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Yokohama to drive EV with prototype BluEarth tyres in Hill Climb

Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that its racing team will use an electric vehicle (EV) in the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The event will be staged on 26 June in the state of Colorado, USA. The team refers to the race as the "Team Yokohama EV Challenge." The team's original EV racecar is equipped with prototype BluEarth tyres incorporating various environmental technologies, including orange oil compounding techniques. BluEarth tires deliver high levels of both fuel-efficient performance and gripping power.

2nd June 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop to debut new dual compound in Moto2 at Catalunya

In addition to the MotoGP World Championship, Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya will also see the fifth round of the 2011 Moto2 Championship, on 3-5 June during which tyre supplier Dunlop will debut its dual compound rear tyre. Dunlop will bring the dual compound W919 as the main specification rear tyre with the three series 3868 as a softer second option. For the front, it will supply the 753 medium and 717 hard compound. Dunlop believes the recent Formula One Spanish Grand Prix could represent a new challenge, with the large amount of rubber compound deposited on track from Pirelli’s PZero F1 tyres representing an additional variable.

1st June 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone previews Catalan MotoGP

Bridgestone will take its medium and hard front and asymmetric rear slick compounds to the Circuit de Catalunya for the 5 June running of the Catalan Grand Prix, MotoGP’s fifth round of the 2011 season. The tyre manufacturer anticipates one of the toughest races of the year for its rear tyres because of the very high tyre temperature generated by the predominantly right-handed layout of the circuit; it has eight right-handers, most of which are fast and flowing. It is specifically turn three and the last three corners that generate the high rear tyre temperature as they are fast and long and the tyres spend a lot of time leant over on their right side. Turn three is also uphill so riders open the throttle earlier to maximise drive on the incline.

1st June 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Japfest 2 drifts to Donington with Maxxis Championship drivers

Maxxis has announced that the British Drift Championship, for which it is a headline sponsor will be represented at Japfest 2, the second event in the Adrian Flux Auto Series for fans of high performance Japanese cars. Japfest was launched last year at Rockingham. For 2011, the event will be staged at Donington Park on Sunday, 10 July 2011. The circuit has previously hosted rounds of the BTCC, British F3, British Superbike Championship and the European Formula One Grand Prix.

1st June 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

The ‘wrong tyres’ give Vettel a pit-stop edge in Monaco

It seems pit-stop confusion may have aided Sebastian Vettel in securing victory at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver pulled into the pit on lap 16 in response to a change of rubber made by nearest rival Jenson Button. His team intended to keep the PZero Red super soft tyres on his car, however a problem with the team’s communication system led to a switch to the primary Yellow soft tyres. Thanks to this radio mix-up, Vettel was able to avoid a later pit-stop. Race commentators say the German driver’s ability to continue on the soft tyres until the red flag was hung out late in the race proved key to his Monaco victory.

30th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Tires British F3 series delivers “hands-on learning” with motorsport

Students from St Matthias Primary School in Malvern, Worcestershire were given an “alternative learning” experience through motorsport when they were visited by the Cooper Tires British F3 series. The visit was part of an initiative to introduce the youngest generation to motorsport. The project was initiated by teacher Emma Rowe, who enlisted the help of the F3 championship promoter, the SRO Motorsports Group, to help bring motorsport to life for the pupils, asking them to design a “racing buggy”. Last Friday the primary school students were treated to a visit from reigning British F3 National class champion Menasheh Idafar and the T-Sport team.

27th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Rallying through the winter with Kumho and Drift & Drive

The prevalence of motorsport and rally involvement amongst tyre manufacturers is testament to its effectiveness as a brand promotion tool. Yet most events, in Europe at least, take place in the summer months, and maintaining a profile through motorsport in the colder part of the year requires a measure of creative thinking. Kumho, through its German operation, did just that and kept its name on the lips of European petrolheads during the winter of 2010/11 through its sponsorship of the ‘Drift & Drive’ rally school in Finland.

27th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama HPT adds two motorsport dealers to UK network

The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres, Yokohama HPT, has announced the addition of two more motorsport dealers to its network, dealing in both circuit tyres and the latest addition to its rally range, the A053. The new tyre has been used to great effect already by Tristan Pye and is now available in Northern Ireland from TMG Distribution and in the Republic of Ireland, from Murray Motorsport.

