Bridgestone is ramping up its association in motocross after agreeing to become a main sponsor of the 2018 Apico 2-Stroke Festival. The event, which debuted on the motocross calendar for the first time last year, will feature three separate rounds in at different locations across the UK.
One of the technologies Dunlop race-tested during its engagement in FIM World Motocross Grand Prix Championship (MXGP) last year was an improved tread pattern with tie-bars between shoulder blocks. When coupled with a new block arrangement, this configuration provided higher resistance against cracking when ridden on firm intermediate terrain. Dunlop also found this resistance was further helped by an all-new compound with higher shear resistance. It has now incorporated these developments into a new multi-terrain MX tyre, the Dunlop Geomax MX33.
Pirelli has renewed its partnership with Youthstream, the organiser of the FIM Motocross World Championship. Under the deal the manufacturer will continue to be the official tyre supplier to the headline international series for off-road motorcycles until the end of the 2019 season. Pirelli has supplied the tyres for 66 world titles (since 1980) in the championship, and calls its Scorpion MX32 “one of its most successful tyres.”
Dunlop motocross riders had a successful Easter weekend, running on the Geomax MX3S front and rear tyres, to seal a victory and a podium in Italy.
Bridgestone has launched the new Battlecross X10 motocross tyre for sand terrain. The tyre features a new tread design and increased block deformation, promising riders stronger traction, better self-cleaning and higher sideslip control in all types of sandy conditions. The tyre was developed and tested by top riders on the MX competition circuit.
Bridgestone has completed the roll-out of its new-generation MX line-up with the launch of the Battlecross X10 sand terrain tyre. The tyre features a new tread design that, together with increased block deformation, is said to give riders stronger traction, better self-cleaning and higher sideslip control in all types of sandy conditions. Bridgestone worked with top riders on the MX competition circuit when developing and testing the tyre, and comments that by deploying the new design in its mainstream Battlecross range, it “now makes higher performance on sandy tracks attainable for all riders, from national champions to intermediates and beginners.”
The 1986 edition of the Motocross of Nations marked the beginning of the modern era of motocross, and 30 years later the MXoN was back on the historic ‘Mottaccio del Balmone’ track in Maggiora, attended by more than 40,000 fans on the hill at the foot of the small town in Piemonte. The national teams selected three riders each to compete for the prestigious ‘Chamberlain Trophy’. On a track characterized by a medium-hard soil, Pirelli’s riders fitted the Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft that, both front and rear, and the tyre manufacturer said it demonstrated their high level of performance.
At the Grand Prix of Americas, riders on Pirelli motocross tyres have been crowned the new World Champions in MXGP and MX2 classes. Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings sealed the titles with one race to go, bringing Pirelli’s haul of titles in motocross up to 66. The Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted the seventeenth and penultimate round of the 2016 championship, though Hurricane Hermine forced organisers to condense the Grand Prix of the Americas on Saturday.
USA riders on Dunlop tyres scooped both FIM World Motocross Grand Prix victories at the Americas Grand Prix in Charlotte yesterday. Dunlop riders used the Dunlop Geomax MX3S front and rear.
Pirelli celebrated victory in both principal categories in the Spanish round of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship, continuing its streak since the start of the season. The Cerro Negro circuit in Talavera de la Reina hosted the grand prix of Spain at the halfway mark, the ninth round out of eighteen. The Spanish track is characterized by hard-packed soil and a tight layout that makes it tricky for overtaking.
Eurosport has become the host broadcaster of The Maxxis British Motocross Championship. The channel will broadcast the series into homes worldwide, giving Maxxis global exposure to motorcycle enthusiasts across the globe throughout 2016.
Bridgestone will sponsor a rising teenage motocross rider from Stroud during the 2016 season. Harry Linton has been added to the tyre giant’s stable of sponsored riders, all of whom were spotted early and went on to achieve significant successes. Aged 16, Linton is quietly spoken but is expected to make a big noise in motocross, having won the 2014 Rookie Grand Slam in MCF and winning the senior class of the BSMA Clubman’s Series last year.
Bridgestone has hosted customers and staff over three days at Mira, where the manufacturer presented its products through a series of driving experiences and displays. “Bridgestone World”, which also included Firestone brand products, comprised various wet handling and off-road driving experiences; a series of activities and displays, including Firestone’s music partnerships; Bridgestone’s sporting sponsorships in a specially created motocross area; and a Bridgestone Golf area.
The penultimate event in the FIM Motocross World Championship, the MXGP of Leon in Mexico, saw Dunlop riders Shaun Simpson (KTM) and Evgeny Bobryshev (Honda) finish in second and third places. Gautier Paulin was in line for a top finish but a crash in the second race saw him drop to sixth overall.
Dunlop riders claimed wins and podiums across the board at the FIM Motocross World Championship Czech Republic grand prix, with Italy’s Kiara Fontanesi claiming the Women’s title on her Yamaha. Dunlop’s Geomax MX32 medium terrain tyres helped the Dunlop riders with five finishing in the MXGP top-ten.
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