InTouchISSUE 19

NOVEMBER 2011MOTORSPORT NEWS

DUNlOP REIgNS SUPREME IN EWC

Dunlop’s Double IlMC wIn In ZhuhaI125 season RevIewMoto2 season RevIew10 questIons wIth alan nIChollsDunlop’s Date In DubaI

IN THIS ISSUE:

Dunlop celebrated the end of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) with double wins in the LMP2 and GTE Pro classes of the 6 Hours of Zhuhai in China.

It was the seventh and final event of a series which also took the best events from the American Le Mans (ALMS) and Le Mans Series (LMS) including the blue riband Le Mans 24 Hours.

By the season end, Dunlop team Signatech Nissan had won LMP2 honours whilst BMW Motorsport took second in GTE Pro and Krohn Racing second in GTE Am. Through the season, Dunlop caps were seen on the top steps of three of the four open tyre competition classes.

The Zhuhai finale on November 13 saw Signatech Nissan win LMP2, extending their already unbeatable

class points tally, whilst the two car BMW squad did everything they could to try to wrestle the season title away

from their opposition with a maximum score run of pole and 1-2 in the race, but their opposition scored sufficient points to

deny the men from Munich.It was the culmination of a season which started back in March

with the 12 Hours of Sebring, which was the first round of both the American and Global series.

Just as the season-ender, Dunlop enjoyed a fine GTE Pro 1-2 thanks to BMW, and also victory in the GTE Am class with the Krohn Racing team’s Ferrari 430.

Official LMP1 tyre development partner OAK Racing failed to see 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 Greaves Motorsport 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 Aston Martin 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.

In the overall race standings, Dunlop LMP1 partner Oak Racing put their previous bad luck behind them to take an impressive third, and first petrol car home.

In GTE Pro, the #56 BMW took fourth in class, whilst in GTE Am, Krohn Racing led the class by a minute at quarter distance, ultimately finishing in seventh, three laps shy of the class winning team.

Dunlop scored title success in the next event, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta with Signatech Nissan moving into an unassailable lead in the LMP2 standings. Whilst there was Dunlop glory there was also frustration as BMW yet again had the pace, but circumstances meant at the end of a hard fought battle in GTE Pro the #55 BMW finished third meaning that the title was effectively out of reach – with the opposition having to score just a single point at the season finale to deny the Dunlop team.

GTE Am saw a dominant victory for Krohn Racing, finishing two laps ahead of their nearest rival to move into a strong second in the ILMC standings.

Zhuhai, China saw the season conclude and aside from Signatech’s LMP2 and BMWs GTE Pro wins, in LMP1, Oak Racing were the second home of the petrol runners, with fifth overall going to the #24 car, and the #15 car coming home seventh.

The event drew the curtains on the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup which next year is replaced by the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The WEC will consist of eight races in eight countries across three continents. Dunlop’s preparations are already well underway…

Dunlop’s Double win concluDes ilMc in Zhuhai

Dunlop development squad Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) won the 2011 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) after scoring a podium finish in the season-concluding 8 Hours of Doha at the Losail International Circuit, Qatar.

Despite contesting the event with just two riders – Vincent Philippe and Anthony Delhalle – after third rider Daisaku Sakai suffered an injury immediately before the event, the Dunlop-shod Suzuki squad crossed the finish line after eight gruelling hours of action immediately behind their title rivals, meaning they won the title by 109 points to 105.

Dunlop’s tyres provided the performance required to win this season’s title contested across 72 hours of racing in a wide range of weather conditions and track temperatures.

After winning an historic eleventh consecutive Bol d’Or win in the 24 Hours event at Magny Cours at the season opener in April, Dunlop and SERT contested the 8 Hours of Albacete, Suzuka Eight Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours Moto before the season culminated in Qatar. Podiums were achieved in all events except Suzuka.

The EWC win comes after Dunlop squad Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT Assurances won the FIM Endurance World Cup for Superstock bikes after taking an unassailable lead at the Le Mans 24 Hours Moto at the end of September.

“Congratulations to our long-standing partner,

the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team for yet another display of what it takes to win an endurance world championship, and in particular for showcasing Dunlop’s tyres in the best way,” said Sharon Antonaros, Director Dunlop Motorcycle EMEA.

“Earlier this year we saw the eleventh consecutive Bol d’Or victory with Dunlop tyres. Now to win the championship with our development team is another endorsement of our tyre technology and the efforts we put behind pushing the technology forwards. All these efforts are not just to win titles; they are to benefit our consumers with the very best products possible such as our recently launched RoadSmart II.”

Part of the appeal of endurance racing for Dunlop, is the development opportunities it presents.

“Motorcycle endurance racing is one of the hardest challenges that we face as a tyre manufacturer,” says Stephen Male Dunlop Motorcycle Motorsports Manager. “We have to find technology that allows performance at the level required across a huge variety of conditions. In a typical 24 hour race, you can start the race with 30ºC track temperature, and by 05:00 the following morning it can be down to single figures.”

DUNlOP WINS FIM ENDURaNCE WORlD ChaMPIONShIP aT DOha FINalE

Alex de Angelis and MotoBI added their names to the list of 2011 Moto2 race winners with victory from pole at Phillip Island, the Sammarinese finishing one-second ahead of title leader Stefan Bradl (Kalex).

Both riders chose the W919 rear, but de Angelis opted for the softer 302 spec front. Joining them on the podium was star rookie Marc Marquez (Suter), who charged from last to third with the same tyre choice as de Angelis.

Marquez was forced to miss the Malaysian round, due to a practice crash, where Bradl finished second to new Moto2 winner Thomas Luthi (Suter). The top four riders used the 717 front and 3757 rear. Bradl broke the lap record by almost half a second.

Dunlop, Moto2’s exclusive tyre supplier, finished the season by debuting a new rear tyre at Valencia.

The ART09 3838 proved an instant hit, despite damp conditions, and took Michele Pirro (Moriwaki) to an emotional first grand prix victory by six-seconds from Mika Kallio (Suter). Kallio and third-place Dominique Aegerter (Suter) celebrated their first Moto2 podiums.

To best suit the cold and slippery surface, all riders paired the new rear tyre with the 302 softer-option front slick.

Although Bradl crashed in the race, he had already been confirmed as champion, with Marquez still unfit to ride.

bRaDl takes Moto2 tItle

Round Event Winner Front Tyre Rear Tyre

15 Australian GP, Phillip Island Alex de Angelis Dunlop Moto2 302 Dunlop ATR03 W91916 Malaysian GP, Sepang Thomas Luthi Dunlop Moto2 717 Dunlop Moto2 3757

17 Valencia GP, Valencia Michele Pirro Dunlop Moto2 302 Dunlop ATR09 3838

Moto2 season RevIew

While motorcycles in the 125cc and MotoGP grand prix classes were reaching the end of their development in 2011, the second season of Moto2 saw great leaps in performance.

Lap records were broken in 12 of the 17 races (four of the other five were wet) as chassis constructors and Dunlop engineers pushed back the boundaries - often by over one-second a lap.

As exclusive tyre supplier, Dunlop had to balance this rapid development with the need to provide competitive tyres for all eight chassis designs.

It was a formidable task, but the results were clear: 16 different riders and seven different motorcycles claimed a podium - a greater variety than in any other grand prix class.

The title battle went almost to the wire, with Marc Marquez forced to withdraw from the Valencia finale due to previous injuries, confirming Stefan Bradl as champion.

Bradl, ninth overall with one victory last season, took his new Kalex chassis to four wins from the opening six races.

By contrast, rookie Marquez - the reigning 125cc champion - hadn’t scored in his first three Moto2 races. The young Spaniard (Repsol Suter) then settled the nerves with 1-2 finishes at Le Mans and Catalunya, only to be caught out in the Silverstone rain.

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 Andrea Iannone. The Italian, also third last season, won three races.

MotoBI’s Alex de Angelis, winner at Phillip Island, made it three

different motorcycles in the title top four, while fifth placed Thomas Luthi (Suter) took his first Moto2 victory at Sepang.

Simone Corsi (Ioda) took two podiums and was the highest ranked FTR rider with sixth, while rookie Bradley Smith delighted Tech 3 with three consecutive rostrums on his way to seventh. Dominique Aegerter’s fifth season in grand prix produced a debut podium at Valencia and eighth overall for Technomag-CIP.

Michele Pirro, riding for reigning champion’s Gresini Moriwaki, was ranked ninth. The Italian took an emotional debut victory at Valencia, which he dedicated to Marco Simoncelli.

Rookie Esteve Rabat (FTR) sprayed podium champagne on one occasion and completed the top ten. Other podiums went to Yuki Takahashi, Aleix Espargaro, Pol Espargaro, Julian Simon, Mika Kallio and Kenan Sofuoglu.

