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Home , 12 Hours of Sebring, 6 Hours of Zhuhai, Alexis Masbou, Alex de Angelis, Andrea Iannone, Andrea Montermini

InMOTORSPORTTouch NEWS ISSUE 19 IN THIS ISSUE: NOVEMBER 2011 Dunlop’s double ILMC win in 125 Season Review Moto2 Season review 10 questions with Alan Nicholls Dunlop’s date in Dubai

Dunlop reigns supreme in EWC Dunlop’s double win concludes ILMC in Zhuhai Dunlop celebrated the end of the Intercontinental Le Mans In the overall race standings, Dunlop LMP1 partner Oak Racing Cup (ILMC) with double wins in the LMP2 and GTE Pro put their previous bad luck behind them to take an impressive third, classes of the in China. and first petrol car home. It was the seventh and final event of a series which In GTE Pro, the #56 BMW took fourth in class, whilst in GTE Am, also took the best events from the American Le Mans Krohn Racing led the class by a minute at quarter distance, (ALMS) and Le Mans Series (LMS) including the blue ultimately finishing in seventh, three laps shy of the class winning riband Le Mans 24 Hours. team. By the season end, Dunlop team Signatech Dunlop scored title success in the next event, at had won LMP2 honours whilst BMW Motorsport took Road Atlanta with Signatech Nissan moving into an unassailable second in GTE Pro and Krohn Racing second in GTE lead in the LMP2 standings. Whilst there was Dunlop glory there Am. Through the season, Dunlop caps were seen on was also frustration as BMW yet again had the pace, but the top steps of three of the four open tyre circumstances meant at the end of a hard fought battle in GTE Pro competition classes. the #55 BMW finished third meaning that the title was effectively The Zhuhai finale on November 13 saw Signatech out of reach – with the opposition having to score just a single point Nissan win LMP2, extending their already unbeatable at the season finale to deny the Dunlop team. class points tally, whilst the two car BMW squad did GTE Am saw a dominant victory for Krohn Racing, finishing two everything they could to try to wrestle the season title away laps ahead of their nearest rival to move into a strong second in the from their opposition with a maximum score run of pole and ILMC standings. 1-2 in the race, but their opposition scored sufficient points to Zhuhai, China saw the season conclude and aside from deny the men from Munich. Signatech’s LMP2 and GTE Pro wins, in LMP1, Oak Racing It was the culmination of a season which started back in March were the second home of the petrol runners, with fifth overall going with the , which was the first round of both the to the #24 car, and the #15 car coming home seventh. American and Global series. The event drew the curtains on the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Just as the season-ender, Dunlop enjoyed a fine GTE Pro 1-2 which next year is replaced by the FIA World Endurance thanks to BMW, and also victory in the GTE Am class with the Championship (WEC). The WEC will consist of eight races in eight Krohn Racing team’s 430. countries across three continents. Dunlop’s preparations are Official LMP1 tyre development partner OAK Racing failed to see already well underway… the finish after both entries ran into mechanical problems, despite the #15 car running as high as fourth, but the French team took a class podium in LMP2, joining Signatech on the podium. Spa came next in May with the 1000km race around the fearsome Francorchamps circuit where podium finishes in the LMP2 and GTE Pro classes were the result. Signatech was the first ILMC-LMP2 car home, whilst in GTE Pro, the #56 BMW took third position in the overall category standings, finishing second of the ILMC-entered cars. The 79th Le Mans 24 Hours in June saw further solid results for Dunlop, with a mixture of LMS and ILMC entered cars. Signatech finished second in class to the Dunlop-shod LMS entered car. The success in LMP2 made up for a tough race in the premier LMP1 class, with OAK Racing forced to retire both of its cars. In GTE Pro, BMW took third with the #56, but the #55 retired with just three hours to go. In GTE-Am, engine failure forced Krohn Racing to retire. The Gulf AMR Middle East Vantage also failed to finish after an accident. The first ever rounds of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at the Imola 6 Hours in Italy in July saw Signatech finish first of the ILMC LMP2 cars again whilst BMW looked set to win GTE Pro with the #55 BMW M3 before on track contact and a drive through penalty dropped them to a third in class. Dunlop headed home for the fifth round with the Silverstone 6 Hours taking place just an hour away from the Birmingham motorsport tyre production facility. Dunlop dominated the LMP2 class of the event with the top seven finishers using Dunlop tyres, however it was a lowly seventh in class finish for Signatech, who nevertheless continued to lead the ILMC class standings. Dunlop wins FIM Endurance World Championship at Doha finale

Dunlop development squad Endurance the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team for yet Racing Team (SERT) won the 2011 FIM another display of what it takes to win an Endurance World Championship (EWC) after endurance world championship, and in particular scoring a podium finish in the season-concluding for showcasing Dunlop’s tyres in the best way,” 8 Hours of Doha at the Losail International Circuit, said Sharon Antonaros, Director Dunlop Qatar. EMEA. Despite contesting the event with just two riders “Earlier this year we saw the eleventh – Vincent Philippe and Anthony Delhalle – after consecutive Bol d’Or victory with Dunlop tyres. third rider Daisaku Sakai suffered an injury Now to win the championship with our immediately before the event, the Dunlop-shod development team is another endorsement of our Suzuki squad crossed the finish line after eight tyre technology and the efforts we put behind gruelling hours of action immediately behind their pushing the technology forwards. All these efforts title rivals, meaning they won the title by 109 are not just to win titles; they are to benefit our points to 105. consumers with the very best products possible Dunlop’s tyres provided the performance such as our recently launched RoadSmart II.” required to win this season’s title contested Part of the appeal of endurance racing for across 72 hours of racing in a wide range of Dunlop, is the development opportunities it weather conditions and track temperatures. presents. After winning an historic eleventh consecutive “Motorcycle endurance racing is one of the Bol d’Or win in the 24 Hours event at Magny hardest challenges that we face as a tyre Cours at the season opener in April, Dunlop and manufacturer,” says Stephen Male Dunlop SERT contested the 8 Hours of Albacete, Suzuka Motorcycle Motorsports Manager. “We have to Eight Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours Moto before find technology that allows performance at the the season culminated in Qatar. Podiums were level required across a huge variety of conditions. achieved in all events except Suzuka. In a typical 24 hour race, you can start the race The EWC win comes after Dunlop squad Team with 30ºC track temperature, and by 05:00 the Motors Events Bodyguard AMT Assurances won following morning it can be down to single the FIM Endurance World Cup for Superstock figures.” bikes after taking an unassailable lead at the Le Mans 24 Hours Moto at the end of September. “Congratulations to our long-standing partner, Bradl takes Moto2 title and added their names to the list of Dunlop, Moto2’s exclusive tyre supplier, finished the season 2011 Moto2 race winners with victory from pole at Phillip Island, by debuting a new rear tyre at Valencia. the Sammarinese finishing one-second ahead of title leader The ART09 3838 proved an instant hit, despite damp (). conditions, and took Michele Pirro (Moriwaki) to an emotional Both riders chose the W919 rear, but de Angelis opted for the first grand prix victory by six-seconds from (Suter). softer 302 spec front. Joining them on the podium was star Kallio and third-place (Suter) celebrated rookie Marc Marquez (Suter), who charged from last to third their first Moto2 podiums. with the same tyre choice as de Angelis. To best suit the cold and slippery surface, all riders paired the Marquez was forced to miss the Malaysian round, due to a new rear tyre with the 302 softer-option front slick. practice crash, where Bradl finished second to new Moto2 winner Although Bradl crashed in the race, he had already been Thomas Luthi (Suter). The top four riders used the 717 front and confirmed as champion, with Marquez still unfit to ride. 3757 rear. Bradl broke the lap record by almost half a second.

Round Event Winner Front Tyre Rear Tyre 15 Australian GP, Phillip Island Alex de Angelis Dunlop Moto2 302 Dunlop ATR03 W919 16 Malaysian GP, Sepang Thomas Luthi Dunlop Moto2 717 Dunlop Moto2 3757 17 Valencia GP, Valencia Michele Pirro Dunlop Moto2 302 Dunlop ATR09 3838 While in the 125cc and MotoGP grand prix classes were different motorcycles in the title top four, while fifth placed Thomas reaching the end of their development in 2011, the second season of Luthi (Suter) took his first Moto2 victory at Sepang. Moto2 saw great leaps in performance. (Ioda) took two podiums and was the highest ranked Lap records were broken in 12 of the 17 races (four of the other FTR rider with sixth, while rookie Bradley Smith delighted Tech 3 with five were wet) as chassis constructors and Dunlop engineers pushed three consecutive rostrums on his way to seventh. Dominique back the boundaries - often by over one-second a lap. Aegerter’s fifth season in grand prix produced a debut podium at Moto2 season As exclusive tyre supplier, Dunlop had to balance this rapid Valencia and eighth overall for Technomag-CIP. development with the need to provide competitive tyres for all eight Michele Pirro, riding for reigning champion’s Gresini Moriwaki, was chassis designs. ranked ninth. The Italian took an emotional debut victory at Valencia, It was a formidable task, but the results were clear: 16 different which he dedicated to . review riders and seven different motorcycles claimed a podium - a greater Rookie Esteve Rabat (FTR) sprayed podium champagne on one variety than in any other grand prix class. occasion and completed the top ten. Other podiums went to Yuki The title battle went almost to the wire, with Marc Marquez forced Takahashi, Aleix Espargaro, Pol Espargaro, Julian Simon, Mika Kallio to withdraw from the Valencia finale due to previous injuries, and Kenan Sofuoglu. confirming Stefan Bradl as champion. “This has been a tremendously satisfying second season of Moto2 Bradl, ninth overall with one victory last season, took his new Kalex for Dunlop,” stated Dunlop Motorcycle Motorsports Manager chassis to four wins from the opening six races. Stephen Male. “We’ve seen faster lap times and closely fought races. By contrast, rookie Marquez - the reigning 125cc champion - “In terms of development we have run three different front tyre hadn’t scored in his first three Moto2 races. The young Spaniard specifications and seven different rear specifications, including a new ( Suter) then settled the nerves with 1-2 finishes at Le Mans one at the very last race. and Catalunya, only to be caught out in the Silverstone rain. “Our progress is ongoing and will continue in 2012.” But it was Bradl’s turn to bobble at Assen, where victory for Marquez provided the springboard for an incredible mid-season run: Six wins and two second places from eight races earning Marquez the title lead at round 14. A collision in practice at Phillip Island then saw a last place start, but Marquez’s subsequent charge to third - one place behind Bradl - only reinforced his title credentials. Marquez’s hopes ended when a marshalling error in Malaysia failed to warn of a wet track, causing Marquez and others to crash. Struggling with double vision, Marquez withdrew from Sepang and then Valencia. Bradl’s speed and consistency thus handed the 21-year-old his first world championship, despite a crash in the damp season finale. As well as four wins, Bradl stood on the podium a further seven times. “Great thanks to Dunlop - we always enjoyed good support and information, as well as great tyres,” said Stefan, son of former 250cc race winner Helmut Bradl. Despite six non-scores, Marquez comfortably claimed second in the championship ahead of Speed Master Suter’s . The Italian, also third last season, won three races. MotoBI’s Alex de Angelis, winner at Phillip Island, made it three

2011 Moto2 World Championship

Grand Prix Race Winner Title leader Points lead 1. Qatar Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl 5 2. Stefan Bradl Andrea Iannone Andrea Iannone 9 3. Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl 13 4. France Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 28 5. Catalunya Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl 43 6. Great Britain Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl 62 7. Holland Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 57 8. Italy Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 52 9. Germany Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 47 10. Czech Rep Marc Marquez Andrea Iannone Stefan Bradl 43 11. Indianapolis Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 28 1. Stefan Bradl GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing Kalex 274 12. Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 23 2. Marc Marquez SPA Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol Suter 251 13. Aragon Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 6 3. Andrea Iannone ITA Speed Master Suter 177 14. Japan Marc Marquez Andrea Iannone Marc Marquez 1 15. Australia Alex de Angelis Alex de Angelis Stefan Bradl 3 16. Malaysia Thomas Luthi Thomas Luthi Stefan Bradl 23 17. Valencia Michele Pirro Michele Pirro Stefan Bradl 23 Terol last ever 125cc Champion

The last three grands prix for Dunlop’s 125cc World pick the hard ‘H’ front and (120/65) ‘D’ profile rear. Cortese and Championship tyres took place around the high-speed corners Zarco again stood on the podium, having both elected to use of Phillip Island, the hard-braking zones of Sepang and the tight the ‘D’ front and (115/70) ‘F’ rear. twists of Valencia. The Valencia finale was the scene of another Vinales victory, The Australian GP was held on a drying track, between heavy in damp conditions. Vinales chose the harder ‘F’ spec rear and rain showers, where () won his second beat new world champion Nicolas Terol (Aprilia) by 3.2sec. Terol race of the year by 13 seconds using the ‘D’ front and ‘C’ rear had picked the same ‘D’ spec front, but ran the softer ‘C’ rear, slick tyres. Second place (Aprilia) opted for the ‘F’ a combination also used by third place team-mate Hector spec rear and just held off title contender (), Faubel. running the same tyres as Cortese. With Zarco crashing out, Terol ended the season with a The sweltering heat of Malaysia saw star rookie Maverick 40-point advantage. Vinales (Aprilia) take his third win after being the only rider to

Round Event Winner Front Tyre Rear Tyre 15 Australian GP, Phillip Island Sandro Cortese Dunlop KR149 D Dunlop KR133 C 16 Malaysian GP, Sepang Maverick Vinales Dunlop KR149 H Dunlop KR133 D 17 Valencia GP, Valencia Maverick Vinales Dunlop KR149 D Dunlop KR133 F Nico Terol was crowned the 63rd 125cc World Champion during the “Dunlop’s tyres were even better than they were last year in both final season of a grand prix class long dominated by Dunlop. rain and dry conditions,” enthused Terol. Indeed, when the chequered flag fell for the last time at Valencia, it Faubel concluded his tenth GP season with fifth in the standings, marked the 133rd consecutive race victory for Dunlop. while Folger slipped back to sixth. Zarco’s team-mate Efren Vazquez 2011 provided a fitting send-off for the last remaining two-stroke claimed two podiums on his way to seventh. category, with established winners battling new contenders - The top ten was completed by Luis Salom, Sergio Gadea and illustrated by the title top three of Terol, Johann Zarco and Vinales. Alberto Moncayo. 125cc season Terol, 23, began the year with six seasons under his belt and Although Aprilia/Derbi dominated, gave new remained with Aspar Aprilia, for whom he finished runner-up last year. manufacturer Mahindra a dream pole at Valencia, while team-mate Zarco, 21, switched to reigning champion’s Ajo Derbi for his third Marcel Schrötter took the team’s best race result of ninth. review season, but had never previously been higher than eleventh in the KTM were represented by Caretta Technology, whose top rider championship. Alexis Masbou was ranked 22nd out of the 34 point scorers. Vinales, 16, was a rookie, but highly rated from his success in the While Dunlop holds 125cc close to its heart, a new challenge is just Spanish Championship. Vinales rode for the Paris Hilton-backed around the corner - Dunlop having been selected as the exclusive Blusens Aprilia team. tyre supplier for the replacement Moto3 class. When Terol won the first three races, few predicted the title would “It is sad to say goodbye to the last of the original World go to the final round. The fight-back began when Vinales snatched a Championship categories, but with the success seen in Moto2 we last-gasp debut victory from Terol in round four (Le Mans). can only look forward to similar excitement in Moto3,” said Alan Zarco thought he had done the same at Catalunya, but was Nicholls, penalised for a rough pass, handing Terol a fourth victory. ( Ajo Aprilia) made it three different winners in six rounds with a debut victory in the wet at Silverstone, while Terol then suffered a setback when he missed Assen due to a finger injury. Vinales won the Dutch TT, but a bad race for Folger meant Terol’s advantage hardly suffered and he made a victorious return at Mugello. Dunlop’s 125th consecutive victory was then decided by a photo-finish between Zarco and Terol’s team-mate Hector Faubel - Faubel was awarded victory due to a faster race lap. Zarco lost out yet again - to first-time winner Sandro Cortese (Team Germany Aprilia) - at Brno, but was consoled by a DNF for Terol, whose advantage shrunk to just twelve points. It was a pivotal moment, but consecutive wins for Terol at Indianapolis, Misano and Aragon - his eighth and final victory of the year - rebuilt his lead to 36 points. Zarco broke his victory jinx at Motegi, the only non-Aprilia win of the season, then beat Terol again at Phillip Island and Sepang, in races won by Cortese and Vinales. Valencia began with Terol 20 points ahead of Zarco, whose slim chance ended with an early accident in the damp race. Vinales claimed a fourth win to secure third in the championship over Cortese (who crashed), while Terol celebrated title glory from second on the podium.

2011 125cc World Championship season

Event Pole Position Race Winner Title leader Points lead 1. Qatar Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 5 2. Spain Sandro Cortese Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 19 3. Portugal Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 25 4. France Nicolas Terol Maverick Vinales Nicolas Terol 36 5. Catalunya Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 48 6. Great Britain Maverick Vinales Jonas Folger Nicolas Terol 35 7. Holland Maverick Vinales Maverick Vinales Nicolas Terol 27 8. Italy Johann Zarco Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 39 9. Germany Maverick Vinales Hector Faubel Nicolas Terol 32 10. Czech Rep Nicolas Terol Sandro Cortese Nicolas Terol 12 11. Indianapolis Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 26 1. Nicolas Terol SPA Bankia Aspar Aprilia 302 12. San Marino Johann Zarco Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 31 2. Johann Zarco FRA Avant-AirAsia-Ajo Derbi 262 13. Aragon Hector Faubel Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 36 3. Maverick Vinales SPA Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing Aprilia 248 14. Japan Johann Zarco Johann Zarco Nicolas Terol 31 15. Australia Johann Zarco Sandro Cortese Nicolas Terol 25 16. Malaysia Nicolas Terol Maverick Vinales Nicolas Terol 20 17. Valencia Danny Webb Maverick Vinales Nicolas Terol 40 Ciao Super Sic Marco Simoncelli 1987 – 2011 Neal seals the BTCC title

The fight for the Dunlop-backed British Touring Car Championship Jackson to the Independents’ title after a season where he broke his title went right to the wire at Silverstone, with driver BTCC duck; clinching a maiden win at Rockingham. coming out on top of a five-way battle for the 2011 crown. Triple Eight, multiple title winners while running the factory Vauxhall Neal led the way going into the final rounds of the season at programme, also picked up the Independents’ Team Trophy. the Home of British Motorsport and when others dropped out of Outside the five championship contenders, there were also contention, the championship fight eventually came down to a shoot- victories over the course of the year for Andrew Jordan, out with team-mate in the final race of the season. and Tom Boardman; the latter joining Nash in becoming a BTCC Holding a six point advantage, Neal then beat the Scot on track in winner during 2011, albeit in a controversial fashion at after the season finale to become only the sixth driver to win at least three a clash with Plato while fighting for the lead. It meant eight drivers BTCC titles. shared the 30 victories during the season. “I’d like to say I was hardened to it having won the title twice, In total, 34 drivers appeared on track in 2011, with 15 of those but you never get used to the feeling,” the new champion said being first-time BTCC competitors. Amongst the rookie brigade, afterwards. was best placed in the championship as he took Neal’s winning margin after a season where he won seven times twelfth place, meaning he was also the highest-placed driver using a was just eight points over Shedden, while Honda also won the car built to the series’ Next Generation Touring Car Regulations, with Manufacturers/Constructors title and the Teams’ Championship. four podium finishes in the second half of the year. Despite eight victories, defending champion had to Five teams entered NGTC cars in 2011 but the number will settle for third in the standings in his normally-aspirated , increase next year, with Honda Racing, Pirtek Racing and Triple with and James Nash ending the year level on points in Eight amongst those who will switch to the Next Generation fourth and fifth. Nash, driving a Vauxhall Vectra for Triple Eight, beat machines for 2012. Goblet’s seasoN

Dunlop contested the FIM Enduro World Championship with Belgian rider Jean-François Goblet in 2011. Jean-François, or Jeff as he’s more commonly known, rode a Yamaha WR 450 F in the E2 class for 175 – 250cc 2-stroke or 290-450cc 4-stroke machines. Here Jeff gives his review of his season, where he finished in seventh in the standings.

The 2011 season was for me a great step up, but unfortunately you can’t tell that from the final rankings – last year I finished in sixth place whereas this year I finished seventh! However, this year I improved my speed a lot, my experience obviously increased and I developed better relationships with my partners, including Dunlop.

It’s all about finding the extra performance from every detail so the work I have done with Yamaha and Dunlop in 2011 should yield good rewards in 2012. With Dunlop in particular, the tyres and new mousses were fantastic assets! During 16 GPs races, I never had a DNF!

Thanks to my winter training, I felt fit at first 2011 GPs. I was close to the top 10 and I knew I was able to be faster. I got better and better all season, in Greece, I had my first top 5! I continued in Turkey with another 5th position, with many top 10 overall best times in testing!

The Romanian GP showed me how fast I could be, but also that I had to stay on the bike and respect the speed. I did some small mistakes, but kept the faith! I crashed there, but I was not injured, so I was thinking: ‘Okay, you crashed, but you are lucky! Continue to push but don’t ask too much in one step.’

The second half of the season was also fantastic with further sixth and seventh places. However, I had to fight not only with competitors, but also with a lack of energy. I was tired because of all the logistical work I had to do, more the riding side. Despite that, I am very happy to finish in seventh position in a highly competitive world championship and I owe a lot of this to the superb tyres Dunlop supplied.

As well as contesting the world championship, I won the Belgian National Championship!

See you next year for the podium in GP!

Best regards,

Jeff. IDM NEW APointments CLEAN SWEEP FOR DUNLOP DEMET TUNC

Open tyre competition exists throughout the German IDM Ranseder’s victory raised him to second in the championship, Dunlop has a new face as the Marketing and Original Equipment “I am very happy to be part of a very successful team,” says Championships, where Dunlop went head-to-head with its rivals and by just four points from former World Supersport champion Karl Director EMEA for Dunlop Motorcycle Business Unit with Demet Demet. “I am sure we will further grow the Dunlop motorcycle emerged victorious in all three solo classes. Muggeridge (Honda), who completed an all-Dunlop title top three. Tunc. business in a very competitive and dynamic environment with The perfect sweep was headed by KTM’s Martin Bauer, who Dunlop-Yamaha riders Jesco Günther and Günther Knobloch Demet takes the position formerly held by Sharon Antonaros, who outstanding products and business strategies. It is no surprise to secured his third crown in the premier Superbike category during finished first and second in the Supersport Championship. Each now becomes Director Dunlop Motorcycle EMEA. anybody why riders feel confident with Dunlop motorcycle tyres. the eighth and final round at Hockenheim. took a race win at the finale, as Günther concluded the season 21 A graduate in engineering with an MBA, Demet joined Goodyear I am extremely motivated and happy to work for such a premium Due to his points advantage, the 35-year-old was confirmed points clear of Knobloch. Dunlop Tyres in Turkey almost nine years ago as the Dunlop Brand brand.” as champion without turning a wheel when the opening race was The 125cc class saw a nail-biting finish with Australian Jack Miller Manager before becoming Marketing Manager for all Goodyear cancelled due to fluid on the track. (Aprilia-Dunlop) winning the title by just a single point from German Dunlop brands in Turkey. Bauer then rode to a close second place behind fellow Dunlop team-mate Luca Amato, who was victorious in the final round. This led to the position of Marketing Manager for Goodyear rider Michael Ranseder (BMW) in the last race of the year, enough to consumer tyres responsible for the EMEA Region, joining the finish the season with a 43-point advantage. regional team in Brussels in January 2008, before adopting her current position this October. MOTO 3 LOCAL RACES Moto3 beats the 125’s in Valencia CEV Preparations for next year’s Moto3 world championship are well Honda NSF 250R.” “Recently the Moto3 bikes have been finishing The penultimate round of the Spanish CEV Championship at Valencia season finale at Jerez. Both riders could be seen in the Moto3 World underway with the first European race win for a Moto3 bike – using ahead of the 125cc bikes so are looking very encouraging and this saw history made when took Honda’s new Moto3 Championship next season. Dunlop tyres naturally – taking place at the penultimate round of the development work has now been applied in Europe as seen by the 250cc four-stroke to victory against the 125cc two-strokes. The top 25 riders at Valencia were all on Dunlop tyres. The second Spanish CEV Championship at Valencia. success of Miguel Oliveira in Valencia.” Dunlop is to be the exclusive tyre supplier for the new Moto3 World best Moto3 rider was Japanese Kenta Fujii, in 13th. History was made when Miguel Oliveira took Honda’s new Moto3 “Unfortunately, the first IRTA test for Moto3 bikes at Valencia, Championship, which replaces the 125cc grand prix class from In the Stock Extreme class, Enrique Ferrer (Ducati) led the 250cc four-stroke to victory against the 125cc two-strokes on immediately after the MotoGP round, saw poor weather conditions 2012, and Oliveira’s form on the Dunlop-shod machine proved tyre Dunlop challenge with an eighth place finish to retain third in the November 13. and only limited running, however we are very confident that we will development is well advanced. championship standings by one-point. Ferrer and title leader Ivan Alan Nicholls, Dunlop Motorsport, Senior Engineer, explains have the appropriate tyres for the job when we head to Qatar for the Oliveira rode to a near six-second victory over fellow 125cc grand Silva are the only riders to have scored in all six rounds. Dunlop’s ongoing tyre development programme for Moto3. season-opener in March.” prix rider Josep Rodriguez. Rodriguez was the top two-stroke “In Japan there has been a Moto3 championship running competitor at the Valencia CEV round, finishing almost nine seconds alongside the 125cc class for the last two years, so Dunlop Japan clear of title contenders Alex Marquez and Alex Rins. have been running a development programme on tyre construction Rins will take a 12 point advantage over Derbi team-mate and profile work using ex GP 125 rider Hideyuki Nakajoh on a Marquez (younger brother of grand prix ace Marc) into the CEV EURO F3 GT Open Winner Fontana in Euro F3 Open GT Open and shut race After a title fight that went to the wire, Alex Fontana claimed the Third overall in the standings went to Brazilian Fabio Gamberini, The International GT Open produced one of the most dramatic Ayari, a winner on four occasions, also lifted the Super GT class European F3 Open title; winning the crown in his rookie season in the who also clinched the Copa class title ahead of West-Tec team-mate season finales seen anywhere in 2011 as Soheil Ayrari took the title crown ahead of Montermini and Moncini while JMB Racing were series. Sam Dejonghe. Despite running in an older car, Gamberini took one during the final rounds of the year in Barcelona. Super GT teams’ champions. With matching Dallara chassis and Dunlop control tyres, there was overall win during the season in the opening race at Spa. The JMB Racing driver retook the championship lead in the first The GTS class title went to Lorenzo Bontempelli and Stefano little surprise that the title wasn’t decided until the season finale, The pair helped their British team to secure the teams title, with a race of the weekend in Spain after victory alongside Joel Camathias Gattuso, who claimed the crown with a sixth class victory in the final where Fontana was able to see off the challenge of David Fumanelli six-point advantage over RP Motorsport. but rivals and looked set to race. Their title success was secured before the finish when only to become champion. Victor Correa, Noel Jammal, Zoel Amberg, Yann Cunha, Joni win the title with Moncini running second in the closing stages of the remaining rival Gianluca Roda was forced to retire. Although Fumanelli won four times, twice as many victories as Jokinen, Fahmi Illyas and Tono Fernandez also tasted victory with ten final race and Ayari down in seventh. The pair’s Kessel Racing team took the GTS teams title. Fontana, a more consistent campaign from the Corbetta drivers sharing the 16 wins during 2011. However, two laps from the end, Moncini lost second place which Competizioni driver allowed him to take the title by eight points. put Ayari back into the championship lead by a single point, and Fontana, a winner at Spa and Monza, becomes the first when the Villorba Corse driver crashed out on the final lap trying to non-Spanish winner of the title since the series was renamed as the reclaim the position, Ayari’s title was secured. European F3 open back in 2009. The Ultimate roadSmart II

“It let me get away with a lot of things which is what you want, and this gives you a chance to push to the limit… It delivered.”

Luke Brackenbury MCN (UK)

“On dry and on the road it’s really better than the competitors.’’

Andrea Romagnoli Motociclismo (IT)

‘‘Its always been a matter of compromises in tyres, when you get good handling and good grip you compromise with durability and in some way Dunlop have reached a level now that they don’t have any compromises, you really get great levels on every aspect and that’s amazing.’’

Thierry Sarasyn Motorwereld (BE)

‘‘It feels very stable and it gives you a lot of confidence.’’

Oscar Pena Motociclismo (ESP) Dunlop’s Date in Dubai

As most motorsport championships around the world end so focus In terms of Marques, there are 23 , 15 BMWs, six changes to 2012, and for Dunlop the year gets underway with one , five each from Renault and Mercedes, four Ginettas, of the biggest events on the calendar, the Dunlop 24 Hours Dubai. three each from SEAT, Aston Martin, two each from , Nissan, Friday 13th January 2012 will herald the start of what is probably GC, Ferrari, Lotus, Honda, and sole entries from Dodge, Aquila, the largest grid of racing cars using a single tyre manufacturers Saker, V8 DNRT, McLaren, Chevrolet and Ford. products in an event which is establishing itself as the place to start “This is the biggest event of its type in the world,” says Gary the year. Wassell, Dunlop Motorsport Manager, Car Motorsport EU. This year, 84 cars started the event, and the Dubai Autodrome is “It’s also our biggest event of the year. We will send around 38 capable of handling 100! Putting Dunlop’s supply and product range staff, 26 of whom will form the crew which fits tyres non-stop for the to the test, it’s a diverse range of teams and cars which make up the best part of 36 hours.” provisional entry for 2012. “We take around 7000 tyres and sell around half of them.” There are 19 teams from Germany, 12 local UAE teams, seven “Last year I estimated we fitted and balanced a tyre every 45 from the UK, five each from France, Belgium and Italy, four from seconds for the whole 24 hours. Compared to this, the Le Mans Poland, two each from Denmark and the , and 24 Hours is a walk in the park! Le Mans is only contested by one team each from the US, Ukraine, Turkey, Thailand, Japan, professional teams who have upwards of 12 sets of wheels so we Luxembourg, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Slovakia and Spain. can pre-fit. In Dubai many teams are made up from scratch so have only a few sets so we have to fit a new set every time the car refuels. It’s a massive operation!” INSide racing Highlights

Making of Dunlop commercial BTCC set up GRIP – Endurance Tyre demands 10 QUESTIONS Extreme Ice Test with WinterSport 4D Nardo Highspeed Testing The Dunlop Livery Competition with ALAN NICHOLLS

Treasures from the Dunlop Archive Highlights 24h NBR CITS Italiano

How old are you? What’s the best aspect about working for Dunlop? 59 It has always been the camaraderie and friendship of my colleagues. I GRIP - Tyre Pressure Blundell & Herbert at the Nordschleife Tyre Passion - Dunlop Engineers Bol D’Or came to Dunlop because my grandfather worked here during the war Where do you live? up till the 1960s. Dunlop have always promoted strong family Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. connections.

What are the key qualities required for your job? If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing? My current job is Service Engineer Moto GP where I have to be able to Difficult to answer as during the seventies you could pick and choose respond in an always changing work arena with all types of where you worked, so I did a fair bit of job hopping. A dream job would personalities in a media conscious environment and also I need a very need a lottery win as my wife wants to be a cruise liner tester! tolerant family. What do you do away from work? Could you build a tyre yourself if left the keys to the factory? Spend time with my family, catching up on quality time and many jobs Mini Challenge Germany 24h LeMans Highlights 2011 Bol D’Or 2011 - SERT and Dunlop I would like to say yes, as I started making various components for around the house. earth mover tyres some of which took three shifts to manufacture. There were many similarities to motorsport tyre building but in all Which is your favourite circuit to visit and why? honesty things have changed so much in tyre manufacture it would be Mugello, Italy - just the best food in Europe. difficult to know where to start! What car do you drive / bike do you ride? What is your favourite tyre? The family taxi is a 3 - my wife Cheryll’s car really as she seems KR 189 front wet as I was involved in its design, in fact it was patented to drive us all around. in my name. It forced water away so fast it whistled when going through deep water! It is now manufactured in Japan as well as the UK.