Dunlop Motorsport has celebrated the 40th anniversary of Spaghetti Junction with an impressive ten-truck drive-by stunt.

The tyres manufacturer organised for the convoy to take over three lanes of the M6 in honour of the UK’s largest and most complicated intersection.

Dunlop’s racing tyres are manufactured at the Fort Dunlop facility in Birmingham, and the company estimates that it has shipped more than 10-million tyres across the juntion since it was first opened in 1972.

The ten-truck convoy converged simultaneously on many of the different intertwined roads of the junction for an aerial photograph. The trucks then paraded through the city on the old Birmingham Superprix circuit, which made some of city streets famous for motor racing.

James Bailey, Director of Marketing and Communications for Dunlop Motorsport Europe, said: “We are very proud of our long association with Birmingham and that we not only design, develop and manufacture tyres here, but also provide many of the support teams for race championships across Europe and the world.

“The Dunlop Motorsport trucks are not just delivery vehicles. Once they are in the paddock at a race track, the sides open up, awnings are fitted and they are transformed into the ‘Dunlop Village’ - a tyre fitting centre from where the engineers will look after the tyre needs of racing teams before and during practice and racing. There are more than 20 vehicles servicing over 200 events around the world every year.

“As well as celebrating 40 years of being neighbours with the iconic Spaghetti Junction we also wanted to acknowledge the anniversary of motor racing on the streets of Birmingham. Although racing didn’t happen on Birmingham’s Superprix Circuit until the 1980s, permission for it to happen was first given 40 years ago, so it is appropriate to reflect on the city’s racing heritage.

“The Superprix was a great showcase for Birmingham and with around forty thousand people employed in the UK motorsport industry, maybe the time is right to highlight this contribution to the local and national economy with a return of racing to Birmingham’s streets.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Which? has published the results of its winter tyres test after putting six tyres in two of the most popular sizes through their paces.

In size 175/65 R14T the Continental WinterContact TS800 came out tops with the comment: “A really good all rounder with no major weaknesses. It’s the class leader on snow, good in wet and dry conditions and offers the best fuel economy of all the winter tyres in this batch.”

The only downside was: “It is slightly weaker than others for cornering on ice.”

The other Best Buys were the Michelin Alpin A4 and the Dunlop SP Winter Response.

In the 205/55 R16H category the Continental WinterContact TS830 took poll position again and was praised for: “Sound performance in the wet and in snow puts this tyre at the top of the ratings table. It also has a long predicted life, beating most rivals in the wear stakes.”

On the downside Which? added: “It’s not quite so impressive on ice, although it is still a match for any competitor in this batch.”

The two other Best Buys were the Goodyear UltraGrip 7+ and the Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3.

Read the full report in the January 2012 issue or go to www.which.co.uk.

By Denna Bowman

Goodyear Dunlop marked the official inauguration of its new tyres testing centre in Meuspath, which is close to the world-famous Nürburgring racetrack, earlier this month.

The tyres manufacturer announced that the tyre test facility is an important institution both for the ongoing further development of its products and for training and education purposes.

The 600 square metre site contains a range of equipment, including a complete tyre mounting workshop and hydraulic lifts, and will employ up to 15 test personnel during peak periods. The centre’s close proximity to the Nürburgring circuit’s Nordschleife track also counts as a major asset for Goodyear Dunlop, according to a report in Tyres and Accessories.

Jürgen Spielmann, general director at Goodyear Dunlop’s Development Center Hanau, said: “Nowhere are test conditions as ideal as on the Nordschleife: 20.8 kilometres, 73 curves and an altitude variation of almost 300 metres – no other circuit is as demanding as the Nordschleife.

“Hence this course in the Eifel qualifies as a yardstick for upcoming production models and the tyres fitted to them. Every kilometre on the Nordschleife is as hard as ten kilometres on a normal road.”

By Denna Bowman

Driving is the transport of choice for many holidaymakers this summer, according to a survey by a leading tyres company.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of holidaymakers in Europe plan to travel by car, compared to 35 per cent who say they will fly, the survey covering 15 European countries by Goodyear Dunlop revealed.

Half of the drivers quizzed also admitted they planned to spend a long time in the car, exceeding 1,000 kilometres, suggesting that road safety is of the utmost importance.

However, the survey also highlighted how many drivers fail to carry out basic car maintenance and safety checks before setting out on long journeys.

It revealed that a third of drivers are “not very likely” to check the air pressure of tyres or the level of oil in the engine before setting off on their long-distance journey.

Alarmingly, one in eight drivers say they would wait until after the holiday to change tyres worn close to the legal limit.

Other key findings showed that a third of drivers have in the past travelled for more than five hours on holiday without taking a 30 minute rest-stop.

Goodyear Dunlop has, therefore, issued some stern advice to holidaymakers. It has urged motorists to leave ample time for the journey, know the route and read up on the local rules of the road of the country they are visiting beforehand.

It reminded drivers to check the tyre pressure and make sure there is sufficient tread depth, while it is also important to make basic maintenance checks in case anything goes wrong.

Dunlop has won the race to continue supplying tyres to the V8 Supercar championship for the foreseeable future after championing a hard-won tender process.

The tyres manufacturer, currently in its tenth season as the sole tyre supplier to the championship, has extended its deal through to the end of 2017.

The new contract means that Dunlop will be charged with developing the new 18 inch tyres for the ‘Car of the Future’, which is scheduled to be introduced for the 2013 season, according to AUTOSPORT.

Martin Whitaker, V8 Supercar CEO, said that interest in the tyre tender for 2013-2017 had been strong, but that it made sense for the series to continue its partnership with Dunlop as the series worked towards its new car.

“It was a hard-won tender process,” Mr Whitaker said. “Dunlop in the end was the worthy recipient and continues our long association in a critical time for the sport, with the Car of the Future just around the corner.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

Dunlop is revving up promote its tyres with the launch of a new television advertising campaign which drives home its ‘race to road’ message.

The commercial’s aim is to highlight how technology used to develop tyres for the racing circuit is being applied to manufacturing tyres for the road so that everyday motorists can enjoy the benefits.

Andy Marfleet, Dunlop brand manager, Consumer and Motorcycle, said: “It is great to be back on television, truly exciting times for the Dunlop brand.

“We have a market-leading portfolio of car tyres and the youngest product range within the motorcycle industry, and of course all our tyres encompass our ‘race to road’ philosophy.

“Our aim is to drive awareness and to educate consumers that our key product benefits such as grip and braking are derived directly from technologies developed for our motorsport teams.

“When a consumer buys a Dunlop tyre, they are buying a product loaded with high end technology, tested in a motorsport arena.”

Set to run across July, the Dunlop advert will appear on a number of channels, including Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky 1 and Sky Sports, thereby giving the brand exposure to relevant target audiences.

The commercials aim to reinforce Dunlop’s key product values: excellent grip and high speed braking developed through extreme testing in motorsport conditions.

Dunlop is involved with motorsport events around the world, including Moto2, Isle of Man TT, BTCC, ALMS, Le Mans 24 hour, Nürburgring 24 hour, Dubai 24 Hour, IDM and Australian V8 to name but a few.

Congratulations and good luck to James Bailey who has just been appointed to the new role of director of brand public relations for Goodyear Dunlop tyres

He will be responsible for the tyres manufacturers brand’s across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Bailey, 42, from Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire, joined Goodyear as a product manager in 1996 and was promoted to his new role from the post of communications manager.

He said of his new role: “Each region has a market for most of our products, ranging from ultra high performance motorsport tyres for cars and motor cycles, through to original equipment tyres created for executive and family cars as well as trucks, buses and agricultural equipment.

“When you factor in geographical influences, from the north of Europe where cold weather tyres are essential, to the Middle East where searing heat is the norm, then you can see that there is a real opportunity to communicate the benefits of the right tyre for each market.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Alex Kapadia

Dunlop are set to embark on a record-breaking logistical mission to transport 6,500 tyres to Dubai for a racing spectacular.

The sixth annual ‘Dunlop 24hrs of Dubai’ race kicks off this weekend and the tyres manufacturer will attempt the biggest ever logistics operation in its history.

It is also the largest racing grid ever featuring one single tyre brand and has already attracted an impressive 87 entries comprising an eclectic mix of exotic sportscars and touring cars.

Every competitor will race on Dunlop Tyres, with the organisers having tested the durability, performance and consistency of the Dunlop range in last year’s event.

The full grid of cars is believed to be the largest ever racing grid of cars on one single brand of tyre in the history of International Endurance Motorsport.

Dunlop will be supplying 6500 tyres for this race. The logistics operation is incredible – 14 shipping containers have been despatched to Dubai and 38 skilled tyre technicians will service the cars.

Gary Wassell, Car Motorsport Manager, is proud of the operation to get Dunlop to the chequered flag of this gruelling race. “It is our single biggest ever logistics operation in the century-long history of Dunlop Motorsport.

“We will be taking 74 different specifications of Dunlop tyre to cater for the incredibly diverse grid of cars. The organisers ‘Creventic’ have done a superb job to attract entries from all over the world.”

The line-up features supercars as diverse as the latest Mercedes Benz SLS AMG competing against Ferrari F430GT2, Porsche 911GT3, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin Vantage and Corvette racing cars. In the highly competitive production touring car classes, racecars such as the Seat Leon, Mini Cooper and RenaultSport Clio add to the challenge for the Dunlop technicians.

Dunlop’s racing tyres are designed and built at the company’s Motorsport Technical Centre in Birmingham, UK.

The company have an impressive record in endurance racing, with more wins in the iconic Le Mans 24hour race than any other tyre company.

In 2010, Dunlop won arguably the toughest endurance race of all, the Nurburgring 24 hours as Official Technical Partner to BMW’s M3 GT2 racing team.

By Denna Bowman

Motorists in Britain are the third safest drivers in Europe, according to a survey by a leading tyres manufacturer.

The poll carried out by Goodyear Dunlop tyres claims German drivers are the safest in the EU, with 18% out of 3,500 respondents voting for the country.

Swedish motorists came in second, earning 9% of the votes, while UK drivers took third place with 6% of votes.

However, according to the survey, British motorists need additional knowledge about their car tyres and their significance in road safety more than the other EU drivers surveyed.

A staggering 71% of British drivers do not know how to tell the difference between tyre types without help and 62% are not even aware if they are using summer, winter or another type of tyre.

42% know little or nothing about the role that tyres play in terms of grip.

The poll, conducted by APCO Insight for “Goodyear Dunlop Europe”, also found that 59% of EU drivers check their tyre pressure regularly, but 50% might not do so before heading out on a long journey.

More than 33% even continue driving normally on worn out tyres, making it absolutely essential to have the best possible car insurance policy in case such negligence leads to an accident.

Tom Delforge, director of communications, EMEA, Goodyear Dunlop, said: “This survey on tyres and road safety reveals some of the worrying driving practices we all need to address to make our roads safer places.

“It also shows a number of road safety risks that can be addressed by promoting the right tyre choice, building more awareness and encouraging better maintenance.”

The study of 3,500 drivers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK was carried out August 31-September 9. Interviews were conducted in the local language of each country.

By Denna Bowman

Ultra-high performance tyres from Goodyear, Dunlop & Michelin have been rated best in a major consumer test.

The trio of manufacturers topped the Consumer Reports’ tests which rated 21 different models from 19 companies.

The ultra-high-performance tyres were put through their paces at CR’s Auto Test Center in Connecticut.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 all achieved “Excellent” overall scores in Consumer Reports’ evaluations of braking, handling, hydroplaning, tread life, rolling resistance, and noise.

Only the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric got Excellent ratings in four of the five braking, handling, and hydroplaning tests. It posted a “Very Good” score in the wet braking test.

In addition to testing summer UHP tyres, Consumer Reports also rated 17 models of all-season ultra-high-performance tyres and 15 models of performance winter tyres.

The three top-scoring tyres in the all-season ultra-high performance category are the Pirelli P Zero Nero All-Season; the Sumitomo HTR A/S P01; and the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus. The Pilot Sport A/S Plus tied with the fourth-place finisher, the Continental Extreme Contact DWS.

The three top-rated tyres in the performance winter category are the Nokian WR G2; Hankook Winter i*Cept Evo; and the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3.