THIS ISSUE:dUnlop EntErS mx1-gplmS 1000Km CAStEllEt

IN TOUCHMOTORSPORT NEWS ISSUE 14 noVEmBEr ’10

THIS ISSUE:moto2 roUnd-Up125gp world tItlEIlmC ZHUHAImx of nAtIonS

DUNLOP TAKES ENDURANcE WORLD cHAMPIONSHIP

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DUNLOP WRAPS UP SUCCESSFUL DEBUT MOTO2 SEASONThe final round of the inaugural Moto2 World Championship at Valencia two weeks ago marked the end of a hugely successful first season for Dunlop as the sole tyre supplier in the all-new 600cc class. The season saw no less than nine different riders take the chequered flag and stand on top of the podium with Carbion AB Motoracing’s Czech rider Karel Abraham taking his only win of the year at the finale. Toni Elias came out on top with seven race wins, 3 pole position starts and 271 points to be the first ever Moto2 World Champion, his consistency giving him the title three rounds previously at Sepang in Malaysia. Despite recording no race wins it was Spanish Mapfre Aspar rider Julian Simon who took second in the championship. Simon took eight podium finishes to secure 201 points, just two points clear of Fimmco Speed Up’s Andrea Iannone on 199 points, the Italian rider managing three race wins and a further five podiums over the year.

The 2011 test season got straight underway the day after the Valencia race, 35 Moto2 riders took to the track for the first official test to evaluate bikes and development Dunlop tyres for the following season. Some riders, notably Toni Elias and Karel Abraham, are moving up to the MotoGP class, but several newcomers - including Bradley Smith and his new team-mate Mike Di Meglio were making their first laps on the Tech3 Moto2 bikes they will ride next year.

From December 1st to January 31 no testing is permitted for any of the MotoGP classesThe Dunlop Moto2 trackside team of 13 fitted 10,000 Dunlop tyres to the Moto2 competitors over the race season. Six variations of front slick tyre and nine variations of slick rear tyre were developed for the season along with wet tyres. Dunlop will continue as sole supplier of tyres to the Moto2 World Championship for the 2011 and 2012 season.

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The final round of the 2010 FIM World Endurance Championship, The 8 Hours of Doha on the 14th of November, saw the Dunlop shod Suzuki Endurance Racing Team take the chequered flag to secure not just the race victory but also the 2010 championship title. The championship victory marks the tenth time the French team has clinched the world title in their history and the 14th time Dunlop has won the title in the 28 years of the championship.Riders Vincent Philippe, Sylvain Guintoli and Freddy Foray put in a strong performance in the previous day’s qualifying, Guintoli putting in the team’s best lap of 2’00.862 to take second on the grid, just over five tenths off pole. Philippe

was the first rider, getting off the line quickly to take the lead which the team held for the duration of the race, ultimately winning with a four lap advantage over second place.

“This is a fantastic achievement for us,” said Dunlop Motorsport Manager Stephen Male. “The FIM World Endurance series represents one of the toughest challenges in racing; our trackside customers demand tyres that work day or night, hot or cold, whether it’s wet or dry. The length of the races means the tyres also need greater durability than traditional ‘sprint’ race tyres, in turn helping us to develop high performance road tyres in line with our race-to-road philosophy.”

SERT TAKE THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE WITH DUNLOP

ELIAS WINS FIRST TITLE

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As Toni Elias crossed the line in fourth place at Sepang in Malaysia on Sunday 10th October on his Gresini Racing Moto2 (Moriwaki) bike, he stepped into history as the first ever Moto2 World Champion. The 27 year old Spanish rider also realised his first world championship title in the eleventh year of racing on the world stage. Elias who entered the 125GP stage in 1999 on Dunlop’s, was one of the few riders to score points in every single one of the first fourteen races of the 2010 championship, winning seven of them, making him nearly twice as successful as his nearest rival rider. Winning his first Moto2 race in Spain earlier in the year promoted him to an exclusive club consisting of only seven riders who have won races in four different categories of GP racing; 125, 250, Moto2 and MotoGP.

