IN TOUCH Motorsport news

Dunlop SP600, the fastest ‘Runflat’ tyre around the Ring

FOUR wheels Two wheels

LE MANS SERIES GP250 - gp125 The first race in the LMS The MotoGP season got off to resulted in podium finishes for a wet start for both GP250 and Dunlop shod cars in LMP2, GT1 GP125 in Qatar and Japan. and GT2 classes. > page 2 > page 5

Issue two – april ‘09 Four wheel NEWS

Lenu MANSrburgring Dunlop SP600 shod Nissan GT-R improves Nordschleife record

Nissan GT-R flies around the ‘Ring’

ossibly the hottest debate on wheels. The lap time leaves the Pcar weblogs and fora in the auto world dumbstruck, how can a last few months is the legitimacy large and 1740kg heavy road legal of the Nissan GT-R lap time of production car be that quick? Part 7’29.03 around the Nurburgring of the secret of ‘Godzilla’s’ speed Nordschleife, set back in May is in its efficiency, not wasting any 2008. Porsche, long established of its 485ps to spinning, sliding record holders for production cars or other pace-slowing antics. The around the Nordschleife, tried to Dunlop SP600 plays a crucial part repeat the time set by Nissan in in the GT-R’s ability to get all of its their own GT-R. They couldn’t. power down. Right from the start But there was one significant of GT-R development, Dunlop has difference between the attempts: been a close partner, producing Nissan fitted the Dunlop SP600 hundreds of different specifications tyre homologated for Europe to arrive at a cutting-edge SP600 and Japan, while Porsche used Run-on-flat tyre that now sets the another homologated tyre from a bar for all other tyre manufacturers competitor brand. Nissan stated around the Nordschleife. this was the one of the main Chief GT-R engineer Katzutoshi reasons why Porsche’s attempt Mizuno confirmed that the right failed - a very nice compliment for front SP600 withstands over Dunlop indeed! 6000 kg of load at the ‘Ring’, a This month, Nissan’s GT-R test value that normally only race tyres team returned to the ‘Ring’ to are exposed to. Besides tons of test the 2010 and V-spec models predictable grip, the wish list of and invited a very select group of Mizuno san also included a fair car media to take a look behind amount of comfort, as well as the the scenes and witness a new Run-on-flat functionality. Nordschleife time attack. On Dunlop’s success is based on April 15, Nissan’s chief test driver the transfer of technology from Toshio Suzuki shaved 1.5 seconds race to road, but the SP600 on the off, setting a new time at a jaw Nissan GT-R proves it works the dropping 7’27.56 with a 2010 other way around as well! The actual SP600 tyre after two record-setting laps at the ‘Ring’ model GT-R with (lighter) V- spec

