A pair of Isle of Wight adventurers have crossed a third of the world – from the UK to Mongolia – on a single set of Avon Tyres. Ross Smallcombe and Seb Cnossen, whom together are Team Mighty Wight, travelled 8,230 miles on the Mongolian Rally on Avon’s ultra-durable CR322 rubber, taking in some of the world’s toughest terrains, including potholed, unmade roads, waterways and off-road areas.
German vehicle spare parts manufacturer Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG has reorganised its Meyle brand sales activities in the British aftermarket. In September the company launched its new UK subsidiary, Meyle UK Ltd. The local operation, headed by managing director David Ward, is responsible for the marketing of Meyle brand suspension and steering components, rubber-to-metal parts and brake system components. Meyle UK will, says the parent company, be able to “significantly improve supply capability of its complete range of 12,500 items to customers across UK,” including the 500 or so heavy duty parts that have been reengineered beyond their OE counterparts.
The managing director of Northampton-based turbocharger specialist Turbo Technics has taken the overall championship title in this year's BARC SBD Speed Championship, as well as the class honours in the Richard Egger Insurance Hillclimb and Sprint Association 2009 Speed Championship. Geoff Kershaw formed Turbo Technics in 1981, and claimed the titles at the wheel of his famous twin turbocharged Ford Sierra in his first year back in competition after a three-year break. Kershaw began sprinting and hillclimbing in 1967 and has been a regular competitor ever since. He cites as his inspiration a fellow driver who continued to race well into his 80s. Kershaw, who is 65, has no intention of giving up in the foreseeable future.
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The handling qualities of the latest Nissan 370Z have received a tweak from suspension specialist Eibach. The company’s new Pro-Kit spring upgrade lowers the car by up to 40mm, giving it what Eibach calls a more “aggressive” stance and allowing the factory alloys to better fill the wheel arches. However the kit is not all show and no go, notes Eibach; the 370Z’s new, lower centre of gravity endows it with sharper steering responses and far less body roll.
Cobra has released a full complement of suspension upgrade products for the new Mini Cooper and Cooper S intended to, as the company explains, remove the compromises of the standard suspension set-up and boost steering precision and driver feedback. The lowered springs, says Cobra, work in harmony with the factory damper units to lower the car by approximately 35mm at the front and 30mm at the rear. This improved centre of gravity reduces body roll and improves turn-in. Thanks to the spring’s unique properties, compliance is retained almost at factory levels. Appearances however are not, and Cobra notes the Mini takes on a far more aggressive stance and its wheels really fill the arches. The kit comes with a five-year warranty on fit and finish and prices start at £140 including VAT.
Workers at Pirelli’s plant in Carlisle have been given increased hours, according to local newspaper, News & Star, continuing that the Italian manufacturer has lifted its suspension of the ‘guaranteed week’ thanks to a “stabilisation” of orders in the European market. The company also sounded a note of caution, saying that the situation could fluctuate in the coming months with the market.
Following recent revelations about last year’s inaugural Singapore night race, the spectacle of Formula One’s visit to the country has been somewhat tarnished retrospectively. This weekend will see the sport return to the site of Nelsen Piquet Jr.’s act of, allegedly forced, hara-kiri with undoubtedly a similar sense of occasion. Hopefully this year, the drivers will live up to the show put on by the organisers, whose number includes Bridgestone, the Championship’s official tyre supplier, which will bring its soft and super soft Potenza tyres.
The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres and TSW and MAK alloy wheels, Yokohama HPT has announced that it has been selected as the sole British distributor for Advanti replacement alloy wheels. While the name Advanti may be a new one to the UK replacement wheel market, the company is already well known in one of the harshest motorsport environments, Formula One, where the Torro Rosso team uses the company's products on its F1 cars. Yokohama HPT says that this F1 technology and know-how is available for the UK wheel replacement market as it will be stocking a range of Advanti alloys.
Through its recent acquisitions of Beissbarth and SICAM, Bosch has enhanced its product range and now reports it can offer workshops a complete range of tyre service and wheel alignment equipment. Its latest release is a new garage equipment line-up that it says focuses upon "around the wheel" products.
During its recent company summit, US based suspension manufacturer Air Ride Technologies announced a change of name to RideTech. "In the past 15 years Air Ride Technologies has matured into a full line suspension company," commented company founders Bret and Sharon Voelkel. "The RideTech name more fully reflects our current and upcoming product line. Our core product will continue to be the Air Ride Technologies air suspension, but we are applying our experience and resources to an expanding product line and customer base."
Paul ‘Scooter’ Brothers of Comp Performance Group will serve as chairman-elect of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) beginning 1 August. Members voted Brothers to fill the position that was held for the past two years by Rick Rollins of Rollins Performance Marketing/Consulting. Rollins takes over as SEMA chairman on 1 August.
“Rick and Scooter are both industry veterans who have proven track records for knowing and understanding what’s important and relevant to the industry,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “We are fortunate to have such dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers leading the association during these challenging times.”
Dan Gresham of Coutant Capital will serve as the new secretary/treasurer for the board, while Russ Deane of Trainum, Snowdon & Deane continues as general counsel. (Tire Review/Akron)
Systems and components supplier ArvinMeritor reached an agreement on June 29 to divest another of its light vehicle chassis businesses, bringing the total number of units divested this year to three. The company reached a definitive agreement to sell its Gabriel Ride Control Products North America business to private equity firm OpenGate Capital.
The company notes that the sale of the US portion of Gabriel Ride Control Products North America has been completed. The closing of the transaction for the subsidiary in Mexico will be completed once the license agreements and pending permits have been finalised, which the company expects will occur within two months.
Pirelli has reported a “difficult” yet problem-less three days at the all-gravel Rally d’Italia-Sardegna, the tyre-manufacturer’s home event. Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala put the brakes on Sebastien Loeb’s domination of the 2009 World Rally Championship season to claim his first win of the year, while the five Pirelli Star Drivers took part in their second round of the six they will face in total, continuing their development in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Group N cars. On an event that gave all six youngsters some extremely valuable experience of rough gravel, up-and-coming Finn Jarkko Nikara emerged best-placed of the Pirelli Star Drivers. Pirelli’s Rally Manager Mario Isola said, “These very rough conditions also taught our five Star Drivers how to blend consistency with their obvious speed, which will serve them well in the future.”
Provided the supply of electricity is restored, Dunlop India will most likely recommence the manufacture of tyres at its Sahaganj facility during May. The supply was cut following the suspension of production last November; the Press Trust of India quotes company chairman P K Ruia as recently saying “the Sahaganj plant is waiting for electricity connection to restart production.”
The facility partially re-opened on March 6, with 200 of the plant’s 1147 employees returning to carry out maintenance work.
Upon announcing its first quarter 2009 results, Continental AG stated that the slump in worldwide vehicle production has “left scars” on the company’s performance, with consolidated sales dropping “sharply.” The company reports its Automotive Group sales decreased in tandem with market developments, while the decline in Rubber Group sales was much less severe as to aftermarket sector sales account for a larger percentage of business. Despite the recent undertaking of the largest cost reduction programme in the company’s history, the highly negative sales trend helped push EBIT performance into the red.
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