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OCTOBER 2012 MOTORSPORT Race derived Dunlop Grip and Braking BeAts for the road Extreme Heat in Bahrain

Round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship took the test of searing temperatures in the desert for the 6 Hours of Bahrain on September 29. In the all-Dunlop LMP2 class the trio of , Nicolas Minassian and Luis Perez-Companc in the #49 the extreme driving conditions. One driver was even helped Pecom Racing 03- took their first victory in the off the LMP1 podium so he could faint! World Championship. “The ambient and track conditions were also very tough on It was a clear, flawless win, two laps ahead of the No.23 tyres. The Bahrain circuit is notoriously tough due to the Signatech Nissan -Nissan, in the hands of Jordan surface and the risk of having sand on the circuit. It was Tresson, Olivier Lombard and , and the #44 challenging from a traction point of view which saw several Starworks Motorsports HPD- who remain leaders in teams optimising the traction control strategies to ensure the LMP2 Championship. consistency. The #44 combo of Stéphane Sarrazin, Tom Kimber-Smith “We took medium and hard tyre options stet the majority of and Enzo Potolicchio set pole and were ahead at the start of the teams opting to use the hard, and a few teams managing the fifth hour, but lost four minutes in the pits following a to engineer a suitable setup to exploit the additional grip of technical problem, leaving the way free for the Argentinian the medium. Single stinting was the optimum strategy, New short breaking Massive outer New adaptive Light construction Pecom Racing team and the French Signatech Nissan squad double stinting was too demanding for the drivers and tyre blocks for reduced shoulder blocks for compound for enhanced carcass to improve breaking distance improved stability grip on wet and dry fuel efficiency to take up the lead battle. consistency was compromised with the additional fuel load at Watching over the action was Dunlop Motorsport Senior the pit stops.” Design Engineer, David Meenan. Despite the disappointing finish, Starworks increased its “As expected Bahrain was the hottest race of the year so lead in the P2 championship to 23 points over the far with ambient temperature reaching a peak at 39°C and class-winning Oreca Nissan of Pecom Racing, which arrived track temperature climbing up to 54°C, he explains. “The in come to Bahrain ranked third in the standings. The race started at 4pm, slightly cooler at 37°C ambient and ADR-Delta team, which was running second in the standings 49°C track. to Starworks, suffered a suspension failure early in the race “As a result of these high temperatures it made the racing and as a result fell to third in the championship with two conditions both difficult for the drivers and the cars. Several rounds remaining. cars were bordering the limits on engine coolant temperatures and a few suffered failures. www.dunlop.eu “For the driver double stinting was very difficult and pretty much impossible at the start of the race due to the temperature. A few drivers fainted due to loss of body fluid in Du nlop Dominates MX2 Class As well as four riders on the main Team rostrum, Dunlop competitors underlined the strength of their sand tyres by fighting for individual class honours. The MX2 podium, for 250cc machines, was dominated by Dunlop. Mixed with 450cc motorcycles, Roczen not only beat all of his MX2 rivals but most of the bigger bikes as well. The former world champion reached fifth overall in race one (MX1/MX2) and then fourth Honourable in race two (MX2/Open). Runner-up to Roczen in MX2 was American star Baggett Mention (Dunlop-Kawasaki), with Frenchman Marvin Musquin third (Dunlop-KTM). In addition to the class podiums for The merciless Lommel sand was likened by one pundit to a Roczen, Baggett, Musquin and Paulin, ‘warzone’ and few riders completed the 40-minute plus two laps numerous other Dunlop riders fought at motos without incident. the front during the three motos. Baggett summed up the challenge: “We don’t have tracks like this Barcia’s Motocross of Nations debut in the USA. I feel we did our best, but this track was a nightmare! We proved typically dramatic, the wild-riding learnt a lot and at least we got a podium.” American thrilling the worldwide audience with his flat-out style. ‘Bam Bam’ ran as high as second in both Open class races Dunlop’s on his way to 14-3 results (after crash Paulin Podiums in MX1 damage in his first race) and fourth overall