“This has been a tremendously satisfying second season of Moto2 for Dunlop,” stated Dunlop Motorcycle Motorsports Manager Stephen Male. “We’ve seen faster lap times and closely fought races.

“In terms of development we have run three different front tyre specifications and seven different rear specifications, including a new one at the very last race.

“Our progress is ongoing and will continue in 2012.”

Grand Prix Pole Position Race Winner Title leader Points lead

1. Qatar Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl 5

2. Spain Stefan Bradl Andrea Iannone Andrea Iannone 9

3. Portugal 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

12. San Marino Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 23

13. Aragon Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 6

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

2011 Moto2 World ChaMpionship

1. Stefan Bradl GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing Kalex 274 2. Marc Marquez SPA Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol Suter 251 3. Andrea Iannone ITA Speed Master Suter 177

The last three grands prix for Dunlop’s 125cc World Championship tyres took place around the high-speed corners of Phillip Island, the hard-braking zones of Sepang and the tight twists of Valencia.

The Australian GP was held on a drying track, between heavy rain showers, where Sandro Cortese (Aprilia) won his second race of the year by 13 seconds using the ‘D’ front and ‘C’ rear slick tyres. Second place Luis Salom (Aprilia) opted for the ‘F’ spec rear and just held off title contender Johann Zarco (Derbi), running the same tyres as Cortese.

The sweltering heat of Malaysia saw star rookie Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) take his third win after being the only rider to

pick the hard ‘H’ front and (120/65) ‘D’ profile rear. Cortese and Zarco again stood on the podium, having both elected to use the ‘D’ front and (115/70) ‘F’ rear.

The Valencia finale was the scene of another Vinales victory, in damp conditions. Vinales chose the harder ‘F’ spec rear and beat new world champion Nicolas Terol (Aprilia) by 3.2sec. Terol had picked the same ‘D’ spec front, but ran the softer ‘C’ rear, a combination also used by third place team-mate Hector Faubel.

With Zarco crashing out, Terol ended the season with a 40-point advantage.

teRol last eveR 125cc ChaMpIon

Round Event Winner Front Tyre Rear Tyre

15 Australian GP, Phillip Island Sandro Cortese Dunlop KR149 D Dunlop KR133 C16 Malaysian GP, Sepang Maverick Vinales Dunlop KR149 H Dunlop KR133 D

17 Valencia GP, Valencia Maverick Vinales Dunlop KR149 D Dunlop KR133 F

1. Nicolas Terol SPA Bankia Aspar Aprilia 302 2. Johann Zarco FRA Avant-AirAsia-Ajo Derbi 262 3. Maverick Vinales SPA Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing Aprilia 248

125cc season RevIew

Nico Terol was crowned the 63rd 125cc World Champion during the final season of a grand prix class long dominated by Dunlop.

Indeed, when the chequered flag fell for the last time at Valencia, it marked the 133rd consecutive race victory for Dunlop.

2011 provided a fitting send-off for the last remaining two-stroke category, with established winners battling new contenders - illustrated by the title top three of Terol, Johann Zarco and Vinales.

Terol, 23, began the year with six seasons under his belt and remained with Aspar Aprilia, for whom he finished runner-up last year.

Zarco, 21, switched to reigning champion’s Ajo Derbi for his third season, but had never previously been higher than eleventh in the championship.

Vinales, 16, was a rookie, but highly rated from his success in the Spanish Championship. Vinales rode for the Paris Hilton-backed Blusens Aprilia team.

When Terol won the first three races, few predicted the title would go to the final round. The fight-back began when Vinales snatched a last-gasp debut victory from Terol in round four (Le Mans).

Zarco thought he had done the same at Catalunya, but was penalised for a rough pass, handing Terol a fourth victory.

Jonas Folger (Red Bull 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.

“Dunlop’s tyres were even better than they were last year in both rain and dry conditions,” enthused Terol.

Faubel concluded his tenth GP season with fifth in the standings, while Folger slipped back to sixth. Zarco’s team-mate Efren Vazquez claimed two podiums on his way to seventh.

The top ten was completed by Luis Salom, Sergio Gadea and Alberto Moncayo.

Although Aprilia/Derbi dominated, Danny Kent gave new manufacturer Mahindra a dream pole at Valencia, while team-mate Marcel Schrötter took the team’s best race result of ninth.

KTM were represented by Caretta Technology, whose top rider Alexis Masbou was ranked 22nd out of the 34 point scorers.

While Dunlop holds 125cc close to its heart, a new challenge is just around the corner - Dunlop having been selected as the exclusive tyre supplier for the replacement Moto3 class.

“It is sad to say goodbye to the last of the original World Championship categories, but with the success seen in Moto2 we can only look forward to similar excitement in Moto3,” said Alan Nicholls,

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

12. San Marino Johann Zarco Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 31

13. Aragon Hector Faubel Nicolas Terol Nicolas Terol 36

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

2011 125cc World ChaMpionship season

MaRCo sIMonCellI 1987 – 2011CIAO SUPER SIC

The fight for the Dunlop-backed British Touring Car Championship title went right to the wire at Silverstone, with Honda driver Matt Neal coming out on top of a five-way battle for the 2011 crown.

Neal led the way going into the final rounds of the season at the Home of British Motorsport and when others dropped out of contention, the championship fight eventually came down to a shoot-out with team-mate Gordon Shedden in the final race of the season.

Holding a six point advantage, Neal then beat the Scot on track in the season finale to become only the sixth driver to win at least three BTCC titles.

“I’d like to say I was hardened to it having won the title twice, but you never get used to the feeling,” the new champion said afterwards.

Neal’s winning margin after a season where he won seven times was just eight points over Shedden, while Honda also won the Manufacturers/Constructors title and the Teams’ Championship.

Despite eight victories, defending champion Jason Plato had to settle for third in the standings in his normally-aspirated Chevrolet, with Mat Jackson and James Nash ending the year level on points in fourth and fifth. Nash, driving a Vauxhall Vectra for Triple Eight, beat

Jackson to the Independents’ title after a season where he broke his BTCC duck; clinching a maiden win at Rockingham.

Triple Eight, multiple title winners while running the factory Vauxhall programme, also picked up the Independents’ Team Trophy.

Outside the five championship contenders, there were also victories over the course of the year for Andrew Jordan, Tom Chilton and Tom Boardman; the latter joining Nash in becoming a BTCC winner during 2011, albeit in a controversial fashion at Knockhill after a clash with Plato while fighting for the lead. It meant eight drivers shared the 30 victories during the season.

In total, 34 drivers appeared on track in 2011, with 15 of those being first-time BTCC competitors. Amongst the rookie brigade, Frank Wrathall was best placed in the championship as he took twelfth place, meaning he was also the highest-placed driver using a car built to the series’ Next Generation Touring Car Regulations, with four podium finishes in the second half of the year.

Five teams entered NGTC cars in 2011 but the number will increase next year, with Honda Racing, Pirtek Racing and Triple Eight amongst those who will switch to the Next Generation machines for 2012.

neal seals the btCC tItle

Goblet’s seasondunlop 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.

Open tyre competition exists throughout the German IDM Championships, where Dunlop went head-to-head with its rivals and emerged victorious in all three solo classes.

The perfect sweep was headed by KTM’s Martin Bauer, who secured his third crown in the premier Superbike category during the eighth and final round at Hockenheim.

Due to his points advantage, the 35-year-old was confirmed as champion without turning a wheel when the opening race was cancelled due to fluid on the track.

Bauer then rode to a close second place behind fellow Dunlop rider Michael Ranseder (BMW) in the last race of the year, enough to finish the season with a 43-point advantage.

Ranseder’s victory raised him to second in the championship, by just four points from former World Supersport champion Karl Muggeridge (Honda), who completed an all-Dunlop title top three.

Dunlop-Yamaha riders Jesco Günther and Günther Knobloch finished first and second in the Supersport Championship. Each took a race win at the finale, as Günther concluded the season 21 points clear of Knobloch.

The 125cc class saw a nail-biting finish with Australian Jack Miller (Aprilia-Dunlop) winning the title by just a single point from German team-mate Luca Amato, who was victorious in the final round.

Dunlop has a new face as the Marketing and Original Equipment Director EMEA for Dunlop Motorcycle Business Unit with Demet Tunc.

Demet takes the position formerly held by Sharon Antonaros, who now becomes Director Dunlop Motorcycle EMEA.

A graduate in engineering with an MBA, Demet joined Goodyear Dunlop Tyres in Turkey almost nine years ago as the Dunlop Brand Manager before becoming Marketing Manager for all Goodyear Dunlop brands in Turkey.

This led to the position of Marketing Manager for Goodyear consumer tyres responsible for the EMEA Region, joining the regional team in Brussels in January 2008, before adopting her current position this October.

