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Grouptyre Competition Winners Visit Ford Rally Aces

The two-month Pirelli promotion on wholesaler, Grouptyre’s website successfully boosted sales of Pirelli car, van and 4×4 tyres in the independent and garage sector by 10.7 per cent compared with the previous average sales of participating dealers. It was the first in a series of national incentives and exclusive promotions the wholesaler aims to run in conjunction with premium brand tyre manufacturers. In addition, the company – in conjunction with the Italian premium manufacturer – sent an independent retail manager to the World Rally Championship in Spain, allowed an auto-services site owner to send his sons to Oxfordshire for the Pirelli Driving Experience and gave the proprietor of an exhausts and tyre centre a Pirelli track day to enjoy with his son.

Aaron Bothamley, manager of Fairway Tyre and Auto Services in Rickmansworth, was delighted to win an all expenses paid trip to the WRC Rally of Spain in the promotion. Bothamley, accompanied by his brother-in-law Paul, joined a dawn VIP helicopter trip to familiarise themselves with the sweeping asphalt roads of stage one before moving on to the third stage, where they watched defending World Rally Champion and current Championship leader Sebastien Loeb and BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala demonstrate their skills. Then it was on to the service area for lunch with team principal Malcolm Wilson and the drivers.

22nd October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Star Driver for Asia-Pacific Region Selected

New Zealander Mark Tapper has been selected to represent the Asia-Pacific Region in the Pirelli Star Driver scheme. The 27 year-old from Auckland, along with co-driver Jeff Cress, beat nine other contenders in the selection process, which took place over two rallies in New Zealand and Malaysia.

Tapper is the second driver to be named from the five who will benefit from the initiative, organised jointly by Pirelli and the FIA, to give young drivers a foot in the door of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Pirelli Star Driver programme will give five young talents (one each from Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions, plus two from Europe) the chance to compete in six WRC events in a Group N or S2000 car prepared and run by a top team. The drivers who earn a place on the Pirelli Star Driver scheme next year will get a chance to show what they can do in Portugal, Italy, Greece, Finland, Spain and Great Britain.

17th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho’s Euro Motorsport HQ Continues to Strengthen

Kumho’s ever-expanding European Motorsport Division has been based on the Stanmore Industrial Estate in Bridgnorth, Shropshire for ten years. Having long since moved from its first building on the site, it has now taken possession of still bigger premises that will allow ongoing growth for some years to come. At any one time the Bridgnorth warehouse is home to thousands of competition tyres. They are manufactured to order in the company’s Korean factories, shipped to Bridgnorth and then supplied to teams and events throughout Europe.

The seven-strong team at Bridgnorth have a pair of fully-equipped trucks with which they provide on-event support to many of the company’s top race and rally competitors. Others are supported by the comprehensive European network of specialist Kumho motorsport tyre dealers. Adjoining the new 28,000 sq ft warehouse is 4,000 sq ft of smart, modern office accommodation for the benefit of both the permanent staff and visiting Kumho executives. There is also a large, state-of-the-art conference room on site.

An integral part of the division’s activities is providing the R&D department and factory with the information they need in order to keep designing and developing winning products. In turn, all the lessons learnt in the heat of the racetrack and the often damp, muddy conditions of the rally stage are incorporated in the design of Kumho’s UHP road tyres, helping to provide them with greater levels of performance.

17th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Wins for Yokohama-shod Runners in Tour of Mull

The 2008 Tour of Mull Rally proved a successful event for Yokohama, with Paul MacKinnon’s Advan A006T tarmac tyre-shod Subaru Impreza winning the event outright and Tristan Pye’s Impreza N11 winning the Group N class of the event. The Tour of Mull is one of the most iconic events in British club rallying. Running on the abrasive asphalt roads around the remote Scottish island, changeable weather conditions typically make tyre choice extremely difficult. Drivers are often forced to compromise when it comes to selecting the ideal pattern and compound for stages that may be wet in parts and dry in others, or where the weather can change part-way through a stage.

This year, both MacKinnon and Pye were using the latest specification of Yokohama’s moulded slick tarmac tyre. It would be the second time Pye has used the Japanese manufacturer’s products, as he clinched this year’s Production Cup in the BTRDA rally series, which included two asphalt events.

16th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli-shod Loeb-Elena Citroen Wins in Corsica

The Citroen C4 WRC, driven by Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena was triumphant for the fourth consecutive time in Corsica this month. They were followed by three Ford Focus WRCs driven respectively by Mikko Hirvonen, Francois Duval and Jari-Matti Latvala. Martin Prokop (Citroen C2 S1600) won the Junior World Championship classification ahead of another C2 S1600 driven by Sebastien Ogier and local Renault Clio R3 driver Pierre Campana. With this result, Ogier has sealed the 2008 J-WRC title.

Loeb-Elena’s win in Corsica was the 46th of their career, the 10th of their 2008 season. Driving their Pirelli PZero-equipped Citroen C4 WRC, the duo seemed to control the pace at will, and can justifiably claim dominance over the rest of the field on the island. Behind them Hirvonen in second benefited from Ford team orders after damaging a wheel and puncturing a tyre in a hole on the first stage this morning. The time lost changing the wheel was recovered by dropping team mates Duval-Pivato and Latvala-Antilla behind him before the finish. They ended up third and fourth respectively behind the number 3 Focus-Pirelli.

15th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli-Shod Citroens Achieve One-Two in WRC Spanish Round

The Citroen C4 of Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo have finished first and second respectively in the 44th Catalunya Rally in Spain. The Citroens took command from the start, beating Hirvonen-Lehtinen and Duval-Pivato’s factory Ford Focus in third. In the Junior WRC (JWRC), the Citroen C2 of Martin Prokop claimed the spoils, from the Renault Clio R3 of Alessandro Bettega.

Just as was the case at the Rallye Deutschland in mid-August and on these same roads in Spain one year ago, Citroen claimed the top positions thanks to their C4 WRC crews of Loeb-Elena and Sordo-Marti. The result reinforces Loeb’s lead of the drivers’ World Championship and Citroen’s advantage in the constructors’ standings.

6th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Star Driver Entrants Announced

The FIA has published a list of 18 young drivers from Europe and Central and South America who will take part in the Pirelli Star Driver competition in Freistadt, Austria. The two winners will each receive a drive on six rounds of the 2009 WRC.

The competitors have all been chosen locally by their respective national sporting authorities (ASNs), who have put them forward for the competition in Freistadt that will take place from October 23-25. This contest will select two people to receive a fully-paid drive on six rounds of the World Rally Championship next year.

6th October 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Williams Named Pirelli Star Driver

Jon Williams has been plucked by Pirelli to fill the first of the Italian manufacturer’s five Star Drivers to compete in the World Rally Championship. Pirelli introduced the scheme to promote new talent in the 2009 FIA-accredited series.

25-year old Williams has competed in the African Rally Championship in a Volkswagen Polo S2000 this year: “This is the fulfilment of a dream and a magnificent opportunity for me to show what I can achieve at World Rally Championship level.” He will drive in Portugal, Italy, Greece, Finland, Spain and Great Britain.

16th September 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Brands Hatch Sees Müller, Menu Record WTCC Victories

The British stage of the FIA World Touring Car Championship – staged this weekend in front of 35,000 at a humid Brands Hatch, Kent – saw Jörg Müller of BMW Team Germany and Chevrolet’s Alain Menu claiming 13th and 14th round victories.

The reigning world champion, the UK’s Andy Priaulx, racing for BMW Team UK, found things tougher going in both races; he was first held at arm’s length for all 14 laps by Yvan Muller in the SEAT – who remains the championship leader thanks to that determined display – and then suffered a puncture-enforced retirement in the second outing. In spite of this setback, Priaulx leapfrogs Rickard Rydell of Sweden into third place overall. Priaulx stated afterwards that he was relatively happy with the performance.

