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Victory in the 19th Masters of Formula 3 race, fought out over the weekend of June 13 and 14, went to Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas. But the race, which returned to its ‘ancestral home’ of Zandvoort in the Netherlands after two years at Zolder, was also a victory of sorts for Kumho Tyres: The manufacturer supplied each and every tyre utilised in the meeting – about one thousand in total – continuing a support of the series that dates back to 2002.
Continental Tire North America (CTNA) has appointed Oliver Winschiers, formerly director, Corporate Purchasing for its Automotive and Rubber Groups in The Americas, to the position of managing director of Continental Tire Canada. Winschiers will be based in Ontario and take on responsibility for the profitable growth and overall operation of the company’s Canadian division.
Winschiers’ career with Continental began with the Siemens VDO acquisition – he joined Siemens AG in Stuttgart, Germany in October 1997 as a regional sales manager, and progressed through a number of roles. During his time with Continental, Winschiers has also been responsible for the direct material purchasing for Continental Tire North America, including the overall operation of the Aldora Mills cord fabric plant in Barnesville, Georgia.
Myers Industries has named David Knowles as its new executive vice president and COO, effective immediately. Knowles will be responsible for all manufacturing and distribution operations, sales, marketing, research and development and supply chain functions.
John Orr, Myers president and CEO, said, “David brings an extensive operating background in the plastic materials and specialty products arena. His leadership success in business development, sales and market share growth, lean manufacturing and organizational development will be an asset as we focus on the growth strategy in our businesses. I look forward to his contributions and to the value he will help create for our shareholders, customers and employees.”
Since 2003, Knowles was president and CEO of Aristech Acrylics LLC, a manufacturer cast acrylic sheet and solid surface product. (Tire Review/Akron)
Wolfrace GB has launched two new alloy wheels – the new Bari and Milano. Bari (pronounced ba-ri) is a new multi-spoke design finished in Black with a high quality polished surface. Available with a three-year warranty and a wide range of sizes including 7.0×15, 7.5×16, 8.0×17 and 7.5×18 the Bari has recently been approved by Renault as an aftermarket alloy solution for Renault cars.
For those looking for a more OE alloy for their ride, there’s the new Milano. The simple multi-spoke design, twisted slightly for extra effect, looks great on hardcore rides built to impress with under-stated elegance. The Milano is finished in a new Titanium colour and as well as an enviable range of sizes catering for small hatchbacks to larger vehicles, sizes include 5.5×14, 6.5×15, 6.5×16 and 7.0×17. The Milano also offers the Wolfrace GB range’s unique five year warranty.
As of July 6, production at Goodyear’s consumer tyre facility in Union City, Tennessee will move from a continuous operating schedule to a five-day, three-shift operation. The manufacturer describes this cutback as “another important step” in its efforts to align production in North America with current weaker industry demand.
Goodyear has launched the new generation of its RunOnFlat tyre with an original equipment fitting on the new Mercedes E-Class, which left factories recently. Goodyear states that the latest generation tyre offers numerous benefits to car makers, consumers and the environment, including improved comfort, reduced mass and rolling resistance, improved fuel consumption and consequently reduced CO2 emission levels. The tyre-maker suggests that the tyre is comparable to regular tyres in terms of comfort. Car manufacturers do not need to modify the suspension or chassis of their cars to use them, Goodyear claims.
Mercedes-Benz recently awarded the ultra high performance summer Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric RunOnFlat tyre with its ‘Mercedes Original Extended’ (MOExtended) seal of quality, with the term Extended signifying the tyre’s safety capabilities.
India’s commercial vehicle radial market has long been a sleeping giant, and Michelin is determined to be around when it wakes up. Comments made by group managing partner Michel Rollier point to the company’s eagerness to set up its new factory there within a short timeframe.
“We hope the factory will open within three years,” Rollier told Europe 1 radio. Production at the new facility will focus upon truck and heavy engineering tyres, a sector “where the Indian market is promising and we are virtually absent.” Rollier added “we don’t want to miss the take-off of the Indian market.”
