rally Archives - Page 38 of 47 - Tyrepress

Posts

Kumho Tyres to Sponsor MSA British Rallycross Championship

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.”

20th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Prodrive Founder buys Aston Martin

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.

13th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin to Take Legal Action Against FIA

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.

12th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Nokian Tyres Carry Rally Champ to Ice Speed Record

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.

5th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Won the Battle, but Who Will Win the War?

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.

2nd March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Proposes to Supply Tyres for F1

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.

2nd March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

MRF Signs Top Local Driver for APRC

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.”

28th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli to Exclusively Supply WRC till 2010

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.

27th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hankook Launches Gravel Rally Tyre Prize Fund

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.

20th February 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Chosen as BRC Control Tyre

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.

24th January 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

WRC – Subaru happy with BFGoodrich.

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.

23rd January 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Donelly Unveils New Kumho-Sponsored Car at Autosport Show

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.

17th January 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Scores Triumph in the Memorial Bettega

Italy’s Gigi Galli has once again driven to victory in this years’ WRC rally at the Memorial Bettega, held in conjunction with the Bologna Motor Show. The 2005 winner’s Pirelli-liveried Peugeot 307 won three of the race’s five heats. The Peugeot, riding on Pirelli’s P Zero tyres, also broke the stage record. Chris Atkinson took third place in his Pirelli fitted Subaru.

Also riding on Pirelli tyres was Toscana driver Tobia Cavallini, who also won the Trofeo WRC Italia in his Subaru Impreza WRC and another two successes came Pirelli’s way thanks to Anton Alen in the Subaru Impreza Cup and Tonino Tognana in the Historic Rally Show, driving a Lancia Rally 037.

18th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Finishes WRC 2006 with Good Results, May be Back in 2008

Comments by Pirelli Competizioni Director Paul Hembery have led to speculation that the tyre company may return to the World Rally Championship in 2008.

7th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Valentino Rossi Wins Monza Rally on Pirelli Tyres

MotoGP champion, Valentino Rossi has won the Monza Rally, taking charge in his Ford Focus WRC to win by a clear margin on Pirelli P Zero racing tyres. Mario Isola, Rally Manager for Pirelli Competizioni: “We congratulate Rossi on his excellent performance, which we are extremely proud to have been a part of.”

Valentino literally left all rivals in the distance in the final race of the Italian rally season, which brought both rally and track racers together in a single event. Against such names as Dindo Capello, Markku Alen, Piero Longhi, and Didier Auriol, Rossi took to the front right from the start and finished the race with a comfortable margin over his adversaries.

29th November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors