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Tyre News
BTCC and Dunlop Develop World First in Motor
Sport Tyre Technology
Continental Named Tyre Manufacturer of the
Year
Maxxis Runners Take Top Positions in Prodrift
Touring Car Stars Support Hi-Q Stay Legal Safety
Campaign
Offset Fuel Duty Rise with Correct Tyre Inflation
Continental Wins Auto Express Tyre Test
Cooper Realigns Manufacturing Production in the
UK
Safety First for Kidderminster Motorists
Mel C Looks Pretty in Pink for Hi-Q
Italian GT Hillclimb Championship Won on
Avon Tyres
Hankook Optimo 4S Wins AutoBild Tyre Test
Bridgestone Helps Lucky Motorist to Fill up
for Free
BTCC and Dunlop Develop World First in
Motor Sport Tyre Technology
 The
HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship and Dunlop have together
successfully pioneered a world first in motor sport tyre technology.
All tyres on BTCC cars - exclusively supplied by Dunlop -
are now automatically scanned as the cars drive into the pit
lane. This ensures that each car is using the correct and
allocated tyres at all times.
The scanning is achieved by a miniature Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) tag embedded inside every tyre allocated
to every car. The tag - just one centimetre in length - enables
officials from computer systems firm Datalinx, which has been
central to the development of the technology, to track every
tyre from production and allocation to each team right back
to their return to Dunlop for recycling.
Tony Duffy, Operations Manager for Dunlop Motorsport Europe,
said: "This has been quite an undertaking - other tyre manufacturers
have not yet reached this level - and the BTCC's technical
know-how has been of huge benefit in enabling us to perfect
the new system. "One of our biggest hurdles has been ensuring
the RFID tags remain stable in the tyre and fine-tuning the
frequencies so that no tyre is 'missed' when cars return from
the track - even when they slow for the pit lane speed limit,
the tyres are still revolving at a considerable rate. We are
now at a stage where no tyre is missed and we can provide
the BTCC with a 100 per accurate log of each tyre's activity."
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow added: "Dunlop and Datalinx
have achieved a great breakthrough for motor sport globally
and I'm very proud that the BTCC has helped pioneer another
world-first - one which, undoubtedly, other championships
will eventually follow. In just three seasons we have gone
from laboriously (manually) recording every serial number
of every tyre used in every practice session and race - and
then having to stop each car and visually check them - to
having a fully computerised, automated and fool-proof system."
It is now expected the RFID tag system will be incorporated
into other high profile race series in which Dunlop supplies
tyres.
Continental Named Tyre Manufacturer of
the Year
 Continental
has been awarded the highest accolade by members of the tyre
industry after being named Manufacturer of the Year 2009 by
the NTDA (National Tyre Distributors Association) at the Tyre
and Fast Fit (TAFF) Awards. The company scored a double hit
at the event, also taking the Industry Advertising campaign
award for its popular Great Days Out campaign.
Continental was recognised by voters as Manufacturer of
the Year for a number of reasons. From the latest generation
of truck tyres with industry leading fuel saving technology
to innovative products such as the ContiSeal, the puncture
resistant car tyre and the revolutionary CSEasy, a solid industrial
tyre that can be fitted without a mounting press, Continental
has a well earned reputation as a leader in tyre development.
This is backed by consistently high performance in leading
independent tests. Continental and Uniroyal car tyre products
currently have a total of 11 Best Buy accolades with Which?
magazine.
The Industry Advertising Campaign of the Year award was taken
by Continental's biggest ever consumer promotional campaign,
Great Days Out, launched in March this year. With over 300
days out selected across the UK and Ireland, the www.conti-offers.co.uk
website offered great savings on a fantastic range of activities.
Appealing to both families wanting the fun activities for
the kids and individuals discovering new pastimes, the website
received a huge number of hits introducing the Continental
brand to new audiences.
The success of the campaign is illustrated by the figures
showing that press advertising reached 40% of all adults (19.2m)
and online advertising delivered over 14 million page impressions.
Managing director for Continental, David Smith, commented
on the two wins; "We are delighted that our work and efforts
have been recognised by the industry. I am particularly proud
of my team who work hard to push standards forward and make
us the leading brand in the industry."
Maxxis Runners Take Top Positions in Prodrift
 Maxxis-sponsored
Team Japspeed is riding high after driver Danny Eyles won
round three of the Prodrift Super Series at Donington (August
8). While Danny posted his first victory since joining the
ranks of professional drifting, the overall results were all
the more impressive because no less than four of the top five
finishers were running the Maxxis MA-Z1 Drift tyre.
Japspeed drivers Steve Biagioni and Shane Lynch claimed fourth
and fifth respectively and Dean Kearney - who impressed by
winning the second round of the championship at Donington
in the Maxxis Tyres Nissan Onevia - made it on to the second
step of the podium.
Touring Car Stars Support Hi-Q Stay Legal
Safety Campaign
 Three
of the stars of the HiQ British Touring Car Championship have
put their names to a huge HiQ safety campaign, which attempts
to eliminate illegal tyre usage on roads across the UK.
Reigning HiQ BTCC champion Fabrizio Giovanardi and VX Racing
team-mate Andrew Jordan, together with Team Aon's Tom Chilton,
have backed fast-fit network HiQ in its efforts to educate
motorists about the pitfalls of driving with tyres with illegal
treads.
HiQ, the nationwide fast fit network, has launched its 1-2-3
Campaign in a bid to rid the roads of an unnecessary danger.
1. One worn or defective tyre could cost you £2,500
2. Worn tyres add two lengths to your stopping distance at
50mph in wet conditions
3. Each tyre with a tread depth less than 1.6mm could add
3 penalty points to your licence
The hard hitting message will also be supported with free
tyre safety checks at every one of HiQ's 140 fast fit centres,
for the remainder of the year.
Marketing manager Geraldine McGovern explained: "We wanted
to generate some hard hitting messages that motorists will
take note of. "The prospect of penalty points on your licence,
let alone the cost implications and safety element, is particularly
strong and a fact that we hope will resonate with a number
of people."
HiQ will be launching the campaign from September onwards.
Offset Fuel Duty Rise with Correct Tyre
Inflation
Hauliers, fleet operators and private motorists are being
reminded that not only can they stay safe on the road but
they can also reduce the impact of the recent fuel duty rise
by keeping their tyres correctly inflated. According to research
carried out by a major tyre manufacturer and member of TyreSafe,
driving on tyres which are just ten psi under the vehicle
manufacturer's recommended pressure can increase fuel consumption
by 2.5 percent. By keeping tyres at their correct pressures,
motorists can travel further on each tank of fuel, reduce
their CO2 emissions and stay safer.
"Making sure that tyres are correctly inflated costs nothing
yet can save motorists significant sums of money," explains
Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. "By taking just a few
minutes once a month to check tyre pressure levels and adjust
them to the recommended levels, significant improvements in
road safety can be made but also drivers will see a reduction
in their fuel consumption, helping to offset the recent rise
in fuel duty."
When tyres are under-inflated, the contact patch with the
road surface gets larger, causing increased drag, which in
turn places more load on the engine. Keeping tyres correctly
inflated minimises this negative effect and ensures that the
car continues to operate safely.
Research conducted by TyreSafe revealed that one in 20 motorists
were unaware that running a car on under-inflated tyres leads
to an increase in fuel consumption. The research also showed
that even those people who were aware that fuel consumption
would increase were still not checking their tyre pressures
regularly enough. Fewer than half of respondents had checked
their tyre pressures within the last month, the maximum period
recommended by TyreSafe between checks. As well as increasing
fuel costs, running under-inflated tyres adds further expense
to motorists as the tyres wear out quicker.
At lower levels of under-inflation, the tyre's contact patch
with the road surface is reduced to two small areas towards
the outer edges of the tread. With the full vehicle load placed
on these areas, the tread wears at a much higher rate, drastically
reducing the performance of the tyre and forcing drivers to
replace them much sooner than they would otherwise have needed
to.
By running tyres at just 80 percent of the recommended pressure,
motorists can expect tyre life to be reduced to around 75
percent. If the pressure falls to 60 percent, motorists can
expect to achieve just 35 percent of the potential mileage
from the tyre.
Continental Wins Auto Express Tyre Test
 Continental
has been awarded first place in the annual tyre test by leading
motoring magazine Auto Express. The 'Best Buy' accolade was
won by the premium manufacturer following nine stringent tests
on the leading brands available in the UK today.
Auto Express tested the UK's most popular tyre size (205/55R16)
fitted to many family hatchbacks such as the VW Golf, Honda
Civic and Ford Focus. The magazine chose the popular Audi
A3 to test the tyres. The tests determined each tyre's performance
in wet and dry handling, wet cornering, aquaplaning, dry and
wet braking and rolling resistance. Auto Express also evaluated
price and cabin noise.
Continental's ContiPremiumContact 2 scored top marks in
the wet cornering, dry and wet braking tests, coming first
overall. The magazine concluded: "The best all round tyre
money can buy is the Continental. The PremiumContact 2 will
perform anywhere and it deserves to take the crown for the
German maker."
Cooper Realigns Manufacturing Production
in the UK
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company has announced that it is realigning
its manufacturing production in the UK. According to the manufacturer,
over the next twelve months, the Company will realign passenger
tyre production, including the transfer of some US production
to Melksham and the transfer of other Melksham production
to Asia. This, says Cooper, will result in a net reduction
in personnel of approximately twenty percent at the Melksham
facility.
