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Alan Davis has been nominated as general secretary of the International Tyre, Rubber & Plastics Federation (ITRPF). The decision was taken during a board meeting held at the Sheraton Conference Center at Frankfurt Airport on 6 July. It was also agreed that Jacob Peled will continue to serve as the Federation President.
Bridgestone has confirmed that Jenson Button will be appearing on the second day of the launch event of its UK Driving Nation roadshow. The Driving Nation roadshow starts on Wednesday 29 July in Birmingham’s Centenary Square and runs for two days from 10:00 to 16:00. By bringing together the nation’s collective opinions on driving, Bridgestone is aiming put the pleasure back into motoring by reminding us how great it can really be.
After continuing his pursuit of the World Championship at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Brawn GP’s Jenson Button will be flying in on Thursday 30 July to sign autographs and greet fans from 12:00 onwards.
What have been described as ‘incredibly challenging’ conditions at Donington Park did not prevent Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso from winning his first race on Bridgestone tyres. Although the race was declared wet before the start only the Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden chose to start on Bridgestone’s wet tyres; Dovizioso opted for Bridgestone’s soft front and rear slicks and chased Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi closely in the opening laps. After the latter fell, Dovizioso made the best use of his soft compound rubber on the slippery tarmac to extend what by lap 23 was a 13.5second lead.
In the US Michelin is to supply Harley-Davidson with the new Michelin Scorcher 31 tyre, Michelin’s first original equipment fitment for Harley-Davidson. Available exclusively as original equipment on four 2010 Harley-Davidson Dyna models, the all-new tyre was unveiled today at the Harley-Davidson summer dealer meeting in Denver. The new tyre carries both companies’ trademarks on its sidewalls and the signature Harley-Davidson logo carved into the shoulder.
“Michelin has specifically engineered this innovative and durable tyre to meet the high expectations of Harley-Davidson owners,” said Gary Midkiff, vice president of Michelin North America’s two wheel division. “Michelin is excited to build upon our successful relationship with Harley-Davidson as we launch this historic first original equipment fitment.”
The supply of electricity to Dunlop India’s factory in Sahaganj is still disconnected, and company chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia has threatened to close the plant if the power is not restored during the first half of August. The chairman indicates that Dunlop India is ready to resolve the matter with the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company out of court.
The factory’s electricity supply was severed earlier in the year due to the non-payment of dues amounting to Rs 130 million (£1.66 million), and the company claims responsibility for this lies with the previous owner. “The electricity dues got accumulated much before we took over the company. We do not know why the electricity connection was not disconnected when the dues remained unpaid for five years before we took-over. We heard lot of people ran business taking illegal connection from Sahaganj unit,” Ruia stated.
According to a recent Deutsche Bank investors note, Pirelli EBIT is estimated to reach 7.9 per cent in second quarter/first half results. In addition, the analysts commented: “Revenues should benefit from a lower volume decrease, -13 per cent vs. -16 per cent in the first quarter and the price mix is still very positive (+5.3 per cent versus +6.9 per cent), benefiting both from a better mix and the disciplined behaviour of manufacturers so far.
Italian Wheel Designers Finichi has announced the availability of one of its best-selling designs, the Firenze, in a 20-inch fitment. Upon releasing news of the latest fitment, Finichi commented that the Firenze has already established itself as one this season’s ‘must-haves’, thanks to its ‘aggressive split spoke design and deep stainless steel lip’. The manufacturer adds that the wheel’s pseudo split-rim bolts add the final finishing flourish.
Applications include most core Japanese fitments, including 300ZX, 350Z, Evo, Supra and Skyline on the 5 x 114.3 PCD, plus most BMW fitments on 5 x 120. Width wise, both 10.5 and 9-inch can be ordered for the all-important ‘staggered’ look. Prices start at £238.40 + VAT for the 9-inch width.
The adoption of automated sort-and-palletise systems and all three of Cooper Tire’s US factories is saving an estimated US$10 million a year, the company reports. Installation of the first of such systems, which use towering gantry cranes and conveyors to sort and stack tyres by bar code, began in Findlay in May 2007 and the final system in Texarkana was signed off in February 2009.
The Findlay automation system has reduced the number of manual tyre lifting touches from five to zero, and pallets of tyres previously handled three times by a forklift are now handled just once. “It’s an ergonomic improvement by having the tyres handled automatically versus people lifting them by hand,” points out Findlay plant engineer Scott Forry. The installation of the system is, comments Forry, “the largest single automation change that the Findlay plant has undertaken.”
On July 24 the US based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced new braking standards that will require the “vast majority” of heavy truck tractor units to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in stopping distances compared with current levels. The new regulation, which will be phased in over a four year period beginning with 2012 models, sets out that these vehicles should be capable of stopping from sixty miles per hour in not more than 250 feet when loaded to their gross vehicle weight rating. Previous standards required a complete stop within 355 feet. When lightly loaded, the stopping distance from sixty miles per hour should be within 235 feet.
The UK and Ireland are reportedly Europe’s worst offenders when it comes to driving with dangerous tyres. That’s the verdict of tyre manufacturer Michelin, which is embarking on its sixth year of running Fill Up With Air, a European tyre safety campaign. Based on checks of 50,000 cars across 27 countries, only Latvia, Greece, Lithuania and Estonia have a worse record with Austria and Germany being consistently the most safety conscious. Out of 5,000 UK cars surveyed by Michelin in 2007/08, more than 43 per cent were found to have “dangerously” under-inflated tyres, risking an accident. (For the purposes of this campaign dangerous means between 8 and 14 psi off recommend pressures).
Motoring journalist Vicki Butler-Henderson, who is promoting the campaign, said: “Tyres are the only contact a vehicle has with the road and it always amazes me how little care we take as a nation in terms of looking after them. We have to remember that cars are potential lethal weapons and it is our duty to ensure that we make them as safe as possible and minimise the risk of potentially lethal accidents.”
Russians wishing to spend their hard earned roubles abroad can now draw upon expert help when visiting Paris, thanks to the launch of Michelin’s first Russian-language guide. The Cyrillic version of the Michelin Paris Green Guide is one of a number of guides, maps and atlases now on sale in bookshops across Russia. Apart from the Paris Green Guide, the range on offer is at present solely available in English – however Michelin states it will release four further Russian-language Green Guides before the end of the year.
When Ford decided they needed a tyre to back up its Fusion S model’s claims of best-in-class fuel efficiency from its six-speed transmission and 2.5-litre engine, it decided the best way to go for that positive reinforcement was Goodyear’s new Assurance Fuel Max, as original equipment for the 2010 iteration. The tyre, which claims fuel-efficient properties through a compound designed to yield less rolling resistance, will be sized P205/60R16. The 2010 Fusion S is in production and has begun arriving at US dealerships.
The Assurance Fuel Max features, alongside its energy-saving compound, wet and dry tread zones to enhance all-season traction. The wet tread zone features dual “aquachannel” grooves to help evacuate water when driving on wet roads. The dry tread zone helps enhance handling and grip in the dry. The tyre is also available on the replacement market.
On July 24 Kumho announced that its three South Korean factories will remained closed until July 26 due to strike action. Unionised employees went on strike earlier that day after talks with management on pay increases and further incentives ended in failure. In a regulatory filing Kumho said that its Gwangju, Gooksung and Pyungtaek plants will resume production on Monday July 27.
Dunlop are to support the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) organized Great and British Festival package for a further three seasons, and three leading UK Championships have committed to be a core part of the programme for the next three seasons till 2012.
The Radical Championships, Mini Challenge and the BARC Dunlop Sport Maxx Production Cup have proved to be popular with competitors and spectators alike, and will form the core content on the package for a further three seasons. The package was launched in 2006 with the mission of ‘putting national racing back on the map’ and has carved its place in the UK motorsport hierarchy, complementing the TOCA British Touring Car Championship package that is also supported by Dunlop and organized by BARC.
Pirelli is to continue as the Official Control Tyre Supplier to the MSA British Rally Championship for a further three years. Dominic Sandivasci, managing director of Pirelli Tyres Ltd said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to continue our long term relationship with the British Rally Championship. This is good news for Teams and Competitors alike, as it provides stability and a foundation which will allow the Championship to continue to flourish. Pirelli is committed to developing young talent with a view to driving the sport forward and our new agreement allows us to continue to do this within the BRC.”
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