The UK’s youngest competing rally crew, 17-year old driver Kris Hall and co-driver Ella Flynn, 16, have attracted the attention of one of the most forward-looking organisations currently involved in rallying; Eddie Stobart. Stobart already has an impressive reputation for spotting and supporting emerging talent and its support for Kris and Ella further reinforces what many believe; that this crew has a big future in rallying.
Promoters of the Australian Safari off-road rally, Octagon Australia, have announced the appointment of Michelin & BFGoodrich Tyres as major sponsors of the event. Michelin has been chosen as the official motorcycle tyre supplier, while BFGoodrich Tires will be the official automotive tyre supplier for the event. The agreement covers both the 2007 and 2008 Australian Safari events.
As part of the sponsorship, Michelin & BFGoodrich Tires representatives will travel with the event, supplying and fitting tyres for competitors along the 5500-kilometre route, which starts in Kununurra, Western Australia on August 24 and finishes in state capital Perth on September 1, 2007.
“Michelin and BFGoodrich Tires are thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic world class rally event, particularly one that caters for both automotive and motorcycle”, said Adam Storey, Michelin Australia marketing manager.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 has been singled out as Australasia’s tyre of choice for large cars after scoring highly in independent tyre tests conducted by leading Australian motoring publication Wheels Magazine. South Pacific Tyres, Goodyear Dunlop’s Australian and New Zealand operation, also received a second accolade as the Eagle F1 GS-D3 was joined by the Dunlop Sport Maxx as the best tyre for small to medium cars.
In 2006 the tests were conducted on 17-inch tyres only but this year the magazine editors created two classes – one for 245/45R18 tyres, which were mounted on a 6 litre V8 Holden Commodore SS, and the other for 205/55R16 on a turbo diesel VW Golf. Six different brands of tyre, including those fitted as OE, were tested by professional rally and race drivers. The tests comprised slalom, cornering, braking and hot laps on wet and dry roads.
Kumho Tyres will be the title sponsor of the MSA British Rallycross Championship (BRC) for the next three years. The company’s contract will also see the introduction, for the first time, of a control tyre for the British championship’s Supercar and SuperModified categories. The British Rallycross Drivers Association (BRDA), which organises the MSA British Rallycross Championship has negotiated the deal under which Kumho tyres will become specified equipment.
BRDA chairman John Horton said “Kumho will back the MSA British Rallycross Championship for the next three years and offer considerable financial and promotional support. This partnership with Kumho will bring stability to the BRC and the resources to promote the championship to a wider audience.”
One of the UK’s oldest automotive marques has changed hands for US$848 million. Aston Martin, founded in 1913 and most recently owned by Ford, has been sold to rally driver and founder of prodrive David Richards plus several smaller stakeholders. Ford retains a minority shareholding in the carmaker.
Michelin has initiated legal proceedings against the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) with the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris. The move sees the French manufacturer, which owns the BF Goodrich brands, request that the 27 February 2007 FIA World Motor Sport Council decision granting Pirelli the exclusive supply of tyres for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 World Rally Championships (WRC) be annulled due to irregularities in the tender process.
A new world record speed for driving on ice has been achieved using a vehicle fitted with Nokian Hakkapeliitta studded winter tyres. Four-times world rally champion Juha Kankkunen reached a speed of 321 km/h on a track that had been ploughed on the ice in the Gulf of Bothnia on Finland’s west coast, next to the city of Oulu.
On 27 February the FIA announced that Pirelli had won the tender to be the official tyre supplier to the 2008, 2009 and 2010 FIA World Rally Championships. The decision came as something of a surprise for two reasons: Pirelli withdrew from WRC, citing “marketing reasons” only one season earlier; and secondly because the decision means Group Michelin no-longer supply either of the two leading four wheel motorsport series.
During an interview with Italian media Pirelli Tyre S.p.A CEO Francesco Gori disclosed that the tyremaker has approached the FIA regarding supplying tyres for Formula One racing. This admission comes only days after the FIA selected Pirelli as sole supplier for the Word Rally Championship’s 2008-2010 seasons.
Indian tyre major MRF has signed up popular Indian driver Gaurav Gill to compete in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) for a full season this year. Addressing a press conference to announce MRF drivers for the championship, K M Mammen, MRF’s chairman and managing director, said “this is the first time that an Indian will be vying for honours in the event by competing in six of the seven legs. Gaurav (Gill) is also the first Indian to register with the FIA for the APRC Series.”
The FIA has announced that Pirelli has won the tender to be the official tyre supplier to the 2008, 2009 and 2010 FIA World Rally Championships. It will now enter into a formal contract to supply tyres in all events of the Championship to all competitors with a four-wheel drive rally car (as defined in the International Sporting Code). After leaving the series last season, Pirelli representatives refused to rule out re-entry into the series, suggesting that supply was always a possibility. However, the news that the team will exclusively supply the series has been reported as a surprise by some commentators. Some have even gone as far as suggesting that the decision, which was made at an extraordinary meeting of the FIA in Paris, was a slap in the face to Michelin.
The top three GRC-registered finishers running on Hankook tyres on this weekend’s Rallye Sunseeker will be rewarded with free tyres from the championship sponsor. Hankook motorsports manager Mike Patterson said the company was kicking off its sponsorship of the Gravel Rally Championship with news that the top registered finisher running on its tyres will get six free tyres, second will receive four tyres and the third placed finisher running on Hankooks will receive two free tyres.
Pirelli has been selected as the control tyre for the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship (BRC). A three-year agreement between Pirelli Tyres and the BRC will lead to, in the view of the BRC, a more equal competition in which the driver’s talent and ability can be showcased during the six-round championship. The decision to switch to a single tyre supplier comes after a control fuel was successfully introduced at the start of the 2006 season.
Subaru World Rally Team managing director, Richard Taylor has stated that his WRC team is ‘pleased’ with how their new partnership with tyremaker BFGoodrich is progressing. Subaru were required to change to BFGoodrich this season after Pirelli decided to end their involvement with the FIA World Rally Championship.
Triple Irish Tarmac Rally Champion Eugene Donnelly and co-driver Paul Kiely chose the stand of long-time sponsor Kumho Tyres for the official unveiling of their 2007 car at last week’s Autosport International Show.
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