Cannock-based Sue’s Tyres Limited has been fined £540 for failing to provide the appropriate waste transfer notices. Stafford Magistrates also fined the firm £90 as costs of £491 and a victim surcharge of £15 – a total of £1,136. The total could have been significantly higher, but the company was given a 10 per cent discount for changing its plea from not guilty to guilty. According to an Express and Star report, the council has no reason to believe the company was fly-tipping but says it was acting as a waste broker without the required documentation. The maximum fine for flytipping is £50,000 and/or five years in prison. The maximum fine for giving waste to someone who then fly-tips it is £5,000.
Various online celebrity news sources are helping to build on the hype for the 2010 Pirelli Calendar, which has reportedly begun shooting in Brazil. Interest is particularly high in the tyre manufacturer’s homeland Italy, where the national edition of Vanity Fair has featured the 2010 models on its front cover, and Australia, the country in which the most high-profile model, Miranda Kerr, was born. The Cal 2010 will feature the photographic work of renowned eroticist Terry Richardson from the USA, with modelling by Kerr’s fellow Australians Abbey Lee Kershaw and Catherine McNeil.
Kerr has appeared nude in various media several times already this year, addressing the plight of koala bears and the plight of spotty teenagers in Rolling Stone magazine. Reports suggest that the 2010 Cal will feature one photograph in which the model wears only a hat, while McNeil will pour milk over her own naked body. The censored pictures are available at the end of a simple Google picture search.
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Unipart Automotive has teamed up some of the leading garage equipment manufacturers for its latest edition of Megawisebuys. Highlights include a free air conditioning introductory pack, a set of four high lift pads on the Cascos 3.2 tonne 2-post lift and a free Karcher domestic pressure washer with certain offers. In addition the company is offering wheel balancer accessory kits for balancing centreless, light commercial vehicle and 4×4 wheels correctly.
Hayes Lemmerz Werke GmbH, the German based subsidiary of the international steel and aluminium wheel manufacturer, has been awarded a certificate of achievement from DAF Trucks N.V. and Leyland Trucks in recognition of the quality of the products delivered to the two companies. The certificate, states Hayes Lemmerz, recognises that the company consistently met or exceeded quality performance requirements for the parts supplied by Hayes to DAF and Leyland in 2008.
Kei Racing has released the latest of four designs from their all-new 2009 Collection. Fresh from their factory comes a multispoke design intended for a multitude of fitments. The stunning Daito comes in two finishes. Either a highly polished machined face contrasted against flawless gloss black details or stunning Hyper-Silver. 17 and 18 sizes are available in nearly all 4 and 5 stud pattern fitments, covering nearly all Jap, Euro, Tuner and Prestige models. Prices start at just £138.83 for the 17-inch version.
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber ensured that Red Bull Racing scored its first one-two of the Formula One season at a Silverstone Grand Prix somewhat overshadowed by an ongoing spat between the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA). Rubens Barrichello, championship leader Jenson Button’s Brawn GP teammate took third spot on the podium, while 2009’s leading contender was able to grab only three points at his home race in P6. Drivers’ Championship holder Lewis Hamilton continued a miserable third season following the highs of his first two years in sixteenth.
Meanwhile the row between the eight teams threatening to create an offshoot championship and the FIA continues, following the announcement of a budget cap system to be introduced in 2010. On its website, the FIA argues in a statement dated 16 June 2009 that the sport “cannot sustain” both “technical freedom” and “the freedom to spend without limit”, calling the ability of major car companies to do the latter “insane in the current climate”.
Evo Corse has released its ‘Dakar’ wheel into the aftermarket. According to the company, the 16 x 7-inch wheel has also proven its worth on the Land Rovers of the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Each wheel is low pressure cast in a permanent steel mould from A356 Primary aluminium alloy, before being receiving a T6 heat treatment to avoid imperfections. The wheels are then CNC machined both front and rear to get the precise spoke profile and to eliminate any possible imbalance. The Dakar is specified up to a load index of 1500kg per corner, meaning that light armoured applications and full loads are both safely within Evo Corse’s stringent design criteria.
A new facility belonging to Continental AG subsidiary Continental Automotive (Thailand) has opened in Amata City. The 11,500 square metre factory, built with an investment of approximately five billion baht (£90.2 million), will produce powertrain diesel injectors, high pressure pumps and common rail assemblies. The production of interior electronics is also planned.
While around 70 per cent of total output will ultimately go to domestic vehicle manufacturers – the factory will start supplying the Thai market next year – the first exports to Europe, China and India are expected to get underway before the end of June.
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