Solberg Wins Japan’s Inaugural Rally
Subaru’s Petter Solberg has won the inaugural Rally of Japan. By the end of the second leg, Solberg had built up lead of more than a minute over Citreon’s Sebastien Loeb.
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Loeb wins German Rally
Product NewsSebastien Loeb won the German Rally on Sunday to increase his lead in the World Rally Championship to 29 points. The Frenchman, driving for Citroen, recorded a total time of four hours one minute 57.4 seconds to beat his nearest rival, Ford driver Francois Duval, by 29.1 seconds.
Loeb’s Citroen team-mate, Carlos Sainz, was third with the second Ford of Markko Martin in fourth. After 10 rounds Loeb leads the overall standings on 76 points, with Martin on 47 and Sainz a point further back. World champion Petter Solberg’s hopes of retaining his title were hit when he crashed out on Saturday.
Solberg has slipped from second in the overall standings to fourth and now trails Loeb by 32 points.
Marcus Grönholm is back in WRC
Product NewsHigh-speed action on gravel roads was the order of the day, at this weekend’s WRC race in Finland. The double world champion Marcus Grönholm and his new Peugeot 307 CC drove in a league of their own, won, and putting Grönholm back in contention for the title.
Michelin, as one of the race series’ two tyre suppliers, occupied the further places with Ford driver Markko Märtin and Citroën star Carlo Sainz. The victory Champagne must have tasted particularly sweet, since it was the seventh season victory for Michelin. The win also represents the first World Rally Championship triumph for the new Peugeot. Current champion, Petter Solberg and his Subaru (on Pirelli tyres) fell at the first hurdle, having an accident on the first day.
WRC: Peugeot co-operates with Pirelli
Product NewsThe forthcoming season of the WRC championship will see the Peugeot team racing for titles on Pirelli tyres. A recent press release issued by the manufacturer claims that the contract provides this new co-operation for the coming three seasons. Pirelli views the contract as “proof of performance of the P Zero rally tyres“. Up until now, Michelin was delivering tyres to the Peugeot team in the WRC championship.
Solberg Wins NZ Rally On Pirelli
Product NewsPetter Solberg won the three-day New Zealand Rally in his Pirelli-shod Subaru Impreza, after taking the lead on the first day. He and teammate Mikko Hirvonen (who finishes 7th) both used the new KP tyre from the P Zero range, with KP4 tyres in the mornings, when conditions were variable, and changing to harder K2 tyres in the afternoon. Solberg’s winning margin after the 395-kilometre rally was six seconds and he now trails WRC leader Markko Martin by three points.
Bridgestone extends motorsport involvement
Product NewsBridgestone Corporation has announced plans to supply tyres to competitors in a sweeping range of motorsport events in 2004. “Bridgestone technology has helped the world’s best racing teams win in Formula One and in other motorsport series, and we are determined to help them keep winning,” declared the company’s CEO, Shigeo Watanabe.
Winning ways continued for Bridgestone in Formula One in 2003. The company’s Potenza tyres carried Michael Schumacher and Ferrari to the drivers’ and constructors’ season championships. Bridgestone tyres have now been first across the finish line in a total of 79 F1 races.
In the 2004 F1 season, Bridgestone will again supply tyres to world champions Ferrari and to three other teams. That means that eight machines will be racing on Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The 2004 season got under way on March 7 with the Australian Grand Prix. This year’s F1 calendar features 18 races, culminating in the Brazilian Grand Prix on October 24.
IndyCar control tyre
Bridgestone’s Firestone brand will again be the sole tyre brand in the IndyCar Series, formerly known as the Indy Racing League. That racing series will include the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 Mile at Japan’s Twin Link Motegi circuit on April 17. Altogether, the 2004 IndyCar Series will comprise of 16 races.
Domestic series too
Japan’s premier open-wheel racing series, Formula Nippon, will be another showcase for Bridgestone tyres in 2004. This year’s Formula Nippon series will consist of nine events, including a race at Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit.