25th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli takes softest tyres, debuts Red supersoft at Monaco

Pirelli heads immediately from one of the quicker tracks seen on the calendar to the slowest: Monaco. The tight and twisty confines of the principality are ideal territory for Pirelli’s PZero Red supersoft tyre, which makes its debut in Monaco. For the first time, by extension, it is also twinned with the PZero Yellow soft tyre – which becomes the prime nomination after five Grands Prix as the option.

24th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

PZero Silver increases hard tyre range at Spanish GP

Sebastian Vettel held off a spirited performance from Lewis Hamilton to win the Spanish Grand Prix by 0.6 seconds, both drivers running the new harder compound PZero Silver tyre during the closing stages. The new Silver, which had its first outing in Spain, proved to be a central talking point, once again putting tyres firmly in the conscience of the sport’s followers. Though Lewis Hamilton had been vocal throughout the weekend in his reservations about the tyre, he found enough speed to challenge Vettel all the way to the line, also recording the Grand Prix’s fastest time on the Silver.

23rd May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Toyo tyre clinic and more at Goodwood Sporting Legends’ Breakfast Club

Toyo is to attend the Sporting Legends Breakfast Club on the morning of 5 June in its capacity as the official tyre partner of the Goodwood Revival. Toyo’s range of passenger car tyres, extending from road-going car fitments to racing cars and 4x4s, will be on display in paddocks 65-68, while the company will also run the Toyo Tires Tyre Clinic. Also present at the Breakfast Club will be a TVR marque celebration;
Toyo will joining TVR in celebrating its range, as the tyre brand has original equipment ties with the manufacturer.

23rd May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli previews Spanish Grand Prix and new Silver compound debut

Pirelli has previewed the Spanish Grand Prix and the debut of the latest evolution of its harder compound tyre, suggesting that it should provide a longer-lasting alternative to the Yellow-coded softer compound that has been the teams’ favourite this F1 season. The company’s motorsport director Paul Hembery states: “Our new PZero Silver tyre is an evolution of the existing tyre that should provide an extra five laps or so of running compared to the previous version, widening the gap between the new hard tyre and the soft.

20th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Increased safety behind Bridgestone MotoGP tyre development in closed era

With most major motorsport series adopting a sole tyre supplier for some time – a notable exception being the World Rally Championship, which has frequent competition advocates Michelin and Dmack tyre brands available this year – one could be forgiven for assuming that there is little need for continuing development of the product. However, Pirelli is bringing tyres to the forefront of Formula One analysis with a brave initial development process attempting to promote greater competition followed by “evolutions” of compounds – this weekend will see the Italian brand take an altered soft compound, designed to “reduce degradation and improve tyre wear”, to Spain. Last weekend, Bridgestone – MotoGP’s sole tyre supplier – debut a brand new asymmetric rear tyre, comprising soft compound rubber in the right shoulder and extra soft compound rubber in the lesser-used left shoulder, at the French Grand Prix. Hirohide Hamashima, assistant to director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division says continued safety improvements, as well as rider demand continues to drive motorsport tyre development in spite of the lack of competition with another manufacturer.

17th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli taking evolved silver tyre to Spanish Grand Prix

Pirelli is returning to the scene of some of its pre-season F1 testing this weekend, the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo on the outskirts of Barcelona. The supplier’s PZero tyres – or at least, previous iterations of the evolving rubber – have been seen there four times already: once last year in private testing, twice this year during the official test ‘season’, and once more as part of Pirelli’s on-going private test campaign last month. This means that teams and Pirelli alike have a good deal of data on Barcelona, with its challenging mixture of corners and speeds highlighting every aspect of a car’s performance. Motorsport director at the Italian brand Paul Hembery says “the new tyre – which we have tested extensively – reduces degradation and improves tyre wear.

17th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Stoner dominates on soft Bridgestone rear MotoGP tyre

It came as no surprise to see Casey Stoner complete a superlative weekend, claiming an imperious victory at Le Mans for the Repsol Honda Team, having proved faster than anyone else all weekend. In completing his victory, he set a new record total race time, beating the former record by 25 seconds. Stoner put his victory partially down to the speed with which he could increase the temperature of his tyres, while their consistency allowed him to maintain fast lap-times throughout the race. Dani Pedrosa claimed one victory over Stoner, setting the new lap record at 1:33.617 seconds, 0.6 seconds faster than the previous benchmark, but his race was ended with a broken collarbone following a collision with Marco Simoncelli.

16th May 2011/by Tyrepress Editors