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German Readers Vote Bridgestone Best Brand of 2007

A survey in German motor sport publication Motorsport aktuell has named Bridgestone brand of the year for car and motorcycle tyres. Motorsport aktuell belongs to the Motorpresse Stuttgart group and reaches over 60,000 car and motor sports enthusiasts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Readers were asked this autumn to compare and choose the “most convincing tyre” amongst 14 different car tyre brands and 6 motorcycle tyre brands. In the car tyre category, Bridgestone came out on top with 60.8 per cent; while 58.1 per cent of motorcycle tyre voters made Bridgestone their first choice.

3rd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Nexen Sponsors Prodrift Team

As the 2007 drifting season comes to a close, Korean tyre manufacturer, Nexen Tire Corporation, have confirmed that they will enter the 2008 drifting market as a partner to Europe’s leading drift series, Prodrift. Recently, at a sponsorship signing ceremony held at Mondello Park Circuit outside Dublin, General Manager for Nexen Tyre London Bong-Wan Lee and General Manager of Nexen Tyre Europe John Bosco Kim met with members of Prodrift management and the drivers of the 2008 Team Nexen to confirm the details of this exciting 2008 drift programme. “We are pleased to sponsor Team Nexen for the Prodrift 2008 series. As becoming a global motor sport brand, we have no doubt that Prodrift would perform an excellent and exciting drift series in 2008”, said John Bosco Kim, General Manager of Nexen Tyre Europe.

21st December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli to Sponsor ANCRO and MSA Gravel Rally

Pirelli Tyres will be title sponsor of ANCRO and the next MSA Gravel Rally Championship. As a result of the agreement, the series will be renamed the Pirelli MSA National Gravel Rally Championship. “In 2008 we will introduce a control tyre to all cars running within the Group N category. In line with the developments we have been working on in 2007 we hope to introduce our eco-tyre to all categories in 2009,” commented Martin Pallot Motorsport & Events Manager, Pirelli Tyres Ltd.

17th December 2007/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

Infrared Sensors Measure Tyre Temperature in Realtime

A team of researchers at the School of Science and Engineering at University Campus Hamilton (formerly Bell College Glasgow) is using infrared sensors to monitor the temperature of tyres on racing cars in real time around the racing track, enabling set up changes to be made on the car that lead to improved performance on the track. The research project involves the use of 12 ‘CS Series’ infrared temperature sensors from Micro-Epsilon, three on each wheel of the racing car – on the inside edge, outside edge and centre line.

Each sensor is positioned directly above the surface of the tyre, relaying temperature data back to a data logging system for further analyses. One of the attractions of the sensor is its ability to be positioned a significant distance from the tyre, due to its high resolution 10:1 optics.
In this case, the sensors are positioned 150mm from the tyre but still measure over a small (15mm) diameter surface area.

11th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo Renews Commitment to Time Attack & EDC

Toyo Tire (UK) has announced it has signed a three-year sponsorship deal for continued support and sponsorship of the Time Attack Series and the European Drift Championship (EDC). According to Toyo, this latest sponsorship deal signals a new level of maturity for the Toyo and Time Attack and EDC partnership and commits both parties to further develop what the tyremaker believes is already the UK’s premium high speed motoring event for aftermarket tuned cars. Additionally, and within the details of the sponsorship deal, Toyo will be the official control tyre of choice for all the Time Attack series competitors.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Rally Ireland First WRC Victory for Kumho

November 15 to 18’s Rally Ireland gave Kumho its first ever win in a World Rally Championship event when Niall McShea drove his Kumho-shod Subaru Impreza WRX STi to outright victory in the rally’s Production Car Class. The 31-year-old driver, who originally hails from County Fermanagh, capped off what Kumho has called a ‘landmark year of motorsport’ – the manufacturer also relished another significant victory in 2007, winning the LMP2 class at Le Mans after only three visits to the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The choice of tyres during this year’s WRC was possibly never more critical than at Rally Ireland, a round that drivers such as reigning World Champion Sebastian Loeb admitted was perhaps the most difficult they had ever competed in. The notoriously slippery roads were constantly covered in mud and it rained throughout the event. The resulting treacherous conditions put paid to many hopes, including those of Works Ford driver and former World Champion Marcus Gronholm.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop Website Takes Silver PR Pride Award

Goodyear Dunlop had great success during November’s Midlands PR Pride awards. The Dunlop driversknow.co.uk website picked up a Silver Award for Best Website, an achievement for the brand that Dunlop says emphasises its drive to be “first with premium brands.” The Dunlop brand experience site driversknow.co.uk was revamped and relaunched in April 2007, with the focus of the new site being to connect with the ‘passionate driver’ who is at the heart of the Dunlop Brand target segment. In designing the new site Dunlop set out to continue in its quest to build a community of passionate brand advocates for Dunlop within this very competitive segment.

The DriversKnow site showcases Dunlop’s involvement at the heart of British Motorsport, including the company’s 2007 highlights in this arena – the Race Academy competition, said to be the best ever, with over 9,000 entrants; the launch of Fantasy BTCC; Dunlop’s successful season with the Dunlop Great and British Festivals and the ongoing success in the British Superbike series.

26th 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

Eibach Extends Partnership with BTCC champions VX Racing

Suspension specialist Eibach UK has extended its technical partnership with Vauxhall’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship works team VX Racing following its successful 2007 season. Eibach supplied the team with performance springs and is proud of the contribution the springs’ immediate response, reduced body roll, increased stability and enhanced cornering ability made towards clinching the Drivers and Manufacturers Championships.

The extended deal was brokered by Triple Eight Race Engineering (888), the Greatworth-based organisation responsible for Vauxhall’s motorsport operations, which was highly pleased with Eibach’s contribution to the race-winning Vauxhall Vectra. “Eibach is the perfect partner for VX Racing,” said 888’s Commercial and Marketing Director Franck Marie. “Without doubt, Eibach has been an integral part of our success in 2007.

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Supplier for Australian GT Championship

Management of the exotic sports car series the Australian GT Championship made public on November 14 news that it has selected Michelin as official tyre supplier for this race and the Porsche Drivers Challenge for the next five seasons. “The Australian GT Championship is delighted to have reached agreement to extend its already long term relationship with Michelin to the end of the 2012 season with this new five year deal,” Australian GT Sportscar Group director Rachael Wagg said.

“The plan is for a partnership with Michelin not only as a tyre supplier but also to develop marketing and promotional opportunities for both parties,” she added. “The Australian GT Championship together with the Porsche Drivers Challenge has shown outstanding growth over the past two seasons and our highly competitive, prestigious category fits perfectly with a legendary company like Michelin.”

20th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Lamborghini Selects Beru f1Systems for TPMS

Automotive engineering specialists BERU f1systems has announced that it is supplying its award-winning digital tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) DigiTyre to Lamborghini for the Gallardo and Murciélago platforms. The safety feature, developed using Beru f1systems’ motorsport experience, is based on the technology of BERU’s Tire Safety System (TSS), which is fitted on vehicles by Audi, BMW and Porsche. DigiTyre is standard fit on US Gallardo and Murciélago models to comply with the TREAD act. (The TREAD act makes it mandatory for passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the USA to be fitted with a pressure monitoring system).

Specialist and niche vehicle manufacturers rightly demand robust and integrated solutions,” says BERU f1systems’ managing director John Bailey. “The higher speeds, higher cornering forces and demands experienced by performance cars rule out many solutions currently available. Our system is robust, light yet still retains all the integration features such as end of line testing and dealer diagnostics that OEMs require.”

20th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s Yamada Happy to Work with Rossi

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Hiroshi Yamada appears to have put his past criticisms of Valentino Rossi’s bid to switch tyre supplier for the 2008 MotoGP season behind him, and is reported to have said he is looking forward to working with the Italian rider next year. Comments to this effect, made by the manager of Motorcycle Sport regarding Valentino’s switch from Michelin to Bridgestone Rubber, have been published by Motorcycle News.

“Always we like to have a good rider and obviously Valentino is one of the greatest riders in history and still I believe he has top potential,” Yamada told Motorcycle News. He added, however, that working with the current number three ranked rider would also require a few adjustments. “We are happy to have such a great rider, but this is also a new challenge because we have no experience with Yamaha. We have never worked together. This is a big challenge but we will try hard.”

9th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

More Praise for Goodyear’s Eagle F1

Goodyear’s UHP Eagle F1 Asymmetric has bagged another award, this time at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The widely read US publication Popular Mechanics selected the new for 2007 Goodyear rubber from the 4,000 plus displays and countless new products at the SEMA exhibition and awarded the tyre its Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award for New Products.

“It is an honour to receive this award on behalf of Goodyear and the engineers who invented this tyre for the demanding enthusiasts in this segment,” said Bob Toth, marketing manager for Goodyear Auto Tires. “Goodyear’s Eagle brand of tyres have long been known for ultimate performance, and this recognition again helps to provide further credibility.”

2nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFGoodrich Proves its Rallying Mettle in 2007

US tyremaker BFGoodrich claims a long motorsport heritage, entering the motor racing history books in 1915 when it became the first tyre manufacturer to enjoy victory two years in a row at the ‘Brickyard’, home of the Indy 500 race. More recent accomplishments in a variety of championships have cemented the brand’s sporting credentials, and today BFGoodrich retains a reputation as being a tyre of choice for those seeking both a sports-oriented image and performance.

During 2007 the Michelin owned tyremaker was active at the highest levels in four key areas of motorsport: The World Rally Championship, the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Intercontinental Rally Championship and Rally Raid events, including the famous Dakar Rally.

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors