World Rally Championship Archives - Page 15 of 18 - Tyrepress

WRC

Posts

New Pirelli Winter Tyres Ready for the Swedish Rally

The only snow event in this year’s FIA World Rally Championship commences in Karlstad, Sweden on February 7. When the teams get underway they will receive their first competitive taste of Pirelli’s new Sottozero studded tyres. The 145/85 R16 size tyres feature 2cm long studs that protrude 7mm out of the tyre’s tread, inserted during the vulcanisation process – these are tyres obviously not designed for racing on gravel, but the local weather forecasts for Thursday predict sufficient snow and ice to make this year’s Swedish Rally another thrilling event.

6th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Kumho Predicts $1/2 billion EU Sales in 2008

Kumho established its European base in Frankfurt, Germany in January 1978. Now three decades later, the South Korean tyre manufacturer is aiming to celebrate its 30th anniversary with half a billion dollars-worth of European sales. The headquarters of Kumho’s European technical operations is located near Birmingham in the UK’s West Midlands. Having opened in June 1998, it will be celebrating its 10th anniversary later this year.

5th February 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli’s “Big Weekend” of Motorsport

On January 27 Pirelli faced up to what it has called one of the most challenging weekends in its motorsport history, simultaneously competing in two of racing’s biggest events. As well as the Monte Carlo Rally, won by the Citroen C4 of Loeb and Elena, there was the Daytona 24 Hours – which witnessed the success of Montoya-Franchitti-Pruett-Rojas in the PZero Racing -equipped Lexus-Riley fielded by the Ganassi-Sabates team.

The former McLaren-Mercedes and Williams-BMW F1 driver underlined the extreme toughness of this opening round of the Grand-Am series, to which Pirelli is acting as sole tyre supplier between 2008 and 2010 – as is also the case for the WRC. During the Daytona race the lead changed an incredible 60 times, with 15 different cars and 25 different drivers taking it in turns to head the action in front of a chasing pack that numbered 66 competitors at the start.

30th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Rally Monte Carlo Gets Underway With Pirelli

For Pirelli the start of the 76th Monte Carlo Rally marks an important new chapter in its sporting history. This event will be the first WRC rally in which all the teams will use Pirelli control tyres, as part of an exclusive three-year tyre supply deal. The Italian firm has produced three different types of tyre for the world rally season, one of which is available in two different versions. Pirelli’s choice of tyres has been guided by a strict specification brief from the FIA.

As well as the Pirelli PZero – designed for asphalt rallies – and the Pirelli Scorpion for gravel events, the all-new Pirelli Sottozero will be used on winter events. This tyre is available in a narrow size with longer studs, for heavy snow and ice such as is found in Sweden, and also a wider version with the option of adding short studs – which has been specially designed for the unique conditions of Monte Carlo event.

25th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Reveals New WRC Winter Tyres

Pirelli’s tyre range for this year’s FIA World Rally Championship has been completed with the addition of two new winter tyres. The first of these is the Sottozero Snow, which the Italian manufacturer claims will be best suited to events such as the Rallye Monte Carlo (which begins on January 24). The tyre is of similar dimensions to the PZero asphalt and is available with or without studs.

As anti-deflation mousse is no longer permitted in WRC events, resistance to punctures has been sought through other means and the Sottozero Snow therefore features a reinforced shoulder to combat such occurrences. The compound used in the Sottozero Snow is reportedly very similar to that used on Pirelli’s winter road car tyres, however the tyre’s studability provides drivers with additional flexibility in marginal conditions. Competing teams will only be permitted by the FIA to use one type of tread pattern, construction and compound.

23rd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

BFGoodrich Releases Activan Range

BFGoodrich has launched its new Activan range of van tyres that have been specifically designed to cope with the demanding operating conditions faced by tyres fitted to these vehicles. Based on BFGoodrich motorsport technology developed through the company’s World Rally Championship participation, the Activan tyres are built to offer an excellent level of wet and dry grip while providing sturdy damage resistance.

The tyre’s tread area is made up of large tread blocks for maximum grip in dry conditions. There are also a high number of sipes in the tread pattern that cut through surface water on wet roads, offering grip and safety when the British weather begins doing what it does best. The tread compound selected for the Activan is one that provides the type of durability and resistance to wear commercial users rely upon, and reinforced sidewalls featuring two casing plies protect this often scuffed area from kerbing damage.

22nd January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli Announces ‘Extensive’ Investment in UK Motorsport

Pirelli has announced that the Italian manufacturer will invest “extensively “in the UK and Eire and is delighted to promote national championships, supporting customers and competitors alike, speaking at January’s Autosport show. Pirelli representatives told Tyres & Accessproes that are “very pleased” to announce that the company has a new UK distributor of Rally Tyres in D Mack Tyres Ltd which is based in Cumbria and is run by the former head of Motorsport for Pirelli Ltd, Dick Cormack. In Ireland, Pirelli said it is delighted to continue its 10-year partnership with Pitlane Motorsport.

14th January 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Group Bows Out of WRC

The Michelin Group’s long relationship with the FIA World Rally Championship came to an end on the last weekend of November. The Wales Rally GB marked the closing of 34 years of uninterrupted WRC participation for the Michelin and BFGoodrich brands, which in that time scored 256 victories, won 23 Manufacturers’ titles and claimed 20 Drivers’ crowns in association with their respective partners.

The new season will see the introduction of a control tyre, supplied by Pirelli, preventing the French company from participating in the rallying world’s most prestigious event for the time being. The new control tyre contract runs until the end of the 2010 season.

6th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Evans Achieves Wales Rally GB Class Win in Hankook Fiesta

Welsh rally star Elfyn Evans exceeded all expectations at the Wales Rally GB, taking his Hankook Fiesta to class victory. The 18-year-old son of former British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans produced one of the most impressive drives of the three-day rally – the Cardiff-based finale to the World Rally Championship.

Evans’ Fiesta ended the event in 42nd place overall, a massive climb from his start number of 118 and an indication of the young driver’s future potential. Together with co-driver Richard Edwards the pair faced 17 high-speed tests in the Welsh forests – tackling some of the worst conditions ever seen on Wales Rally GB. They had to contend with torrential rain, blanket fog and extremely muddy conditions, but nothing nature threw at them fazed the pair. And while many cars suffered punctures from the rocky tracks and body damage in the tough conditions, Elfyn and Richard successfully navigated everything in their path.

4th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Rally Ireland First WRC Victory for Kumho

November 15 to 18’s Rally Ireland gave Kumho its first ever win in a World Rally Championship event when Niall McShea drove his Kumho-shod Subaru Impreza WRX STi to outright victory in the rally’s Production Car Class. The 31-year-old driver, who originally hails from County Fermanagh, capped off what Kumho has called a ‘landmark year of motorsport’ – the manufacturer also relished another significant victory in 2007, winning the LMP2 class at Le Mans after only three visits to the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The choice of tyres during this year’s WRC was possibly never more critical than at Rally Ireland, a round that drivers such as reigning World Champion Sebastian Loeb admitted was perhaps the most difficult they had ever competed in. The notoriously slippery roads were constantly covered in mud and it rained throughout the event. The resulting treacherous conditions put paid to many hopes, including those of Works Ford driver and former World Champion Marcus Gronholm.

3rd December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Evans JR to Race on ‘Evans Developed’ Hankook Tyres

For many 18 year olds, the burning questions next weekend will be which pub to visit, whether to watch football on TV and what’s for Sunday lunch. But for Elfyn Evans, his attention on the weekend and the days of November 29 to December 2 will be focused upon which Hankook tyres will work best in South Wales and how fast he can drive his Ford Fiesta in the forest without crashing. Elfyn is one of the youngest competitors taking part in Wales Rally GB – Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship – a three day high speed test of car and crew around the forests of South Wales – and one of the sport’s toughest challenges.

And for Elfyn, the prospect of competing on the world stage is something he is relishing, especially as the race brings him into competition against his dad Gwyndaf – a former British Rally Champion and Wales Rally legend. “It’s tremendous to be given the opportunity to compete this year and although Dad is much higher up the field and in a more powerful, four wheel drive Mitsubishi, it will be great to compete on such a high profile event together,” said Elfyn. “I remember dad taking part when I was really young and never thought I would have the opportunity to compete this year.”

22nd November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Like Father, Like Son

The Wales Rally GB is set to be a family affair in 2007, with 18-year old driver Elfyn Evans competing against father Gwyndaf. Evans the younger has proven to be one of the country’s rising rally stars this year, finishing third overall in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy, and he is now relishing the chance to tackle the home round of the World Rally Championship alongside his former British Rally Champion father, who has spent the season driving for the Mitsubishi rally team in the BRC.

Organisers believe it is more than a decade since a father and son competed head on against each other in the event – the most recent being Roger and Matthew Clark in 1995 and Jimmy McRae against both Colin and Alister in 1993. Elfyn and co-driver Richard Edwards will continue to use their trusty Fiesta and have secured backing for the rally from Hankook Tire – the main sponsor of Gwyndaf’s BRC efforts in 2006.

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFGoodrich Proves its Rallying Mettle in 2007

US tyremaker BFGoodrich claims a long motorsport heritage, entering the motor racing history books in 1915 when it became the first tyre manufacturer to enjoy victory two years in a row at the ‘Brickyard’, home of the Indy 500 race. More recent accomplishments in a variety of championships have cemented the brand’s sporting credentials, and today BFGoodrich retains a reputation as being a tyre of choice for those seeking both a sports-oriented image and performance.

During 2007 the Michelin owned tyremaker was active at the highest levels in four key areas of motorsport: The World Rally Championship, the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Intercontinental Rally Championship and Rally Raid events, including the famous Dakar Rally.

1st November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Keeping it Together

The organisers of the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship maintain the provision of sustainable solutions to the environmental impact that results from UK rallying events as one of their top priorities. Following on from the introduction of a “greener” control fuel, a partnership set up by the BRC with Pirelli Tyre and the Forestry Commission will examine tyre technologies with a view to developing a product that will have positive economic and environmental benefits. Thus, on the back of its participation as partner and official tyre supplier to the BRC, Pirelli has joined forces with these two parties to carry out an evaluation and tyre development programme with the aim of reducing damage to forest roads.

19th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Pirelli’s 2008 WRC Tyre Hits the Asphalt

The beginning of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship and Pirelli’s involvement as official tyre sponsor lies only a few short months away, and the Italian tyremaker reports that approval for its new asphalt tyre for the series has recently been granted by its own technicians and the FIA. Fine-tuned with experience gained over numerous test sessions, the new tyre is said to contain, according to Pirelli, “a number of innovative features.”

“The Italian firm’s technicians recently signed off the asphalt tyre, after an intensive and detailed series of tests with reigning Italian Rally Champion Paolo Andreucci and the Bozian Racing Peugeot 307 WRC used by Gigi Galli on a number of WRC events throughout 2006,” the company reported in a statement. These tests, conducted by Pirelli and Andreucci in France, Spain and Sardinia, enabled the FIA to place their seal of approval on a tyre that possesses a number of new features and pre-empts upcoming environmental legislation by two years.

4th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors