CITExpo, the Shanghai tyre and trade and industry exhibition, has announced the dates for its 2011 show. The ninth edition of CITEXPO will be held in the same venue – Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Center – from 7-9 September 2011.
No sooner had the meeting in Malaysia finished than Bridgestone and MotoGP was preparing for the last in the series of three back-to-back weekends, and the last stage of the season in Australia at the Phillip Island circuit on 17 October. Phillip Island is the fastest circuit on the calendar with a record average speed set in qualifying in 2008 by pole-sitter and race-winner Casey Stoner of 180.598 km/h. The layout of the track is fast and flowing, with the Honda Hairpin representing the only real heavy braking point in the lap.
Bridgestone’s soft tyre took Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel to the fastest lap of the sinuous Suzuka Circuit on the first day of the Japanese Grand Prix today. The German set a 1:31.465 lap time in the afternoon session after earlier setting the fastest time with the hard tyre in the morning. Bridgestone director of Motorsport Tyre Development, Hirohide Hamashima said that both compounds for the race were looking “strong”, but that wet tyres would also come into play at some point over the weekend.
Avon Tyres has reported a very successful 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship, with every competitor in the top 10 of all three divisions using Melksham-made rubber. In an open-choice formula where the demands on the tyre are great – competitors need a product that performs on both gravel and asphalt over the course of a race – Avon was delighted to be proved the tyre to be selected throughout the field and across all classes.
Red Bull Junior driver Jean-Eric Vergne has become the first Frenchman to win the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Series, after wrapping up the title with three races still to run at Brands Hatch on 25-26 September. Vergne could break the all-time record number of British F3 wins in a season. “To be the first Frenchman to win such a prestigious championship feels incredible,” said Vergne. “It's been an amazing season so far; big big thanks to all the guys from Carlin. We didn't make any mistakes this season; they provided me with a fantastic car, which is why we have been able to win the championship so early.”
Dani Pedrosa continued to chip away at the lead built earlier in the season by Jorge Lorenzo with his second win in two weeks at the Misano Circuit in Japan, though the Grand Prix was overshadowed by the tragic death of Moto2 rider Shoya Tomizawa following an accident. Pedrosa dominated proceedings all weekend and led from the green light, setting a new lap record. Valentino Rossi kept Andrea Dovizioso at bay to finish third. Whilst rain was forecast for Sunday’s race, it failed to materialise and conditions were dry and warm all weekend, allowing all riders to used the softer compound rear tyre and the harder compound front, apart from Alvaro Bautista who used the softer front to good effect, finishing eighth with the sixth fastest lap time.
MotoGP’s Czech Grand Prix weekend got underway with Free Practice today, and riders were keen to compare the balance of the slick compounds Bridgestone has provided (hard and extra-hard at the front, hard and medium at the rear. Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo continued his strong form during the first hour-long free practice session at Brno, setting the fastest time by more than half a second, his best coming on the harder variants.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has announced a quarterly dividend of 10.5 cents per share on common stock, payable 30 September, 2010, to stockholders of record at the close of business 2 September, 2010. This will mark the 154th consecutive quarterly dividend paid by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company.
Leading British GT outfit Trackspeed Racing has confirmed it will fit Avon Tyres to their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the GT2 class of this year’s Spa 24 Hour race on 31 July – 1 August. The announcement follows the company’s tyre performance in the Spa round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship in June, when the British competitors raced alongside the Belcar series (which runs to GT3 specifications using another manufacturer’s rubber). There, Peter Kox set the outright fastest lap in an Avon-shod Lamborghini Gallardo, with all Avon runners “putting in consistently fast times,” says the manufacturer.
Two members of BITS are celebrating after being presented with specially engraved watches to celebrate over 25 years of service with the company. Paul Williams (left) was previously with Firestone and is now a sales manager covering the North East and Wales. Andy Lawson (right) joined the BITS team as an office junior and has risen to his present position as manager of the busy Burton centre. These long service presentations are regular features for the BITS team recognising a unique record of industry leading technical advice and customer service.
Veteran Pikes Peak International hill Climb winner Nobuhira Tajima has secured a fifth consecutive victory at this year’s 88th running of the Colorado mountain race. Although he did not set a new record with his latest win, achieved one day before his 60th birthday, Tajima continues to hold the current overall record for reaching the peak, beating hill climb veterans Paul Dallenbach and Rhys Millen in the Unlimited Class. Tajima drove his new car, a 910-hp Monster Sport SX4 Hill Climb Special fitted with Falken WildPeak A/T tyres, a new of all-terrain, all-season range Falken launched in April, and finished with the time of 10:11.49, a few seconds faster than his winning time last year.
MotoGP’s Dutch TT Grand Prix this weekend – the 80th meeting held at the circuit – yielded a significant success for Bridgestone, the series’ sole tyre supplier. Throughout the weekend, the tyre manufacturer states, riders were lapping competitively on each specification, and the race provided a direct comparison between the extra edge grip of the softer rear slick option and the additional traction of the harder option. The balance between the medium and the hard asymmetric rear tyre options was illustrated by the podium: Jorge Lorenzo took his fourth win of the season using the hard option, with Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner coming second and third respectively using the softer rear tyre. While the circuit was modified in the Ruskenhoek corner, shortening it by 13 metres, the new lap record set by Dani Pedrosa was two seconds faster. The track temperature was high, reaching 47 degrees Celsius, and the weather was fine throughout the weekend maximising the riders’ dry running time.
Team Yokohama, the Yokohama Rubber racing team, will once again enter an electric vehicle in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event. This year the event will take place on Sunday, June 27, and the Yokohama crew is referring to it as the “Team Yokohama EV Challenge”. The company’s entry into the hill climb, or “Challenge”, is viewed by Yokohama Rubber as part of its efforts to meet its environmental responsibilities.
Following a career with Toyo Tire U.S.A spanning 28 years, Steve Weinger has announced his retirement. Weinger joined Toyo in 1982 after more than nine years with Michelin, and was initially employed in the commercial product side of the company as Fleet Promotions sales manager. Later he became the national director of Truck Tire Sales and progressed to ultimately take on the position of senior vice president of Sales & Marketing. Toyo comments that, while serving in that capacity, he implemented programmes which resulted in record increases in overall sales.
The Isle of Man TT saw a first this weekend as Ian Hutchinson completed the first clean sweep of five out of five wins at the festival in its hundred-plus year history. The Senior TT saw Hutchinson take the lead after a gruelling few hours during a stopped race, claiming victory with Ryan Farquhar in second place, both of whom used Dunlop’s D211GP tyres.
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