During the transition, Cooper expects no disruption of service
to its customers. Motorcycle and motorsport products are not
included in the changes and will continue to be manufactured
in Melksham.
Safety First for Kidderminster Motorists
 Exhaust
Tyres Batteries (ETB) Group, part of Bridgestone's First Stop
network of tyre dealerships, recently held events to educate
drivers in Kidderminster about the importance of tyre safety
whilst at the same time raising money for charity.
Staff from the Kidderminster and Stourport branches of ETB
and representatives from First Stop were on hand at Sainsbury's
in Kidderminster, carrying out free tyre checks and offering
motorists top-tips to help them stay safe, save money and
reduce their carbon footprint whilst on the road.
The event was a big success, with over 60 cars checked. More
than 50 per cent of tyres were found to have faults and local
motorists gained valuable information on how to stay safe
in the future. The event also raised over £130 for charity.
The money was raised on the day by inviting visitors to have
their picture taken next to a stunning replica Formula One
car. All of the money raised is being donated to Cancer Research
UK.
Mel C Looks Pretty in Pink for Hi-Q
 She
looks pretty in pink, and Melanie C is urging everyone all
motorsport fans to do likewise by dressing in the colour at
the next round of the HiQ British Touring Car Championship.
The Spice Girl star has donned the colour in a bid to get
everyone else to follow suit at Brands Hatch on Sunday October
4, to raise money for Breast Cancer Care, HiQ's official charity
for 2009.
Mel, who is regularly seen cheering on her brother Paul O'Neill
who races in the BTCC, answered a call from HiQ to drum up
some support at the event and hopes spectators will create
a sea of colour by each wearing an item of pink on the day.
HiQ hopes its novel attempt to make the grandstands - and
every other part of the circuit - pretty in pink will raise
hundreds of pounds for Breast Cancer Care whilst leaving a
visual image to remember to mark the end of a fantastic season
of racing.
Teams will also be upping the ante and taking to the track
with pink tyres and number plates and race ace Tom Chilton
is even dying his hair pink for the occasion. HiQ will be
playing its part too by transforming all of its advert breaks
on ITV from its trademark cyan to pink as a one-off.
Italian GT Hillclimb Championship Won
on Avon Tyres
 Avon
Tyres has added the Italian GT Hillclimb title to the list
of European championships that has been won on its racing
rubber. 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 10th
overall, four seconds ahead of chief rival and fellow Ferrari
driver, Leonardo Isolani.
Zardo also contests a Formula 3000 racing car in the hillclimb
championship on Avon tyres, but has focused on the Ferrari
this season. He now has 203 points in the GT hillclimb standings
and can no longer be overhauled by Isolani. The remaining
round will take place on October 4.
Zardo said: "I am delighted to win the title, it has been
a wonderful season and the car has performed well all year.
Avon's tyres have handled perfectly on all road surfaces and
have certainly been a major benefit to my championship campaign.
I would like to thank Avon for their fantastic job, and for
giving me a product every race that was a real advantage."
Hankook Optimo 4S Wins AutoBild Tyre
Test
The Optimo 4S (for "four Seasons") all-season tyre from Hankook
Tire shines once again, this time in the comparison test recently
performed by Auto Bild, Europe's largest automotive magazine.
Thanks to its "absolutely impressive all-round talent," as
the testers wrote, the all-weather specialist was named the
overall winner, having taken first place in five individual
categories, and won the label of "Exemplary" over the rest
of the competition.
Like last year, the Auto Bild editorial desk confirmed that
the Optimo 4S delivers peak performance in categories including
braking, traction on wet surfaces and hydroplaning. The tyre
also received special praise for having the lowest rolling
resistance in the test, beating all of its competitors.
Bridgestone Helps Lucky Motorist to Fill
up for Free
 Lucky
motorist Margaret Beattie of New Elgin will see her motoring
costs considerably reduced after winning first prize of free
fuel for a year in a national competition run by National
Tyre and Autocare (NTA) in association with Bridgestone Tyres.
Margaret entered the competition at her local NTA depot, in
New Elgin, after she had popped in to purchase some new tyres.
Margaret's name was chosen at random from the hundreds of
entries received.
The competition was part of a wider campaign by Bridgestone
to give motorists a helping hand in the current climate by
ensuring that they aren't out of pocket when it comes to the
cost of their fuel as Andy Dingley, advertising and promotion
manager for Bridgestone, comments: "Motorists are being put
under pressure as the costs of running a car increase with
fuel duty rising by 2p next month, along with the environmental
concerns of motoring and the sheer volume of traffic on the
nation's roads, so it is no surprise that driving has lost
some of its joy. We wanted to give something back to drivers
at a much needed time."
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