Teams race on tyres from multiple manufacturers in the Japan GT Championship. But competitors equipped with Bridgestone tyres won seven of the eight races in the GT500 class of that series in 2003. The 2004 Japan GT Championship series will comprise of seven races. Bridgestone will also supply tyres for other Japanese auto racing series, including the Japan Gymkhana Championship, the All Japan Dirt Trial Championship, and the All Japan Rally Championship.
And on two wheels
Motorcycle racing also remains an important emphasis in Bridgestone’s motorsports program. At the pinnacle of motorcycle racing is the MotoGP series, and Bridgestone began supplying tyres to competitors in that series in 2002. The company will concentrate its support for grand prix motorcycle racing exclusively on MotoGP competition in 2004. A Bridgestone-equipped rider mounted a MotoGP victory podium for the first time in 2003. That was when Makoto Tamada achieved a third-place finish in the 12th race of the season.
After supplying tyres on just one MotoGP works team in 2003, Bridgestone will provide tyres to three works teams in the 2004 season. Those teams will be racing a total of five machines. In motorcycle racing besides grand prix events, Bridgestone will furnish tyres for the All Japan Road Race Championship, the All Japan Motocross Championship, and the AMA Supercross/National Series.
Autosport International – is this what the tyre industry needs?
Premium, Product NewsThe Annual Autosport International show is without question one of the UK’s most successful motor shows. What began as an off-season showcase for the motorsports industries has developed into a glittering exhibition that few involved in motorsport can afford to ignore; though both Michelin and Bridgestone did just that this year.
Here we found Dunlop, Goodyear, Pirelli, Yokohama, Avon, Hoosier, Kumho, and Silverstone represented by Sport and Service. Each taking a very focussed approach to motorsport tyres and the motorsport sector. There were some odd men out, Vredestein and Technic both had stands and from a promotional point of view one had to wonder what the relationship between their display and motorsport was. Having said that Vredestein went home happy, reporting that they had gone to the show to contact independent dealers and made plenty of contacts. The company also took home the award for Best Stand in The Aftermarket Show. The company was also first to confirm its intention to return next year for the 2005 event. “We hoped to meet independent dealers and they were there in large numbers. It’s been a great show,” said Bert Stellinga. A similar statement came from Ian Smith at Technic, “It’s been a very successful return to exhibitions for Technic. We have seen independent tyre dealers, previous customers who have recognised the brand name and come on to the stand to re-establish contact, plus we are going away with some very promising leads.”
Technic took the opportunity of the show to display some clever blue retread tyres on a Smart car. The ‘blue tyre concept’ featured tyre casings with a blue pigment silica rally-type compound, rather than the traditional carbon black. “It was a move that has raised a great deal of interest and we are now considering adding coloured tyres to our range” said operations director Ian Smith.
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Control Tyres for WRC in 2005?
Product NewsAt an extraordinary meeting of the FIA’s World Rally Championship Commission FIA President, Max Mosley, announced plans for developing the WRC. Part of plan for 2005 is to require control tyres, in order to reduce the current high expense of tyre testing. An idea that may hold some merit but one that perhaps will reduce tyre company involvement in sponsorship. In 2006 it is expected that tyre regulation limits will be expanded so that competitors are allowed only one set of tyres per day, another cost saving measure. Also being considered are the use of common components among cars, so that one single nominated supplier develops the same components used by each team.
Homologation for the Pirelli P 7 on the Volvo V50
Product NewsThe Volvo V50 making its world debut at the Bologna Motor Show is the most recent testimonial to the fourth generation of the high performance Pirelli P7 range. This latest version of the tyre is designed to provide luxury saloons and station wagons with a perfect blend of performance and driving comfort.
Maxsport Competition Tyres: Retreading the motorsport way
Product NewsIn today’s economic climate there are few people investing in car tyre retreading. The received wisdom is that in the UK car tyre retreading is dead or dying, and that across Europe it is seriously ill.
However, Peter Burgess, tyre trade enthusiast and entrepreneur has done just that. He has invested in a car tyre retreading plant, which for many people in the know is tantamount to confirming a kind of madness not seen since George III. However, Peter Burgess reveals that there is indeed method in his madness.
Maxsport competition tyres have been around for 15 years or so. The brand was originally owned by rally enthusiast Redmond Barry. Unhappy with paying high prices for motorsport tyres, Barry bought a few moulds and contracted an existing retreader to produce the tyres for him. Initially he had tyres made for himself and a few friends but the demand grew and the Maxsport brand developed a role in the motorsport sector. By 1993 the brand was sold to Monarch and Barry took on a role as sales consultant for Maxsport. When Monarch went into receivership Redmond Barry and Bill Madison bought the Maxsport side of the business. The next couple of years were a bit of a rollercoaster as manufacturers came and went.
In the meantime Peter Burgess had been selling Maxsport motorsport tyres through his Treble B outlets and directly to the grasstrack market. This experience with the brand and a knowledge of the market led Peter Burgess into a business relationship with Redmond Barry which resulted this year in the opening of a brand new factory dedicated to manufacturing Maxsport Competition Tyres.
Solberg is World Rally Champion
Product NewsNorway’s Petter Solberg was crowned World Rally Champion after winning the Wales Rally in his Pirelli-shod Subaru Impreza. He finished ahead of Sebastien Loeb, who was under orders from Citroen to make sure that he finished safely, in order that Michelin-shod Citroen could capture the Manufacturer’s title in their first full year. In the end, Loeb came second, over 42 seconds behind Solberg, to take second place in the WRC. Carlos Sainz (Citroen) took third place in the overall drivers’ championship.
Rally Win Number 200 For Michelin
Product NewsWhen Estonian driver Markko Märtin took top spot on the podium at the 1,000 Lakes Rally in Finland, he recorded Michelin’s 200th win in the World Rally Championship. This proud heritage goes back to the first-ever round of the WRC in 1973 when Jean-Claude Andruet piloted his Michelin-shod Alpine-Renault A110 to victory in Monte Carlo. The list of rally winners since includes 16 different manufacturers and 45 drivers, from 11 different countries.
Ford Rallying Switches To Michelin
Product NewsMichelin has signed up with Ford to supply tyres for the car manufacturer’s World Rally Championship from 2003. The three-year deal was signed after Ford reached agreement with Pirelli to terminate the existing tyre contract one year early. Ford used Michelin tyres for two seasons following the debut of the Focus WRC in 1999. Said Malcolm Wilson, Team Director of Ford Rallye Sport: “We have enjoyed two successful years with Pirelli and thank them for their support.” He went on: “The World Rally Championship is Ford’s premier global motorsport activity and as such we have exciting plans for the future. We felt it was in the best interests of all parties to utilise this option now and enable us to renew our development links with Michelin.”
Successful Year For Pirelli Rallying
Product NewsIt has been a good year for Pirelli-shod cars involved in rallying. In the recent Rally Great Britain, Petter Solberg notched up his first World Rally Championship win, with Pirelli taking the first six places. Solberg claimed 2nd place in the 2002 Driver’s Championship, ahead of Ford/Pirelli drivers Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae. In the USA, Pirelli-sponsored drivers scored a 1-2-3 in the SCCA ProRally series driver’s championship and a 1-2 in Group N. Success too in the Pirelli British Rally Championship, with a Pirelli 1-2 in Group N and first and third in the overall driver’s championship. Other successes: 2-3 in the Super Driver’s Championship and first places in the Toshiba Irish Tarmac Championship and the New Pig Scottish Championship. In Australia, Pirelli-shod cars were 1-2 in the Kumho ANCRO (Asia-Pacific) Championship.
“Dakar” Success for BF Goodrich And Mitsubishi
Product NewsWhilst the fight for victory between the car drivers was exciting right into the final stage of the Paris Dakar rally (the winner was Hiroshi Masuoka, second place went to Jutta Kleinschmidt). The tyre supplier to Mitsubishi was not to be beaten – the first eight vehicles were fitted with BF Goodrich tyres.