“When I crossed the line the first thing I did was cry a lot,” said Tony Elias after his Sepang victory. “But then after that it seemed like my emotions were blocked, I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t feel anything; I don’t know why. Now, minute by minute, I feel better, because I know it’s all true. But maybe I will start crying again in a few minutes! Finally we reached our target....It has been many years of fighting and then this year a lot of work with my team and with Moriwaki. This title is for my parents, my sister, all my friends and everyone who has worked with me during my career. It is also for the people who are not here, like my uncle, who died four years ago, and for (Shoya) Tomizawa (Elias’ Moto2 rival who died following an accident during last month’s Misano Moto2 race). My dream has come true, now we will continue fighting for another championship.”

MARqUEz CLAIMS FIRST EVER WORLDCHAMPIONSHIP17yr old Spanish rider Marc Marquez claimed a fourth position finish on his Dunlop shod 125cc Red Bull Ajo Motorsport Derbi bike at the GP Generali de la Communitat Valenciana to claim the 2010 125cc World Championship, his first title. Despite a year that started with a number of crashes, Marquez took five race wins in a row from Mugello onwards, taking the championship lead mid-season. Further crashes at Indianapolis and Aragon meant a temporary loss of the championship lead, but the young Spaniard fought back to win every one of the end of season fly away races to get back into the title contention. He arrived in Valencia having won at Estoril and only needing a top eight finish to secure the title, securing it finally with his fourth place finish at the Spanish season finale. Marquez, the second youngest rider to ever win a motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship, took ten race wins and 12 pole position starts on his way to the 2010 championship title, the most race wins in a single season ever by a Spanish 125cc rider.

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Dunlop’s endurance racing season came to a successful conclusion with race wins and titles around the world. The tyre manufacturer secured the GT2 manufacturers’ title in the American Le Mans Series with its partner team BMW Rahal Letterman Racing. BMW Team Schnitzer won the GT2 class at the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in zhuhai, China, and Dunlop’s partner team OAK Racing won the ILMC LMP2 title.In America, the Dunlop-shod BMW M3 finished on the podium in every round of the ALMS, apart from the long-distance 1000 mile Petit Le Mans in Atlanta in October. There, Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand finished fourth in class, delivering BMW the Manufacturers’ title, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing the Teams’ title, and secured second position in the GT Tire Manufacturers’ standings for Dunlop.One month later, the final big endurance race of the year was held with a 1000km race in zhuhai, China. Audi and Peugeot dominated the overall standings with their Le Mans cars, but Dunlop secured race wins in the LMP2 class through partner team OAK Racing which finished fifth overall, and with the GT2 category winning Schnitzer BMW.BMW’s win in the GT2 class was comfortable. The car, driven by Joerg Muller and Dirk Werner, led from the first hour to the chequered flag, winning by 1.32min from the factory-backed Porsche and Ferrari teams. “You can hardly wish for a more perfect race,” said Muller. “I have to pay a compliment to our tyre partner Dunlop: Our tyres were consistent from the very first lap, and comfortable to drive throughout the race.”Team manager Charly Lamm also praised the quality of the Dunlop tyres as part of the overall package. “Our team returned to endurance racing this year after a long absence, and we managed to improve our performance with the BMW M3 GT2 on a race by race basis,” said Lamm. “Our overall package of car, drivers, Dunlop tyres and the team was just very strong.”

DUNLOP PROPELS BMW TO ILMC WIN AND ALMS TITLES

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The 2010 Motocross of Nations saw the historic international event reach its 64th edition but as with the previous six meetings Team USA were able to re-print their name on the Chamberlain Trophy and walk away from Thunder Valley in Lakewood, Denver, Colorado coated in glory. AMA MX and SX Champion Ryan Dungey, AMA MX 250 Champion Trey Canard and local boy Andrew Short won two of the three motos between them using Suzuki and Honda machinery booted with the grippy and potent Dunlop MX range.

The fine soil of Lakewood has been home to one of the finest dinosaur excavation sites in the world over the past two centuries but the roar of the three best off-road motorcycle racers from over 30 different countries echoed around the surrounding hillsides on the last weekend of September. It was Dungey who shone brightest and his second Nations success in just two appearances for the flag completed a remarkable and dominant season for the 20 year old on his RM-z450. Next year’s contest will take place on the steep inclines of the St Jean D’Angely circuit on the west coast of France.

DUNLOP DENVER DELIGHT AT MX OF NATIONS

After finishing the 2010 season on a high by winning the LMP2 class in the third and final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup as well as clinching the 2010 ILMC LMP2 class title, Dunlop and OAK Racing will step up to the pinnacle of sportscar competition in 2011. Dunlop partners up with Oak Racing as it’s official LMP1 tyre development partner. The decision comes after two successful seasons of collaboration in LMP2 where a strong partnership has been forged between the organisations. Now, OAK/Pescarolo’s prototype and Dunlop tyres will together take on the world’s leading endurance teams and manufacturers at the highest level of sportscar competition. For

both parties, the necessary structures for the partnership’s full implementation are already in place. A test team dedicated only to the development programme has been created within OAK Racing, while Dunlop has assigned a specialist development engineer who will work alongside the company’s support crew which normally attends each race. The integrated collaboration began at Portimao earlier this week under the supervision of Emmanuel Robinet, Director Technology Dunlop Motorsport EU. The team’s first two-day test as an LMP1 manufacturer held at Portimao in October is just one of the tests planned before the start of the 2011 season at Sebring.

DUNLOP PARTNERS UP WITH OAK RACING IN LMP1 AFTER 2010 LMP2 SUCCESS

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PLATO TAKES SECOND CAREER BTCC TITLE

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Jason Plato won twice at Brands Hatch to be crowned Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion for the second time in his career as a 42,000 crowd – a record for a BTCC event – crammed into the world-famous Kent venue to see the final 2010 round of the UK’s premier motor racing series. All teams and drivers compete using the same type of tyre; the Sport Maxx BTCC – that complies with latest EU environmental regulations. Furthermore, to keep track of tyre allocation, each tyre is fitted with a pioneering RFID (radio frequency identification) tag that was developed between Dunlop and the BTCC.

American Jake Gagne won the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup by finishing second to Danny Kent in a fantastic close to the 2010 season in Misano that was the setting for the final race of the season. Daijiro Hiura, the 16-year-old Japanese rider, finished third in both the final race and championship. It was an incredible championship win after a tough weekend for Gagne, whose engine stopped in the first qualifying session, forcing him to ride his backup bike in the second session. “It just didn’t feel right, and I couldn’t do better than 10th in the second session. They put a good engine in my bike for the race, and that was a lot better. I wasn’t too worried. I was pretty sure that if I made a good start I could run with the guys and do what I needed to take the Cup.”

The fourth Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup began at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez with 25 of the world’s best teenage racers. 15 nations are represented for 10 races in 2010, from as far apart as Japan, Australia and Brazil plus the length and breadth of Europe, from Sweden to Italy, from the Czech Republic to Spain.The Cup machinery is the KTM RC125, propelling the teenagers at GP speeds. All the Red Bull Rookie riders use Dunlop tyres with each rider being allowed two sets of slick tyres plus wet tyres for each race weekend.

With the top equipment and support the teenagers could not have a better springboard to a GP career. The last three years have already shown that the best of the Rookies get the chance to move on to the 125 Grand Prix category and both Jakub Kornfeil and Sturla Fagerhaug, first and second in last year’s Cup, have made that step for the 2010 season.

2010 RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP CHAMP JAKE GAGNE

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DUNLOP AND BMW BRILLIANT IN BELGIUM

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Dunlop’s Need for Speed team took its second win of the year in the final round of the GT3 Championship at zolder, Belgium. The Need for Speed BMW z4, running on Dunlop’s standard customer tyre, won the first of two races at the classic Belgian circuit, and followed that up with a second place in the final race. The team re-built the z4, driven by Patrick Soderlund and Edward Sandstrom, overnight after a heavy qualifying accident. The car ran fifth after the compulsory pit stop mid-race, and moved up to take the lead through a combination of speed which took it past other competitors, and

fortune as cars ahead crashed out. “The car has been quick this year, and this is a good result for the end of the season,” said Soderlund. The final race of the year saw the sister car of Claudia Huertgen and Csaba Walter take second place overall after the exclusion of the leading Porsches on a technicality. Their exclusion is currently under appeal. The BMW, which was in its debut season, was extremely competitive and Walter finished the season strongly, passing one of the fastest cars of the season on the final lap as his rival struggled for grip in the closing stages.

DUTCH DELIGHT Dutch driver Nyck de Vries clinched the 2010 KF2 World Championship in an adrenaline filled final race of the season in zuera, Spain. The young gun conquered an exciting victory on the very last lap to take the championship. The 15 year old is supported by the McLaren F1 Team what shows he is one of the most promising drivers of his generation. Since 1976 and with 14 World Championship titles to date, Dunlop is one of the main contenders in the world of karting. The breeding ground of motorsport has not just been the stepping stone for high-profile F1 World Champions in the likes of Michael Schumacher and Jenson

Button who conquered on Dunlop, but serves as a development class for young Dunlop tyre engineers as well. With nearly no down force at all and over 2G of cornering force, the 5 inch tyres supplied by Dunlop offer extreme levels of grip. Top speeds exceeding 160km/h and 0-100 acceleration in less than 4.5 seconds, proof that this is no sport for the faint hearted. Not just the conditions offer a great challenge for Dunlop engineers to deliver the best tyres possible but the responsibility to support young drivers as well as the stars of today will become World Champions of the future.

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MCWILLIAMS CLINCHES TRANSATLANTIC HARLEY-DAVIDSON® XR1200 VICTORYFormer MotoGP rider and recently crowned British Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy Champion, Jeremy McWilliams, has emerged victorious from the final round of the Dunlop shod 2010 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama on 26 September.McWilliams who competed in the series as a guest rider after sealing

the title in the inaugural UK series at Cadwell Park in August said; “Winning the final race in the American series was the icing on the cake in what has been a fantastic and fun year racing the Warr’s XR1200. I was in some pain over the weekend due to the cracked ribs I sustained during a testing session in Spain, but I was determined to end the season on a high. To beat the other Harley riders in their own back yard is a testament

to Warr’s experience and expertise in prepping bikes and providing a reliable and super competitive package.”Each road-going version of the XR1200 is equipped Dunlop qualifier tyres, while the race bikes in the series use exclusively the D209 Racer tyre. One front and two rears need to last the entire race weekend including practice, qualifying, warm-up and two races on Sunday.

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More than 75 national series titles have been won across Europe, Australia and USA on Dunlop this year, proof of the results of continued development in tyre technology including NTEC and Multitread (MT).

Team MRC Austria rider Damian Cudlin claimed his first international title in Europe at Hockenheim in September, winning the 2010 German IDM Supersport Championship in a dramatic season finale. The first race of the final weekend saw him leading into the final lap to take the championship, only to be taken out by his closest rival. After the rider was excluded Cudlin was still in with a chance the following day for the final race, The Dunlop shod Australian coming home in fourth to secure the #1 plate.

In The Netherlands Dutch ONK Superbike Dunlop rider Danny de Boer also took it to the wire, leaving it to the last race of the season for a dramatic fight at Assen to take his hard won Dutch Superbike Championship title. He wasn’t

the only Dutch Dunlop rider to taste championship victory in the Netherlands, Verolme GrafiCom Racing Team rider Raymond Schouten ruled this year’s ONK Dutch Supersport Championship, winning the first ten races straight to take the title at Spa-Francorchamps with one round remaining.

Team Piellemoto Yamaha rider Fabio Massei took his Italian Superstock Championship fight to the last round, the Dunlop rider taking victory at Mugello on October 17th, beating championship rival TNT Racing’s Lorenzo zanetti to the line by six seconds to stand on the podium not just as race winner, but 2010 champion.

The 2010 Isle of Man TT saw more records broken, rider Ian Hutchinson delivering an incredible sweep of victories in all five race categories. This was also the second year running that Dunlop tyres had delivered victory in every race class on the island.

DUNLOP A DOMINANT FORCE IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ACROSS THE GLOBE

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