SP600 tyre stock at Nissan test facility Chief GT-R engineer Katzutoshi Mizuno

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LeLIne MANS TMaouchns Series DTM LMS catalunya 1000km race DTM SEASON KICKS-OFF IN Dusseldorf TM stars up close, the Dimpressive noise and spectacle of the fastest touring cars in the world and great weather in the city of Dusseldorf guaranteed a new record crowd for the traditional DTM presentation just prior to the start of the new season. The 10 round series will not only host the DTM races but also create the podium for the partner series Formula 3 Euro, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup and SEAT Leon Supercopa. he Dunlop-supported JMW in front of the Ferrari, which lost The ASM team, running a Ginetta For the tenth consecutive year, T Motorsport Ferrari team any chance of challenging for the in the LMP2 class for pure racing Dunlop is supplying the tyres for finished second in its class at the win. “I was giving it everything I cars, also finished second in class the biggest and most popular opening round of the five-race Le had, but we were really struggling after having a wheel work its way international touring car series. And Mans Series, held in Barcelona at in the second stint,” said Bell. “It loose during a race stint, and also there are very good reasons for this the beginning of April. British driver seemed to be that there was more a stall in the final pit stop proved long-standing partnership between Rob Bell, and his Italian co-driver rubber down, or the temperature costly as the car finished 46 the top-class works teams of Audi Gianmaria Bruni, finished the six went up, I don’t know, but from seconds behind the winning car. and Mercedes Benz and Dunlop. hour race in second place after a the first stint when I was relatively The Ginetta achieved a distance With just one slick and one wet fantastic battle with Porsche over comfortable in the lead, to the of more than two stints, two and a tyre specification allowed for the the 1000km event. second stint, he passed me round half hours, on the same set of tyres whole season, the team of Dunlop Dunlop contests three of the outside under braking into the before the performance dropped engineers work in the closest these four classes, and achieved first corner.” towards the end of the race, collaboration with the drivers and a podium finish in each at the The lack of testing was leading to that final stop. team engineers, measuring more opening rounds of the season. particularly costly in Barcelona as In the GT1 class, former French than 1000 parameters during each Servicing 13 of the 43 cars which new rules for changing the wheels downhill ski champion Luc Alphand race weekend which are minutely took the start, Dunlop sent out during the race came into force was unlucky to lose control of his analysed to define the optimum a team of 22 personnel to fit the this year. Just two mechanics Corvette while leading the GT1 recommendations for suspension tyres, and liaise with the teams are allowed to take part in the class. The Frenchman spun into settings, tyre pressures, tyre during the race weekend. procedure to change wheels, and the gravel where he stayed for warming and tyre management Dunlop’s 13 cars completed just one wheel gun is used for all more than a lap, though he, and strategy for the individual 19 car more than 9,000kms during the four wheels. countrymen Patrice Goueslard and race engineers. race alone, and used nearly 600 That takes a lot of time, as Yann Clairay did recover to finish At the same time, the varied tyres of the 1950 brought to the teams are not allowed to change second in the class. data that the motorsport specialists track by the Birmingham based tyres while the car is being refuelled The second Le Mans Series acquire every day of testing or operation.. That figure included for safety reasons. Teams were race of five is to be held at Spa- racing, goes into the research, wet weather rubber which was not therefore trying harder compounds Francorchamps on May 10th. development and production used during the race week. and different constructions to make not only of the next generation The JMW Ferrari completed the tyres last longer. In addition, of racing tyres, but also the next 865km during the race, but Ferrari has developed a new JMW Ferrari Race Data generation of road tyres. Dunlop suffered from high tyre wear on suspension system for the 430GT, Laps led: 66-74; 82-110; 118-124 has called this continuous process, the abrasive track. A misfire during and Dunlop has been working hard 45 laps led in total which ensures that every driver Friday’s practice session limited to find the right set-up for its tyres. 186 laps covered, 865km gets the best possible feedback running, and meant that the car did On a very high downforce circuit Medium compound tyres from its tyres “Touch Technology”. not have the ideal set-up heading like Barcelona, which boasts an It is no coincidence that into qualifying, or the race. abrasive surface yielding high grip Dunlop’s high-performance tyres “We didn’t have enough track levels, the lack of track time on have the same name as the DTM time to do everything we wanted Friday proved to be very costly. competition tyres: Dunlop SP “ commented Dunlop’s Matthew “We have contingency plans, Sport Maxx. Simpson” we made three or four but we just didn’t have time little tweaks to the car set up before to do a race simulation” says qualifying, but ran out of time to get Simpson, who also oversaw the the hard compound tested” tyre development programme at Bell and Bruni ran closely to the the pre-season test in Paul Ricard Porsche for much of the race, but in March “We have a further test as the temperatures rose in the planned after the Spa race which final stint Bell lost time to the class should bring further improvement, leader, and a safety car came out so we are not too unhappy.”

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LeAInM MANSTERouchICAN Le Mans Series MINI CHALLENGE St. Petersburg / Long Beach MINI CHALLENGE STARTS GLOBAL RACE CAMPAIGN he Mini Challenge enters its Mortimer won two of the three the Teighth year in the UK with the Mini Cooper S class races, holding usual high expectations of close off Arthur Foster in the first race to racing, colourful cars and colourful win the 13 lap event. Having finished characters. 1-2 in the opening round, the two The challenge, which runs on fought again in the second of the Dunlop racing tyres, is made up of day’s races, and both survived a two classes. The Club class is based hit with a wall on the oval circuit to on the Mini Cooper, with 135bhp on lead the 22 car field over the line. tap, and running on Dunlop treaded Defending champion Martin Depper race tyres complementing special took victory in the third race ahead race suspension. The S-Class of Mortimer after early leader House is based on the Mini Cooper S, made a mistake, and then retired with more power up to 210bhp. with a gear linkage problem. These Minis run on Dunlop slick In the German version of the Mini racing tyres, and have adjustable Challenge, Daniel Haglof held off suspension, rear wing and big Hendrick Vieth by just two tenths of ork continues to develop the brakes. a second in the opening round at fourth after his team-mate’s demise, Dunlop tyre for competition at the opening round of the Hockenheim. W and was up to third when he handed in the American Le Mans Series, British series at Rockingham Ollie the car over to Muller. A stop to after the Rahal Letterman BMW tighten a bolt on the suspension team scored two podium finishes in delayed the pair, but they soon were the second and third rounds at St back into a podium position, and Petersburg, Florida, and Long Beach finished second in class, seventh in California this month. overall. The races took place on street Two weeks later at a one hour, circuits and Dunlop’s GT2 tyres, 40 minute race in California, Muller developed in conjunction with the and Milner were again competitive, BMW team, were on race-winning despite track temperatures of more pace. At Long Beach on Saturday than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The April 18, where drivers Dirk Muller sister car of Auberlen and Hand and Tommy Milner finished third, GT OPEN scored its first points of the year with the BMW’s fastest lap was just one an eighth place finish following a hundredth of a second slower than collision with a car that was already a ITALIAN RACE OPENER the class-winning Porsche. lap down. Dunlop is continuing its he first round of the 2009 Porsche of Roda/ Lietz of victory. Muller and Milner ran strongly, development programme with two T International GT Open Eventually they finished third behind but lost an estimated 14 seconds in tests in America this month, and a Championship took place at Imola the sister Porsche of the IMSA traffic to the class leaders, and firmly further test in Portugal in May should on April 18/19 with a field of 32 cars, Performance team. Sunday’s race believed they could have scored help the company’s European teams up from 29 last year. Dunlop is the started on a wet track behind the a better podium position. “We are ahead of the biggest race of the year, exclusive tyre partner for the series safety car, but it progressively dried certainly happy to be on the podium the Le Mans 24 hours, in June. that was created from the national out with some slippery patches for a second time,” said team The St. Petersburg street race Spanish GT Championship in 2006. remaining throughout. This time it Principal Bobby Rahal. “It is the best was only one hour and 55 minutes Each event has two races, one on was the Swiss Trottet Racing Ferrari evidence of progress. It looked like long, and it was an eventful one for Saturday and one on Sunday and that came out on top of another we could have finished even better, the BMWs. Bill Auberlen started two classes; Super GT that follows close race. Saturday’s winner, the but on a tight track like this it is very from third place in his BMW M3, but FIA GT2 specifications and GTS, AE Ferrari team finished fourth and easy to lose time to slower traffic, at the pit stop to hand the driving following FIA GT3. heads the championship table as the even slower prototype class cars.” duties to co-driver Joey Hand, the As expected the opening teams prepare for the second event “Expectations are very high car refused to start and was retired. weekend saw another chapter in the at the Algarve circuit in Portugal on for this program’ said Martin Ferrari / Porsche duel at the top of May 16/17. Birkmann, BMW North America LLC the Super GT category whilst Ferrari, The Kessell Ferrari team of Peter Motorsports Manager “and it’s a Lamborghini, Viper and Aston Martin and Broniszewski dominated both great morale boost to see we have all hoped for victory in GTS. The AE the GTS races. The Villois Aston the car, the team and the tires. I want Ferrari F430 of Ruggia/ Ricci took Martin team to thank our partners in Dunlop. a brilliant win in Saturday’s race. celebrated They completed very strategic The Ferrari F430 enjoyed a faultless two solid testing and a development plan that performance keeping the Porsche runner-up has born fruit. We were very strong teams, that had dominated qualifying results. on both sets of tires in and ultimately and the first part of the race, at bay. that has helped us in securing our For 2009 the races have an first podium finishes” extended duration of 70 minutes which necessitate a refuelling stop. A 35 second delay in their pit stop robbed the Autorlando sport

