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Latest News
November 2008
- Audi top model R8 drives on Dunlop tyres 06.11.08
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT and Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D for Audi R8
Dunlop, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres, is proud to announce that Audi has chosen two Dunlop top of the range tyres as original equipment for its prestigious Audi R8: the ultra-high performance tyre Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT and for the upcoming winter season the award winning Dunlop winter tyre SP Winter Sport 3D.
The ultra-high performance summer tyre Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT provides superior grip and steering precision, excellent high-speed and cornering stability and great handling capabilities, combined with exceptional road feedback. The Audi R8 will be equipped with the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT in the size 235/35 ZR 19 (front axle) and in the size 295/30 ZR 19 (rear axle).
For the winter season Audi has chosen the Dunlop winter tyre Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D as original equipment for the Audi R8. The car will be equipped with tyres in the sizes 235/35 R19 or 235/40 R 18 (front axle) and 285/35 R 18 or 295/30 R 19 (rear axle). The Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D provides excellent grip and braking performance on snow-covered and wet roads. Along with its exemplary handling performance on cold dry roads, the SP Winter Sport 3D offers driving pleasure in all winter conditions.
"It's extremely rewarding to see that Audi has decided to equip its prestigious 420 PS sports car R8 with Dunlop's top summer and winter products. Both Dunlop and Audi have always been driven by an enormous passion for motor sport. With the Dunlop Sport Maxx GT drivers of the powerful R8 will have the right equipment to fully enjoy the car's enormous performance during summer. The Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D, which has won several recent winter tyre tests, is the logical winter tyre choice for such a high performance car", said Frédéric Schilling, Brand Director of Dunlop Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Dunlop is ranked as one of the first choices of leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide. Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres have also proven their racing capability at Germany's prestigious German Touring Car Championship, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), which Audi has won 26 times.
ENDS
Photograph available on request.
About Dunlop
Dunlop is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres with an impressive track record of motor sport successes. Dunlop's extensive racing experience has led to innovative technologies for tyres designed for everyday motoring. Always looking to maximize driving pleasure, Dunlop offers all types of motorists the performance and durability of the latest tyre technologies, including tyres with RunOnFlat technology, which is fitted to award winning vehicles such as the BMW One, Three, Five Series and X5.
- Audi top model R8 drives on Dunlop tyres 06.11.08
July 2008
- DUNLOP MOTORSPORT RESULTS AND POINTS, 2008 (3) 15.07.08
Round 3, Mugello
1. Jamie Green, Mercedes, 33 laps,59h 39m961s
2. Paul di Resta, Mercedes, +3.166s
3. Tom Kristensen, Audi A4, +5.313s
4. Bernd Schneider, Mercedes, +9.410s
5. Oliver Jarvis, Audi A4, +15.037s
6. Mattias Ekström, Audi A4, +15.798s
7. Markus Winkelhock, Audi A4, +16.989s
8. Alexandre Prémat, Audi A4, +22.656s
9. Bruno Spengler, Mercedes, +23.260s
10. Timo Scheider, Audi A4, +23.774sRound 4, Lausitzring
1. Paul di Resta, Mercedes, 51 laps, 1hr10m23s
2. Timo Scheider, Audi, +5.562s
3. Mattias Ekstrom, Audi, +8.629s
4. Martin Tomczyk, Audi, +10.379s
5. Jamie Green, Mercedes, +15.911s
6. Bruno Spengler, Mercedes, +18.188s
7. Bernd Schneider, Mercedes, +20.668s
8. Oliver Jarvis, Audi, +34.508s
9. Mike Rockenfeller, Audi, +35.107s
10. Gary Paffett, Mercedes, +35.752sChampionship positions
1. Timo Scheider 26
2. Paul di Resta 23
3. Jamie Green 21
4. Mattias Ekstrom 20
5. Martin Tomczyk 17
6. Bruno Spengler 14
7. Tom Kristensen 12
8. Timo Scheider 8
9. Oliver Jarvis 5
10. Markus Winkelhock 5British Touring Car Championship,
Round 4, Thruxton
Results, Race 1
1. Tom Onslow-Cole, Vauxhall Vectra, 16 laps
2. Colin Turkington, BMW 320si, +2.937s
3. Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall Vectra, +4.262s
4. Matt Neal, Vauxhall Vectra, +4.587s
5. Matt Jackson, BMW 320si, +5.729s
6. Darren Turner, Seat Leon TDI, +6.862s
7. Tom Chilton, Honda Civic, +7.496s
8. Adam Jones, Seat Leon TFSi, +7.812s
9. Mike Jordan, Honda Integra R, +9.426s
10. Andrew Jordan, Honda Integra R, +9.434sResults, Race 2
1. Onslow-Cole, 19 laps
2. Turkington, +0.518s
3. Neal, +0.854s
4. Turner, +1.404s
5. Jackson, +1.561s
6. Jones, +2.628s
7. Jason Plato, Seat Leon TDI, +3.434s
8. Gordon Sheddon, Honda Civic, +5.549s
9. A Jordan, +8.096s
10. Giovanardi, +10.372sResults, Race 3
1. Plato, 16 laps
2. Jackson, +1.546s
3. Giovanardi, +2.300s
4. Neal, +3.411s
5. Jones +4.897s
6. Turkington, +5.914s
7. Onslow-Cole, +8.421s
8. M Jordan, +9.123s
9. Steven Kane, BMW 320si, +18.980s
10. Harry Vaulkhard, Chevrolet Lacetti, +19.974sChampionship positions after four rounds
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi 114
2. Plato 96
3. Onslow-Cole 93
4. Neal 90
5. Jackson 83
6. Turner 75
7. Sheddon 67
8. Turkington 63
9. Jones 49
10. Chilton 41Results, 125cc, Round 5 Le Mans
1. Mike di Meglio (Derbi)
2. Bradley Smith (Aprilia), +0.800s
3. Nicolas Terol (Aprilia), +3.077s
4. Pol Espargaro (Derbi), +10.407s
5. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia), +11.697s
6. Stefan Bradl (Aprilia), +11.881s
7. Lorenzo Zanetti (Aprilia), +16.372s
8. Joan Olive (Derbi), +16.545s
9. Raffaele de Rosa (KTM), +19.163s
10. Randy Krummenacher (KTM), +22.391s250cc Championship positions after Le Mans
1. Mika Kallio 93
2. Mattia Pasini 77
3. Alex Debon 59
4. Yuki Takahashi 59
5. Hiroshi Aoyama 53
6. Hector Barbera 53
7. Marco Simoncelli 53
8. Alvaro Bautista 41
9. Aleix Espargaro 33
10. Julian Simon 31Results, 250cc, Round 5, Le Mans
1. Alex Debon (Aprilia)
2. Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) +4.816s
3. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) +4.998s
4. Yuki Takahashi (Honda) +5.770s
5. Mika Kallio (KTM) +6.197s
6. Manuel Poggiali (Gilera) +6.474s
7. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM) +14.909s
7. Julian Simon (KTM) +17.526s
8. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +32.925s
10. Hector Faubel (Aprilia) +36.719sLe Mans Series, Round 2, Spa
1.Lamy/Sarrazin, Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, 173 laps
2. Premat/Rockenfeller, Audi R10 TDI, +47.572s
3. Primat/Tinseau, Pescarolo Judd, +4 laps
4. Kerr/Jouanny/Hall, Creation AIM, +4 laps
5. Gene/Minassian, Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, +6 laps
6. Capello/McNish, Audi R10 TDI, +7 laps
7. Tappy/Ickx/Short, Pescarolo Judd, +7 laps
8. Elgaard/Nielsen, Porsche RS Spyder, +8 laps
9. van Merksteijn/Verstappen, Porsche RS, +8 laps
10. Lienhard/Lammers/Theys, Porsche RS, +9 lapsLe Mans Series, Round 3, Monza
1. Gene/Minassian, Peugeot 908 HDI, 143 laps
2. Premat/Rockenfeller, Audi R10 TDI, +30.387s
3. Panis/Lappiere, Courage Oreca Judd, +3 laps
4. Capello/McNish, Audi R10 TDI, +4 laps
5. Collard/Boullion, Pescarolo Judd, +4 laps
6. van Merksteijn/Verstappen, Porsche RS, +5 laps
7. Lienhard/Lammers/Theys, Porsche RS, +5 laps
8. Nielsen/Elgaard, Porsche RS, +8 laps
9. Hall/Kerr, Creation AIM, +9 laps
10. Ragues/Lahaye, Pescarolo Judd, +9 lapsRound 5 Points, Big Pond 400, Perth
1. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 300
2. Garth Tander (Holden) 270
3. Jamie Whincup (Ford) 236
4. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 234
5. Rick Kelly (Holden) 210
6, Will Davison (Ford) 202
7. Steven Richards (Ford) 200
8. James Courtney (Ford) 154
9. Fabian Coulthard (Ford) 138
10. Andrew Jones (Holden) 132Drivers' points
1. Garth Tander 896
2. Rick Kelly 882
3. Mark Winterbottom 872
4. Jamie Whincup 776
5. Steven Richards 721
6. Craig Lowndes 711
7. Will Davison 640
8. Lee Holdsworth 626
9. James Courtney 577
10. Fabien Coulthard 569 - Tander takes three as V8 Supercars debut at Hamilton 15.07.08
Three dominant performances saw Garth Tander score a perfect 300 points at the fourth round of the Australian V8 Supercar series at Hamilton, New Zealand. Tander, the reigning champion, was only led in the pit stops all weekend as he secured the first round win for Holden this year.
Steven Richards started the first race from pole position in his Ford Falcon, but locked a wheel and allowed through Tander and Rick Kelly. The Ford driver pressured Kelly all the way to the flag, but had to settle for third, preferring to take the points after a disastrous start to the season.
In the second race, it was Kelly who handed positions away to Richards as the team dropped a wheel during a pit stop. That elevated Richards to second, James Courtney to third and it was these two drivers who battled away from the line in the third of three races.
Courtney got the jump, but exiting the pitlane on lap 12, Richards was side-byside with his Ford rival and won the drag race to the first corner. With three podium finishes, the Ford Performance Racing team heads the teams' title chase while Kelly continues to lead the drivers' standings.
"We have seen all weekend cars beng damaged by the chicane and the kerbs so I just wanted to look after the car and tyres in case there was any late safety cars," said Tander. "As it turned out in two of the three races we had safety cars and I needed that little bit of a spurt to get away from Richo."
- Dunlop dominates Le Mans 24 hours with SERT 15.07.08
The triple World Champion team, SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team), started their 2008 Qtel FIM World Endurance Championship campaign in fine style when William Costes, Guillaume Dietrich and Barry Veneman won the Le Mans 24 hours mid-April. The three completed 770 laps to finish 11 laps ahead of their teammates who were delayed after hitting a rabbit during the night.
The Endurance World Championship has two classes - Formula EWC, which allows drastic chassis and some engine modifications along with the fitting of quick wheel changing devices, and Superstock whose regulations require machines to stay very close to the production Superbikes.
Dunlop has developed a range of tyres in 16.5" for EWC and 17" for Superstock, and Dunlop teams filled the EWC class podium. The two SERT teams were joined on the podium by the Yamaha of Team Acropolis Moto Expert, and delivered a 1-2 in the Superstock class, the Junior Suzuki Team finishing 5th overall and five laps ahead of the Qatar Endurance Racing Team's Suzuki.
Track temperatures varied from 25C to 12C with half the race run in the dry, and the rest in conditions varying from full wet to damp and drying. More than 1100 slick intermediate and wet tyres were used by the 23 Dunlop teams, keeping the 13-strong team of Dunlop technicians from busy.
The next round of the Endurance Championship is the six hour race in Albacete, Spain on May 10th, followed by the Suzuka 8-hours in Japan on July 27th. Here, the regular Endurance teams go head to head with the factory bikes specially prepared by Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha.
Dunlop wins from Australia to USA.
April 19/20 is one of the busiest weekends in the motorcycle race calendar. In addition to Le Mans, Dunlop teams were in Italy and Spain for the opening rounds of their national championships, in Australia for the second round of a series which is dominated by Dunlop riders, and at the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, for the second round of the 2008 AMA series.
Dunlop filled nine of the 12 podium places at Barber, winning all four categories - Superbike, Superstock, Supersport 600 and FXtreme. In the Superbike class, the first five were on Dunlop with Mat Mladin (Suzuki) winning both races to open up a commanding lead in the championship.
Aaron Yates (Suzuki) won the Superstock race to extend his points lead, whilst in 600c Supersport the two Dunlop Yamahas of Josh Herrin and Ben Bostrom were separated by 0.1 second at the flag.
- DUNLOP MOTORSPORT RESULTS AND POINTS 2008 (2) 15.07.08
Round 1, Hockenheim
1. Matthias Ekstrom, Audi, 37 laps, 59m17.726s
2. Timo Scheider, Audi, +0.824s
3. Tom Kristensen, Audi, +19.604s
4. Bruno Spengler, Mercedes, +20.872s
5. Martin Tomczyk, Audi, +21.269s
6. Jamie Green, Mercedes, +33.019s
7. Gary Paffett, Mercedes, +33.956s
8. Bernd Schneider, Mercedes, +34.726s
9. Oliver Jarvis, Audi, +40.270s
10. Mike Rockenfeller, Audi, +41.798sRound 2, Oschersleben
1. Timo Scheider, Audi, 44 laps, 1h06m7.822s
2. Martin Tomczyk, Audi, +1.452s
3. Bruno Spengler, Mercedes, +3.751s
4. Paul di Resta, Mercedes, +4.698s
5. Jamie Green, Mercedes, +6.044s
6. Markus Winkelhock, Audi, +6.595s
7. Mike Rockenfeller, Audi, +7.663s
8. Mattias Ekstrom, Audi, +11.765s
9. Alexandre Premat, Audi, +12.929s
10. Ralf Schumacher, Mercedes, +13.656sChampionship positions
1. Timo Scheider 18
2. Martin Tomczyk 12
3. Mattias Ekstrom 11
4. Bruno Spengler 11
5. Jamie Green 7
6. Tom Kristensen 6
7. Paul di Resta 5
8. Markus Winkelhock 3
9. Mike Rockenfeller 2
10. Gary Paffett 2Results, Race 1
1. Gordon Sheddon, Honda Civic
2. Darren Turner, Seat Leon TDI, +3.024s
3. Matt Neal, Vauxhall Vectra, +3.575s
4. Adam Jones, Seat Leon, +5.004s
5. Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall Vectra, +9.078s
6. Mat Jackson, BMW 320si, +9.779s
7. Tom Onslow-Cole, Vauxhall Vectra, +10.445s
8. Tom Chilton, Honda Civic, +10.778s
9. Jason Plato, Seat Leon TDI, +12.255s
10. Steven Kane, BMW 320si, +15.323sResults, Race 2
1. Jackson
2. Giovanardi, +1.542s
3. Turner, +8.863s
4. Sheddon, +9.462s
5. Onslow-Cole, +10.590s
6. Colin Turkington, BMW 320si, +10.796s
7. Chilton, +11.759s
8. Jones, +12.853s
9. Plato, +13.183s
10. Kane, +18.187sResults, Race 3
1. Neal
2. Chilton, +4.914s
3. Jones, +5.785s
4. Sheddon, +7.694s
5. Giovanardi, +8.147s
6. Plato, +9.706s
7. Turkington, +9.718s
8. Rob Collard, BMW 320si, +11.102s
9. Mike Jordan, Honda Integra, +17.999s
10. Erkut Kizilirmak, Vauxhall Astra, 19.094sChampionship positions
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi 63
2. Mat Jackson 56
3. Gordon Sheddon 50
4. Matt Neal 47
5. Darren Turner 38
6. Jason Plato 35
7. Colin Turkington 30
8. Tom Chilton 25
9. Adam Jones 23
10. Tom Onslow-Cole 20Results, 250cc, Round 2, Jerez
1. Mika Kallio, (KTM)
2. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) +4.277s
3. Yuki Takahashi (Honda) +4.287s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM) +4.876s
5. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), +5.968s
6. Alex Debon (Aprilia), +13.633s
7. Julian Simon (KTM) +16.372s
8. Aleix Locatelli (Gilera), +22.571s
9. Pol Espargaro (Aprilia), +28.606s
10. Lukas Pasek (Aprilia) +32.726s250cc Championship positions
1. Mika Kallio 57
2. Mattia Pasini 45
3. Hector Barbera 39
4. Yuki Takahashi 37
5. Alvaro Bautista 35
6. Hiroshi Aoyama 24
7. Alex Debon 23
8. Julian Simon 23
9. Marco Simoncelli 20
10. Aleix Espargaro 19Results, 250cc, Round 3, Estoril
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia)
2. Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) +7.050s
3. Mika Kallio (KTM) +7.063s
4. Thomas Luthi (Aprilia) +12.998s
5. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM) +14.666s
6. Yuki Takahashi (Honda) +18.498s
7. Julian Simon (KTM) +26.812s
8. Hector Barbera (Aprilia) +28.012s
9. Hector Faubel (Aprilia) +28.288s
10. Lukas Pasek (Aprilia) +36.966sLe Mans Series, Round 1, Barcelona
1. Gene/Minassian, Peugeot 908
2. Premat/Rockenfeller, Audi R10 TDI, +1 lap
3. Mucke/Charouz, Lola Aston Martin, +3 laps
4. Collard/Boullion, Pescarolo Judd, +5 laps
5. Capello/McNish, Audi R10TDI, +6 laps
6. van Merksteijn/Verstappen, Porsche RS Spyder, +7 laps
7. Premat/Tinseau, Pescarolo Judd, +7 laps
8. Belicchi/Pompidou/Zacchia, Lola Judd, +8 laps
9. Elgaard/Nielsen, Porsche RS Spyder, +11 laps
10. Barbosa/Ickx/Short, Pescarolo Judd, +11 lapsChampionship positions LMP1
1. Gene/Minassian 10
2. Premat/Rockenfeller 8
3. Mucke/Charouz 6Championship positions LMP2
1. van Merksteijn/Verstappen 10
2. Belicchi/Zacchia/Pompidou 8
3. Elgaard/Nielsen 6
Championship positions GT2
1. Bell/Bruni 10
2. Lieb/Davison 8
3. Narac/Lietz 6Round 4 Points, Hamilton, New Zealand
1. Garth Tander (Holden) 300
2. Steven Richards (Ford) 270
3. James Courtney (Ford) 252
4. Rick Kelly (Holden) 240
5. Fabien Coulthard (Ford) 192
6. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 190
7. Cameron McConville (Holden) 172
8. Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 154
9. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 138
10. Jason Bright (Ford) 138Drivers' points
1. Rick Kelly 672
2. Garth Tander 626
3. Lee Holdsworth 580
4. Mark Winterbottom 572
5. Jamie Whincup 540
6. Steven Richards 521
7. Craig Lowndes 477
8. Todd Kelly 440
9. Will Davison 438
10. Fabien Coulthard 431 - A perfect dawn for Creation as LMS prepares for 2008 15.07.08
Fast fit retailing company HiQ is offering 20 per cent discount on race-inspired Dunlop tyres at stores across the county to co-incide with its three-year title sponsorship of the British Touring Car Championship. The deal was formally announced at the BTCC media day held at Rockingham in March ahead of the season opener at Brands Hatch on March 30.
The British Touring Car Championship enjoys the support of Dunlop as the sole tyre supplier, as do major touring car series around the world, including the DTM and the Australian V8 Supercar series.
HiQ is in the process of a big expansion around Britain and believes that the BTCC will help to raise the profile as it seeks to open a further 100 stores in the UK. For the BTCC, celebrating its golden anniversary in 2008 with an official entry list featuring 27 cars, the long-term partnerships formed with HiQ and terrestrial television in the UK are key to the success of the series.
BTCC Series director Alan Gow explains: "Stability is vital not only for the championship, but for the competitors. It gives them the opportunity to know what the programme is and they can plan around it and make sure that everything is in place. You don't need to find out every year what the television package is, for example.
"I can remember three years ago we had 12 cars on the grid. Now we have a bigger grid than I have ever known. And the success of the championship is not just grid size, but spectator numbers, and the quality and closeness of the competition.
"I believe there will be more winners, more surprises and an even more wideopen title race in 2008. And, as we know of more entries that will be joining the championship as the season progresses, our fans are in for a real treat.
"I would like to thank all the BTCC's partners - in particular our television broadcaster ITV and title sponsor HiQ. Both are superb to work with and have demonstrated the kind of support that most championships can only dream of.
"Their enthusiasm and commitment is of direct benefit to everyone connected with the BTCC and, of course, our huge fan base. Above all, I'm tremendously proud of the very strong shape the championship now finds itself in.
"So, 2008 is going to be an extremely fitting way in which to celebrate our golden anniversary."
- Dunlop leads the fight against diesel as Creation sets third fastest time at Ricard 15.07.08
Dunlop reaped the rewards of its development programme with the British Creation team at the official Le Mans Series test at Paul Ricard early in March, when Jamie Campbell-Walter set third fastest time overall. The 2000 FIA GT Champion set the fastest time of the petrol engine LM P1 prototypes on Dunlop's race tyre to head the petrol powered prototypes against the Audi diesel prototypes which were first and second fastest.
Campbell-Walter set a best time of 1m41.797s on Dunlop's race tyre in a car which has gone through a new development process in Luxemburg over the winter.
The Le Mans Series test was a preview to the five race series which will visit some of the most challenging race circuits in Europe, including Barcelona, Monza, Spa, the Nurburgring and Silverstone. Each race lasts 1000kms, or six hours, and the grid comprises four classes; two prototype categories for prototype racing cars, and two for GT cars such as Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche.
Dunlop has increased its commitment in 2008 to the series, which runs to the same regulations as the Le Mans 24 hours. This year, Dunlop is expecting to supply up to 14 of the 50 car entry at each of the LMS races. Campbell-Walter's time, set early on the second day of testing in southern France, was nearly two seconds faster than the best time achieved in 2007 by the diesel-powered Peugeot team which then went on to win each of the six 1000km races. However, this year, the two Audi R10 TDIs set the fastest times overall ahead of their challenge to Peugeot this year.
Dunlop's partner LMP1 teams ran through testing programmes, with the Rollcentre team testing Belgian Vanina Ickx, the former Audi DTM driver who raced for the British team for two Le Mans Series seasons.
Other drivers using Dunlop with the British team were Frenchmen Pierre Bruneau and Marc Rostan. Portuguese driver Joao Barbosa is expected to be confirmed to drive the car this season, though his racing commitments in the US mean that he will miss the race at Monza on April 27.
In the LM P2 category, Casper Elgaard completed most of the testing in the new Porsche RS Spyder and, with 1990 Le Mans winner John Nielsen, the Danish drivers set second fastest time in the class. The Team Essex Racing Porsche finished just one tenth of a second behind the similar car of former Grand Prix driver Jos Verstappen, with the Dunlop-shod Quifel - ASM Team half a second down in the hands of Olivier Pla and Miguel Amaral. The British Bruichladdich team ran through an extensive driver test programme and set fourth fastest time.
In GT2, the Virgo Motorsport Ferrari team concentrated on set-up for each of the five race tracks rather than working on an overall lap time. Rob Bell and Gianmaria Bruni worked on car set up and on the second day tyre development to prepare themselves fully for the season ahead. They set second fastest time in the class behind the new Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, but were running a 2007 high-mileage engine and the 2007 aerodynamics. Both are expected to be updated in time for the opening round in Spain in April 6.
- Out of the dark, into the night, Gadea and Pasini win in Qatar 15.07.08
The first of the 18 round 2008 MotoGP championship lit up the desert sky outside Doha, Qatar on March 9th. An area the size of 70 football pitches had been fully floodlit with 3,600 floodlights illuminating the 5.4 km circuit for the event. All practice and racing was held at night, with racing continuing until just before midnight. Despite concerns that the increased levels of humidity and the lower temperatures would result in much lower grip levels, actual track temperature on race night never fell below 20C, and each of the three races were run at record pace.
The MotoGP race saw strong performances from the ex-250 riders: Lorenzo (Yamaha) started from pole and finished second to defending champion Stoner (Ducati) with Pedrosa (Honda Michelin) third in a closely fought race. Rossi (Yamaha) could only finish 5th, behind Dovizioso (Honda) and ahead of Toseland (Tech 3 Yamaha). The championship shows every indication of being one of the most open for years.
The entire 250cc grid has again opted for Dunlop. With the top three from 2007 moving up to MotoGP, the championship looks as though it will be fought between the Aprilias led by Barbera, Bautista, Debon, Luthi and Pasini and the KTMs of Kallio, Aoyama and Simon.
Debon took the first pole of the year, but it was Pasini who took a rookie victory, emerging from a second row start and a four-way battle for the lead with Barbera, Kallio and Debon - the four covered by less than 1.4 seconds at the finish.
As with the 250cc category, all 34 125cc riders have chosen Dunlop. Defending champion Gabor Talmacsi of Hungary (Aprilia) knew from the winter testing that he would be under pressure from a group of youngsters. Notable amongst these are three teenage British riders; 17-year-old Bradley Smith who has succeeded Pasini in the Polaris World Aprilia team, 15-yearold Scott Redding making his GP debut after a strong performance in the Spanish Championship in 2007, and 16 year old Danny Webb.
Smith took his first ever pole and led the first lap, but developed technical problems and eventually finished 16th. Redding, 18- year-old Stefan Bradl, and Webb were in the thick of the group fighting for the podium. The lead changed eight times during the 18 lap race, with Talmacsi and Gadea leading on their Aprilias, hounded by Joan Olive (Derbi), Frenchman Mike di Meglio, Redding, Bradl and Webb.
Talmacsi fell back with mechanical problems, leaving teammate Gadea to take his second ever GP win. Olive was second, and Bradl came out on top of a last lap battle for third with Di Meglio and Redding.
- Dunlop in dominatant form at Daytona in bike week '08 15.07.08
At the multi-venue racing extravaganza of Daytona Bike Week 2008, Dunlop earned more race wins and podium positions than all other tyre manufacturers combined. Dunlop riders not only won the Superbike race and swept the podium, they also filled out the top eight positions. Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Mat Mladin took the victory in grand style to tally his 64th national win.
Defending Superbike champion Ben Spies followed teammate Mladin over the line, while Graves Yamaha's Jason DiSalvo rounded out the top three, notching his first-ever Superbike podium.
The Supersport contest witnessed another Dunlop podium sweep, an impressive debut for the all-new D211GP DOT racing tyre which is available to the racing public. The ever-popular Ben Bostrom took his first Daytona win as he fought off the charge of his Graves Yamaha teammate, teenager Josh Herrin. Monster Kawasaki rider Roger Hayden put in a heroic ride with a fractured wrist to finish third.
In the Superstock class, Aaron Yates earned a decisive victory for Jordan Suzuki and Dunlop, and his teammate Geoff May followed close behind for a third-place finish. The Formula Xtreme Daytona 200 saw team Honda's Neil Hodgson win the pole and the accompanying Daytona Rolex, and he also posted the fastest lap of the race, a 1:39:604. Erion Honda Racing's Josh Hayes led 53 laps of the Daytona 200 to win by a comfortable margin but was later disqualified for a technical infraction; final results are pending appeal.
Not far away at Daytona Municipal Stadium, dirt-track fans witnessed an historic event when Jake Johnson became the first rider in history to sweep the Daytona double.
The first night of the AMA Grand National Singles Championship races saw Johnson finish ahead of fellow Dunlop riders Ken Coolbeth and Glen Schnabel. The following evening, Johnson won again, Schnabel moved up to second place, and Bryan Smith rounded out the all-Dunlop podium.
Dunlop's overwhelming Daytona success carried over to the evening Supercross races. In the most brutal conditions ever encountered in a Supercross event, Torco Racing Fuels Honda rider Kevin Windham took his second win of the season on a muddy, flooded racetrack in a driving rainstorm. Fellow Honda rider Davi Millsaps followed Windham in second aboard his Dunlop-equipped Honda Red Bull Racing CRF450R.
Meanwhile, in the Supercross Lites event, Windham¹s 17-year-old rookie teammate Trey Canard proved his speed and determination by running away to victory once again. Conquering the same extreme track and weather conditions as Windham, Canard scored his third consecutive Lites East win aboard his Torco Racing Fuels Honda CRF250R.
- Jackson fires warning shot across Vauxhall's bows 15.07.08
Records are set to fall in the HiQ British Touring Car Championship this year after Mat Jackson unofficially broke the track records at both Rockingham and at Brands Hatch in his BMW Dealer Team UK BMW during pre-season testing.
Jackson not only beat the qualifying lap record at Brands Hatch, but despite cold temperatures, he also beat the pole-sitting time set by Yvan Muller in April 2001, the longest-standing record currently in the BTCC.
"Even I was surprised by that time," said Jackson, who finished the 2007 season seventh overall with two wins, and second in the Independent's category. "It is a great boost for everyone in the team, but you still don't know what everyone else has got up their sleeve." Jackson, who headed the BMWs of Colin Turkington and Stephen Jelley's at Rockingham, will contest the 2008 championship in a car with racing pedigree, having taken over the BMW 320si that Andy Priaulx used to win his third successive World Championship title.
Reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi was second fastest at Brands Hatch in his Vauxhall Vectra, ahead of Turkington's BMW, the Ulsterman being one of the few not to try Dunlop's qualifying tyre at the end of the test. Former Vauxhall driver Tom Chilton, who has swtiched to Honda, was fourth.
The opening round of the British Touring Car Championship will take place at Brands Hatch on March 30 before heading to Rockingham on April 13.
- Whincup keeps advantage as Tander dominates Melbourne 15.07.08
Jamie Whincup maintained his advantage at the head of the Australian V8 Supercar drivers' table following the second round at Eastern Creek, Sydney. However, it was Will Davison who stole the show by delivering the Jim Beam Racing team its first round win in seven years. Just one week later Garth Tander was in dominant form, winning each of the three Formula One support races at Albert Park, Melbourne, to win the non-championship round for Holden.
Tander was also one of three winners in Sydney on March 9, along with Davison and Mark Winterbottom. The reigning champion started from pole position alongside his HRT team-mate Mark Skaife and took a comfortable win in race one. However, in race two, he struggled to get off the line, allowing Davison to take control.
Having qualified sixth for the opening race, a fantastic start helped Davison to work his way through to second behind Tander, and a brilliant getaway from the front row in race two put him out of reach of the chasing pack. He slipped back in race three, but his performance was enough to deliver his team the round win.
"It feels absolutely incredible," said Davison. "To have ticked off a race win and now a round win certainly is incredible and I think it is going to do wonders for everyone in the team."
Winterbottom had a stunning opening race, rocketing from 10th to fourth off the grid, and he passed James Courtney to run third before he had even completed a lap. He followed Davison over the line in race two, but in race three another lightning start saw him take the lead away from the lights, and he held on to take the victory.
Behind, championship leader Whincup put in a solid performance, taking third in race one, fifth in race two and fourth in race three to tie the round with Rick Kelly in fourth place on 240 points. That was enough to maintain his lead at the head of the drivers' standings ahead of the non-point scoring race at Albert Park on March 16.
Winterbottom's team-mate Steven Richards had a major accident at Eastern Creek and
the Ford Performance Racing team put in a mammoth 357 man hours preparing a back
up Ford Falcon for Albert Park. Both of the FPR Falcons lined up on the grid for the first of three races, which were a straight Ford versus Holden shootout, on Saturday afternoon.Richards' new chassis was working well as he qualified third fastest, the second quickest Ford behind Craig Lowndes, which meant that he lined up fourth on the grid. From the lights, he challenged Lowndes' 888 Ford through the opening corners before Richards made an unsuccessful lunge which ended his race prematurely. "I managed to avoid Lowndes but got hit by Rick Kelly, which broke the steering," said an unhappy Richards after the race.
Winterbottom claimed a solid fifth place in race one, and took a fine podium in third
place in race two, challenging Davison all the way to the flag.Richards recovered from his first race incident and catapulted from 26th on the grid to 12th, making up an average of one place per lap. In the final race, Garth Tander scored his third straight win of the weekend for Holden and claimed the round win.
With three second-place finishes Davison finished 24 points behind for Ford, the only interloper in a top six dominated by Holden.
- DUNLOP MOTORSPORT RESULTS AND POINTS, 2008 (1) 15.07.08
American Le Mans Series
Results, Sebring 12 hours
1. Bernhard/Dumas/Collard, Porsche RS Spyder, 351 laps
2. Leitzinger/Franchitti/Lally, Porsche RS Spyder 351 laps
3. Capello/Kristensen/McNish, Audi R10/TDI, 351 laps
4. Dyson/Smith, Porsche RS Spyder, 350 laps
5. Brabham/Sharp/Johansson, Acura ARX-01B, 349 laps
6. Werner/Luhr/Rockenfeller, Audi AG R10/TDI, 333 laps
7. Lammers/Lienhard/Theys, Porsche RS Spyder, 333 laps
8. Magnussen/Fellows/O'Connell, Corvette C6.R, 328 laps
9. Field/Field/Berry, Lola B06/10 AER, 327 laps
10. Gavin/Papis/Beretta, Corvette C6, 320 lapsRemaining races
April 6, St Petersburg
April 20, Long Beach
May 18, Salt Lake City
July 13, Lime Rock
July 20, Mid Ohio
August 10, Road America
August 24, Mosport
August 31, Detroit
October 5, Atlanta
October 19, Laguna SecaRound 2 Points, Sydney
1. Will Davison (Ford) 260
2. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 244
3. Garth Tander (Holden) 242
4, Rick Kelly (Holden) 240
5. Jamie Whincup (Ford) 240
6. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 210
7. Russell Ingall (Holden) 192
8. Mark Skaife (Holden) 184
9. Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 168
10. Greg Murphy (Holden) 156Results Round 3, Melbourne
(do not count towards drivers' title)1. Garth Tander (Holden) 300
2. Will Davison (Ford) 276
3. Rick Kelly (Holden) 252
4. Mark Skaife (Holden) 228
5. Russell Ingall (Holden) 176
6. Cameron McConville (Holden) 172
7. Steven Johnson (Ford) 160
8. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 160
9. Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 150
10. Jason Richards (Holden) 148Drivers' points
1. Jamie Whincup 540
2. Rick Kelly 432
3. Lee Holdsworth 426
4. Mark Winterbottom 382
5. Will Davison 356
6. Craig Lowndes 339
7. Greg Murphy 330
8. Garth Tander 326
9. Mark Skaife 322
10. Todd Kelly 308Results, 250cc, Round 1, Qatar
1. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia)
2. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), +0.557s
3. Mika Kallio (KTM), +1.029s
4. Alex Debon (Aprilia), +1.418s
5. Yuki Takahashi (Honda), +12.944s
6. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), +14.480s
7. Karel Abraham (Aprilia), +16.721s
8. Aleix Locatelli (Gilera), +18.987s
9. Pol Espargaro (Aprilia), +32.232s
10. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), +41.102sResults, 125cc, Round 1, Qatar
1. Sergio Gadea (Aprilia)
2. Joan Olive (Derbi), +0.932s
3. Stefan Bradl (Aprilia), +1.660s
4. Mike di Meglio (Derbi), +1.771s
5. Scott Redding (Aprilia), +1.819s
6. Danny Webb (Aprilia), +7.689s
7. Simone Corsi (Aprilia), +8.684s
8. Pol Espargaro (Derbi), +8.693s
9. Efran Vasquez (Aprilia), +9.054s
10. Nicolas Terol (Aprilia), +10.902sRemaining races
March 30, Jerez
April 13, Estoril
May 4, Shanghai; May 18, Le Mans
June 1, Mugello; June 8, Catalunya; June 22,
Donington; June 29, Assen
July 13, Sachsenring; July 20, Laguna Seca
August 17, Brno; August 31, Misano
September 14, Indianapolis; September 28,
Motegi
October 5, Phillip Island; October 19, Sepang;
October 26, ValenciaLe Mans Series test, Paul Ricard
1. Audi Sport Team Joest, R10 TDI, 1m39.705s
2. Audi Sport Team Joest, R10 TDI, 1m40.777s
3. Creation Autosportif, CA07-AIM, 1m41.797s
4. Team Oreca Matmut, Courage Oreca, 1m41.805s
5. Charouz Racing, Lola Aston Martin, 1m42.631s
6. Pescarolo Sport, Pescarolo Judd, 1m42.860s
7. Team Oreca Matmut, Courage Oreca, 1m43.864s
8. Van Merksteijn, Porsche RS Spyder, 1m43.829s
9. Essex Racing, Porsche RS Spyder,
1m43.956s
10. Quifel ASM, Lola AER, 1m44.456sLe Mans Series Calendar
April 6, Barcelona
April 27, Monza
May 11, Spa
August 17, Nurburgring
September 14, Silverstone* June 1, Le Mans test day
* June 14/15, Le Mans 24 hours*not part of the championship
- Whincup joins Australian V8 greats with Clipsal 500 win 15.07.08
Essex Racing, led by John Nielsen with Casper Elgaard, became the first Porsche RS Spyder team to run on Dunlop tyres at the official pre-season test session at Estoril, Portugal at the end of February. The team will run in the Le Mans Series and at the Le Mans 24 hours this year as an official partner team of Dunlop Motorsport.
"It was a good test, and the car is incredible," said Nielsen. "You just push the button and it runs, which means that we and Dunlop were able to collect a lot of data. They were happy with everything that they learned and now they are going to look at everything and get to the next stage.
"Consistency was maybe one area where we need to work. The new compound Dunlop that were working on other cars did not suit the Porsche so they are analysing that, but the lap times are OK. If you look at the simulation that Porsche made, based on their data from running on Michelin tyres, we should have an optimum lap of 1m27.4s, and we did a 1m27.7, so we think we are pretty close to where we should be. We will jump further when we have the next stage in tyres, and when the team and the drivers have learned the car.
"We are running 2007 aero package which will be updated to 2008 spec by the LMS test at Paul Ricard. We are also still running a test engine, so there is more to come from the car, too. We are quite happy because we drove more than 1000kms, and got a lot of feedback which is important because everything is new, including all of our tools!
"Very clearly we could have raced with Michelin, but being number 5 or 6 customer did not appeal to us. We would rather be with a tyre partner that appreciates what we can do together, and we are priority partner in development. By doing that, I hope that we can beat the Michelin. I am pretty sure we will be on par, and during the season we will be better.
The rest is up to us as drivers! "Le Mans will add a lot of work, but we entered it because we wanted to do it. We are the first Porsche team to go to Le Mans, so we are very happy."
- Estoril magic for Dunlop as teams ready for 2008 Le Mans Series 15.07.08
Dunlop completed a successful three day test at the Estoril circuit in Portugal with its partner and customer teams in preparation for the Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 hours in June.
The test was conducted in near perfect conditions of more than 20 degrees Centigrade, which gave the teams ample time to adapt to their new cars. Dunlop engineers had a perfect chance to test their new tyres and to work with its new teams ahead of what it hopes will be a successful endurance racing season.
Essex Racing ran the Porsche RS Spyder on Dunlop tyres for the first time, collecting valuable information over the 1000kms completed during the three days. The RS Spyder won eight races overall in the American Le Mans Series in 2007 and Dunlop is hoping that the car will be able to repeat that form in Europe.
"I don't think that we were too far away," commented Dunlop's chief designer Matthew Simpson. "It was mainly a question of compound consistency, but they did not complete a full race evaluation. The balance and feel of the tyres and compound useage were very good."
The Estoril test was also the first time that the Creation Autosportif team appeared as a full development partner for the tyre company.
The Creation team began its relationship with Dunlop by sending its car to the Goodyear testing facility in Luxemburg to be evaluated, the first time that the facility has been used in such a way for the endurance racing programme.
"The car had a full analysis in Luxemburg which we hope pointed us in the right direction," says Simpson. "The facility puts us into another league in terms of resource and we hope that it will be a more regular part of the programme."
The Creation team worked on both race and qualifying tyres which Dunlop engineers hope to have ready in time for the second half of the Le Mans Series season.
The Portuguese ASM team will again run on Dunlop tyres and used the Estoril test to work with new driver Olivier Pla, the Frenchman who performed the majority of the development work for the team.
Reigning GT2 champions Virgo Motorsport returned to the track in their Dunlop-liveried Ferrari 430 GT, driven by Rob Bell and Gianmaria Bruni in the Le Mans Series this year.
The Ferrari team, which won twice last year on its way to the teams' title, ran an updated Dunlop compound in the second half of the season which proved to be highly effective.
"The GT2 test was a logical extension of last year," said Simpson. "We tested in the
same configuration to last year and found a benefit of 1.5s with potentially more to come from the engine."The team will run with the updates provided by car builder Michelotto, including a wider rear track and wider front wheels. In the past these updates unsettled the rear of the car but the team, with Dunlop, has now resolved these issues with a new tyre designed specifically for the car.
The official Le Mans Series test will take place at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test facility on March 2/3, and will include a 24-hour simulation run to enable teams to prepare for the Le Mans 24 hours in June in which Dunlop will supply ten cars.
"There is not a lot of time between the two tests, and so a lot of the work at Paul Ricard will be re-establishing what we have learned at Estoril," says Simpson.
- Whincup wins Clipsal 500 as Winterbottom scores podium 15.07.08
Jamie Whincup took a narrow win at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, the opening round of the Australian V8 Supercar series and his second win of the weekend to open out an early 42-point lead in the drivers' title.
The Vodafone Ford Falcon driver started his weekend by heading Mark Winterbottom over the line, Winterbottom celebrating his first Australian V8 Supercar podium of his career.
Sunday's showcase event featured a crash between Craig Lowndes and James Courtney, which ultimately accounted for Winterbottom's race too. Whincup forged ahead, winning by less than a second ahead of an exhausted Lee Holdsworth, whose cool suit and helmet cooling system had failed as early as lap 20.
Cameron McConville, Todd Kelly, Shane van Gisbergen, Rick Kelly and Greg Murphy
finished within four seconds of the winner in one of the most exciting finishes seen in the Supercar series. "It was an amazing weekend - one of those ones that as a kid you dream of," said a delighted Whincup. "There was never a dull moment. To join the greats of the category really makes me proud."Lowndes and Courtney crashed out of Sunday's race on lap 56 of the 78 lap race after Lowndes overtook around the outside, squeezing Courtney and they both hit the wall. Winterbottom had nowhere to go ane was also involved. Courtney had already clashed with Garth Tander on lap 31, damaging Tander's car.
- New circuits and new concepts for MotoGP 15.07.08
The 2008 MotoGP season starts on March 9th with the first-ever race to be run at night under floodlights. The full 5.4 km Losail circuit in Qatar will be illuminated for the weekend, with racing starting at 8 pm local time.
Another first on the 18-race GP calendar, which takes the teams from Qatar in March to Valencia at the end of October by way of China, Japan, Malaysia, Australia as well as throughout Europe, is the GP of Indianapolis on September 14th - the first time that a motorcycle GP has been held at the famous Brickyard track.
Not only is the MotoGP calendar truly global, but its riders come from 17 different nations, highlighting its international appeal. Newcomer in 2008 is Indonesia, with 17-year-old Doni Tata Pradita joining Rathapark Wilairot from Thailand in the 250cc class to underline the emergence of Asian riders onto the world scene.
Irrespective of nationality, all the 23 riders in 250cc and 34 in 125cc are united in their tyre choice - all have chosen Dunlop. By the time the bikes line up for practice in Qatar, the Birmingham based development engineers will already have spent nearly two weeks on track with their partner teams from Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Yamaha, finalising tyre compound and construction for the new season.
With 2007 250cc champion Jorge Lorenzo moving up to the MotoGP class, indications from the preseason testing in Spain suggests that among the top contenders for the title will be Mika Kallio (KTM) and the Aprilias of Alvaro Bautista and Tom Luthi.
In the closely contested 125cc class, 17-year-old Bradley Smith (Aprilia) has been fastest throughout the winter testing raising hopes that England may have found a rider to challenge the Spaniards and Italians.
However they will all have to beat the 2007 champion, Hungarian Gabor Talamacsi who will start his title defence in Qatar. Dunlop is looking forward to extending its run of 15 World Championships in 250cc and 11 in 125cc, and maintaining its record of having won more Grands Prix than all the other tyre manufacturers combined.
- DUNLOP MOTORSPORT RESULTS AND POINTS, 2008 (3) 15.07.08
June 2008
- Dunlop score podium finishes at Le Mans 24 hour race 18.06.08
The Le Mans 24 hour race was tough this year with sporadic weather conditions making it an even more challenging drive for the teams, but Dunlop performance was not outdone by the weather achieving podium finishes in the LMP2 and GT2 classes.
A record 258,500 spectators turned up to watch the nail biting race which stretched the teams and tyre companies to the limit. The Le Mans 24 hour race is one of the only ones in the world to use both race track and road and this can be challenging for the drivers as well as the types of tyres used for the event.
The Essex Racing team returned a podium finish on Porsche's debut with the RS Spyder. John Nielsen, Casper Elgaard and Saascha Maassen led the team to their second position finish in the LMP2. It was the first time that the Porsche had contested in a race of more than 12 hours, and the first time that Porsche factory driver Maassen had driven with the team. The new mix created a leading finish.
Tough conditions and high competition tested the endurance of not only the drivers but the whole team involved.
Another successful team racing on Dunlop's was The Farnbacher Racing team. Their Ferrari landed third place in the GT2 class, with drivers Pierre Ehret, Pierre Kaffer and Lars Eric Nielsen keeping the pace throughout the race.
The Dunlop team worked tirelessly to ensure all of their teams performed to the best of their ability. They fitted in excess of 900 tyres over the course of the two day stint with 650 of these being fitted during the 24 hours of the race. They had 36 tyre specialists on site to cope with the demand for tyres. The team had to cope with razor sharp gravel stones dragged onto the circuit by spinning cars causing tyre punctures and rain which kept the track wet from Saturday evening right the way through to the race end at 3pm on Sunday. The changes from dry to wet tyres had to be swift to keep the cars up to speed.
In total there were ten Dunlop shod cars running in three classes with Team Essex and Farnbacher being the top performers. Each car has a service engineer for the whole week to ensure correct running conditions are being adhered to by the teams, and to help with the tyre performance and compound selection process. At the end of the race six out of the ten Dunlop shod cars finished the race.
"The Le Mans 24 hour race is always a great experience for both the spectators and those involved with the race, we are always stretched to perform at Le Mans and this year was no different. I am pleased and proud with Dunlop's performance on track and in the pits. The team worked hard to ensure all the Dunlop teams and tyres were performing to full capacity" said Paul Bryant, Key Account Manager for Dunlop Motorsport.
- McGuinness wins TT again as Redding wows at British GP 16.06.08
Fabrizio Giovanardi moved into a commanding 23-point lead in the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship after the fifth round at Croft on June 1. The Vauxhall driver took victory in the third of the day's races to lead his team-mate Matt Neal in the title standings with Mat Jackson's BMW third and Jason Plato fourth in the SEAT.
The first race was full of drama before the officials brought it to a premature end on the grounds of safety. The race was initially stopped after five laps after an accident and was re-started in wet conditions. With cars sliding off the circuit, stewards called a halt with full points declared, leaving Colin Turkington as the winner, ahead of Neal and Gordon Sheddon. Darren Turner slid off track having qualified on pole position in his dieselpowered SEAT, and Plato, who had qualified third, crashed on the warm up lap. He recovered to finish 12th after starting from the pit lane. Turkington took a second win in the second race, but Mat Jackson had a brilliant drive from 18th on the grid to finish little more than a tenth of a second behind in his BMW. Turkington almost lost control of his car on the penultimate corner, but had just enough of an advantage to hold off Jackson.
Matt Neal was third, strengthening his grip on second place in the championship, while Plato, so close to becoming champion in 2007, could manage no better than eighth. The final race saw Giovanardi in perfect form, the Italian eventually finding his way past Rob Collard's BMW having started from third place on the grid, and he went on to take victory by 1.5s ahead of Adam Jones's Seat Leon.
Jones was penalised two penalty points on his competition licence after a robust move on Collard, who was then hit by Mike Jordan's Honda Integra. Plato completed his miserable weekend by clashing with Turkington's BMW and trailed round at the tail of the field. Turner tangled with Jackson after a safety car period, which put paid to his chances of salvaging points from a promising performance in qualifying.
- Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup - Rounds 5 & 6 Croft Race Report 15.06.08
Round 5: Thorney Motorsport Dominates With Two Class Wins
Simon Gusterson in pole, Martin Wallbank alongside him and Simon Shaw on row two. That's how they lined up for the first Dunlop Sport MAXX Cup race of the day at Croft and as the lights went out it was a poor start by Gusterson, Wallbank taking over at the front with Shaw second and newcomer John Harrison third ahead of Gusterson. Yet the BMW drivers of maintaining his good start were dashed when he got it all wrong at the chicane and dropped down the order as a result. His mistake allowed Shawn Hollamby and John Allison to follow Gusterson who moved up into third position. So an exciting opening lap and as they began lap two, Wallbank and Shaw, in a very close second, pulled away with Gusterson dropping off the pace slightly in third but a good distance ahead of Hollamby in fourth.
A great move by Shaw as they exited Tower on lap two saw the Astra VXR driver pass Wallbank to take the lead and as a result of the front two squabbling, Gusterson was able to close in and just a second covered the top three as they start lap three. Class B was led at this point by Leyton Clarke while Paul Overton brought his Focus ST into pit lane with a problem, also on lap three. Just off the podium positions as they started lap four are Hollamby, Allison and Harrison in that order.
By lap four Shaw was pulling away from Wallbank with Gusterson closing in on second place. Then a scare for Wallbank as he straight lined the chicane on lap five yet managed to hold on to second place but Gusterson really started to apply the pressure. However his Renault Megane just doesn't have the straight line speed to pass Wallbank's Astra VXR down Croft's long straights but he eventually does manage to pass him, on the brakes as they began lap six and once past Gusterson started to pull away as he set about closing down the race leader. Yet it was Shaw who still led and was also the proud owner of the fastest lap tag, something he achieved on lap two.
Meanwhile John Harrison was putting in a great effort in his first competitive Sport MAXX race, trying on numerous occasions to pass fifth placed Allison but to no avail and as the chequered flag was waved it was Shaw who held on for the win with Gusterson second, Wallbank third and Clarke, in seventh, the leading Group B driver.
ROUND 5 RESULTS
CLASS A
1. Simon Shaw Vauxhall Astra VXR
2. Simon Gusterson Renault Megane R26 230
3. Martin Wallbank Vauxhall Astra VXR
4. Shaun Hollamby SEAT Leon Cupra
5. John Allison Vauxhall Astra VXR
6. John Harrison BMW E46 M3
7. Shawn Taylor Nissan 350Z
CLASS B
1. Leyton Clarke Vauxhall Corsa
2. Quentin Laithwaite Renault Clio
3. Whyinny/Whyinny SEAT Leon FR
4. Howes/Holloway Volkswagen Lupo GTiRound 6: Delight and Disappointment for Thorney Motorsport
A stunning start by John Harrison in race two saw him scream into the lead with Wallbank second, Gusterson third and Shaw fourth. As they approached Sunny for the first time, Wallbank had a look at Harrison but the rookie fended him off. Not for long though as the race leader gets it all wrong at the Complex, ends up going wide and drops to fourth as a result. So a change in the order with Wallbank leading as they started lap two with Gusterson second and Shaw pestering really hard in third.
As they started lap three there was no change in the top four with John Allison in fifth, Shawn Taylor sixth, Shawn Hollamby seventh and Quentin Laithwaite eight but he was the leading Group B driver. Hollamby was a man on the move as he passed Taylor to take fifth while Gusterson posted the quickest time so far.
The top three continued to break away but Harrison was slipping back into the clutches of Allison on lap four. Wallbank's Vauxhall was again certainly proving to be faster in a straight line than Gusterson's Renault, so the Megane man's hopes rested on a move on the brakes yet on lap six his attempt to take the lead at Tower goes wrong, the Renault loses momentum and Shaw says 'thank you very much' and slips into second.
Wallbank is the first of the leading trio to enter pit-lane for his mandatory stop closely followed by Leyton Clarke who'd moved into the lead of Group B so it was Shaw who momentarily took over at the front. Gusterson was then next to enter the pits, followed closely by fourth-placed Harrison.
Leyton Clarke was one of the first back out on track but immediately had a problem with his Vauxhall Corsa smoking and spluttering. Shaw then came in and the countdown was on as Wallbank headed down the start finish straight and just managed to pass Simon Shaw who was exiting pit-lane.
So with the stops completed it was Wallbank who led from Shaw with Gusterson a couple of seconds back in third.
A retirement for Leyton Clarke on lap ten meant Laithwaite took over again at the head of Group B and as they started lap eleven Shaw tried his hand at Clervaux and as he and Wallbank entered the chicane, he regained the lead with a very bold move, which saw both cars losing bodywork.
Thirteen laps completed and Shaw had built up a two second advantage from Wallbank and Gusterson who were fighting tooth and nail for second place.
Early race leader John Harrison had, by this point, dropped down to sixth with Allison up to fourth ahead of fifth-placed Hollamby.
Gusterson's persistence eventually paid off as he took second from Wallbank for second but with time running out Shaw looked uncatchable out front.
Shaw though eventually lost his front bumper with a couple of laps to go but it didn't slow him down and he continues to control things out front, extending the gap back to Gusterson to around four seconds and as the chequered flag was unfurled Shaw took his second win of the day with Gusterson second and Wallbank third.
ROUND 6 RESULTS
CLASS A
1. Simon Shaw Vauxhall Astra VXR
2. Simon Gusterson Renault Megane R26 230
3. Martin Wallbank Vauxhall Astra VXR
4. John Allison Vauxhall Astra VXR
5. Shaun Hollamby SEAT Leon Cupra
6. John Harrison BMW E46 M3
7. Shawn Taylor Nissan 350Z
CLASS B
1. Quentin Laithwaite Renault Clio
2. Whyinny/Whyinny SEAT Leon FR - Dunlop in Motorsport and at Le Mans 14.06.08
Le Mans, June 14, 2008 - John Boyd Dunlop's pneumatic tyre was used in competition less than a year after he patented it in 1888. Its first appearance was at the Queens College Sports in Belfast in June 1889. Fitted to the safety bicycle of William Hume, the 'medium standard' rider won all three races in which he was entered, defeating much stronger opposition on their solid tyred ordinary bikes. These victories for the new tyre, on its first public outing, so excited interest that 50 bicycles fitted with the new tyres were quickly sold in Belfast. The history of Dunlop's involvement in sport and its benefits thus go back almost 120 years.
By the 1920s, Dunlop had tyres capable of speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph) so it is little wonder that the 'speed kings' of that era chose the brand for their record breaking attempts. The many successes included Sir Malcolm Campbell's 1935 land speed record in 'Bluebird' with a speed of 484.620 km/h (301.129 mph). In 1923, the Le Mans 24 hour endurance classic started and the first eight years were dominated by the huge Bentleys, winning no less than five times on Dunlop tyres. The 1930s saw motorsport develop further with more circuits built and cars getting faster and more powerful - a challenge to which Dunlop rose. The war stopped motor racing and it did not regain momentum until the end of the 1940s. Formula 1 was born in 1950 and during the next two decades - arguably the golden age of motorsport - Dunlop tyres achieved 66 Formula One wins with eight world champions. Success continued throughout the seventies and eighties, focused on endurance racing and especially Le Mans.
It was the same in motorcycle racing where Dunlop was the dominant brand, particularly in road racing, where the Isle of Man TT and Dunlop are almost synonymous. Over the years, Dunlop has won 115 out of 239 Motorcycle World Championships. From 1949 to 2007 there have been 2519 Grands Prix in the solo classes and Dunlop riders have won 1304 (51.8%) of these - more than all other tyre manufacturers combined. This year the company hopes to celebrate its 200th consecutive 250cc win.
Today Dunlop is a global supplier of tyres to all forms of motorsport. In Europe 300,000 racing tyres manufactured at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham UK each year, many to race tracks on other continents.
In car racing, Dunlop supplies tyres for Le Mans, the Open GT Championship, LMS (Le Mans Series), V8 Supercars (Australia), DTM (German Touring Cars), BTCC (British Touring Cars) and rallying.
For motorcycle racing Dunlop manufactures tyres for MotoGP 250 cc and 125 cc classes, Superbike, Supersport, Endurance, Supermoto and Motocross.
Le Mans
Of all the motor races in the world, the most legendary is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From the 1920s until today, this French circuit has been one of the toughest tests of car, driver and tyre. The tyre that has won more races at Le Mans than any other is Dunlop. Its association with the Sarthe circuit goes back to the earliest days and is reflected now with the famous Dunlop Curve, Dunlop Bridge and the circuit marshals, who are resplendent in Dunlop overalls.Since the race started in 1923, 34 out of the 75 races have been won on Dunlop tyres - more than twice as many wins as the nearest competitor Legends were made here including the 'Bentley Boys', who won in the 1920s, Jaguar, which dominated the 1950s, Ferrari in the 1960s and Porsche in the 1980s, all on Dunlop tyres.
This year sees the 76th Le Mans 24 hour Race. Ten of the 55 cars entered have chosen to race on Dunlop tyres. In LMP1 these include the Rollcentre Pescarolo (4th overall in 2007) and Creation teams, whilst in LMP2 Team Essex Racing, which will be one of the first to enter the race with the Porsche RS Spyder, head a strong group of Dunlop teams. These also include the Lola of Quifel-ASM and the Radical of Bruichladdich Racing. In GT2, Dunlop partners the 2007 LMS champion, Virgo Motorsport Ferrari F430 in its distinctive yellow livery.
- Isle of Man TT victories for Dunlop, McGuinness and Plater 10.06.08
Public road racing plays an integral part in the development of Dunlop's motorcycle tyres. The British tyre manufacturer's Race to Road mantra ensures that the very best race-derived technology is delivered to consumers without compromise. As the most notorious public road racing event in the world, the Isle of Man TT is the perfect testing ground for Dunlop's tyres - and recent results prove that the manufacturer has passed the test with flying colours.
Following what proved to be one of the most competitive Isle of Man TT Senior races in recent memory, John McGuinness, aboard his Dunlop-shod Padgetts Manx Gas Racing Honda, emerged victorious once again.
A year after setting the island alight with the first ever 130mph lap around the famous Mountain Course, McGuinness took to the top step of the podium for the 14th time. The result means that only public road racing legend Joey Dunlop, who took 26 wins, is more successful than McGuinness at the Isle of Man TT.
On the final lap of the race, McGuinness scored the fastest lap of the 2008 contest. Once again McGuinness closed in on the 130mph lap barrier, clocking an average speed of 129.517mph aboard his Dunlop-shod Honda Fireblade.
On his Senior TT race victory, McGuinness commented: "Dunlop's triple tread compound technology gives me the confidence to push myself to the limit around the Isle of Man TT course. I feel incredibly loyal to Dunlop as in 2008 they once again helped me to victory."
Dunlop also secured a win in the first Supersport race of the week, courtesy of AIM Racing's Steve Plater. The result came a matter of weeks after Plater, aboard his Dunlop-shod Yamaha, had bagged an historic hat-trick in another of the world's premier public road racing events - the North West 200.
Phil Plater, Manager Motorsport UK commented on the success: "We go racing to develop and improve the performance of our road tyres, so the results at events like the Isle of Man TT and North West 200 are extremely important to us. John's victory in the Isle of Man and Steve's performances at both the TT and the North West 200 prove that Dunlop make a formidable race tyre that is equally adept on the road."
The British tyre manufacturer uses its race experience to develop new technologies for road products. This enables it to mass produce tyres for riders of all types and levels. There is perhaps no greater test of a tyre's ability than the world-renowned Isle of Man TT, and after Dunlop helped John McGuinness and Steve Plater to victory at the event, the British manufacturer can lay claim to being the King of the Mountain.
- In Touch - Le Mans 2008 06.06.08
DUNLOP came away from the Le Mans 24 hours delighted with the performance of its dry and light wet tyres after a difficult race in which the changing conditions contributed to the overall result. "We were pretty competitive in all conditions other than full wet conditions," says Dunlop's chief tyre technician Matthew Simpson of the LMP2 tyres. "On the slick tyres and the light wet tyres, we had a performance advantage, but in full wet conditions we struggled to get temperature into our compounds. The Essex car had engine trouble so we were never going to do better than we did, but we have to look at the tyre performance in wet conditions and make it better. "The Virgo Ferrari team were very strong and our development construction at the rear allowed us to double stint safely. There was no sign of difficulty in doing so, and there was zero deterioration from the first lap to the last in a double stint, according to the drivers. Perhaps we could have triple stinted, but we didn't test that before the race and during the race was not the time to try. "The Creation team had four punctures and three of them were caused by debris. There was not enough left of the tyre to establish the cause of the fourth."
JOHN NIELSEN, CASPER ELGAARD and SASCHA MAASSEN took second place in LMP2 in their team Essex Porsche RS Spyder. It was the first time that the Porsche RS Spyder had contested a race of more than 12 hours, and the first time that Porsche factory driver Maassen had driven with the team. "We had no problems during the day at all," said Nielsen. "We felt on top of the race and were leading well. However during the night we did not get the performance out of the rain tyres which was a surprise. We hadn't seen the problem before and historically the Dunlop tyre is extremely good in the rain. "When it started to rain we thought that the race would come to us, but then we had the engine problem which meant that we lost contact with the leader. "We have a big tyre test in July and we are not going to give up. It was nice to be on the podium at Le Mans with Porsche and Dunlop, but we were disappointed because we know that we could have won. "Sascha was the team-mate that we expected he would be. He is a team player. It was good to get it confirmed that what we were doing with the car was right."
- Hot day for hot hatches at Croft 01.06.08
Dunlop's Great and British Motorsport Festival arrived at the Croft circuit on the 15th June, bringing a packed day of motorsport entertainment to the north of England. Kicking the day off was a Hot Hatch Parade organised by Dunlop.
Over 50 cars rolled onto the circuit to take a lap around the track and be entered into a prize draw for a set of Sport Maxx TT Tyres, Dunlop's latest addition to their high performance range.
The Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup, part of the Great & British festival, features an eclectic mix of hot hatches from Astra VXRs and Alfa Romeos to SEAT Leons. The parade brought enthusiasts cars of the same nature on to the track giving them an experience of a lifetime.
"It was good to see drivers and their passengers excited about going on track for the parade. There was a fantastic mix of cars that participated in the parade and for many it was a great experience gift for Father's Day" said Kate Rock, Dunlop's Communications Specialist.
Lisa McIntosh, from Richmond, was delighted to be the winner of a set of the newly launched Dunlop Sport Maxx TT tyres. The new tyre uses Kevlar technology to give a new level of driving performance; DuPont's famous Kevlar is a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic aramid fibers, the material is added to the tyre's compound in a unique and innovative way, leading to the improved driving precision.
What makes the Sport Maxx Cup so unique is the use of the new Sport Maxx TT tyre on all cars competing in the cup. This shows the tyres ability to perform on track as well as the proven results on the road.
"Winning the new Sport Maxx TT tyre was unexpected and was a bonus to what was already a great day at the race track. I am looking forward to putting the tyre to the test" said Lisa McIntosh, Dunlop's Prize Draw Winner.
- Dunlop score podium finishes at Le Mans 24 hour race 18.06.08
May 2008
- In Touch - May 2008 01.05.08
INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN - Andrea Montermini and Michele Maceratesi took an early lead in the International GT Open series when they won the opening race at Vallelunga in their Ferrari 430 GT, and finished second behind the Advanced Engineering Ferrari of Damien Pasini and Alessandro Bonetti in the GT Open race on Sunday. Two lively races entertained the Italian crowd and Montermini was in the thick of the action from start to finish. Contact with race leader Jose Aicart at the start in a melee with Xavier Pompidou, Pedro Couciero and Andrea Belicchi left Aicart with an advantage, though bodywork problems led to his retirement. That left Montermini clear to take victory in the first of the weekend's races. Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz started the second race from pole position in his Porsche, shared with Gianluca Roda and he led the opening stages of the race ahead of Maceratesi and the four Advanced Engineering Ferraris. After the pit stops, it was Damien Pasini who led Montermini, Ferdinando Monfardini and Pedro Couceiro. Montermini passed Pasini for second place as the top three, all Ferraris, ran in close formation. Montermini then made a lunge at Lorenzo Case which resulted in Case spinning into the gravel, while Montermini inherited the lead. However, Pasini was in no mood to concede, and took the lead, and a deserved win.
BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP - Vauxhall's Fabrizio Giovanardi maintained his lead of the HiQ British Touring Car Championship with two fifth place finishes and a second at Rockingham, the second race of the 2008 season. The reigning champion conceded the race wins to Mat Jackson, Matt Neal and Gordon Sheddon, the Scottish driver who dedicated his victory to David Leslie, who with former Audi team owner Richard Lloyd died in an air crash last month. Seat's Darren Turner scored two podium finishes, second behind Sheddon's Honda Civic in race one, and third behind Jackson's BMW and Giovanardi in race two. Neal led home the Honda Civic of Tom Chilton, and the Seat of Adam Jones in the final race of the day. Having taken a sixth in race one and taken a win in the second race, Jackson was on course to take the lead of the drivers' title before retiring from race three. "This has not been my strongest day, but still I scored some good points and have increased my lead," said Giovanardi.
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES - Audi scored a double win at St Petersburg in Florida and Long Beach in California, heading home Porsche and Acura. Dunlop took an LMP1 podium with Michael Lewis and Chris McMurry in their Creation CA-07, and fourth place in the GT2 class with the Corse Motorsports team of Johnny Mowlem and Gunnar Jeanette in their Ferrari 430 GT.
- In Touch - May 2008 01.05.08
April 2008
- Rounds 3 & 4 Pembrey News Bulletin 14.04.08
Race 1
FIRST EVER RACE WIN FOR FORMER DUNLOP RACE ACADEMY WINNER
In the first race of the day, Simon Shaw, who entered motorsport at the end of 2005 by winning Dunlop Race Academy - 'The X Factor of racing', produced a feisty drive from 5th on the grid to take his first overall win. In successive laps, the Thorney Motorsport Astra VXR driver passed former VW Cup Champion Shaun Hollamby (AmD Leon Cupra) and former Mini and Formula Renault Champion Martin Wallbank (888 Astra VXR) to win - despite intense pressure from Simon Gusterson's Megane R26 throughout the race. Hollamby was third, and John Thorne (BMW M3) 4th - with all four cars being covered by just 1.5 seconds. Shaw, from Warrington, was delighted with the win - adding to his tally of 2006 Ginetta Rookie Championship and 2007 Dunlop Sport Maxx Class B wins. In Class B, It was Shaw's 2007 Renaultsport Clio, this time in the hands of former Fiat Champion Adrian Miller, that snatched victory when Quentin Laithwaite spun his similar car on lap one.
Race 2
This 30 minute race featured a compulsory pitstop, and Shaw's hopes of was repeating his earlier win were dashed with an exhaust manifold failure on lap three. Gusterson dominated this race, easing away from Hollamby, to score a Pembrey triumph to add to his 2007 Oulton Park win. In Class B, Miller suffered a broken gearbox giving Quentin Laithwaite a clear run at Clio glory, heading Leyton Clarke's Thorney Motorsport Corsa Sri.
Next Round Croft 15th June:
During the next two events at Croft and Combe, new class A cars are expected to debut from John Harrison (BMW E46) and Shawn Taylor Motorsport (Ford Focus ST). Class C hopefuls include former Fiat racer Andy Booy in a Peugeot 106Gti, Barry Pearson's Mini Cooper, and Fiat Puntos from Track and Race Cars Magazine and former BTCC Production Cup driver James Levy.
- In Touch - April 2008 01.04.08
THE 56th SEBRING 12 HOURS yielded two podium positions in separate categories for Dunlop as the tyre manufacturer returned to the American Le Mans Series. The Intersport Racing Lola AER of Jon and Clint Field, and Richard Berry, finished third in LM P1 behind the two Audi R10 TDIs, but ahead of the factory-run Peugeot. Terry Borcheller and Chapman Ducote shared their Aston Martin with Antonio Garcia and they finished third in the GT1 class behind the factory Corvette team after Ducote crashed due to a problem with the brakes and damaged the rear diffuser. One high profile entry to this year's ALMS is the Drayson-Barwell Aston Martin DBRS9. Running on E85 bioethanol fuel, the team will be the first in the series to compete with Aston Martin's GT2 car which is still under development. Paul Drayson and his co-drivers Jonny Cocker and Tim Sugden used a GT3- specification car for Sebring, which ran well until Drayson crashed out.
THE 2008 DUTCH SUPERCAR CHALLENGE is going from strength to strength in 2008 with no fewer than 25 cars having entered the GT class for the full season while in other categories are also boasting healthy numbers. Division Supersport 1 and 2 are supported by a further 55 cars, including the BMW Z3 and Lotus Exige, while the Division Sport 1 and 2 are also well subscribed, with Renault Clios and Mini Coopers boosting the grid by a further 26 cars. Dunlop's representative Musko Motorsport, based in the Netherlands, services the entire ten-race series which starts at the Nurburgring on April 20.
PORSCHE headed the 2008 pre-season test session for the International GT Open ahead of what is expected to be a closely-fought season. Porsche and Ferrari have put a lot of effort into their new title challengers which will contest the GT Open, American and European Le Mans Series, and the FIA GT Championship. Team Autorlando, with driver Richard Westbrook, posted fastest time ahead of the Playteam SaraFree Ferrari of Andrea Montermini. Corvette has entered the Z06 GT3, with Twenty-Two Motorsport, while Lamborghini, Mosler and Dodge are all well represented once again.
- Rounds 3 & 4 Pembrey News Bulletin 14.04.08
March 2008
- Dunlop makes successful return to American Le Mans Series with LMP1 podium 18.03.08
The 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was a hot, sometimes heated, all action-packed event. That it was a race of attrition for many of the 35 entries didn't prevent it from being thrilling for the record-breaking crowd numbers who attended.
As has been so often the case at Sebring, the weather conditions fluctuated throughout the week leading up to the race. Every practice session brought different ambient and track temperatures, and heavy rain on Thursday night meant the track was washed clean of all the rubber that had built up during the week. Tyre selection was therefore critical for all competitors, and Dunlop's engineers were instrumental in helping teams to make the right choice for what turned out to the hottest day of the week. At nearly one third distance, the air temperature was 89oF and track temperature 102o with high humidity.
The highlight in the results among the six Dunlop runners was third place in the LMP1 class for the Intersport Racing Lola AER of Jon and Clint Field and their regular co-driver, Richard Berry. The trio had an excellent run to 10th overall, with a change of a fuel filter being the only notable hold up in proceedings. To place ahead of the Peugeot 908 was a great achievement for these stalwarts of the American Le Mans Series. Another third place in class went to the new for 2008 Bell Motorsports Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 entry.
Terry Borcheller and Chapman Ducote were joined at Sebring by experienced Aston Martin factory driver, Antonio Garcia of Spain, but the #008 was always going to be hard-pressed to match the pace of the all-conquering Corvettes. In fact, had it not been for early brake issues and a subsequent unfortunate incident when Miamiresident Ducote was at the wheel, they might even have snatched a second place as the #4 Corvette broke a half shaft two hours into the race. Ducote said of the incident, "The brakes locked up at Turn 10. When I tried to recover it tore the rear diffuser."
The remaining Dunlop runners were not treated kindly by the ides of March. The cruellest blow befell the Autocon Creation CA07-Judd which battled through a list of problems including a change of brake master cylinder, clutch, starter and wiring before succumbing to "mechanical failure" 11 hours and 30 minutes into the 12-hour race. While things were going well, drivers Bryan Willman, Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry all reported that the car's balance was good and their tyre performance was consistent.
One of the highest profile new entries to this year's ALMS is the Drayson-Barwell Aston Martin DBRS9. Running on E85 bioethanol fuel, the team will also be the first in the series to compete with Aston Martin's GT2 car - still currently under development.
Paul Drayson and his co-drivers Jonny Cocker and Tim Sugden were therefore furnished with a GT3-specification car for Sebring. The mission for the Dunloptyred Drayson-Barwell DBRS9 was to try and get to the finish, a major challenge considering the GT3 car is only designed to compete in two-hour 'sprint' GT races. Endurance wasn't what brought the team's challenge to a premature end.
"I was really happy with the way the whole week went," said Paul Drayson, "apart from the last bit." The last bit referred to an accident that Drayson had at the high speed Turn One which caused extensive damage to the rear of the car. "I made a mistake braking too late into the turn and, although the team made a valiant effort to repair it, the gearbox was beyond help. Up until then, the car performed brilliantly and ran very sweetly on the Dunlops - our first race with them.
"It's been an outstanding week despite the disappointing way it finished, and we can't wait to be back for Long Beach."
Two further GT2 Dunlop entries were the Autoracing Club Bratislava Porsche 911 and the
Robertson Racing Doran Ford GTR. Despite a trouble-free run for the Slovakian car in the first half of the race, terminal gearbox issues led to their retirement in the eighth hour of the race.The Doran Ford GT-R of David and Andrea Robertson and David Murry worked its way through a number of small, new-car problems before David Robertson fell foul of the barriers at Turn 13 as the race approached its last quarter.
The impact was hard and it caused the fifth full-course caution of the day. The team's technical director, Dick Barbour, was philosophical about the outcome.
"I'm really happy with the race result today considering this car went from the trailer to the race track less than a week ago. The car was retired because the driver walked more than 10 meters from the car so it seems like the driver has given up and basically retired the car for me."
- DUNLOP SPORT MAXX CUP IS A SHAW THING 15.03.08
A double win for Simon Shaw in the Dunlop Sport MAXX Cup at the Croft circuit in the North of England boosted the Vauxhall Astra driver's championship aspirations as he led title rivals Simon Gusterson and Martin Wallbank across the line in both races. The result means he closes the gap on overall leader Quentin Laithwaite, who is competing in the less powerful Group B category of the series.
The Renault competitor came away with a first and a second place in his class. His victory in race two was assured when race one Group B class winner Leyton Clarke retired with a clutch problem.
Two thrilling Mini Challenge races resulted in another double victory, this time Jake Packun, occupying the top step of the podium, the Cooper S driver seeing off the threat of Jack Stanford and Martin Depper in both races.
In the Club class category of the championship, Tim Crighton looked to have been heading for a podium finish in race one but pulled in with a gearbox problem as the chequered flag came out prematurely following a big collision involving Arthur Forster and Gary Kounnis. Both drivers were okay but they didn't make race two, which saw Crighton put his earlier disappointment behind him, crossing the line ahead of fellow Club competitor Graham Parsons.
A similar story for the Sports cars, Terence Woodward and Ross Kaiser winning both Radical UK Cup races while second on both occasions were Alex Kapadia and Daniel Laddiman, who were the first Supersport SR3 crew home. There were also podium celebrations for Jeremy Ferguson and Ross Allen in race one and Derek Johnston in race two.
All of the racing took part of the Great & British Dunlop Motorsport Festival , highlights of which will be shown on Sky Sports and Motors TV.
- Dunlop Sport Maxx TT with Kevlar® technology 10.03.08
DuPont™ Kevlar®, one of the world's most revolutionary synthetic fibers is now also used in the complete apex of the new Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tyre - an innovation in tyre technology.
Using DuPont™ Kevlar® Engineered Elastomer (EE) in the complete apex of the new Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tyre represents a breakthrough in tyre technology. Kevlar® EE is an engineered pre-dispersion of paraaramid fibers that is highly resistant to processing, aging and changing temperature.
Adding Kevlar® EE to the apex compound creates a stiffer sidewall, which is therefore more resistant to torsion and compression, and greatly improves the dynamic behavior, specifically at higher temperatures, typical of a rolling tyre. These features lead to increased stability during cornering, as well as enhanced road feedback and more precision driving. The apex is part of the tyre's sidewall and located radially outward of the tyre's bead.
What is Kevlar®
DuPont™ Kevlar® is an 'aramid', a term invented as an abbreviation for aromatic polyamide. The correct chemical composition of Kevlar® is poly para-phenyleneterephthalamide, more commonly known as a paraaramid. Aramids belong to the family of nylons. Common nylons often do not have optimal structural properties, so the para-aramid distinction is vital. The aramid ring gives Kevlar thermal stability, while the para structure gives it high strength and modulus. DuPont™ Kevlar® is thus a para-aramid fiber that comes in different forms, each suited to a specific set of consumer and industrial applications.
DuPont offers Kevlar® in the form of cut fiber that can be converted into yarn or thread, continuous filament yarn, sheets and fibrillated pulp. Kevlar® EE, which is used in the Dunlop Sport Maxx TT, is a pre-dispersed form of Kevlar® pulp. Kevlar® pulps are highly fibrillated chopped fibers that can be used as specialty additives to enhance performance by providing excellent reinforcement and viscosity control under stress.
Who invented Kevlar®?
What began as one woman's experiment into new polymers at a DuPont research laboratory in the 1950's has since evolved to become Kevlar® - one of the most important man-made organic fibers ever invented. Five times stronger than the same weight of steel, Kevlar® is today used in different forms in a myriad of applications, from bullet-proof vests to underwater cables, parachutes, space vehicles and with the launch of the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT also, for the first time, in the complete apex of a tyre.
About Dunlop
Dunlop is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres with an impressive track record of motor sport successes. Dunlop's extensive racing experience has led to innovative technologies for tyres designed for everyday motoring. Always looking to maximize driving pleasure, Dunlop offers all types of motorists the performance and durability of the latest tyre technologies, including tyres with RunOnFlat technology, which is fitted to award winning vehicles such as the Mini, BMW One, Three, Five Series and X5.
Many of the world's leading vehicle manufacturers, including Alfa Romeo, AMG, Audi,
Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, fit Dunlop as standard.About DuPont
DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.
For more information on DuPont™ Kevlar®, visit www.kevlar.com
DuPont™ and Kevlar® are trademarks or registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de
Nemours and Company. - In Touch - March 2008 02.03.08
LE MANS - The ACO has announced the 55 cars that are invited to take part in the 2008 Le Mans 24 hours. No fewer than ten will run on Dunlop tyres. Creation Autosportif and Rollcentre Racing will run against Audi and Peugeot in the LMP1 category, while Team Essex Racing will become one of the first to enter Le Mans with a Porsche RS Spyder in LMP2. Team Bruichladdich will contest the 76th edition of the race with its Radical, Racing Box with its Lucchini, Quifel - ASM Team and Kruse Schiller Motorsport with Lolas. In GT2, Virgo Motorsport will continue the winning combination with Ferrari and Dunlop.
DTM - Audi has confirmed its driving line-up for the 2008 season, including British drivers Katherine Legge and Oliver Jarvis, alongside Markus Winkelhock. Drivers already announced include Tom Kristensen, Timo Scheider, Martin Tomczyk, Mike Rockenfeller and Alexandre Premat.
RALLYING - The first round of the BTRDA Rally series, the Wyedean Rally held around the Forest of Dean, was dominated by Dunlop tyred cars. Overall victory was taken by Andy Burton and Shelley Rogerson in their Peugeot Cosworth. The Dunlop-supported driver took the win from locally based Nik Elsmore, whose father Graham returned to the event after 24 years and won the Historic Section in his Mk2 Escort. Dunlop cars took four of the top 10 places with the Ford Focus WRC cars of Hugh Hunter and Mick O'Brien taking fifth and sixth respectively. Nick Elliott took 10th overall in his Mk2 Escort and finished as first 2WD car, on Dunlop SP61 gravel tyres.
AMA SUPERBIKE - The Daytona Speedway will host the first of the 10 round AMA Superbike Championship on March 5-7. Dunlop will be hoping to repeat 2007 form, where Dunlop riders won all four AMA road race titles (Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, Formula Xtreme). Ben Spies (Yoshimura Suzuki) took the Superbike title from his team-mate and six-time AMA champion Mat Mladin at the last race in 2007. The Suzuki team line up stays the same for 2008 and they again start as favourites, although Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) and Neil Hodgson (Honda) will challenge hard in a field that has almost unanimously chosen Dunlop.
AMA SUPERSPORT 600 - Roger Hayden will defend his title for Kawasaki and, like all the top Dunlop riders in this category, will benefit from Dunlop's latest generation of road legal race tyres developed and manufactured in Birmingham, UK - the Sportmax D211GP - which makes its global debut at Daytona.
- Dunlop makes successful return to American Le Mans Series with LMP1 podium 18.03.08
February 2008
- DUNLOP RACE ACADEMY WINNER COACHES STARS OF THE FUTURE 25.02.08
Dunlop Race Academy is calling upon 2005 winner and Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup champion Simon Shaw to coach this year's rookies and help find a racing star of the future.
Race Academy offers driving fans and budding racing drivers a platform to stardom and in 2008, former-winner Shaw will join the training team and judging panel. Sign-up is now open at www.driversknow.co.uk.
"I went through exactly the same process that this year's finalists will go through so I know exactly how they will be feeling," says Simon. "At the start of 2005 I was a car salesman but by the end of the year I was racing in the Ginetta Championship and last year I went on to win my class in the Sport Maxx Cup, supported by Dunlop."
Race Academy will offer a schedule of training throughout 2008 with Shaw and Le Mans 24- hour racing driver, Calum Lockie. One winner will then race on track with the professionals in the televised Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup final race in October. This link with the Sport Maxx Cup provides a genuine opportunity for talent to be displayed in a BTCC feeder series.
Fourteen finalists from across the country will be selected to take part in two regional semifinals where they will be judged on their performance on track, and in fitness and media tests. The top three will then be put through to the grand final where they will go head to head in an on-track shoot out to find the winner.
James Bailey of Dunlop said: "The Dunlop Race Academy has become the X Factor of motorsport with thousands of drivers signing up each year in a bid to race their way to the top. This is a genuine opportunity for people who love driving to experience the life of a racing driver as they compete to race in the Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup before jetting off to Monaco for the weekend to experience all the celebrity trappings.
"The winner will race against some of the UK's top drivers in the Sport Maxx Cup during the Dunlop Great and British Championship finals. The Dunlop Sport Maxx is a genuine stepping stone to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with a wide range of cars from Fiestas, Minis, Citroen Saxos to Seat Leon FRs, Vauxhall Astra VXRs and the Nissan 350Z. This championship has become a popular attraction at Dunlop's Great and British Festivals.
"Simon Shaw makes a fitting addition to the team this year. His performance in Race Academy 2005 was outstanding and his commitment and talent since then have helped him quickly rise through the ranks. This year, he will compete in the Sport Maxx Cup again and will face the 2008 Race Academy winner in the final round in October."
Last year 35-year old Software engineer, Philip Abbott from Bradford won the fourth Race Academy.
For a chance to make it into the Dunlop Race Academy this summer, simply visit www.driversknow.co.uk and apply online.
Follow the action at www.myspace.com/dunlopraceacademy. - DUNLOP LAUNCHES PHOTOBOOK OF FANS' ICONIC IMAGES 06.02.08
Dunlop Tyres have unveiled a coffee-table photobook including images from motoring
and motorsport fans that encapsulate 'The Thrill of the Drive'.The tyre company appealed for driving enthusiasts and budding photographers to send in their favourite photographs throughout 2007. Now the best and most emotive images have been presented in a limited edition, collectable photobook that will be sold on behalf of the Motorsport Safety Fund.
The photobook will be sold for £14.99 (plus P+P) and all copies have been personally signed by two-time British Touring Car Championship winner Matt Neal.
James Bailey of Dunlop Tyres said: "We had over 500 submissions from photographers that covered every element of motoring and motorsport from design elements to on-track action. From those, we have chosen 100 images that really encapsulate the thrill of driving and we think the result looks fantastic. This photobook is for anyone who is passionate about driving in all its forms and would make the perfect gift for driving fans. "Petrol runs through our veins at Dunlop, and this book encapsulates all that is great about driving, whether on track or on the road. More drivers race on Dunlop in the UK than any other brand of tyre so it is fitting that we should support the volunteers at the Motorsport Safety Fund who make British Motorsport a safer sport to watch and compete in."
'The Thrill of the Drive' photobook includes a stunning image taken by James Bryant on a hairpin of the challenging Passo dello Stelvio, a celebratory shot of Matt Neal's first BTCC win from Andy Weal and a group of rally drivers sliding across a frozen lake in Sweden in a Subaru Impreza, taken by Dan Prosser.
Money raised through sales of the book will be used by the Motorsport Safety Fund to help keep the sport safe through films and publications for the countless volunteers who help make it happen.
The Motorsport Safety Fund is a registered charity formed in 1974 to help improve safety in motorsport. It does this through the annual Watkins Lecture and various publications and films on marshalling, fire fighting, rescue and first aid.
To purchase the Dunlop 'Thrill of the drive' photobook, visit www.driversknow.co.uk/photobook and follow the instructions.
For more information on the Motorsport Safety Fund visit www.motorsportsafetyfund.com.
- DUNLOP RACE ACADEMY WINNER COACHES STARS OF THE FUTURE 25.02.08
January 2008
- Dunlop announces new ultrahigh performance tyre with Touch Technology and state of the art materials 10.01.08
Dunlop has released the first information on its latest Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT, successor to the award-winning Dunlop SP Sport Maxx.
"Car and driving enthusiasts can look forward to an ultra-high performance tyre allowing an outstanding driving precision," promises Frederick Schilling, Dunlop Brand Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "We have used premium materials such as Kevlar and latest motorsport compounds to reach a new level of driving performance," explained Schilling. "We will disclose more details on the tyre's innovative technology features prior to the full launch this spring"
DuPont's famous Kevlar is a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic aramid fibers. The material will be added to the tyre's compound in a unique and innovative way, leading to the improved driving precision. Using compound and fillers with particle sizes smaller than 100 nanometers, with one nanometer being one millionth of a millimeter, the new Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT will achieve new grip and wear performance levels. The new Dunlop tyre will also be equipped with Dunlop's successful Touch Technology technical features.
Benchmark test results
In performance benchmark tests conducted by Dunlop's research and development centre in Hanau, Germany, the first versions of the new Sport Maxx TT showed a significantly increased performance in dry handling, wet handling and wear when compared with its predecessor, the very successful SP Sport Maxx. Comparisons with the leading competitive products indicate that the new Sport Maxx TT performs better in many of the important performance criteria.
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT availability
The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT, will be launched in Europe in February 2008, and will be available in 15 sizes:
205/50 ZR 17 93 Y XL
215/50 ZR 17 91 Y
215/45 ZR 17 91 Y XL
225/55 ZR 17 101 Y XL
225/50 ZR 17 98
225/45 ZR 17 91 Y
225/45 ZR 17 94 Y XL
235/45 ZR 17 94 Y
235/45 ZR 17 98 Y XL
245/40 ZR 17 91 Y
225/40 ZR 18 92 Y XL
235/40 ZR 18 95 Y XL
245/40 ZR 18 93 Y
245/40 ZR 18 97 Y XL
255/35 ZR 18 94 Y XL - Dunlop celebrates racing successes at 'home' show 09.01.08
Dunlop will be celebrating their 2007 racing success, and unveiling important new motorsport contracts at the Autosport International Show at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre on Thursday.
When the show opens at the NEC, the iconic Dunlop bridge will be the first thing that
the predicted 100,000 visitors will see when they enter Hall 9.Dunlop design, develop and manufacture their motorsport tyres at Fort Dunlop in
Birmingham, and in 2007 were victorious in international Superbike racing, 125cc
and 250cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing.On four wheels, Dunlop is the leading choice for touring car championships around
the world, with success in the British, German and Australian national championships.At Autosport International , Dunlop will be announcing two new contracts. The HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship has committed to running exclusively on Dunlop for the next three years, and the new UK GT Cup, for supercars such as Ferraris and Porsches, will use Dunlop tyres on all cars for their inaugural season. Also, Dunlop will be unveiling the new Dunlop Sport Maxx TT high performance road tyre at the show. This innovative new tyre uses advanced materials such as Kevlar to deliver responsive and precise steering feedback.
"Autosport International is a showcase for the latest technology being developed for motorsport. Our international victories on both two wheels and four wheels are evidence of Dunlop's state-of-the-art technology translating into successful results in the toughest proving ground of professional motorsport. In addition, the latest Dunlop Sport Maxx TT applies the lessons learned in racing to our road tyres" stated James Bailey, Corporate Communications Manager.
Dunlop has been manufacturing winning tyres in Birmingham since 1902. The Birmingham plant now produces around 300,000 specialist competition tyres a year for UK and export markets all over the globe and employs a 300-strong group comprising research, development, manufacturing, engineering and commercial teams.
- Dunlop announces new ultrahigh performance tyre with Touch Technology and state of the art materials 10.01.08
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