in the Open category. While Roczen, Baggett and Musquin conquered MX2, Dunlop MX1 team-mate Dungey also reached colleague Gautier Paulin finished on the podium in the MX1 Starring a peak of second place and likewise tasted category. sand on his way to 7-9 finishes and fifth in The Frenchman took second place in the MX1/MX2 moto and class. Honda World Motocross riders Rui was then battling fellow Dunlop rider Barcia for third in the final race Goncalves (POR) and Evgeny Bobryshev Role at of the day (MX1/Open) but lost his rhythm after a fall. Paulin’s 2-8 (RUS) displayed their raw speed by briefly results sealed third overall in MX1. featuring second and third respectively Paulin, also third as a rookie in this year’s MX1 World during the MX1 races. Championship, said: “I had a good feeling with the bike and the Motocross “That was an impressive race track and it was a disappointment to miss the podium for by weekend!” praised Dunlop MX race just a few points.” coordinator Eddy Seel. “Lommel always

guarantees suspense until the end and for of Nations a Motocross of Nations this was just perfect! Ken Roczen put on a very strong Dunlop riders played a starring role in the 66th edition of the prestigious performance and held up with the big guys Motocross of Nations, held at Lommel in Belgium on Sunday October 1. on his 250cc bike securing the class win. Ken Roczen, who races a Dunlop-shod KTM in the AMA Championships, LIVE Overall our riders fought hard in the deep led Germany to its first ever victory in the Olympic-style team event with a TWEETS sand made some very good results. perfect performance in the MX2 class. “Congratulations to Ken Roczen for the At the conclusion of three mixed-category motos - which churned the FROM THE class win and to win the MX of Nations deep sand into a brutal succession of bumps, jumps, berms and ruts - Motocross action: GRID! with Team Germany. Also congratulations Germany clinched the Chamberlain Trophy by four points over host nation @DunlopWorldMX to Team USA for the third place on the Belgium. podium. Beside the riders on the rostrum Roczen said: “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. There are a lot of Moto2, Moto3 and FIM Endurance World Championship: I’d also like to point out the very strong teams out there that can ride in the sand. When we realised it was going to @DunlopMoto performance of Gautier Paulin who made be us on the top step it was a great feeling - and making history for two excellent races. All in all it was a great Germany. I’m also really happy to win the MX2 class for the third time in a Dunlop four wheel international motorsport action: weekend with very good results for our row.” @DunlopMSport riders and I’m looking forward to the next Team USA’s seven-year winning streak thus came to an end, but the season now.” all-Dunlop line-up of AMA superstars’ Ryan Dungey, Justin Barcia and Blake Baggett fought hard to claim the final place on the podium.

Evgeny Bobryshev Honda World Motocross’s Evgeny Bobryshev riding at the final round of the MX1 World Championship season in Teutschenthal, Germany, where he took sixth overall.

Dunlop’s 2012 Season: Victory, Moto Wins and Podiums The second season of Dunlop’s Dunlop came close to securing MXGP return produced four podiums, much more podium silverware this including one grand prix victory, plus year – the top Yellow Cap competitor three moto wins. being classified fourth overall on six The podiums and victory were occasions, twice losing third on a tie- claimed by Paulin, whose Kawasaki break. Racing Team was also starting a new association with Dunlop. The combination brought almost instant success: Fourth in the opening round being followed by victory at Sevlievo in Bulgaria. Further podiums in France, Portugal and Great Britain paved the way for Paulin’s excellent rookie ranking. Team-mate Xavier Boog finished seventh in the standings – and claimed a moto win in Brazil – while Honda World Motocross stars Bobryshev and Rui Goncalves were unable to show their true potential due to numerous physical setbacks, each finishing just shy of the rostrum.

Event Circuit Grand Prix Classification 1. Grand Prix of The Netherlands Valkenswaard 4th - Gautier Paulin (KAW) 2. Grand Prix of Bulgaria Sevlievo 1st - Gautier Paulin (KAW) 3. Grand Prix of Italy Fermo 4th - Gautier Paulin (KAW) 4. Grand Prix of Mexico Guadalajara 6th - Xavier Boog (KAW) 5. Grand Prix of Brazil Beto Carrero 4th - Gautier Paulin (KAW) 6. Grand Prix of France St. Jean D’Angely 3rd - Gautier Paulin (KAW) Championship Podium from 7. Grand Prix of Portugal Agueda 2nd - Gautier Paulin (KAW) 8. Grand Prix of Belgium Bastogne 5th - Gautier Paulin (KAW) Second Season BACK 9. Grand Prix of Sweden Uddevalla 7th - Gautier Paulin (KAW) 10. Grand Prix of Latvia Kegums 4th - Rui Goncalves (HON) 11. Grand Prix of Russia Semigorje 5th - Evgeny Bobryshev (HON) Evgeny Bobryshev in the World Championship classification. Dunlop’s Gautier Paulin concluded a commendable debut 12. Grand Prix of Czech Republic Loket 5th - Xavier Boog (KAW) season in the MX1 Motocross World Championship by securing “I’m very happy to bring a medal to the team and to 13. Grand Prix of Great Britain Matterley Basin 3rd - Gautier Paulin (KAW) third in the standings at the German GP finale on September 25. Kawasaki,” said Paulin. “At the beginning of the season I was The young French Kawasaki rider entered the 16th round, held hoping for more than bronze; but MX1 is definitely a strong 14. Grand Prix of Benelux Lierop 4th - Evgeny Bobryshev (HON) class! I didn’t have so much pressure in Teutschenthal, and I on a twisty and hard-packed Teutschenthal circuit, as one of 15. Grand Prix of Europe Faenza 4th - Gautier Paulin (KAW) three riders still in contention for the bronze medal. rode two good races; the goal was to keep the third place in Riding at the scene of a Dunlop victory in 2011, Paulin put the standings and I did it, thanks to the team, which have been 16. Grand Prix of Germany Teutschenthal 2nd - Ken Roczen (KTM) third place out of reach of his opponents with solid 4-5 results – behind me throughout the season.” finishing ahead of his championship rivals in both races. As well as achieving his personal goal of a title top three, Paulin Honda World Motocross riders from Rui Gonçalves and Evgeny also went one place better than last year’s top Dunlop rider Bobryshev as well as Dunlop’s own Eddy Seel talk about the Dunlop MX11 front sand tyre.

Indianapolis 19/8 Dominant Indy win for Marquez The world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the scene of a runaway victory for Moto2 title leader Marc Marquez. Marquez took the lead from fellow Suter rider Dominique Aegerter on lap four, then bolted into the distance – smashing the lap record by over one second en route to his fifth win of the season by 5.8sec. Marquez also knocked 37sec from his own 2011 race-winning time. Pole sitter and title rival Pol Espargaro had lost ground in the early laps, then spent the middle stages of the race trying to wriggle free from a freight train of riders disputing second place. The Pons star finally broke clear in the closing stages, while former Moto2 title runner-up Julian Simon (Suter) secured his first podium of the season with third. The rostrum finishers all opted for a medium front-hard rear tyre combination for the 26-lap race, with early leader Aegerter the highest placed competitor on the harder front, in seventh. MUGELLO 15/7 Iannone SNATCHES LAST LAP VICTORY Brno 26/8 snatched a last-gasp home victory at the Italian Moto2 Grand Prix at Mugello, having led for less than a lap! One of five different leaders, the Speed Up star clinched his Super sixth win for second win of the season after fighting back from fifth in the middle stages. Marquez at Brno The closing laps saw Pol Espargaro (Pons Kalex) reeled-in by Iannone, who made his winning pass into turn one for the final time and held on to win by just 0.090s. Marc Marquez increased his Moto2 World Championship advantage by All of Dunlop’s tyre options proved popular, with a near 50/50 leading four riders covered by just half-a-second across the finish line in split in terms of front and rear choice throughout the 33-rider field. the Czech Republic Grand Prix. MOTO Iannone and Espargaro ran the 302 (medium) front and 3838 (hard) The Spaniard secured his sixth victory of the season after holding off rear, while Thomas Luthi was less than one-second from victory long-time leader and fellow Suter rider Thomas Luthi by just 0.061s, 2 with Pol Espargaro (Kalex) and Andrea Iannone (Speed Up) also in close with the 3855 (medium) spec rear fitted to his Suter. Incredible durability allowed the leaders to set their best laps in pursuit. the closing stages, including a new record for Luthi as he fought to Luthi led much of the race, the Swiss star using all the braking UPDATE capabilities of the 717 hard compound front Dunlop to stanchly defend hold off Bradley Smith (Tech 3). Luthi beat the previous lap record by 0.547s, while Iannone lopped 50.523s off last year’s race- the lead, until fellow Suter rider Marquez finally squeezed past with three winning time. laps to go. The fastest straight of the season also saw Dunlop rubber But the Spaniard couldn’t escape, setting up a grandstand finish. achieve 290km/h (180mph) set by title leader Marc Marquez. Marquez had also opted for the maximum stability offered by the 717 front, while Espargaro (Kalex) and Iannone (Speed Up) favoured the medium 302 compound – reflecting the roughly equal split throughout the field. Rear tyre choice was slanted towards the 4886 medium compound, designed to retain heat during long straights to maximise mechanical Braking grip, although Espargaro took the harder 3838 compound – boasting You won’t get far on track or off without braking. Well, you greater abrasion resistance – to third. might go rather too far. Moto2 stars Bradley Smith and Julian Simon as well as Dunlop Motorsport’s Clinton Howe explain some important considerations for stopping. DOWNLOAD Misano 16/9 DUNLOP ON YOUR DESKTOP Magnificent seventh VICTORY for Marquez Marc Marquez pushed his Moto2 title advantage over the 50-point mark with a magnificent seventh victory of the season at Misano. Having hunted down and passed local hero Andrea Iannone, Marquez (Suter) and championship rival Pol Espargaro (Kalex) then exchanged the lead five times THIS issue’S on the final lap! Marquez prevailed by just 0.359s, increasing his lead to 53-points – over two race wins – while Iannone made it three different manufacturers on the podium FREE in third. WALLP The original race was halted after an engine failure. The restart took place over APERS! 14-laps rather than the planned 26. Damp weather during practice saw Dunlop’s durable wet tyres once again stand up well to a drying track, while the full selection of Dunlop slicks then proved closely competitive in the cooler than usual conditions. Rider comfort was thus the deciding factor: All of the top six requested the softer 302 front option slick and 3854 rear for the race, with the exception of (Kalex), who used the rival 3757 soft rear (also of ATR05 construction) to hold off an eight-rider freight train for fourth. Marquez set a new Moto2 record on the penultimate lap.

Aragon 30/9 InTouch MOTORSPORT Espargaro victory in Aragon stunner Pol Espargaro returned to the top step of the Moto2 podium for the first time since June, by clinching his second home Spanish victory of the season at Aragon. The Pons Kalex rider spent the early stages ‘shadow-boxing’ with compatriot Marc Marquez, before both were swallowed up by the pursuing pack. Espargaro crucially inched clear in the closing laps, but Marquez came under attack at almost every turn from the likes of Andrea Iannone and Scott Redding. AVAILABLE THIS ISSUE. Championship leader Marquez (Suter) ultimately clung on to second, with Redding (Kalex) launching a last-lap pass on Iannone (Speed Up) to steal his fourth podium of the season. Wet conditions throughout free practice meant Dunlop’s 414 compound wets got plenty of track time, mastering both a fully wet and drying Dunlop Motorsport’s website surface. DUNLOP http://motorsport.dunlop.eu Dunlop’s slick compounds were used from qualifying onwards and, All the latest news, results and images available just a click away. despite the lack of set-up time, all performed successfully – with no clear choice for the race. MOTORSPORT Media section The most popular combination proved to be the softer 302 front and Press releases, audio interviews, video and high resolution images harder 3838 rear, but fifth place Bradley Smith (Tech 3) was just two- can be downloaded from the media section. Subscribe to our seconds from victory on the softer 3855 rear. press releases here. Marquez will head for the three flyaway rounds, starting at Motegi in ONLINE Japan, with a reduced advantage of 48 points over Espargaro. Indianapolis 19/8 Debut win for Salom after last lap showdown Moto3 welcomed its fifth different winner at Indianapolis, when won a thrilling last lap showdown with title leaders and Maverick Vinales. Six different riders – on four different types of bike – led the 23-lap race, with Salom sitting behind Cortese and Vinales heading into the final lap. Vinales then tried to retake the lead from Cortese at the end of the back straight, but Salom surprised them both by beating them to the apex. The Spaniard hung on through the following series of left handers, with disaster striking for Vinales when he fell at the very final turn. Salom’s Kalex-KTM crossed the yard of bricks just 0.056s ahead of factory KTM rider Cortese, with promoted to third on his debut for the . Miguel Oliveira (Suter Honda) and Jerez winner Romano Fenati (FTR Honda) made it four different manufacturers in the top five. All riders chose the medium option rear tyre for the race, with a near 50/50 split in terms of the front. The top four all ran the harder front, while Fenati set the fastest MUGELLO 15/7 lap of the race with the medium option. Maverick by a micron in Brno 26/8 Mugello Moto3’s Mugello debut produced the closest finish to date, with Folger ‘Czechs’ out Maverick Vinales claiming a tiny 0.020s victory over home hero Romano Fenati and Sandro Cortese just 0.071 adrift in third. A twelve rider lead group was whittled down to seven by the for victory at Brno halfway stage of a thrilling 20-lap slipstreaming contest. 2012 winners Vinales, Cortese and Fenati then wriggled free as the race The all-new and all-Dunlop Moto3 World Championship celebrated its neared its conclusion. sixth different winner during tricky conditions for round eleven in the Czech The last lap saw Cortese lunge from third-to-first at turn one, Republic. but Fenati undercut them both to lead on the exit! Vinales swept Riding with slick tyres on a drying track, Jonas Folger followed up a back past, with Cortese also ahead of the 16-year-old as the trio shock podium on his Aspar debut at Indianapolis by passing Efren Vazquez entered the final turn. for the lead on lap 4 of 19. The run to the line saw Vinales cling to victory, but a photo- Over twelve seconds ahead at one stage, Folger (Kalex KTM) later eased MOTO finish confirmed fellow FTR Honda rider Fenati out-dragged off to ensure his second ever grand prix win – and first since victory on 3 Cortese for second. Dunlop’s 125cc wet weather tyres at Silverstone in 2011. Vinales’ fifth win was the first for the hard compound Dunlop In stark contrast to Folger’s runaway victory, the fight for the remaining Moto3 front tyre, on a day when half of the top six chose the podium places went down to the final turn, where Indianapolis winner Luis UPDATE medium option, led by Cortese. Salom (Kalex KTM) snatched the runner-up spot from title leader Sandro The medium rear received unanimous approval while a new Cortese (KTM). Moto3 high of 236.2km/h (146.8mph) was set by Zulfahmi Cortese’s disappointment was eased slightly by nearest title rival Maverick Khairuddin (KTM) in the warm-up. Khairuddin was one of seven Vinales (FTR Honda) finishing fourth. riders to lead the race. Due to the slippery conditions, the medium (rather than hard) front Dunlop slick was an almost universal choice, but the majority of riders had enough confidence to run the medium (instead of soft) rear slick. Vazquez was one of two riders to gamble on wet tyres, which lost pace from lap 5 but showed impressive endurance. Misano 16/9 WE RACE, YOU WIN Derived from the race dominating D211 GP, the GP Cunning Cortese RACER D211 sets a reference for track day tyres* claims victory Sandro Cortese strengthened his hold on the inaugural Moto3 World Championship with a thrilling third victory of the season at Misano. The KTM rider held his nerve during a race-long battle with the likes of Romano Fenati, Luis Salom, Alex Rins and title rival Maverick Vinales – on a day when the top seven riders were covered by just 1.3s at the chequered flag! Cortese and rookie local hero Fenati (FTR-Honda) had exchanged the lead on numerous occasions. But while Fenati was shuffled backwards in the closing laps, Cortese expertly defended his position to win by 0.467s from Salom (Kalex KTM). Fenati arrived at the final turn in fifth, but Rins (Suter Honda) and Vinales (FTR Honda) ran wide on the exit, allowing Fenati to regain a podium position by three hundredths of a second. Rins set the fastest lap of the race on lap 8 of 23. After a weekend of limited dry running, Cortese and Salom joined the majority of riders in selecting the softer front/harder rear Dunlop slicks. Fenati was among four riders to pick the harder front, with five riders lower down the order fitting the softer rear.

Aragon 30/9 Salom snatches Aragon win, Cortese capitalises

Luis Salom emerged victorious in another nail-biting all-Dunlop dice at Aragon, which also saw Sandro Cortese move closer to the inaugural Moto3 title. * To date the D211 GP NTEC system allows Multi-Tread compound JLB for Increased stability Salom (Kalex KTM) claimed his second ever grand prix victory by just race tyre has won riders to lower tyre rear for all-round traction, for heavier sports touring 0.155s over factory KTM star Cortese, whose Championship rival Maverick over 170 podiums pressure for optimum grip, comfort, handling bikes and a front tread Vinales (FTR Honda) failed to start after mechanical problems on the warm- and 25 rider track day grip and and extended mileage pattern optimised for up lap. championships. handling. shorter braking distances Jonas Folger (Kalex KTM), starting from his first grand prix pole, completed a podium covered by just 0.362s in a race that delivered seven different leaders and a top eight covered by just two-seconds -further testament to the equality offered by Dunlop tyres. The wet practice sessions saw riders again complement the Dunlop Moto3 wets for overall grip and feeling. The cold but dry race day weather then prompted all but two riders to choose the medium compound slicks for both the front and rear. Abrasive conditions meant most riders set their best lap times during the first half of the race, but grip levels remained broadly consistent – illustrated by Salom’s last lap being within one-second of his best. Cortese now leads the Championship by 51 points from new nearest rival www.dunlopmotorcycle.eu Salom, with 100 points remaining. Dunlop Takes Australian MX1 3 out of 4 in IDM Dunlop once more proved to be the tyres of choice in the German IDM motorcycle championships where three out of four championship titles were determined in September in favour of Dunlop riders. The 125cc, Moto3 and Supersport crowns went to Dunlop riders Dunlop tyres took retiring Josh Coppins and his Yamaha to Florian Alt, Luca Grünwald and Tatu Lausletho respectively, whilst one of the most sought-after national titles in the MX world. Michael Ranseder and Jörg Teuchert placed second and third in a Coppins takes For veteran and former Grand Prix winner Coppins adding the closely fought IDM Superbike standings. Aussie crown to his vast CV of accomplishments was the last As one of the few racing series with a free choice of tyres, the IDM major stamp on a career that lasted almost twenty years at the offers one of the ultimate challenges in motorcycle racing. Dunlop and highest level. In the 125s, German Florian Alt from the Freudenberg Racing Team Coppins scored second position overall at Coolum in scored two brilliant victories on his KTM Dunlop over the course of Queensland in what was the tenth and final round of the series. the season, taking the title in the 125 IDM. His team and tyre brand Yamaha to title The 35 year - old picked up seven moto victories and posted colleague Luca Grünwald - who finished on the podium in all the races fantastic 21 top three finishes in the 30 motos run over the in which he and his Honda NSF 250 R contested - secured the title by a course of the contest. It was the fifth consecutive championship large margin in the new Moto3 class. for the Australian CDR team. Finn Tatu Lauslehto with his Dunlop shod Yamaha YZF-R6 took the “This ranks highly for me,” said Coppins, who spent three victory in the overall Supersport standings with a measured performance seasons as a factory Yamaha racer in the FIM MX1-GP World at the final round. Dunlop was to suffer cruel fate in the Superbike class Championship. “No domestic championship is easy, even more as it went into a three-way title fight at the season finale – with two of the so when it’s not in your home country. The level of the teams three riders using Dunlop. Austrian Michael Ranseder looked favourite, impressed me and overall I’ve had a great time and I am really but due to an engine defect in the warm-up lap for the first race, he happy I got to ride here before I retired.” could not go to the start and had to give up the lead without a fight. The “It felt good to repay Yamaha and all the sponsors,” he final standings saw Ranseder and German Jörg Teuchert take second added. “I feel at home with Yamaha and have now won races and third with Frenchman Erwan Nigon taking the title. for them all over the world. The latest YZ450F has been one of my favourite bikes of my pro career.” Coppins went on to represent his country at Lommel in Belgium for the 66th Motocross of Nations on September 30th. Waters takes Australian

Superbike title Superbike Championship Standings (after 7 of 7 rounds) Josh Waters claimed his second Australian to win the championship by a slim margin 1. Joshua WATERS (Team Suzuki) 279.5 Superbike Championship aboard the of 13.5-points. 2. Wayne MAXWELL 266 GSX-R1000 at ’s final “It’s an awesome feeling and the result 3. Jamie STAUFFER 251.5 round of the 2012 season on September that everybody was aiming for at the start of 4. Glenn ALLERTON 235 17. the season,” 25-year-old Waters said. “It’s 5. Ben ATTARD (Team Suzuki) 212.5 The Team Suzuki rider played it safe really nice to get it done, so a big thanks 6. Robert BUGDEN (Team Volvo Group on his way to this year’s crown in the to the team and everybody who has made Suzuki) 211 all-Dunlop field, finishing fifth overall for this possible. 7. Ben HENRY (Suzuki) 174.5 the weekend with 4-6 results, adding the “In the last couple of rounds I haven’t put 8. Scott CHARLTON (Suzuki) 159 trophy to his maiden championship picked it all on the line, just conserving my lead and 9. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 45 up in 2009 as a rookie in the premier class playing it smart because the championship 10. Beau BEATON (Suzuki) 40 with Team Suzuki. is what they remember in the record books. “2012 was a fantastic year for myself “My Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 has been winning my second Australian Superbike great all season, it’s my fourth year on the Championship. This year down under, we bike and I’m obviously used to it and am Supersport Championship Standings raced on the all new Dunlop NTEC tyres, very comfortable on it. The team has done (after 5 of 5 rounds) which were great, the consistency and grip a great job, so it’s great to go ahead and was very good and the times we achieved win the championship for everybody this 1. Mitchell CARR 181.5 were awesome. You could see out on the season.” F1 st rs 2. Josh HOOK 163 track with some of the racing that the tyres 3. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 162 gave us the confidence we needed to push 4. Glenn SCOTT 157 join Dunlop to the limit, I know I had that good feeling!” 5. Chris QUINN 130.5 This year marked Waters’ first full season 6. Levi DAY 125 completed since his inaugural title, capping for Fuji 7. Adam SENIOR 111.5 off what has been a hard-fought campaign 8. Brendan CLARKE 90.5 9. Anthony QUINN 65.5 Dunlop: The 10. Mitch LEVY (Suzuki) 65.5 ‘Ringmeisters 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours pole position holders Dunlop are celebrating another new lap record at the legendary German circuit, after Ford chose Dunlop SP Sport Road-legal race tyres to set a supercar-beating time…..with a 1 litre engine! Ford’s engineers wanted to display the potential of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine by modifying it to suit a Formula Ford racecar to lap the Nürburgring’s tortuous Nordschleife circuit. The team also modified the car so it would be fully street legal Dunlop’s driver line-up for round seven of the FIA World for on-road use by fitting it with wheel covers, front and rear lights Endurance Championship at the will be and indicators, aerodynamically designed wing mirrors and a horn. bolstered by the addition of former F1 stars Takuma Sato Formula Ford cars normally race on Dunlop SP Sport racing and Shinji Nakano. slick tyres, but Dunlop supplied a set of road-legal tyres, designed Sato drove for Jordan, BAR-Honda and Super Aguri for tarmac rally competition for this record attempt. during his seven-year, 90 - race start F1 career and is the With British racing driver, Nick Tandy behind the wheel, the most successful Japanese F1 driver in terms of podium Formula Ford model lapped the ‘Ring in 7 minutes and 22 finishes, after taking third place in the 2004 US Grand Prix. seconds to register the 11th fastest time ever on the circuit. He will join Oak Racing as their LMP1 prototype returns The Formula Ford completed the 20.832 km (12.94 mile) to action with drivers Bertrand Baguette and Dominik Nordschleife circuit at an average speed of 169 km/h (105 mph). Kraihamer, and will contest the Fuji and Shanghai 6 hour Incredibly, the 1.0 litre car beat previously recorded fastest times races. The Oak-Pescarolo LMP1 is now powered by the of many (production and street legal) supercars including the 700 HPD V8. horsepower Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, the 660 Nakano raced for Prost and during his two year, horsepower Ferrari Enzo and the 602 horsepower Pagani Zonda. 