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GP250 / GP125

QATAR / JAPAN GP125 eavy rain played havoc with the the race slick shod Andrea Iannone, a slight gap over Aoyama until being Motegi race winner to take the Hnight race schedule in Qatar, who had started from pole, came forced to pit on lap ten - the front front spot. Aoyama could do no eventually causing the MotoGP race through to pass Simon two laps from wheel of his Gilera fractured after a more as Bautista built a five second to be delayed by 24 hours by a the finish, with Espargaro completing heavy contact with a kerbstone. cushion at the flag, the Japanese in combination of a flooded track and the podium. Webb’s gamble hadn’t alvaro Bautista was Aoyama’s second but 16 seconds ahead of the visibility problems this created paid off, the British rider falling back main threat, although a poor start third placed Team Toth rider under the floodlights. Although the to 11th in the finalaps as the track from the front row meant he had Mattia Pasini. 125 race started in the dry, heavy dried completely. to come through a strong group The MotoGP teams have no time rain brought the red flag out after of riders, particularly his Mapfre to rest before the first European just 4 laps, with race leader Andrea GP250 Aspar team mate Mike de Meglio, race. Practice for the Spanish GP Iannone declared the winner and half t was a frustrating kick-off to 2009 Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi and in Jerez starts just five days after points being awarded. The Italian Ifor the 2008 reigning 250cc world Mattia Pasini. Second by lap 10, the Japanese GP, andf everyone is Ongetta Team I.S.P.A rider started champion Marco Simoncelli as the Bautista chased down Aoyama’s hoping for three days of sun in the from third on the grid and spent the Italian rider reluctantly sat-out the first two second advantage, until with six south of Spain this weekend, May 3. first four laps battling with Bancaja race of the season. A fall in training laps to go he passed the two-time Aspar rider Julian Simon for the a week before the season opener top spot before the red flag came resulted in a fractured Scaphoid wrist down as he lead the race. Simon bone, The World Champion had had started on pole, and though he received surgery to insert a metal crashed shortly after the red flag, he screw in his wrist and after a few was still classified second and took laps of warm up decided that it was ten points away from the round, 2.5 better to sit out and recover properly points behind the championship rather than risk further injury. leader Iannone as they moved The unpredictable weather in to Japan for round two. Sandro Qatar meant the race was shortened Cortese, Pol Espargaro and Bradley to 13 laps. Hector Barbera took the Smith made up the top five. chequered flag for the first victory weather played an even greater of the 2009 season, the Spanish role in Japan, with tyre choice a rider impressing with his first race critical factor for the riders as they following his back injury in Japan in MC ENDURANCE RACING came to the grid in Motegi last 2008. Starting from fourth on the grid weekend. The track was fully wet, Pepe World Team rider Barbera got LE MANS 24HRS but the rain had stopped, and straight into a battle for the lead with riders had to decide whether the Matteoni Racing’s Jules Cluzel, who advantage they would get in the first stayed with it for the race distance laps by choosing rain tyres would to take the first podium finish of his be negated in the latter part of the career, an impressive feat from a race if the track dried quickly. Danny 13th place grid start. Webb, Nico Terol, and Sandro 125cc World Champion Mike Cortese chose the wet option. Webb de Meglio completed the podium in particular took full advantage in his debut 250cc race whilst and opened up a 9 second lead Hiroshi Aoyoma (Scot Racing Team) in the opening laps. Julian Simon, and team-mate Raffaele de Rosa Pol Espargaro and the KTM rider completed the top five. Marquez chose intermediates, and Hiroshi Aoyama gave his home this looked a good choice around crowd plenty to cheer in Motegi, half race with Simon taking the lead the Japanese rider’s proving on lap 13 of 20. The remainder a match for the throughout of the top riders had decided the the weekend. However it was 2008 track would dry sufficiently and had world champion Marco Simoncelli he 2009 World Endurance between them to take third place chosen slicks and in the last third of who started from pole, opening up T Championship got underway in and climb onto the podium. The less than perfect conditions on the 2008 reigning world champions had 18th April, with riders seeing some managed to lead the race briefly of the worst weather for years as before the heavy rains started, they battled through the Le Mans causing them to drop to second, circuit. Nearly 20 hours of heavy and after a small crash they settled rain battered the Dunlop teams as for third. They weren’t the only they rode through the night chasing Dunlop riders to score a top ten victory. finish, Junior Team Suzuki CMF The Suzuki Endurance Racing and the Qatar Endurance Racing Team were the top placed Dunlop Team took fifth and sixth places riders at the end of the tough season respectively in the standings. opener, Vincent Philippe, Barry The championship now moves Veneman and Guillaume Dietrich to the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, in completed an impressive 716 laps Germany on the 31st May.

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RACE CALENDAR AMA - Superbike may Road Atlanta, Braselton 03-05 MotoGP: Jerez 10-05 LMS: 1000km Spa-Francorchamps at Mladin showed dominance for second place between Mladin’s 17-05 ALMS: Tooele M in the AMA Pro American teammate Blake Young and local GTOpen: Algarve Superbike competition with another rider Geoff May. The pair swapped DTM: Hockenheim flag-to-flag race win. second several times before Young BTCC: After the year’s first five races took the spot for good on the last MotoGP: Le Mans Mladin is still undefeated but his lap. AMA-SBK: Sonoma performance at Road Atlanta was by Mladin, who scored the 51st 23-05 24hrs of Nurburgring far his most impressive of the year. consecutive American Superbike 24-05 Mini Challenge: Silverstone Mladin led every lap in Saturday’s win for Suzuki, now leads the 31-05 DTM: Eurospeedway 20-lap race and did the same thing championship standings with BTCC: Oulton Park again on Sunday to score a perfect 157 points. Next up for AMA Pro MotoGP: Mugello clean sweep. Superbike is the Honda Superbike MC Endurance: Oschersleben 8hrs While Mladin was cruising up Classic at Barber Motorsports Park, Isle of Man TT front near the end, some of the best May 1 - 3. Supermoto WC: Mallory Park racing of the weekend took place

FIM SUPERMOTO world championship viterbro Season kick-off

european Superbike Superbike gets underway in eu

aster weekend traditionally (KTM) and Clement Dunikowski Esees the start of the national completing the rostrum, the three championships throughout Europe. separated by just 1,6 seconds at the With the opening rounds of the flag. The next CEV round is at Jerez Spanish CEV and Italian CIV on April on June 7th. 19th followed a week later by the Rain caused the cancellation first IDM German round, the Dunlop of the first races in the Italian CIV service teams and engineers have championship at Misano on April he first races of the 2009 World between Superpole rider Iddon been kept busy. 19. Superbike, Superstock and T Supermoto Championship were and Delepine gave Chareyre the The Spanish CEV is probably the Supersport are the three classes fought under wet conditions last opportunity to grab the holeshot. He biggest championship in Europe, run in Italy, with Dunlop making an weekend for the Italian Grand Prix at then dominated the race and again attracting more than 95 entries for increased challenge in all three on Viterbo. It was a clear victory for the in the second. Closest competition its three classes - 1000cc Formula Pirelli’s home ground. French, with Thierry Van Den Bosch for the Husqvarna CH Racing rider Extreme, 600 Supersport and A week after the Spanish and taking the chequered flag in the S1 came from 747 Motorsport TM 125 GP. The seven round series Italian races, the sun was out at the class and Adrien Chareyre taking the Factory Racing rider Gozzini who opener at Albacete brought a clean Lausitzring for the first of the eight- honours in the S2 class. gamely pursued Chareyre in race sweep for Dunlop and Yamaha on round IDM German Championship. 747 Motorsport TM Factory one, finally settling for third, and the Formula Extreme podium on a The Superbike field has been Racing’s Thierry Van De Bosch taking a second podium in heat two wet and slippery track. Jose Luis strengthened with the arrival of took a convincing win in the first with a second place finish. Cardoso opened his title bid finishing strongly supported KTM and heat of S1, fighting off Husqvarna The championship now moves to 3.6 seconds ahead of Bernat BMW teams, but the Dunlop shod CH Racing’s Thomas Chareyre for Mallory Park in the UK for round two Martinez with Carmelo Morales 16 Yamaha of 2000 Supersport World the duration of the race. Race two on the 30th May. seconds behind in a race which saw Champion Jörg Teuchert won both saw Van De Bosch overtaken by only 10 of the 19 riders classified races, holding off the Pirelli equipped Chareyre’s Husqvana team-mate CONTACTS as finishers! The 600 Supersport KTM BMW and Honda riders. The and World Supermoto rookie Mauno Jeremy Ferguson race was equally damp and very Supersport class showed some Hermunen who held on to take the International Motorsport Manager, slippery; Angel Rodriguez (Yamaha/ close racing too. Christian Kellner’s chequered flag and his first ever [email protected] Dunlop) finished two seconds ahead Dunlop shod Yamaha won the first podium. Van De Bosch held on to of Adrian Bonastre (Michelin) with of two races, giving him an early lead second place, giving him the overall Dunlop Motorsport Division Suzuki’s Yonny Hernandez (Dunlop) in the championship going into the win on the day. Dunlop Tyres Ltd completing the podium. Only 21 race at Oschersleben on May 17th. The S2 class saw reigning 2008 Fort Dunlop of the 36 125GP riders crossed As elsewhere, Dunlop dominated the World Champion Adrien Chareyre Birmingham the finish line in the wet conditions, 125 GP race in Germany, filling all setting out where he left off last year B24 9QT - United Kingdom Spaniard Louis VInales of the Aspar the podium positions - giving Dunlop with an impressive first round victory. Tel: +44 121 306 6000 Aprilia team headed an all- Dunlop riders the lead in all three classes in Chareyre took the chequered flag fax: +44 121 306 7000 podium with Frenchmen Louis Rossi the German IDM series. in both heats. A crash in heat one e-mail: [email protected]

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