“I am very happy to be part of a very successful team,” says Demet. “I am sure we will further grow the Dunlop motorcycle business in a very competitive and dynamic environment with outstanding products and business strategies. It is no surprise to anybody why riders feel confident with Dunlop motorcycle tyres. I am extremely motivated and happy to work for such a premium brand.”

IDM new apoIntMentsDeMet tunCClean sweep FoR Dunlop

Preparations for next year’s Moto3 world championship are well underway with the first European race win for a Moto3 bike – using Dunlop tyres naturally – taking place at the penultimate round of the Spanish CEV Championship at Valencia.

History was made when Miguel Oliveira took Honda’s new Moto3 250cc four-stroke to victory against the 125cc two-strokes on November 13.

Alan Nicholls, Dunlop Motorsport, Senior Engineer, explains Dunlop’s ongoing tyre development programme for Moto3.

“In Japan there has been a Moto3 championship running alongside the 125cc class for the last two years, so Dunlop Japan have been running a development programme on tyre construction and profile work using ex GP 125 rider Hideyuki Nakajoh on a

Honda NSF 250R.” “Recently the Moto3 bikes have been finishing ahead of the 125cc bikes so are looking very encouraging and this development work has now been applied in Europe as seen by the success of Miguel Oliveira in Valencia.”

“Unfortunately, the first IRTA test for Moto3 bikes at Valencia, immediately after the MotoGP round, saw poor weather conditions and only limited running, however we are very confident that we will have the appropriate tyres for the job when we head to Qatar for the season-opener in March.”

Moto3 beats the 125’s In valenCIa

Moto 3

The penultimate round of the Spanish CEV Championship at Valencia saw history made when Miguel Oliveira took Honda’s new Moto3 250cc four-stroke to victory against the 125cc two-strokes.

Dunlop is to be the exclusive tyre supplier for the new Moto3 World Championship, which replaces the 125cc grand prix class from 2012, and Oliveira’s form on the Dunlop-shod machine proved tyre development is well advanced.

Oliveira rode to a near six-second victory over fellow 125cc grand prix rider Josep Rodriguez. Rodriguez was the top two-stroke competitor at the Valencia CEV round, finishing almost nine seconds clear of title contenders Alex Marquez and Alex Rins.

Rins will take a 12 point advantage over Derbi team-mate Marquez (younger brother of grand prix ace Marc) into the CEV

season finale at Jerez. Both riders could be seen in the Moto3 World Championship next season.

The top 25 riders at Valencia were all on Dunlop tyres. The second best Moto3 rider was Japanese Kenta Fujii, in 13th.

In the Stock Extreme class, Enrique Ferrer (Ducati) led the Dunlop challenge with an eighth place finish to retain third in the championship standings by one-point. Ferrer and title leader Ivan Silva are the only riders to have scored in all six rounds.

Cev

loCal RaCes

After a title fight that went to the wire, Alex Fontana claimed the European F3 Open title; winning the crown in his rookie season in the series.

With matching Dallara chassis and Dunlop control tyres, there was little surprise that the title wasn’t decided until the season finale, where Fontana was able to see off the challenge of David Fumanelli to become champion.

Although Fumanelli won four times, twice as many victories as Fontana, a more consistent campaign from the Corbetta Competizioni driver allowed him to take the title by eight points.

Fontana, a winner at Spa and Monza, becomes the first non-Spanish winner of the title since the series was renamed as the European F3 open back in 2009.

Third overall in the standings went to Brazilian Fabio Gamberini, who also clinched the Copa class title ahead of West-Tec team-mate Sam Dejonghe. Despite running in an older car, Gamberini took one overall win during the season in the opening race at Spa.

The pair helped their British team to secure the teams title, with a six-point advantage over RP Motorsport.

Victor Correa, Noel Jammal, Zoel Amberg, Yann Cunha, Joni Jokinen, Fahmi Illyas and Tono Fernandez also tasted victory with ten drivers sharing the 16 wins during 2011.

wInneR Fontana In euRo F3 open

euRo F3

The International GT Open produced one of the most dramatic season finales seen anywhere in 2011 as Soheil Ayrari took the title during the final rounds of the year in Barcelona.

The JMB Racing driver retook the championship lead in the first race of the weekend in Spain after victory alongside Joel Camathias but rivals Andrea Montermini and Emanuele Moncini looked set to win the title with Moncini running second in the closing stages of the final race and Ayari down in seventh.

However, two laps from the end, Moncini lost second place which put Ayari back into the championship lead by a single point, and when the Villorba Corse driver crashed out on the final lap trying to reclaim the position, Ayari’s title was secured.

Ayari, a winner on four occasions, also lifted the Super GT class crown ahead of Montermini and Moncini while JMB Racing were Super GT teams’ champions.

The GTS class title went to Lorenzo Bontempelli and Stefano Gattuso, who claimed the crown with a sixth class victory in the final race. Their title success was secured before the finish when only remaining rival Gianluca Roda was forced to retire.

The pair’s Kessel Racing team took the GTS teams title.

Gt open anD shut RaCeGt open

“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 SarasynMotorwereld (BE)

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

Oscar PenaMotociclismo (ESP)

THE UlTIMATE

ROADSMART II

Dunlop’s Date In DubaI

As most motorsport championships around the world end so focus changes to 2012, and for Dunlop the year gets underway with one of the biggest events on the calendar, the Dunlop 24 Hours Dubai.

Friday 13th January 2012 will herald the start of what is probably the largest grid of racing cars using a single tyre manufacturers products in an event which is establishing itself as the place to start the year.

This year, 84 cars started the event, and the Dubai Autodrome is capable of handling 100! Putting Dunlop’s supply and product range to the test, it’s a diverse range of teams and cars which make up the provisional entry for 2012.

There are 19 teams from Germany, 12 local UAE teams, seven from the UK, five each from France, Belgium and Italy, four from Poland, two each from Denmark and the Czech Republic, and one team each from the US, Ukraine, Turkey, Thailand, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Slovakia and Spain.

In terms of Marques, there are 23 Porsches, 15 BMWs, six Lamborghinis, five each from Renault and Mercedes, four Ginettas, three each from SEAT, Aston Martin, two each from Audi, Nissan, GC, Ferrari, Lotus, Honda, and sole entries from Dodge, Aquila, Saker, V8 DNRT, McLaren, Chevrolet and Ford.

“This is the biggest event of its type in the world,” says Gary Wassell, Dunlop Motorsport Manager, Car Motorsport EU.

“It’s also our biggest event of the year. We will send around 38 staff, 26 of whom will form the crew which fits tyres non-stop for the best part of 36 hours.”

“We take around 7000 tyres and sell around half of them.” “Last year I estimated we fitted and balanced a tyre every 45

seconds for the whole 24 hours. Compared to this, the Le Mans 24 Hours is a walk in the park! Le Mans is only contested by professional teams who have upwards of 12 sets of wheels so we 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!”

Making of Dunlop commercial

Extreme Ice Test with WinterSport 4D

Treasures from the Dunlop Archive

GRIP - Tyre Pressure

Mini Challenge Germany

BTCC set up

Nardo Highspeed Testing

Highlights 24h NBR

Blundell & Herbert at the Nordschleife

24h LeMans Highlights 2011

GRIP – Endurance Tyre demands

The Dunlop Livery Competition

CITS Italiano

Tyre Passion - Dunlop Engineers Bol D’Or

Bol D’Or 2011 - SERT and Dunlop

InsIDe RaCInG hIGhlIGhts

How old are you? 59

Where do you live? Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.

What are the key qualities required for your job? My current job is Service Engineer Moto GP where I have to be able to respond in an always changing work arena with all types of personalities in a media conscious environment and also I need a very tolerant family.

Could you build a tyre yourself if left the keys to the factory? I would like to say yes, as I started making various components for earth mover tyres some of which took three shifts to manufacture. There were many similarities to motorsport tyre building but in all honesty things have changed so much in tyre manufacture it would be difficult to know where to start!

What is your favourite tyre?KR 189 front wet as I was involved in its design, in fact it was patented 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.

What’s the best aspect about working for Dunlop?It has always been the camaraderie and friendship of my colleagues. I came to Dunlop because my grandfather worked here during the war up till the 1960s. Dunlop have always promoted strong family connections.

If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?Difficult to answer as during the seventies you could pick and choose where you worked, so I did a fair bit of job hopping. A dream job would need a lottery win as my wife wants to be a cruise liner tester!

What do you do away from work?Spend time with my family, catching up on quality time and many jobs around the house.

Which is your favourite circuit to visit and why?Mugello, Italy - just the best food in Europe.

What car do you drive / bike do you ride?The family taxi is a Mazda 3 - my wife Cheryll’s car really as she seems to drive us all around.

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