US Grand Prix to Remain at Indianapolis
Tony George, the owner of Indianapolis race track, has agreed to extend his deal with Formula 1. This means the US Grand Prix will return to the Indy course, despite the 2005 USGP tyre debacle. Some observers saw the race’s future as doubtful following the well-publicised failure of Michelin tyres at the 2005 race. However, according to itv.com, F1’s successful return in 2006, with attendance figures rising above 100,000, triggered renewed interest in America. The website also published speculation that Bernie Ecclestone is considering a second US race “possibly through the streets of Las Vegas.”
Continue ReadingTIA Supports Rolling Resistance Legislation
On 18 July the US Tire Industry Association (TIA) announced its support of House Resolution 5632, after “much deliberation,” TIA has decided to support H. R. 5632. The TIA Government Affairs Committee was able to come to a consensus after weighing the pros and cons of the legislation, the association said in a statement. “We were very pleased to receive feedback and questions from our membership regarding H.R. 5632,” said TIA President, Bob Malerba. “It was extremely helpful to our Government Affairs Committee in making a decision on whether to support the bill.”
Continue ReadingArvinMeritor’s Wheels Team Receives Chrysler Gold Award
ArvinMeritor, Inc.’s Light Vehicle Systems (LVS) business group steel wheels team recently received a Chrysler Group Gold Award for outstanding performance in 2005. This designation places ArvinMeritor among the highest-rated suppliers to the Chrysler Group.
Continue ReadingColway and Greenway 4X4 Tyres “Love Mud”
C-Tyres Ltd, the UK-based manufacturer of the Colway and Greenway brands of retread tyres, points out that more and more off-road enthusiasts enjoy the C-Trax Mud Terrain tyres, with an increasing number of 4x4 users who predominantly drive “off-road” opting for Greenway specialist off road tyres.
Continue ReadingEU Commission Extends Thule/Pewag Investigation Period
The EU Commission has decided to extend its investigation into Thule’s, a world leader in Sports Utility Transportation, acquisition of Pewag Schneeketten GmbH which was made public on 31 March this year. “The European Commission needs more time to investigate into the consequences for customers and consumers in markets such as Italy, Austria and France”, comments Anders Pettersson, CEO and President of Thule AB. “The complexity of the market conditions makes this further investigation necessary and we support this step. We estimate that the final decision will be made in approximately four months”, concludes Anders Pettersson.
Continue ReadingDeldo Already Sold Over 1 Million Winter Tyres
Deldo Autobanden (Belgium) has already pre-sold over 1 million winter tyres. The vast majority of these are made up of sales of the company’s Eurowin, Sunny and Wanli products, but between 60,000 and 70,000 premium winter tyres have also been pre-ordered. Deldo made the announcement alongside the news that it is publishing a new winter catalogue for the 2006/2007 season.
Continue ReadingDunlop Gears Up For Longest UK Race
The Britcar 24 Hours is seen by some as the jewel in the UK endurance racing crown. Following the successful inaugural event in 2005, the marathon race returns to Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit from 9-10 September and has attracted a diverse range of cars, and headline sponsorship from Dunlop. With the biggest starting line-up in UK racing, up to 80 cars are expected to take to the grid for the 24 Hour race, including Porsches, Ferraris, BMWs and TVRs.
Continue ReadingCollect Airmiles with Bike Tyrestore
Bike Tyrestore has teamed up with Pirelli to enable customers to collect airmiles on all Pirelli motorcycle tyre purchases (except scooter products). The loyalty programme allows customers to use airmiles with over 100 airlines, more than 100 tour operators, at 25,000 hotels around the world. To make the most of the offer customers only need to register on the company’s website (www.biketyrestore.com) and select manufacturer/promotions/Pirelli where further details are also available.