28th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Search on for Pirelli ‘Star Driver’

Since its launch earlier this year, the Pirelli Star Driver scheme has attracted significant interest, with competitors from around the world seeking to win a drive in a series of six FIA World Rally Championship events. The Pirelli Star Driver scheme is a worldwide search for five young rally drivers from each of the 2008 and 2009 FIA Regional Championships. The successful drivers from each year will then contest a series of six World Championship rallies the following season, driving identical Group N or Super 2000 cars supplied and serviced under an FIA contract with a specialist preparation company. With the intention being to invest in the growth of the sport worldwide and, in particular, help younger competitors reach World Championship level, competitors must be under the age of 27 on 1st January in the year of the Regional Championship.

25th July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyrespot Changes Logo, Joins Pirelli in Rally Promo

Tyrespot – the north-eastern England tyre retail and fitting business – has unveiled its new corporate image at the company’s depot in Washington, Tyne and Wear. In the ensuing months, the new “Autocentre” brand will adorn each of the company’s retail sites, in an attempt to draw attention to its tagline, “More Than Just Tyres”.

2nd July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Appoints New Advertising Agency

Pirelli Tyre has appointed the Tampa, Florida based advertising agency Pyper Paul + Kenny to develop the company’s worldwide branding and creative platforms. PP+K came to Pirelli’s attention through the agency’s work for the Grand American Road Racing Association, whom the manufacturer sponsors.

The Italian firm hopes to develop strategic alliances with the Association and with World Rally Championship through the new appointment. PP+K will simultaneously launch a magazine advertising campaign in various auto-magazines worldwide.

1st July 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Yokohama Rubber’s Motor Sports Activities in 2008

The Yokohama Rubber Co. has outlined its motorsports plan for 2008. Viewing motor sports as a means of developing its global flagship Advan brand, the company will support a number of different motor sports activities in Japan and around the world. Major activities will be as follows:

FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)

Joining Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship, the WTCC became the third FIA world championship in 2005. The 2008 season will mark its fourth year as such. Yokohama Rubber has been supplying Advan racing tyres as the designated one-make tyre since 2006, and, based on evaluations of their balanced performance on both FF and FR cars, has been officially designated to do so through at least 2009. As was the case last year, the company’s support of all teams means tyres for about 35 cars. Beginning in Brazil on March 2, the 2008 WTCC will consist of twenty-four races in twelve rounds, climaxing with the final races in Macau. This year will see the first WTCC competition at the Okayama International Circuit, a move that Yokohama is confident equals world-class excitement for fans in Japan.

6th March 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli’s ‘Scorpion’ for Gravel Making its WRC Debut in Mexico

Pirelli’s new Scorpion tyres will make their first appearance on the opening gravel event of this year’s World Rally Championship. The gruelling Mexican stages, which run at altitudes in excess of 2000 metres, will, believes Pirelli, be a baptism of fire for its new WRC gravel rubber.

The high altitude gravel roads that characterise the Rally Mexico (which runs between 27 February and 2 March) will form the backdrop to the debut of Pirelli’s Scorpion tyres, specifically designed for the rigours of the WRC. The event, which takes place on roads around Leon, not far from Mexico City, will prove an excellent test for the specialised rubber that Pirelli has painstakingly developed for gravel events. As gravel is the most common surface on this year’s championship, Pirelli believes the importance of this all-new tyre cannot be underestimated.

26th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Poor Conditions Fail to Hamper Pirelli WRC Tyres

Winner of the opening World Rally Championship round for 2008, Jari-Matti Latvala, has voiced high regard for the Pirelli Sottozero tyres he competed on. The Finnish driver, who at the age of 22 became the youngest winner of a WRC event, said he was “pleasantly surprised by the performance and grip from the studded Pirelli tyres, which turned out to be really effective even in the marginal conditions that we found on some of the stages. This is down to the impressive work from all the Pirelli technicians.”

The Swedish Rally was held in less than optimal conditions, with mud and gravel frequently coming through the thin covering layer of snow and ice. This deteriorating road surface led organisers to cancel to of the special stages. Nevertheless, Latvala’s Ford Focus WRC, and its Sottozero tyres, performed beyond expectations – especially as the tyres were not designed for the conditions actually encountered.

12th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors