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YHI Shanghai Considering New OE Contracts; Further Motorsport Supply

YHI International produces some of the best known wheel brands (such as OZ, Enkei, Advanti, Breyton and Konig) in the business. However up till now, with the exception of some high profile motorsport supply deals such as with Formula One, virtually all of these have been destined for the European and global replacement markets. When Tyres & Accessories interviewed YHI Manufacturing (Singapore) PTE Ltd CEO, Thomas Lee at the company’s Shanghai wheel production at the end of 2009, the executive suggested that both original equipment supply and further motorsport activities could be in the offing for the manufacturer.

In the first half of 2009, the effects of the global recession meant YHI International Ltd experienced a continuation of the “slow” period that was evident during the fourth quarter of 2008. By the third quarter of the year sales were comparable with the same period in 2008. The further quarter of 2009 brought with it tentative signs of recovery, with company representatives telling T&A that early “signals of economic recovery appeared to be true.”

24th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Formula Three, British GT “Great Opportunity” for Cooper, Avon Branding

At Silverstone for the season launch for both series, Cooper Tires’ UK representative Sarah McRoberts stated that the company—sponsored Formula Three and the Avon Tyres British GT championships represent a “great opportunity” for both brands’ extension in the UK. While Cooper was praised for providing great consistency – each brand was involved in their respective championships last year – McRoberts also noted the changes required to the compounds “across all our tyres” following EU legislation requiring clean oils in all road and track products. She said the company would be “aiming again for consistency of performance”.

24th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Maxxis Commits to 3 More Years with British Motocross

Maxxis has extended its title sponsorship of the ACU British Motocross Championship for a further three years. The company believes continued commitment to the series, which this year comprises eight rounds including at a new track at Silverstone, will provide the “best national series in the world” with added security, stability and a strong financial and promotional footing.

24th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon’s Motorsport Season Opens at Easter with British GT Championship

Avon is looking forward to another season of motorsport, opening on Easter weekend as the title sponsor of the British GT Championship. The brand is the title sponsor and sole tyre supplier of the prestigious Championship for the fifth consecutive season, with cars built by manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lotus and Porsche set to line up on the grid this year.

22nd March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Notches Up 12th Consecutive Sebring Win

On March 19 Michelin became the first tyre manufacturer ever inducted into the Sebring International Raceway (Florida, USA) Hall of Fame, an accomplishment achieved through winning overall victories in the last 11 consecutive Twelve Hours of Sebring races. The following day a twelfth victory was added to Michelin’s tally. Along with its technical partner teams from Peugeot, Aston Martin, Porsche, Highcroft HPD, and Ferrari, the tyre maker secured the top six positions overall in the opening even of the 2010 American Le Mans Series. First and second places were secured by the Peugeot Sport team’s 12 cylinder, turbo diesel 908 HDI FAP cars, followed by the Lola Aston Martin in third place.

22nd March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Malatesta Pneumatici – A Belief in Retreads

Although the Malatesta name may not be as widely-known as the brands owned and promoted by the major new tyre manufacturers, the company behind this Italian produced range of retreads, Malatesta Pneumatici, boasts a long and solid history. The firm was founded in Rome shortly after the end of the Second World War, at a time when new tyres were in short supply and any means of keeping existing tyres on the road was highly valued. Company founder Alberto Malatesta built Malatesta Pneumatici into a strong player in the Italian retreading scene before handing control of the business over to eldest son Massimiliano. Today a third generation of the family is also contributing to the future of Malatesta Pneumatici.

19th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s F1 Departure – “Nothing has Changed”

Cold water has been poured upon rumours that Bridgestone is reconsidering its decision to end its Formula 1 tyre supply after the 2010 season. According to Autosport, Bridgestone's director of motorsport Hiroshi Yasukawa said "unfortunately our company has made the decision, and nothing has changed."

18th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Green X Challenge Starts Second ALMS Season

The Michelin Green X Challenge is described by the tyre maker as a ‘race within the race’ at motorsports events such as the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The idea behind the challenge is summed by Michelin as “if fast is good, then faster and cleaner is even better,” and the company notes that this approach paid off for 12 of the 20 ALMS Michelin green X Challenge winners last year, as they also won their respective class on track. The 2010 US based round of this environmental motorsport awards programme gets underway at the Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20.