33 race F1 career, with a best-placed finish of sixth. He will join ADR-Delta regulars John Martin and in their ORECA-Nissan 03 at Fuji. Confidence Trick Dunlop prides itself on producing tyres which install confidence “Making a wide weather operating window for our tyres for performance but in a narrow window is not one which inspires in the user, whether they be rider or driver, in competitive road or track is something of a speciality we have. Though race confidence in the user as the tyre is unsatisfying and tiring when endeavour or endless congestion. series often allow particular tyres for wet conditions, having a it doesn’t face the ideal conditions required to keep it in that Confidence impartment is a Dunlop hallmark and there are race tyre which can perform in the difficult crossover conditions sweet spot. many reasons why this is the case whether the tyres are for the from dry to wet or wet to dry means an advantage over the “We, on the other hand, work to make our tyres’ performance road, track, solid or loose surface. opposition.” highly accessible with a wide performance operating window. Confidence for a rider or driver means that they don’t need Dunlop uses endurance racing at the pinnacle of two and four This allows the user to make the most of the tyre.” to worry about tyre performance, they can take that as a given, wheel motorsport, developing all areas of the tyre including the Confidence is important as it allows competitors to push all this frees up brain capacity to concentrate on the serious and rubber compounds which make up the component parts. the time without worrying about how the tyres are going to pleasurable matter of piloting whatever vehicle they have at their “For example, you want to be able to find the tread react. “Confidence is certainly an important factor in the overall disposal in a safe and rewarding fashion. compound which offers the greatest amount of grip with performance equation for a competitor. It enables the first The philosophy is the same but the approach is slightly sufficient durability for the tasks given to it,” explains Principal corner of a race to be taken at the tyres’ limits without fear of an different for racing from that for use on the road. Engineer, Material Development, Gary Barrett. uncertain reaction, or it enables the competitor not to be “In racing one focus is creating rubber compounds which Though the tyre lives are different, it’s a similar approach for nervous when the weather conditions are variable,” says offer consistent performance over their life, with no sudden sprint racing too. Montet. performance drop-off,” adds Race Design and Development “A Moto2 tyre does not need to last as long as an Endurance On bikes, the impartment of confidence for the rider is highly Manager, Sebastien Montet. World Championship tyre, but the tyre characteristics over the crucial. “This is best illustrated in endurance racing where maximising course of the life are similar even though the life of an EWC tyre “We work in particular in the realm of high lean angle time on the track without sacrificing performance gains results. is generally longer,” adds Montet. performance,” says Senior Engineer Bike Tyre Development, For example, an endurance racing tyre for Le Mans which Developments in compounding have direct implications for Christopher Valentine. “How the tyre reacts and talks when it is allows two, three or even four stints to be completed without the road product. tilted over and on the edge is the area where a rider can receive losing performance means more time on the track, and less “As we develop new compounds so the lessons learnt filter the best comfort blanket of predictable transition or the rude time stationary in the pits. This means a better race result. To through to our products for the road, and it’s a fascinating area shock of a sudden change. We prefer the predictable transition achieve this, the driver, race engineer and team manager all for our compound specialists to work. For racing we really can approach as this makes the performance accessible time and require confidence in the tyres to be able to do this. look at every element of the rubber make-up and employ again.” “For the road it’s a different focus for the confidence we want blue-sky thinking to see how it can be improved, explains So, two or four wheel, road or track. Dunlop and Confidence to give to our users. The tyres should give confidence of Barrett. “Once validated on the track, the challenge then go together. constant performance over their lives, but their lives are becomes making the elements of the race compound “Confidence has long been a Dunlop buzzword, and it’s one measuring in thousands or tens of thousands of kilometres – far applicable for road use and commercially viable for production.” we adhere to in everything we do,” says Jean-Felix Bazelin. “For further than a racing tyre. Consumer tyres have a longer life and In terms of construction, how the different elements of the good reason”. less extreme performance requirements as they are not used on tyre are put together and the interaction of the different physical the limit for the majority of their life cycle, unlike racing products. elements is hugely important for the confidence giving process. “Confidence we can add for the road comes from “Just as for a sports team, every element of the tyre needs to compounds which can react predictably in a range of weather be working in unison and towards the same goal of accessible conditions as there is no stopping and changing for wet tyres if performance,” says Montet it starts to rain on the public highway. “On the track and on the road, a tyre which has very high