This weekend’s 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is not only the most prestigious endurance race on the planet, but a crucial event for Goodyear. After becoming the exclusive tyre supplier to the LMP2 class racing on the European and global stage, Goodyear is preparing for a large-scale operation to support 26 cars.
Goodyear’s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans was marked by two podium finishes and a flyover by the Goodyear Blimp during the race. British squad JOTA finished second in the LMP2 class, while French outfit Panis Racing crossed the line in third. LMP2 is the only category at Le Mans with open tyre competition and Goodyear supplied five of the 24 cars entered. The manufacturer says its two podium finishers are testament to the performance and durability of its tyres.
This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans commences tomorrow, but you’re not invited. Nobody is – for the first time in its long history, the event will take place behind closed doors, sans partners, sponsors and spectators. Michelin will be present though, with 54 of the 59 competing cars running on its tyres.
Goodyear will make its debut as a tyre supplier to the European Le Mans Series this weekend. The manufacturer is working alongside top teams in the LMP2 and LMGTE classes at the season-opening 4 Hours of Le Castellet. Goodyear’s latest tyre technology will be fitted to five front-running LMP2 prototypes and every car in the LMGTE field throughout the ELMS season. The brand’s entrance into the series follows last year’s fitments to LMP2 winners in the FIA World Endurance Championship. However the weekend will mark the first time that LMGTE cars have raced on the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport race tyres. Having been delayed by the pandemic, the series will run over five races until November.
Goodyear’s comeback to world championship motorsport has been marked already with with wins in the FIA World Endurance Championship and a new partnership with the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup. But with the suspension of live motorsport, the brand has entered another world of motorsport for the first time, moving into virtual racing. The two major track series follow Goodyear’s entrance into the European Truck Racing Championship Digital Racing Challenge and the eNASCAR league.
European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 racing team, Algarve Pro Racing has made Goodyear its tyre technical partner. The reigning Asian Le Mans Series Champion has already demonstrated race-winning pedigree and a deep understanding of how to maximise tyre performance. Goodyear says the partnership will allow it to receive valuable technical feedback on a variety of European tracks.
The Parts Alliance’s ongoing ‘Original Experience’ promotion has a top prize-winner. Omer Hassan, director of Queensway Auto Repairs found the winning scratch card on Monday 16 March. The Enfield independent garage, established 15 years, undertakes MOTs, service and repairs, on mainly German cars.
Goodyear is to serve as official tyre supplier to the LMP2 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and European Le Mans Series (ELMS). This arrangement follows the decision made by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) to appoint a single tyre supplier for the Le Mans Prototype class.
The Automobile Club de l’Ouest has announced a three-season deal with Michelin for the supply of tyres to the new top class of endurance racing, poised to take to the track in the 2020-21 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Avon Tyres will celebrate its famous victory at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin during this year’s Autumn Classic at Castle Combe on 5 October. Established in 2012, the Autumn Classic has developed into a popular event on the classic racing calendar, providing grids full of spectacular cars from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
The Apollo Tyres TOR Truck Racing team will bring its racing truck ‘Thelma’ to Le Mans on 28-29 September for its final 2019 appearance on track. The team has been making a few alterations to the racing truck following a successful weekend at the ‘Convoy in the Park’ event at Donington in August, in preparation for the penultimate rounds of the European Truck Racing Championship.
Goodyear and Brabham Automotive have announced a new partnership to collaborate across racing and road car developments. The new partnership both coincides with the return to racing of the Brabham marque and reignites a winning partnership that began in 1965.
When Goodyear launched its Eagle F1 series and Supersport tyres back in April, the company said this branding decision meant Goodyear was coming “back to the track”. Now we know precisely what this means as Goodyear has announced that it will re-enter European and International sportscar racing by developing a new range of tyres for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the Le Mans 24-hour race.
Dunlop’s long record of success at the Le Mans 24 hours and the Isle of Man TT was continued in 2018, though the tyre brand added victories in other four and two-wheel series too.
After four years of partnership with Bridgestone, Belgian motorcycle brand Saroléa has now selected Dunlop as a technical partner for its Saroléa SP7 electric racing motorcycle. Dunlop comments that the change of technical partner accompanies yesterday’s announcement of the next goal for Saroléa, which is to be recognised as a candidate for future Le Mans 24h and FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) competition and thus directly compete with the most powerful petrol-powered EWC machines. The switch, adds Dunlop, was a move Saroléa made “to help achieve this goal.”
Clement Marin
Frédéric Le Floc’h / DPPI
Clement Marin
Goodyear
Goodyear