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IMOTORSPORTNTouch NEWS ISSUE 18 OCTOBER 2011 IN THIS ISSUE: 2011 FIM Motocross oF NatIoNs Le MaNs serIes revIew aLpe adrIa chaMpIoNshIp BTCC goes dowN the wIre EIgHT TITlES aNd ‘OlyMPIcS’ won IN ONE WEEkENd Dunlop secures eighT championships anD The moTocross ‘olympics’ in one WeekenD. The weekend of 17/18 September proved to be highly successful championships three champions were crowned – and once more for Dunlop, with eight major motorsport championship titles won the three crowned were using Dunlop tyres. At the by Dunlop, as well as the Olympics of Motocross. Hockenheimring, Austrian Martin Bauer won the Superbike In the penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series at championship, German Jesco Guenther won the Supersport and Laguna Seca, California, another podium finish for Joey Hand Australian Jack Miller won the 125. (USA) and Dirk Müller (Germany) in BMW’s Rahal Letterman It’s not only on Tarmac and concrete where Dunlop was Lanigan (RLL) Racing Team Dunlop equipped BMW M3 GT meant victorious, hard packed stone and mud also offered a suitable the drivers, team and tyre manufacturer achieved their backdrop. In the Motorcross of Nations - the Motocross equivalent championship ambitions with one race still to run. of the Olympics and the biggest motocross event of the year In the LMP1 class for prototype cars, British driver Guy Smith - Team USA won with all three team riders – Ryan Dungey, Ryan American Chris Dyson and the Dyson Racing team clinched their Villopoto and Blake Baggett using Dunlops, indeed of the nine respective championship titles, and Dunlop were crowned as riders on the podium, six wore Dunlop caps. LMP1 Champion Tyre Manufacturer. Dunlop’s success wasn’t just limited to the highest levels of car endurance racing. On two wheels in the highly competitive IDM American Le Mans Series LMP1 Driver Champions - Guy Smith, Chris Dyson, Dunlop American Le Mans Series LMP1 Team Champions – Dyson Racing, Dunlop American Le Mans Series GT Team Champions – BMW Team RLL, Dunlop American Le Mans Series GT Driver Champions – Joey Hand and Dirk Müller, Dunlop American Le Mans Series LMP1 Tyre Manufacturer Champion – Dunlop German IDM Superbike Champions – Martin Bauer - Motorex KTM Superbike Team, Dunlop German IDM Supersport Champions – Jesco Guenther – Vector Yamaha, Dunlop German IDM 125cc Champions – Jack Miller – RZT Racing, Dunlop Motocross of Nations – Champions – Team USA - Ryan Dungey (Dunlop), Ryan Villopoto (Dunlop), Blake Baggett (Dunlop). It took the all-new street venue of Baltimore to see Dunlop back to winning ways, with a dream LMP1 podium lock-out with Al Masaood and Kane taking their first win to lead the sister Dyson Racing Lola-Mazda across the line. Third went to Chris McMurry and Tony Burgess in the #12 Lola AER. The #56 BMW meanwhile took second in class. Dunlop wished they all could be Californian grids, as Laguna aLMs Seca proved to be a momentous event with a Dyson 2-3 sufficient to secure the LMP1 drivers’ title for Chris Dyson and Guy Smith, season revieW the team title for Dyson Racing and the tyre manufacturers’ title for Dunlop. Dunlop’s 2011 American Le Mans Series season was its “We really had a great season in 2011! The target was to win all strongest ever, culminating in multiple titles across the LMP1 and the championships and we achieved that,” said Chris Dyson, driver GT classes for the band of Birmingham’s finest motorsport rubber of the #16 G-OIL ModSpace/Construct Corps Lola-Mazda. producers who headed Stateside. “I couldn’t be more happy for our partners at Mazda, our The season-opening Sebring 12 Hours in March gave notice of sponsors G-OIL ModSpace Construct Corps, everyone at Dyson things to come with Dunlop winning the LMP1 category with Racing, Lola, Martin Birrane and of course, my tyre partner, Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Jay Cochran in the #16 Dyson Dunlop. We worked so hard over the winter to develop the tyres Racing Lola-Mazda, scoring a 1-2 in the GT class with BMW, with and the performance and durability kept going up through the roof. the #56 car of Dirk Müller, Joey Hand and Andy Priaulx leading We met and raised our opposition at every turn.” the sister #55 car of Dirk Werner, Bill Auberlen and Augusto Second in class at Laguna with the #56 car secured BMW the Farfus across the line. GT team title for BMW Team RLL, gaining the drivers Joey Hand “Sebring was the biggest result of the year as it gave us the and Dirk Müller the drivers’ title. platform for the whole season,” said Michael McGregor, Dunlop Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta provided the season finale where Motorsport Service Engineer - Car Motorsport EU. “To win there, Dunlop added the manufacturers’ title with BMW, with the GT tyre and win so strongly was really something. We’d done all the tests manufacturers’ title eluding by just 0.182 seconds. and gone in with a definite plan of what we were going to do. We “I’ve been saying it all year long, and it’s not just something I say stuck to the plan, and it showed in our strength in the race as we in front of the cameras or the microphones; Dunlop has worked were constantly up front.” great with this programme,” said Joey Hand, driver #56 BMW Long Beach came next, and Dyson’s season-long rivals in the Motorsports BMW M3 GT. Muscle Milk Aston Martin countered with their first win in what “When you look at where we started in 2009, the progress would be become a fascinating one-on-one LMP1 battle between through 2010 and then where we are in 2011; coming out of the the teams and tyre manufacturers, with Muscle Milk opting for trailer at every event and being strong. This is a testament to French rubber. everyone working together: BMW, Team RLL and Dunlop. I’ve In the GT class, BMW took their second in a row with the #56 worked with a lot of tyre manufacturers and I’ve never seen the car, this time minus Priaulx on driving duties. Lime Rock came amount of dedication, preparation that I’ve seen in my time working next where Dyson and Smith took their second win in the Lola, with Dunlop.” whilst BMW notched up three in a row for the #56. For Dunlop it was the culmination of a three year project to come Crossing the border to Canada and Mosport saw a 2-3 for to the American Le Mans Series with full support and development. Dyson Racing with the second #20 car of Humaid Al Masaood “It’s not just about having the best tyres available, it’s about and Steven Kane now on song, whilst in GT BMW’s run of wins having the team to put it all together and seize the benefit of all the came to an end with the #55 car of Werner and Auberlen scoring best product,” said Phil Plater, Manager ALMS Goodyear Dunlop the top result with third. Tyres. “It starts from the ground up, with a good solid team, means Mid-Ohio saw Dyson and Smith take second, and Werner and we have good solid results. What we’ve built over the three years Auberlen also take third once more, whilst Road America saw the should give us dividends for the future.” #16 take silver again, and a 2-3 for BMW with the #55 leading the #56 across the line. duNLop wINs FIM eNduraNce worLd cup at Le MaNs. With one round to go in the FIM Endurance World “Our teams demonstrated utmost professionalism as Championship, Dunlop Superstock squad Team Motors seen by the minimum amount of time in the pits over the Events Bodyguard AMT Assurances won the Superstock course of the 24 hours,” said Dunlop Motorsport Service class of the Le Mans 24 Hours Moto on September Engineer. “I am happy with our tyre performance across 24-25 to take them to an unassailable lead in the FIM the categories. To dominate the Superstock podium using Endurance World Cup. racing tyres that are either commercially available for our In the Endurance World Championship class, long-time customers or soon will be is a real achievement.” Dunlop partners the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Endurance racing is arguably the best form of racing (SERT) took a strong second place and second overall to for tyre development, with laps aplenty and numerous propel them back into the championship standings lead. teams racing around the clock, encountering a variety Dunlop was the most prevalent tyre manufacturer of weather and track conditions. Dunlop has used this at the event, but the competition was very strong. to develop and perfect such technologies as NTEC and Indeed, on the overall podium there were three different Multi-Tread technology. If these technologies can endure motorcycle manufacturers, their machines wearing the 24 hours of racing, they can endure the conditions products of three different tyre manufacturers. encountered on the road. In the Superstock class it was Dunlop Pushing development was the name of the game for domination, with the class winning #50 Suzuki one of Dunlop’s teams at Le Mans, with the fifth-finishing GSXR finishing two laps ahead of fellow Honda TT Legends Team who became the first team Dunlop team Maccio Racing with Junior to run electronically-controlled Combined ABS at World Team Suzuki LMS taking third to make it a Championship level in this event. It is the Dunlop partner sea of Dunlop caps on the podium. team’s first season of the EWC.