18th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

New Tyre Regulations Make Racing “Difficult” at Bahrain Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa made the Bahrain Grand Prix the first in what looks likely to be a series of Ferrari one-two finishes on Sunday, while former champions Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton bemoaned the difficulties imposed by new tyre and fuel regulations. Schumacher said he “struggled with the new tyre rules,” and that, combined with the refuelling ban, “overtaking is basically impossible with the new regulations.” Hamilton stated: “It’s very difficult to follow [in Bahrain], while looking after the tyres.” Tyre supplier Bridgestone’s director of Motorsport Tyre Development, Hirohide Hamashima made the point that “tyre management, as expected, was very important in this first race with no refuelling. The cars and drivers which were more forgiving to their tyres were rewarded with more durable performance.” Hamilton conceded that the most interesting aspect of the 2010 season looks likely to be in “understanding the tyres and conserving fuel load; knowing when to attack and when not to attack.”

15th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Sandbichler new Hankook Tire Europe Motorsports Manager

A new man is heading up Hankook Tire’s motorsport activities in Europe. Manfred Sandbichler, who has almost 20-years’ tyre industry experience under his belt and joined the company’s German division in 2003, was named manager of Motorsports on March 15.

15th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Little Difference between F1 Tyre Compounds; Rosberg Scores Quickest Lap

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of Motorsport Tyre Development, was satisfied that the company’s Formula One Potenza tyres were meeting the required standard after the second practice session was dominated by quick times from Mercedes GP and McLaren drivers, most notably Nico Rosberg. The expected searing heat of Bahrain presented a significant challenge to the tyre supplier, being “the first time that teams have run in hot weather with the 2010 Bridgestone Potenza tyres,” according to Hamashima. Rosberg’s achievement was particularly startling, given that his fastest lap approached half a second faster than former champions Lewis Hamilton and teammate Michael Schumacher, who also showed impressive speed. Defending champion Jenson Button was fourth fastest.

12th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop New Exclusive Ducati 848 Challenge Tyre Supplier

Dunlop has been announced as the sole tyre supplier to the new Ducati 848 race series. The leading tyre manufacturer agreed a deal with New Era Motorcycle Club and Ducati UK to ensure all bikes racing in the new championship are shod with Dunlop rubber. The Dunlop control tyre will be the Dunlop D211 GP Racer, which features NTEC and MultiTread Compounds, will harness the 134hp and 70.8lb-ft of torque generated by the Ducati 848s. As part of the deal, Dunlop is offering the winning rider from each round a pair of Dunlop tyres for their race bike. The Ducati 848 Challenge starts at Silverstone on 24 April.

11th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Tyre Issues Surface at NASCAR Again

During the 2008 NASCAR season drivers complained about excessive wear in the tyres supplied by Goodyear. The company claimed last June to have resolved the issue, yet Associated Press reports that a number of drivers have complained about the tyres used during a race on March 7. It is alleged that the compound used in the tyres was suitable for speed but low on durability when used on the high-banked Atlanta Motor Speedway track.

8th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Rubber Outlines 2010 Motorsport Activities

Motorsport participation is a stated component of Yokohama Rubber’s strategy for the global development of its flagship ‘Advan’ tyre brand. On March 5 the company announced its Motor Sports Activity Plan for 2010, in which it outlines its continued active support of motor racing in Japan and many other countries. Below are the highlights of the activity plan:

8th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Group Aiming to Help Save Donington Race Track with Rally

A rally is to take place at Donington Race Track on Sunday 7 March, 2010 in an attempt to secure the Castle Donington facility’s future. The Facebook group behind the rally, set up by schoolteacher and racing fan Lee Coombs, has nearly 12,000 members, meaning the rally has a good chance of a high attendance – the latest estimate being 10,000 attendees, according to Derby’s Evening Telegraph. The event will be attended by the current owner Kevin Wheatcroft, who is said to be in talks with several potential investors keen to restart racing at the venue. Wheatcroft will attend the event, a source told Tyrepress.com, at which he is expected to make an announcement about Donnington’s future.

4th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors