Silverstone [United Rubber (PVT) Ltd.]
With a schedule of races expanded to 14 and key support status alongside the prestigious British F3 and British GT Championships, the Avon-sponsored Superlight Challenge is attracting not only returning competitors but also fresh faces rising from the ranks of the Roadsport Challenge.
After eighteen strongly contested races Fernando Alonso, driving his Michelin-shod Renault, secured both Formula One world championship titles for 2006. Defending F1 world champion Renault began the defence of its title with a win in the season’s opening race in Bahrain. After placing second in Malaysia Alonso found himself back on the winner’s podium in Australia. This win was followed by subsequent victories in Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Silverstone, Canada and Suzuka.
In 2007 the Caterham Superlight Challenge, will receive headline sponsorship from Avon Tyres in 2007. The championship – styled The Avon Tyres Caterham Superlight Challenge – will once again enjoy key support event status at rounds of the British Formula 3 International Series and the Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
When Pro-Align moved to its new premises near Silverstone at the beginning of this year its signalled something of a step change for the growing business. With plush new offices and technical/training areas the company has invested in quality premises with a view to long-term growth. Since then, Pro-Align’s management report that this year’s sales have grown, with a significant number of the company’s recently expanded range of tyre changers and wheel balancers being sold to tyre specialists rather than to bodyshops or general service garages. However, when Tyres & Accessories made the trip to motorsport’s historic heartland to meet with managing director, Paul Beurain, the spotlight was on the Hunter SmartWeight balancing system Pro-Align is currently marketing.
Ever wanted to save money on workshop consumables like balancing weights? Judging by the number of people who said they wanted to bend the rules when European regulations banned lead weights earlier this year – quite a few of you! The good news is that, according to Hunter and Pro-Align, the SmartWeight balancing system claims to save tyre specialists as much as £3000 a year on zinc balancing weights by employing a new balancing algorithm. The clever thing is that this calculation claims to do a better job of balancing a wheel assemblies’ static and couple forces than traditional balancers do at the moment.
It does this by measuring and correcting both forces, looking at each one individually, effectively using each to balance the other, while keeping both well within vehicle manufacturer guideline tolerances. This development represents quite a leap forward as far as balancing calculations are concerned because, prior to Hunter’s development of the SmartWeight algorithm, most balancers are workeding in the same way – exclusively measuring the static and dynamic forces and applying the same tolerance to both.forces and trying to resolve the problem this way. In short SmartWeight’s mathematical cleverness means less weights, which costs dealers less money.
As I suggested earlier, the idea of saving money on the cost of balancing weights is particularly appealing following this year’s lead weight ban. The price of the mostly zinc replacement weights has proved to be more than a little eratic in the last 12 months. Of course this isn’t the weight manufacturers’ fault but rather the fluctuating zinc trading market price. Either way, the net result is the same for anyone balancing a lot wheels – it only means more expense. Consequently any balancing kit that can reduce the amount that needs to be spent on weights must be a welcome development.
According to the case studies that T&A has seen, a retailer balancing 150 wheels a week, using an average of 55 grams of balancing weights that cost £12 per kilo could save 35 per cent (£1802) on weights by the end of the year. A larger operation balancing 200 wheels a week, using weights that cost the same could save £2402 (35 per cent). At this rate the larger shop could find its machine paying for itself by the beginning of the second year of usage (based on a zinc price increase of 20 per cent).
So far Hunter is the only manufacturer producing a commercially available system capable of balancing by first viewing static and dynamic forces individually, ahead of selecting balance weights and location to bring both forces to within tolerance both the dynamic and couple forces. But if the equipment proves to be as successful as Hunter says it is, it is unlikely to be long before the other wheel balancing equipment manufacturers are producing their own versions.
A question of balance
The Hunter GSP9200 and GSP9700 balancers Pro-Align distributes both incorporate the patented SmartWeight software, but can also operate using traditional calculations so users can compare the results. The machines are pitched at the mid-range to premium customer and are priced accordingly. However, according to Pro-Align managing director, Paul Beaurain the machines earn back their price tags surprisingly quickly. In addition to the weight (and therefore cost) savings detailed above, Beaurain claims the machines make the task of balancing a wheel up to 30 per cent quicker.
Based on a field test of over 7000 tyre/wheel assemblies, Hunter researchers found that clip-weight corrections were an average of 20 per cent quicker, while clip-tape and tape-tape corrections were completed 30 and 35 per cent faster respectively. In practice some satisfied customers found that their tyre fitters were bypassing their traditional machine in favour of the SmartWeight enable balancer.
One of the most interesting features of both the GSP9200 and GSP9700 balancers is that they feature a data screen, detailing information about the balancing spins the machine has done. What the information stored here seems to reveal is that these machines are particular effective at saving weight on 15-17 and 18-20-inch sizes. As these sizes often feature the most expensive and attractive alloy wheels, using fewer weights has real aesthetic benefits. And a good looking wheel is another plus-point worth paying for, from the end-consumer’s perspective.
Pro-Align’s premium balancing option is the GSP9700. In addition to the weight saving features described above the 9700 goes “far beyond the traditional functions of a wheel balancer” and includes a rolling “road force measurement system” designed to identify radial force vibration and pull problems. As a result the Hunter vibration control unit is apparently installed at every Bentley dealer in the UK. On hearing about this premium balancer, five PorscheBentley dealers even went as far as ordering units ahead of official approvalrequirement from the German owned manufacturer to do so.
The GSP9200 is aimed at those tyre dealerships that aren’t quite at the level of your average Bentley dealer. It features all the same SmartWeight balancing software, with a few less of the premium extras – namely the rolling road. However, the GSP9200 still includes useful features like automatic weight mode detection (this is automatically selected depending on the place the operator puts the machine’s dataset positioning arm), adhesive weight placement laser and servo stop and servo push drive control, to name a few.
Tyre changers
In addition to innovative range of wheel balancers, Pro-Align also sells tyre changers such as the Hunter TCX 550 and TCX 525 models and the GA 220 budget tyre changer. The TCX 525 is designed for high volume work and has an inside clamping capability of 13-24 inches. Outside clamping stretches from 11-22 inches. On top of these standard features, a BPS Bbead Ppress Ssystem, wheel lift and PAX kit can be added as options. The TCX 550 premium tyre changer offers tabletop clamping from 12 to 28-inch rims, interchangeable quick release tool heads, and a two-speed motor.
Kensington-based luxury carmaker, Bristol, has announced that it has produced a record braking variation of its Bristol Fighter model. Seen as something of a Bugati (Veyron) beater, the Fighter T’s twin turbocharged and intercooled 8-litre V10 engine is capable of producing 1012 bhp and a top speed of 270 mph, which has been electronically limited to 225 mph.
When Pro-Align moved to its new premises near Silverstone at the beginning of this year its signalled something of a step change for the growing business. With plush new offices and technical/training areas the company has invested in quality premises with a view to long-term growth. Since then, Pro-Align’s management report that this year’s sales have grown, with a significant number of the company’s recently expanded range of tyre changers and wheel balancers being sold to tyre specialists rather than to bodyshops or general service garages. However, when Tyres & Accessories made the trip to motorsport’s historic heartland to meet with managing director, Paul Beurain, the spotlight was on the Hunter SmartWeight balancing system Pro-Align is currently marketing.
Matt Neal and the family-run Team Dynamics team have won the BTCC series for the second year on the trot. While the result is worthy of recognition in its own right, it is also good news for the wheel manufacturing business (Rimstock Plc) he helps run in Birmingham. And now, according to reports, the racing team are already making preparations to complete an historic hat-trick of touring car titles in 2007.
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Trackday driving is a fast-growing activity for drivers who want to see exactly what their cars are capable of, but often the car will not go where it’s pointed – and nine times out of ten the tyres are the biggest influence. Jerry Freeman of Service & Sport, official tyre partner of Easytrack, Europe’s biggest trackday event organiser, says that there’s a handful of key rules that can turn a trackday nightmare into a driving dream. A former Pirelli motorsport specialist with thousands of racing support miles under his belt, Freeman says 99 per cent of the problems are invisible to the layman.
The Britcar 24 Hours is seen by some as the jewel in the UK endurance racing crown. Following the successful inaugural event in 2005, the marathon race returns to Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit from 9-10 September and has attracted a diverse range of cars, and headline sponsorship from Dunlop. With the biggest starting line-up in UK racing, up to 80 cars are expected to take to the grid for the 24 Hour race, including Porsches, Ferraris, BMWs and TVRs.
Falken Tyres attendance at Max Power Live (at the NEC.), said to be the “Fastest, loudest car show ever”, lived up to expectations according to the company. Inside the halls were filled with stands and bursting with customised cars. Outside was the Speed Arena where people could watch the cars in action.
The Falken team designed their exhibit to stand out and, according to company staff it was constantly busy as a result. The Falken girls once again drew in the crowds by giving people signed posters and having their photograph taken. In addition GT4, the Playstation computer game that features the Falken Skyline, had queues of people waiting to play.
Ferrari GB took the chequered flag for the first time this season with a perfect first and second place in the Spanish sunshine as the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli moved to Valencia (2,3,4 June).
In the second round of the 2006 season, the racing was tough in temperatures of 28°C and the Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB worked hard in qualifying to ensure that both cars in the Trofeo Pirelli dominated the front row of the grid with pole position and second place.
European component car manufacturer Robin Hood Sports Cars Ltd has announced that it is to exclusively use Marangoni Zeta Linea high performance tyres for its Lightweight, Project 2B, Superspec and new Hood RS models. The forthcoming dramatically styled Ferrenzo mid-engine project will also use Marangoni high performance tyres.
The Marangoni Zeta Linea has major motor sport provenance, notably as the control tyre in the 2004 Mazda RX-8 Cup (the Championship used Zeta Linea Slick/Semi Slick Racing tyres for 2005 and will continue with these in 2006).
This weekend (5, 6, 7 May 2006) the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli starts the European Championship at the home of British Motorsport in Silverstone. Featuring 50 of the all-new Ferrari F430 Challenge racing cars it will be an action-packed weekend as the Ferrari drivers have the first chance to see how the new car will match their driving style in a tough competitive environment with drivers from across the world.
The International FIA-GT Championship will take the green flag this weekend. The series begins at the historic Silverstone circuit after the first event scheduled in Bucharest was postponed to the autumn. Pirelli Competizioni will be at the British track, aiming for top performance and significant results.
Pirelli has extended its initial three-year collaboration agreement with Maserati for a further two years. So far the accord has helped both parties achieve success on and off the racetrack. From a motorsport perspective this means constructors and team titles in the 2005 FIA-GT championship with the Maserati MC12 on P Zero Racing tyres, the numerous victories of the Modena two-seaters entered by a number of teams in international and national championships including the Italian GT series title and the great success among both participants and spectators of the Trofeo Maserati, the fourth of which began in early April at Monza.
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