Continue Reading‘Arson’ at Phillip White Tyres Causes £500,000 Damage
Two simultaneous fires at Phillip White Tyre depots in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland have caused half a million pounds of damage, according to proprietor Phillip White. As a result up to 10 staff may loose their jobs. Phillip White Tyres premises have been targeted three times before, twice in Armagh and once in another location. Phillip White said he was “devastated” about the latest incidents, but hopes to have businesses running as normal as possible in the coming weeks.
Continue ReadingMichelin and Pirelli Tie-up Speculation
Various media sources are reporting speculation about Michelin’s intentions towards Pirelli Tyre. The rumours come after Italy’s Finanza & Mercati reported that banker Gerardo Braggiotti was studying the possibility of such a tie-up between the two companies. However, French tyre group Michelin had no comment to make about the Italian newspaper reports, according to Reuters. A source close to the bank involved reportedly told Reuters the story was completely without foundation.
Continue ReadingBreakthrough in Pirelli Talks
Talks between Pirelli and the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) have resulted in Pirelli tabling an “improved” pay deal. Although exact details of the pay offer have not been disclosed T&G representatives told Tyres & Accessories that it was enough for the union to “suspend” industrial action. According to T&G, the details will be released once the union members have been notified of the new offer. A ballot will be conducted in the first week of September. “The proposals we will now put to our members are a significant improvement on the company’s previous ‘final’ offer,” said T&G national organiser for manufacturing Peter Booth. “The offer fully justifies the strong stance taken by our members in support of their pay claim, and I believe it an acceptable conclusion to this claim.” Pirelli originally offered workers a 1.1 per cent pay rise back in April. This was followed by the 2.2 per cent offer which provoked the union’s strike ballot. The latest offer, which was negotiated with the assistance the conciliation service ACAS, seems sure to be in excess of this. Pirelli representatives were unavailable for comment. A union spokesperson refused to comment on the unions perspective of the long-term future of the Carlisle plant until after the ballot.
Continue ReadingBaldwin Takes Over at Cooper Europe
Julian Baldwin has replaced Ron Shield as vice president of Coopers European operations and as managing director of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. Europe. Baldwin, who previously held the position of marketing and motorsports director, will be responsible for the company’s sales, marketing, manufacturing, supply chain and finance activities throughout Europe. He will continue to oversee the global motorsport remit that includes the British GT, British F3, GP Masters and A1 GP series. Ron Shield is retiring after 15 year with Cooper. The news comes less than two-weeks after Tom Dattilo resigned as chairman, president and CEO of Cooper Tire and Rubber Company.
Continue ReadingSureSeal Rimless Retreading Rings
Taray International’s latest product offering is a selection of “SureSeal” rimless retreading rings. According to the company, the rings have been manufactured using a high quality rubber compound which was developed to be light and easy to manoeuvre, provide extended use and cause minimal wear. The rubber ring is produced using injection-moulding technologies, which gives them their seamless form and strength.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Wrangler Tyre for Working Pickup Trucks
In the USA, Goodyear has introduced a new tyre to its Wrangler range, designed for working pickup trucks that regularly tow heavy loads. Called the Wrangler SilentArmor Pro-Grade, the tyre incorporates Kevlar belts and a new tread compound for extended treadwear. There are over 39 million registered pickup trucks on US roads and sales of heavy-duty models have increased as a proportion of total pickup sales, from 25.3 per cent in 2003 to 31.9 per cent last year.
Continue ReadingMechanical Simulation Corporation & TNO Form Partnership
In order to better predict the critical performance of tyres in vehicle dynamics, Mechanical Simulation Corporation has created a partnership with Netherlands-based TNO Automotive. Mechanical Simulations CarSim software will now link with TNOs Delft-Tyre using Simulink. Many engineers in design, development, testing and planning activities use CarSim, Mechanical Simulations software package for simulating the dynamic vehicle behavior of cars, light trucks and utility vehicles. CarSim animates simulated tests and generates about 600 output variables that can be plotted and analysed, or transferred to other software for processing using the same methods used for measured test data.
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