Turbo Technics MD Claims Speed Championship Titles
The managing director of Northampton-based turbocharger specialist Turbo Technics has taken the overall championship title in this year's BARC SBD Speed Championship, as well as the class honours in the Richard Egger Insurance Hillclimb and Sprint Association 2009 Speed Championship. Geoff Kershaw formed Turbo Technics in 1981, and claimed the titles at the wheel of his famous twin turbocharged Ford Sierra in his first year back in competition after a three-year break. Kershaw began sprinting and hillclimbing in 1967 and has been a regular competitor ever since. He cites as his inspiration a fellow driver who continued to race well into his 80s. Kershaw, who is 65, has no intention of giving up in the foreseeable future.
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Dominate Goodwood Revival Top Ten
Avon Tyres were the dominant rubber at the recent Goodwood Revival. All top ten finishers rode on Avon tyres, while the top five were utilising a new race version of the 100/90-19 Roadrider on the rear, with an AM20 front. Top slot went to a Fred Walmsley machine, ridden by 1987 500cc GP champion Wayne Gardner. Walmsley remarked, “I know this is classic racing, but I’ve been using Avons and helping to develop them for the last 30 years. In all that time, I have to admit this recent development is truly impressive. In the past we’ve never had all the range of fitments we’ve required, but now we can get Avon’s latest in 18- and 19-inch sizes which are perfect for us – and they suit the bikes a treat! On classic machinery, no-one makes the original tyres anymore, so you’ve always got a trade-off when selecting rubber, but over the last 12 months Avon’s products have really come on.”
Continue ReadingKönig Wheels Boasts Video Game ‘Fitments’
With a raft of new motorsport video game releases comes the opportunity for top brands to score some novel recognition points within the market. König Wheels distributor, Varga Trading Company, contacted tyrepress.com to let us know that its wheels are currently optional fitments to the high performance machines featured in recent title, ‘Need for Speed: Shift’. The brand also features as part of the Audi models’ in-game livery. The ability to modify vehicles has become more prevalent in recent games, prompted by the pretty incredible choices offered by virtual racing simulator series, ‘Forza Motorsport’ (Xbox 360) and ‘Gran Turismo’ (Playstation 3). With the latest editions of both of these series due over the next few months, auto manufacturers seem to be realising the impact appearances in video games can have in brand conscious markets.
Continue ReadingWorld’s Fastest Land Rover Defender Uses Michelin Tyres
A Michelin Diamaris-shod diesel-powered Defender 90 has just won the World’s Fastest Land Rover Defender shootout. The event, which took place at Bruntingthorpe proving ground in Leicestershire on Tuesday 29 September, attracted 27 entries from tuners and private individuals who brought along their Defenders to see which would be fastest over a number of tests. These included straight-line acceleration and timed sprints around short circuits. Commenting on the performance, the car’s owner Charlie Fawcett said: “We are obviously very pleased to have won this event as we were up against some much more powerful opposition, including supercharged V8-powered vehicles. In the end though, the (285/50 R18) Michelin tyres really made a difference as we were able use every one of our 239bhp to easily win both of the timed circuit sprints, and the overall title. At times we had so much grip that the car was cornering on two wheels and our driver said it reminded him of his Clio race car in the way it turned into corners.”
Continue ReadingGoodyear Enters World of Outlaws for Series Tyre Supply Deal
Goodyear will supply the tyres for the World Racing Group’s World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in an agreement that will last more than one season, according to a press statement released by the Group. The agreement will begin at the 2010 Florida DIRTcar Nationals next February, with World of Outlaws competitors required – somewhat ironically by the Series’ rules – to fit Goodyear rubber to their rear wheels.
Continue ReadingDutch Student Wins 2009 Bridgestone Journalism Contest
Dutch student Tim Biesbrouck has been selected overall winner of the 2009 Bridgestone e-reporter contest. Biesbrouck, aged 21, was one of eleven finalists this year. He was given the opportunity to show the world, and Bridgestone, his reportage skills at the Hungarian Grand Prix in late July, and his “natural flair for journalism” sufficiently impressed the media and motorsport representatives making up this year’s judging panel.
Continue ReadingMaxxis-Sponsored Driver Wins British Drift Championship
Maxxis has been heavily involved in the spectacular sport of drifting in the UK this year, so it must be gratifying for the manufacturer to have experienced the success of Steve Biagioni from Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed, who was crowned British Drift Champion for 2009.
Continue ReadingRicciardo Wins First Cooper Tire British F3 International Title
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company’s first year of sponsorship of the British Formula 3 International Series has been completed, with Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo becoming the first driver to win the prestigious championship. The Cooper Tires brand took over title sponsorship of the series in 2009 as part of a three-year deal, and also took over the role of sole tyre supplier to the series from associate brand Avon Tyres.
Continue ReadingJones Brothers Clinch Avon Tyres British GT Title
The 2009 Avon Tyres British GT Championship was decided by a single point in a title fight that went down to the very last lap of the 14-race season. Identical twin brothers David and Godfrey Jones clinched the honours, sharing the driving of an Ascari KZ1R in the series they first entered nine years ago.
Continue ReadingJag Team Picks Yokohama for ALMS
(Tire Review) Yokohama will be back at the American Le Mans Series next season on RocketSports Racing 's Jaguar XKR GT2 entry. According to Mark Chung, Yokohama director of corporate strategy and planning, the new entry debuted at the Petit Le Mans race this past weekend running on Yokohama Advan A005 tyres. The car will also run at Laguna Seca on 10 October, using the races to introduce the car and utilize the track time for testing and development.
Continue ReadingGreening the WTCC
Yokohama's commitment to making the WTCC a environmentally friendlier goes further – this year, as was the case in 2008, the company will make use of "green electricity" at the Yokohama Tire Service Garage at the WTCC Race of Japan between October 30 and November 1.
Continue ReadingYokohama to Introduce ‘ECO’ Tyres into WTCC
A change of tyre is in the pipeline for the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Yokohama Rubber has announced it will supply its ‘ECO’ racing tyres as one-make tyres for the WTCC series for the 2010 to 2012 seasons. The ECO product follows on from Yokohama’s Advan A005 dry surface and Advan A006 wet weather tyres, supplied since 2006.
Continue ReadingAvon equips Italian GT Hillclimb Championship Winner
Avon Tyres has added the Italian GT Hillclimb title to its impressive array of European championships. Italian Ferrari 430 GT2 driver Denny Zardo, 32, clinched the title with a round still to go, by winning the GT class of last weekend’s round at Pedavena-Croce D’Aune. He was tenth overall, four seconds ahead of chief rival and fellow Ferrari driver, Leonardo Isolani.
Continue ReadingMarangoni King of the Hill
Marangoni is celebrating the success of its hill climbing champion, Simone Faggioli, who recently won European Hill Climb Championship for the second time. Faggioli, who drives an Osella FA30 with Zytek 3000-V8 engine and Marangoni Zeta Linea Racing tyres, achieved the feat one race from the end of the 2009 series. The Marangoni sponsored driver last won this European title in 2005, in a similar car again fitted with the Italian company’s race tyres. Faggioli took the 2009 title after winning six of the eleven stages which make up the European Hill Climb Championship. A slow puncture meant that Faggioli could only manage third place on the fearsome Italian Trento-Bondone stage, but this was won by his Marangoni teammate Davide Baldi.
Continue ReadingSuccess For Toyo Off-Road Drivers
In the USA, Team Toyo Off-Road drivers had a huge weekend during the 40th Anniversary BorgWarner World Championship Off-Road Races at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway recently. More than 40,000 fans at the Raceway, and thousands more watching the live broadcast by ABC television, saw Toyo-sponsored drivers set new track records in Pro 2WD and Pro 4X4, as well as winning the headline events including the BorgWarner World Championship for Pro 2WD and the BorgWarner Cup, which carried a prize of $40,000. In fact, Toyo-sponsored drivers scored a 1,2,3 in the prestigious Pro 4x4 race.
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