(Akron/Tire Review) The new A1 Grand Prix has released a 12-race schedule that features races in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and South and North America. All cars running in the A1 Grand Prix series will race on Cooper tyres produced by Avon racing. The series kicks off at Brands Hatch on the 25 September and then will continue with races at Lausitzring in Germany on 9 October and at Estoril in Portugal on 23 October.
Goodyear has selected its second aviation tyre evaluation centre, the 43 Air School in Port Alfred, South Africa. It will be Goodyear’s first centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
The academy has 40 registered aircraft and an impeccable safety record assures the manufacturer. The new school will do as its forerunner, the Florida centre does, and will evaluate Goodyear and competitor tyres based on their durability and safe landings. The school’s test results will be recorded and used to measure Goodyear’s overall tyre performance.
Tyres & Accessories is pleased to announce that it has extended its editorial cooperation agreement to include magazines from South Africa (Southern Africa Treads), Asia (Rubber Asia) and Australia (Australian Tyre Dealer). The enhanced group, together with existing partners, Tire Review, NeueReifenZeitung and Tyres & Accessories now have a unique partnership designed to further enhance each magazine’s ability to provide its readers with high quality global information.
At the end of February Continental Tyres South announced that it had become the first manufacturer to produce run-flat technology in the country, South Africa Treads reports. The company reports that it is both “proud” and “excited” by the news, and will be embarking on comprehensive training programmes with its dealer network around the country. The SSR will grace the new generation BMW 3-series, scheduled for release in June.
The new A1 Grand Prix series is set to commence in autumn next year. As the latest edition to the motorsports calendar it is not being viewed as competition to F1 and has managed to position itself in a different sector of single seater racing. Known as the World Cup of Motorsport, A1 differs from the current F1, in that the contenders will represent their home countries and all cars will have the exact same specifications having been built by the same manufacturer. The sport will use 3.4-litre V8 engines, mounted on a Lola chassis and fitted with Cooper tyres.
Founded by Sheikh Maktoum, a member of the ruling family of Dubai, and businessmen Brian Menell and Antonio Teixeira, the FIA sanctioned series will run in motor racing’s traditional ‘off’ season. It is described by the organisers as being unique in the fact that it brings together a sustainable business model with the high speed excitement of motorsport.
Amongst the countries that have secured their place so far are the UK, South Africa, China, Portugal, Pakistan, Lebanon, Australia, Canada and Malaysia. The participants represent more than 80 per cent of the world’s population. And Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, China, South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Australia have already been selected to host the first A1 Grand Prix season, and there is still the possibility of a further two events.
There has been much emphasis put on the fact that the sport will provide a patriotic atmosphere between contenders and their supporters, with chairman of the South African team, Tokyo Sexwale, commenting: “ It will create a new patriotic edge to the sport, and add a new dimension to one of the most popular sports in the world. We are proud and pleased that there will be a South African entrant in this exciting global event. We fully subscribe to the need to spread motor racing away from its traditional European and North American roots and into the developing world. Welcome to the world of Motortainment.”
One of the essential elements of the A1 GP is that it needs to be thrilling to watch. The belief that it will be a compelling spectacle for all motorsport fans was strongly endorsed when Sky Sports bought the broadcasting rights for live coverage in the UK, of not only the races, but also the practice and qualifying sessions. Sky Sports managing director Vic Wakeling said: “We have been sold on the concept of a genuine test of driving skills and it has the added attraction of providing us with more international sport throughout the winter months.”
Bridgestone Firestone Maxiprest (BDS) said it is expecting to make a loss of between 35 million rand and 45 million rand (£3-4 million) for the year ending December 2004, Business Day, Africa Reports. The news comes as the result of difficult trading conditions, further write-downs and provisions arising from the restructuring of the group’s operations, the company says. However, it also said the restructuring of its operations should set a base for improved performance in 2005.
The group also announced that Mr T Wada, the non-executive chairman of the company, will be returning to Japan during the course of December 2004 and has resigned as chairman and director of the company. Mr Y Ito, the non-executive chairman and CEO elect of Bridgestone South Africa (Pty) Ltd, has been appointed as non-executive chairman of Bridgestone Firestone Maxiprest Limited.
Cooper will supply the A1 Grand Prix, a new FIA approved motorsport series, which will begin in September 2005. The three-year agreement requires Cooper to produce slicks and treaded rain tyres for the series championship, which the company describes as “the World Cup of motorsport.”
IBS America, Inc., one of the world’s leading suppliers of Internet-based software and services for quality and compliance management, has announced that the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s East Europe, Africa and Middle East business unit has gained full regional certification for quality, safety and environmental standards using its QSi System. The global standards organisation Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQi) issued the multi-site certification for Goodyear EEAME’s regional headquarters in Brussels and six manufacturing facilities located in Turkey, Slovenia, Poland, Morocco and South Africa. Each of these locations is fully compliant with critical business standards including ISO/TS 16949:2002, ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001, Adapazari (Turkey), South Africa, Poland and Slovenia. ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, Izmit (Turkey) and Morocco.
Maxiprest (South Africa) yesterday announced the resignation of three executive directors, including chief executive Colin Brown. This follows the resignation last month of three non-executive directors, who suggested in a letter released after their resignations that there was a conflict between the board of Maxiprest and its management. They said that executives of Bridgestone SA had conceded during a meeting that they intended “to replace the existing management of the company with Bridgestone SA employees.” There is conflict between Bridgestone SA and Maxiprest. The future of Maxiprest is now uncertain, but there is speculation that Bridgestone may buy out the remaining shareholders and delist the company.
NF Die Casting (Pty) Ltd., a South African subsidiary of Hayes Lemmerz, has changed its company name to Hayes Lemmerz South Africa (Pty) Ltd., creating a stronger brand identity connection between the Corporation and its subsidiary. Hayes Lemmerz South Africa (Pty) Ltd., formerly NF Die Casting (Pty) Ltd., is a producer of cast aluminium wheels for the automotive industry. The facility is located in Alrode, near Johannesburg.
Bridgestone is to invest 700 million Rand (86 million euro) in upgrading and expanding its Brits tyre manufacturing plant, in North West Province, over a five year period. The investment takes Bridgestone’s total investment in its South African operation to 1.5 billion Rand (185 million euro). The plant, which makes steel belt tyres for passenger, light commercial vehicles and trucks for the local market, has already seen some 210 million Rand (26 million euro) in improvements over the past two years. The improvements will increase capacity by 26 per cent and enable the production of run-flat tyres.
Tenneco Automotive has named Paul D. Novas vice president of finance and administration for the company’s European operations. Novas will also continue in his current role as corporate treasurer. The appointment to this newly created position is effective immediately. In his new role, Novas will oversee all finance, tax and shared service operations for Tenneco Automotive’s European businesses, which operate in Eastern and Western Europe and also include the company’s South Africa operations. In 2002, Tenneco Automotive Europe businesses accounted for 35 percent of the corporation’s world-wide revenues.
Hayes Lemmerz South Africa was recently named as a Volkswagen “Supplier of the Year”. This is the latest in a string of awards, which includes the Nissan SA Quality Achievement Award, Supplier of the Year nomination from Toyota SA, the Q1 Award from Ford and TUV Rheinland TS16949 quality certification. Located near Johannesburg, the company manufactures cast wheels. Hayes Lemmerz’s facility in Brazil was also recently awarded the Q1 Award from Ford.
Shell has bought the chain of 11 Kwik-Fit car service centres in Poland for an undisclosed sum. The workshops will operate under the Shell autoserv brand name – currently there are over 150 Shell autoserv centres operating in Australia, South Africa, Mexico and Singapore. The purchase of the Kwik-Fit centres marks Shell’s first steps into the Polish car servicing market; a market that the company says is worth $855 million and which is growing at an annual rate of 4.6 per cent. Graeme Robinson, MD of Shell autoserv in Poland, says that the company plans to have a network of 70 service centres operating in Poland by 2008.
Hayes Lemmerz has named Fred Bentley (38) as president of the company’s European Wheel Group, succeeding Giancarlo Dallera, who has retired. Bentley joined Hayes Lemmerz in 2001, before which he held senior positions with Honeywell Consumer Products and AlliedSignal. In his new post, he reports direct to Curtis Clawson, chairman of the board and CEO, and will have responsibility for the European Fabricated Wheel and Cast Aluminium Wheel businesses, plus wheel operations in Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and India.
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