Formula Two visits “spiritual home” on Yokohama rubber
Halfway through its first season supplying rubber to the series, Yokohama was at Brands Hatch last weekend (14-15 July) for the FIA Formula Two championship. The Official Tyre Partner called Kent’s Brands Hatch circuit the series' spiritual home, and was supplying drivers with its ADVAN A005 dry slick and ADVAN A006 wet tyres – a necessity with the inclement conditions in the south of the UK. The meeting saw another new face on the top step of the podium while a prospective motorsport student got a behind-the-scenes look at the series with the Yokohama technicians.
Continue ReadingBSB’s second 2012 visit to Brands Hatch this weekend
The British Superbike series visits the Brands Hatch GP circuit this weekend, supported by Pirelli’s Diablo Superbike tyres. Series leader Tommy Hill returns from Oulton Park, where he won all three races, and a Japanese test for the legendary Suzuka Eight Hour endurance race. At last season’s Brands Hatch GP run, Hill was joined on the podium by Shane Byrne and Josh Brookes, and these are the three riders leading the BSB Championship this year, with a comfortable gap between them and fourth placed Michael Laverty. This seventh round is the second visit to the wooded Kent circuit but the first to the full GP format.
Continue ReadingInfinity-backed AMD achieves Pro Class British Drifting victory
Acorn Motorsport Division (AMD), backed by Infinity Tyres has claimed victory in the Pro Class of the Maxxis Tyres British Drift Championship at the Teesside Autodrome. Mark Lappage secured the top step of the podium in mixed weather conditions over the weekend. “To get my first ever win under my belt is truly inspiring. It’s given me the confidence to know the car is good enough to beat everyone so I will keep pushing to match these results in the future,” said Lappage in reference to his victory.
Continue ReadingLoeb victorious at X Games on Cooper tyres
Cooper Tire describes the X Games Rallycross Final in Los Angeles as the world’s highest profile Rallycross event, and the company was pleased to support the eventual winner, eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb, with its tyres on his successful debut. Loeb was invited to make a one-off rallycross appearance by US regular Travis Pastrana and took a crushing debut victory in front of the American crowd in his Citroën DS3, leading home the Ford Fiestas of Ken Block and Brian Deegan in second and third respectively.
Continue ReadingYokohama seals maiden 2012 IRC class win in San Marino
Yokohama-shod Jarkko Nikara claimed his first class victory, four minutes ahead of the next Production Cup driver, in the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge Production Cup, claiming fifth overall on the San Marino Rally. Nikara and co-driver Jarkko Kalliolepo led the event from the first stage in their Tommi Makinen Racing Subaru Impreza R4 and claimed the Japanese brand's first event win of 2012 with a margin of more than four minutes.
Continue ReadingPirelli supplies tyres to Myerscough motorsport students
Pirelli has provided motorsport students from Myerscough College with competition tyres for the Ford Fiesta R2 rally car they are building as part of their course. Based in Lancashire, northwest England, Myerscough College boasts seven motorsport workshops and several competition cars for the continuing development and expansion of motorsport teaching. The college believes that hands-on experience is an important aspect of learning and therefore encourages students to take part in a wide range of motorsport events throughout the UK.
Continue ReadingPirelli tyres “work well” in difficult Scottish Rally conditions
Pirelli’s rally tyres were tested by sodden conditions at Saturday’s rain-soaked RSAC Scottish Rally, round five of the MSA Scottish Rally Championship. Reigning British rally champions, David Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae, charged to their fourth victory of the season at the wheel of a Pirelli KM6-equipped Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.
Continue ReadingGilbert extends Pirelli Mini Challenge lead
Henry Gilbert extended his lead in the Pirelli-backed MINI Challenge at Snetterton 300. The MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S race cars raced over two classes at the fourth round of the seven-round series: the John Cooper Works (JCW) class and the Club class. The JCW class was provided with slick and wet options: the 225/625-17 DH slick and 225/625-17 WS wet tyre. For the second time this season, Pirelli DH slicks and N3 wets were available to the Club class.
Continue ReadingWSBK riders to test next year’s rubber
On 2 July Superbike teams and riders will be given their first opportunity to experience Pirelli’s new 17-inch Diablo Superbike tyres for themselves. The tyre maker has confirmed a test day will be held at the Aragòn circuit in Spain next Monday for riders to check out prototypes of the tyre size the Superbike World Championship will run on as of next year. As part of the day’s programme, riders will initially ride on the current 16.5-inch tyres for a few laps – the same tyres available for this weekend’s race – before moving on to the 17-inch tyres. Pirelli says four 17-inch front tyres and four rear tyres will be used; in order to make a direct comparison easier, both these and the 16.5-inch tyres will feature the same compound, SC1.
Continue ReadingPirelli fantasy game a ‘nice tie-in’ with National Motorsport Week
Pirelli has confirmed its support for National Motorsport Week 2012, which will take place between 30 June and 8 July. The week-long annual initiative, jointly promoted by the Motorsport Industry Association and the Motor Sports Association, is a celebration of motorsport book-ended by two of the country’s premier motorsport events: the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Santander British Formula One Grand Prix. National Motorsport Week features a wide range of initiatives and activities, ranging from novice taster events run by local motor clubs to factory visits and open days at many of the UK’s premier motorsport organisations.
Continue ReadingExtra tyre set brings GP2 strategy even closer to F1
Since its inception in 2005, the main goal of the GP2 Series has been to prepare young drivers for what is arguably the pinnacle of motorsport – Formula 1. And Pirelli says tyre management has always played a key role in helping GP2 drivers to step into F1 easily and be competitive quickly.
Continue ReadingYokohama extends WTCC supply
The FIA has opted to extend Yokohama Rubber’s supply of Advan tyres to the World Touring Car Championship as control tyre for a further three years, through to 2015. In reporting the continuation of its tyre supply, Yokohama notes that by the time this current deal expires, the WTCC will have run on its tyres for a decade.
Continue ReadingBehind the scenes at Le Mans with Michelin
Ever wanted to get behind the scenes at Le Mans? Only a limited number of people ever get that close in person, but Michelin is providing a rare glimpse into the action that goes into each 24 Hours of Le Mans race via video. Opening the garage doors, Michelin has produced an exclusive video that provides insight into what the Audi team experiences in the run up to, during and after the iconic race, which takes place over the weekend of the 16-17 June.
Continue ReadingTeam Nexen takes top Drift Allstars honours
Team Nexen Tire Europe drivers Alan Sinnot and Luke Fink dominated the Drift Allstars Europe season opener in Birmingham, taking the top two places. The team, which launched on the Friday before the event, runs on Nexen’s new N8000 tyres. Luis Lopez also joined the two drivers in the Nexen team, which launched on the Friday before the event.
Continue Reading3rd-placed Infinity AMD has “high expectations” for weekend drifting
The 2012 Maxxis British Drift Championship stages its second round at the Norfolk Arena from 1-3 June 2012, and the Infinity Tyres-sponsored Acorn Motorsport Division says it has high expectations of building on its successes at round one. The team was very satisfied with the first round performance of its two competing drivers, which meant that they go into round two lying in third place in the overall standings. One of the team’s drivers, Ian Waddington is returning from his honeymoon in Hawaii to be at the wheel of his Nissan 200sc S13.
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