drivers Robert Huff and Colin Turkington.

23rd October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Ferrari Blame Email for Tyre Embarrassment

Only a matter of weeks after the FIA released e-mails supposedly proving alleged inter-team espionage was taking place in Formula One, once again the humble email is at the centre of Formula One controversy. This time it was Ferrari blaming a late email for an embarrassing tyre error this year’s rained-out Japanese Grand Prix.

According to Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari had not been told they had to start on extreme wet tyres. As a result both he and Felipe Massa were obliged to enter the pits after the race had got underway. “After the race I heard there were some rules to force everyone to start on full wets but the FIA (International Automobile Federation) or race control forgot to tell our team,” Raikkonen told the post-race news conference.

A team spokesman told Reuters they received an e-mail after the start of the race that they had to use extreme wets and were then told by radio that both drivers had to pit or be disqualified.

1st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Single Tyre Proposed for MotoGP

MotoGP may go the way of Formula One and become a single tyre championship next year if the proposal adopted by Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of series organiser Dorna Sports, is adopted. Such a move would serve the purpose of cutting costs and is aimed at eliminating what many have called the current “imbalance” between Bridgestone and Michelin.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s ‘Steady Growth’ in Europe

At the recent IAA motor show in Frankfurt Bridgestone discussed details of its ongoing major investment programme for 2007, supporting its long-term plan for steady growth in Europe. Following on from expansion in production capacity at existing plants during 2006, this year will see trial production at Europe’s first fully-automated tyre plant, completion of a new European supply chain system and inauguration of the final phase of the Bridgestone European Proving Ground.

With Bridgestone’s focus on added-value products, such as run-flat and high-performance tyres, and the shift in demand towards larger rim-sized tyres in the European passenger car tyre market, heavy pressure has been placed upon current production resources. Capacity at the Poznan, Poland plant has already been boosted plant by 50 per cent to 23,000 units a day and Bridgestone Europe is currently constructing a new fully-automated plant at Tatabanya, Hungary, which will be ready by early 2009.

20th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Committed to MotoGP

Michelin’s participation in the 2008 MotoGP championship looks assured following reports of Yamaha’s decision to not change the brand of rubber used by Valentino Rossi. The move confirms what Michelin motorsport director, Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, told Tyres & Accessories during an exclusive interview at the weekend.

When asked whether Michelin was planning to walk away from MotoGP, Henry-Biabaud flatly denied reports of this nature. On the contrary, he explained, Michelin is committed to providing a top quality service to its teams in this series, and has actually gone as far as diverting resources from its former Formula One budget into making the very best two-wheel competition tyres.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors