MOTORSPORT NEWS IN THIS ISSUE

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1 InTouchISSUE MOTORSPORT NEWS AUGUST IN THIS ISSUE dominate the Ulster GP 24 Hour podium placings 1-2 at Imola sportscar debut AMERICAN LE MAnS SERIES MOtocross SUCCESS!

2 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES ALMS GTE PROTOTYPE GTE Having started the season with a maximum score at Sebring, the -shod Dyson Racing team has continued to lead the way in the standings as the American Le Mans Series passes the half-way stage, with an intriguing battle emerging with rivals Muscle Milk AMR. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith clinched their second win of the season at Lime Rock and leave Road America with an 18 point lead in the standings over Muscle Milk AMR pair Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf. Dyson s success at Sebring could yet prove to be the crucial result of the year, with the 30 points gained there giving it the advantage in the standings over its only rival, who failed to finish the twelve hour event. Dyson also heads the team championship while the results secured by Dyson and Smith mean lead rivals Michelin in the tyre battle. Dyson s title challenge has been aided by the addition of a second car, running under the Oryx Dyson Racing banner, which joined proceedings at Lime Rock. Humaid Al Masaood and Steven Kane secured third place finishes at both Lime Rock and Mosport, although they failed to finish at Mid-Ohio after an accident in the opening hour. That retirement gave the Autocon Racing team an LMP1 podium for Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry as they claimed third in class with their -shod Lola B06/10 AER having rejoined the grid at Mosport. A fine season for s technical partner BMW means the team leads the GTE championship standings into the second half of the ALMS season having taken a podium finish in each of the six races run so far. After their victory at Sebring, Dirk Muller and Joey Hand clinched back-to-back wins at Long Beach and Lime Rock with a brace of fourth place finishes at Mosport and Mid-Ohio and third at Road America, helping to cement their position as championship leaders. Showing the pace of the BMW/ package, the pair have also started on class pole for every race bar Sebring. The sister car of Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen have finished on the podium four times this season at Sebring, Mosport, Mid-Ohio and Road America to help BMW top the manufacturer and team s championships while the three wins give the edge over rivals Michelin, Falken and Yokohama in the tyre standings. Aside from BMW, also provides tyres for the JaguarRSR team and played a key role in the team setting the fastest GTE race lap with its improving XKR GT at Mosport arguably the high point of its season so far. Our tyres were fantastic today, driver Bruno Junqueira said after the Canadian race. Consistent and fast for the entire stint, they were obviously good enough to help us achieve the fastest race lap.

3 MOTO 2 MOTO 2 ASSEN MUGELLO SACHSENRING BRNO The legendary Dutch TT saw Spanish rookie Marc Marquez claim his second win of the season - and vault from eighth to second in the championship! The Suter star overcame tricky damp conditions (wet tyres were chosen by all) which caught out many of the frontrunners, including title leader Stefan Bradl. Bradl (Kalex) suffered his first DNF of the year when he fell from seventh in the closing stages, while Marquez won by 2.4sec from first-time podium finisher Kenan Sofuoglu (Suter) and Bradley Smith (Tech 3). Nevertheless, Bradl only lost five points from his overall title lead. If Assen made Moto2 rookie Marc Marquez a mathematical title contender, Mugello proved that the 125cc champion could beat Stefan Bradl in a straight fight. Marquez (Suter), Bradl (Kalex) and Bradley Smith (Tech 3) all began the final lap in victory contention, with Marquez winning by just 0.071sec. The trio all chose the harder option front and rear tyres. Back-to-back victories for Marquez meant another five points from Bradl s lead, while Smith moved up to third after finishing less than 0.5sec from victory. Resurfacing at Mugello combined with rapid development of Moto2 machinery and tyres meant the 2011 race was over one-minute faster than in 2010! Marc Marquez made it three victories in a row by inflicting a narrow home defeat on championship leader Stefan Bradl at the Sachsenring. Rookie Marquez (Suter) won his fourth race of the year by 0.896sec from Bradl s Kalex, with JiR s Alex de Angelis - who ran the 302 front tyre - just half-a-second further back for his first podium of the season. Marquez and Bradl headed for the summer break having won the same number of races, but with Bradl holding a 47 point title lead. The 2011 Sachsenring race was over 20-seconds faster than last year. Andrea Iannone returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since round two (Jerez) during a Moto2 classic in the Czech Republic. The Speed Master rider locked horns with championship leaders Stefan Bradl and Marc Marquez, plus former race winner Alex de Angelis, in a thrilling encounter that saw all four covered by less than one-second at the finish! Iannone used the 302 (medium) front and new 4886 rear tyre - featuring evo tread technology - to break last year s lap record by a staggering 1.675sec and beat the race-winning 2010 time by sec. The Italian moved to third in the championship, while Marquez trimmed another four points from Bradl s lead. Race Front Tyre Rear Tyre Championship Points Race Front Tyre Rear Tyre Championship Points Race Front Tyre Rear Tyre Championship Points Race Front Tyre Rear Tyre Championship Points Marc Marquez KR KR Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez 717 W Stefan Bradl Andrea Iannone Stefan Bradl Kenan Sofuoglu KR KR Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl Marc Marquez Stefan Bradl 717 W Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Marc Marquez Bradley Smith KR KR Simone Corsi Bradley Smith Bradley Smith Alex de Angelis 302 W Simone Corsi Stefan Bradl Alex de Angelis - 95

4 125cc SUZUKA - 8 Hours After four wins from the first six rounds and a healthy title advantage of 35 points, Nico Terol s fortunes took a turn for the worse at Assen, when a hand injury ruled the Aspar Aprilia star out of the race. But Terol s nearest championship rivals failed to capitalise and instead it was rookie Maverick Vinales - sixth in the standings for Paris Hilton Aprilia - who took his second win of the year in the rainshortened Dutch TT. Terol then made a perfect comeback with a close victory over Johann Zarco (Ajo Derbi) one week later at Mugello, before teammate Hector Faubel claimed his first victory since 2007 in even more dramatic circumstances after crossing the line equal with Zarco in Germany - s 125th consecutive 125cc win. The 125cc riders thus headed for their summer break with Terol s lead back up to 32 points, over Zarco, but it would plummet to just 12 points after a dramatic day in the Czech Republic. Terol suffered his first non-finish of the season when a mechanical problem forced him out of the lead at Brno, while Sandro Cortese went on to claim his first ever win after a bar-to-bar showdown with Zarco at the final turn. provided 31 out of a field of 52 teams entered in the worldfamous Suzuka 8 Hours on July 31. As well as being a round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, it s an event with tremendous national importance to Japan, meaning the home Japanese manufacturers boost their chances by entering Suzuka-specific factory bikes and teams, featuring very strong rider line-ups. For a permanent EWC team to break into the top ten will be a real achievement, predicted Motorsport Service Engineer Peter Chapman. That proved an accurate assessment, with Japanese specials filling the podium in the form of FCC Honda, Yoshimura Suzuki and Harc-Pro Honda, who all finished on the same lap. The -backed Sakurai Honda team had been holding a safe fourth until a pit stop problem. BMW Motorrad France went on to claim that position and move narrowly ahead of the -shod Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) to the top of the EWC standings. SERT - which overcame minor technical problems to finish ninth with Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Daisaku Sakai - was one of only three permanent EWC teams to crack the top ten. Among those not reaching the chequered flag was the Honda TT Legends team of John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Donald Cameron, which retired due to mechanical problems. Round Event Winner Front Tyre Rear Tyre 7 Dutch TT, Assen Maverick Vinales KR149 D KR133 C 8 Italian GP, Mugello Nicolas Terol KR149 D KR133 F 9 German GP, Sachsenring Hector Faubel KR149 D KR133 F 10 Czech Republic GP, Brno Sandro Cortese KR149 D KR133 F

5 INTERNATIONAL LE MANS CUP DUNLOP 1-2 AT imola INTERNATIONAL LE MANS CUP DUNLOP hoping for home advantage The first ever rounds of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and Le Mans Series at the Imola 6 Hours in Italy saw a 1-2 for in the LMP2 class. headed to the Italian former Grand Prix venue not knowing what to expect as prototype and GT cars are seldom visitors to the circuit. Variable weather added to the challenge, with heavy storms in practice however race day was a different matter with searing hot conditions greeting teams. Flying the flag high were Greaves Motorsport who took a well judged win in the highly competitive LMP2 class which moved the team into the lead of the LMP2 standings of the Le Mans Series. Making it two sets of caps on the podium, the Signatech Nissan Oreca took silver and continues to lead the teams points standings of the LMP2 class of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. In the GTE Pro class, s technical partner team BMW Motorsport looked set to win with the #55 BMW M3 before on track contact and a drive through penalty dropped them to a third in class finish. is hoping for home advantage when it heads to the fifth rounds of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and Le Mans Series at Silverstone in mid-september. The venue of the British Grand Prix is located just an hour away from s Motorsport department in Birmingham, where tyres for all forms of two and four wheel motorsport around the world are produced. Coming in to Silverstone teams lead the LMP2 classes of both series, with Signatech Nissan in front in the ILMC and Greaves Motorsport at the top of the tree in the LMS. In close contention for IMLC GTE Pro gold is BMW Motorsport, currently second in the class standings. Silverstone offers a real treat, with the recently revised Grand Prix circuit, with a new circuit layout introduced for 2010 and new pit complex for this year. teams LMP1 Oak Racing MIK Corse LMP2 Signatech Nissan Oak Racing RML Race Performance Greaves Motorsport RLR Extreme Limite AM Paris Boutsen Energy Racing Oak Racing GTE Pro BMW Motorsport JMW Motorsport Kessel Racing JOTA GTE AM Krohn Racing Gulf AMR Middle East

6 proves podium potential in motocross After two MX1 podiums from the opening six rounds of its 2011 Motocross Grand Prix comeback, s success has reached even greater heights since - in the form of four podiums over the next six events, including victory in Germany. The perfect double-moto victory at Teutschenthal also marked the very first grand prix win for Honda World Motocross star Evgeny Bobryshev, and came in the middle of three consecutive GP rostrums for the exciting young Russian. With 12 of the 15 rounds complete, Bobryshev s five podiums have propelled him to fourth in the World Championship. To put that into perspective, Bobryshev was only tenth in the 2010 MX1 championship and has already scored 117 points more than during the whole of last season! With 150 points still to be decided, Bobryshev needs to bridge a 41-point gap to reach third - a target he has a realistic chance of achieving alongside his quest for further victories. But Bobryshev isn t the only rider to spray podium champagne this year. Team-mate Rui Goncalves, cruelly denied a debut MX1 podium after a late technical problem in the deep Lommel sand, finally gained the rostrum he so richly deserved in the following Czech Republic round at the slippery Loket circuit. The Portuguese rider is now sixth in the world championship and has a strong chance of moving further up the table before the end of the season. Goncalves, a former MX2 title runner-up, has also made big progress compared with last year, when he was eleventh overall. LS Honda s Ken De Dycker is the third rider in the present championship top eight, the experienced Belgian enjoying his best race of the season so far in Sweden, when he finished just off the podium in fourth. A previous MX1 grand prix winner, few would be surprised if De Dycker becomes the third different rider to claim a podium finish this season. British team-mate Shaun Simpson is gaining momentum with double-digit points in the last four motos, while Dutchman Marc de Reuver leads the Yamaha Van Beers challenge with top-ten moto finishes in Germany and Belgium. In the MX2 class, for 250cc motorcycles, Petar Petrov (Van Beers) gave an indication of his potential with fifth place in race one of the Grand Prix of Limburg. Having scored points in both motos in just four events this year, the Bulgarian will be seeking consistency to match his speed in the remaining three rounds. With s Motocross success growing, so too has the presence of the brand trackside with signing sessions and cap giveaways particularly popular, not to mention the emerging presence of the Glove, an inflatable hand which pops up everywhere. s Motorcross activities can be followed on Facebook: or

7 The ultimate test of race to road technology transfer shod bikes won seven of the eight feature races at the Ulster Grand Prix the world s fastest road race. With average lap speeds of over 133 mph on the undulating public roads of Country Antrim in Northern Ireland, the races are a real test of speed and durability for riders, bikes and tyres. Stepping up to the challenge, shod bikes won seven of the eight feature races, with Michael being the hero of the event, appropriately choosing as his tyre partner on his way to three wins in both Supersport races and the Superstock race. Ian Lougher (250cc) and Bruce Anstey (Superbike) were the other big shod winners of the weekend. tyres also set the fastest lap time in every single race at the event. We had great results for the teams in very trying and difficult conditions, said Pat Walsh, Motorcycle Sales Manager, Motorsport. Mixed weather meant we had no dry running time all week up till race day on Saturday. Wets, intermediates and dry tyres were used on race day, with heavy showers all morning. It is in these conditions we apply our experience and knowledge to help the riders choose their tyres. With the races taking place on slippery public roads, this is the ultimate test of our race to road technology transfer particularly in the classes where road legal treaded tyres are needed and our D211 excels. To clinch fastest lap in every category was a stunning result for our Motorsport development team. DUNLOP SUCCESSES AT THE ULSTER GP Superstock 1). Michael (Street Sweep - Kawasaki) 120/70 ZR17 D211 GP front, 200/55 ZR17 D211 GP rear 2). Guy Martin, Pirelli 3). Gary Johnson, Pirelli Supersport Race 1 1). Michael (Street Sweep - Yamaha) 2). William (Wilson Craig - Honda) 3). Bruce Anstey (Padgetts Honda) All 120/70 ZR17 D211 GP front, 190/55 ZR17 D211 GP rear. 250cc 1). Ian Lougher (Honda) 2). Denver Robb (Honda) 3). Jamie Coward (Honda) All 125/80 17 KR191 wet front, 165/55 17 KR393 wet rear. dominate the Ulster GP with seven wins. Ulster Grand Prix Superbike 1). Bruce Anstey (Padgetts - Honda) 120/70 R17 KR106 slick front, 195/65 R17 KR108 slick rear 2). Guy Martin, Pirelli 3). Keith Amor (Honda - TT Legends) 125/ KR106 slick front. 200/70 R420 KR108 slick rear Supersport Race 2 1). Michael (Street Sweep Yamaha) 2). William (Wilson Craig - Honda) 3). Cameron Donald (Wilson Craig - Honda) All using same tyre choice 120/70 ZR17 D211 front and 190/55 ZR17 D211 rear.

8 NÜRBURGRING 24 hours Spa 24 Hours BMW led s challenge in arguably the most challenging race in the world to secure a podium finish from the annual 24 Hour race on the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife. A strong performance from Augusto Farfus, Jörg Muller, Uwe Alzen and Pedro Lamy saw them following up their victory in 2010 with a second place finish behind the leading Manthey Porsche after an almost flawless race the only problem coming after a collision in the first quarter of the race that resulted in a three minute stop-go penalty. After a total of 156 laps of the challenging circuit, the quartet ended the race just 4mins 23secs behind the winner after a battle that raged from start to finish. The sister car of Dirk Müller, Dirk Werner and Dirk Adorf had battled back from an hour-long pitstop for brake repairs to sit inside the top 20 before being forced to retire with a technical issue. Fellow partners Volkswagen also enjoyed success with a 1-2 class finish for its biogas Sciroccos. Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Giniel de Villiers and Klaus Niedzwiedz took 26th place overall, with Niedzwiedz also driving the sister car that took 46th overall. The success of the Sciroccos made up for a tough outing for the three 450bhp Golf 24s, which showed speed but failed to make it to the finish. development partners ROWE Racing secured a top 20 finish with its leading Mercedes SLS AMG GT3. Although missed out on victory in the annual Spa 24 Hours, its leading team produced one of the performances of the weekend to secure a podium finish despite being forced to start towards the rear of the field. Claudia Hurtgen, Edward Sandstrom and Dirk Werner started the Ardennes classic from 49th on the grid after losing their times from the Thursday evening qualifying session due to a rules infringement. However, making the most of their tyres, the trio stormed through the pack in their Need for Speed Team Schubert BMW Z4 GT3 to finish second overall, just two laps down on the winning Audi. In the race we tried to play off our strengths, team manager Stefan Wendl said. This primarily involved the good long-range performance of the tyres that we were able to double-and triple stint. This saved us a lot of time. The BMW trio were joined on the podium by a second -shod team, with the Black Falcon Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 of Kenneth Heyer, Thomas Jager and Stephane Lemeret rounding out the top three. Amongst the teams, the United Autosports Audi s garnered plenty of attention with its big-name driver line-up, with Johnny Herbert and Stefan Johansson amongst the drivers in the #23 R8, which finished 13th overall and sixth in the Pro-Am class. The car driven by Mark Blundell and Eddie Cheever was amongst those to retire from the race.

9 INTERNATIONAL GT Open for action Despite only being formed in 2006, the International GT Open series suplied by has quickly become a popular addition to the GT car racing scene and the 2011 campaign is quickly shaping up to be a classic with five drivers covered by three points in the overall standings at the half way point of the season. A brace of victories at Magny-Cours and Spa mean Andrea Montermini and Emanuele Moncini hold a one point lead over fellow Ferrari drivers Marco Frezza and Juan Manuel Lopez, the latter pair losing the points lead after a disastrous weekend at Brands Hatch yielded no points. A double win there for Soheil Ayari and team-mate Nicolas Marroc means Ayari is just three points off the lead; Marroc having only joined his fellow Frenchman at Spa. Stefano Gattuso and Lorenzo Bontempelli are within ten points of the championship leaders as the top pairing in the GTS Class. With the overall standings taking into account overall and class position, the actual class standings have a slightly different appearance; and are even closer. In the premier Super GT class, the pairings of Lopez and Frezza and Moncini and Montermini are level on 42 points with Ayari just one point further back, while the GTS class is equally close. At the half way stage of the season, Gattuso and Bontempelli hold a one point lead over Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babibi despite winning twice as many races as their rivals. F3 Open all hours At the half way stage of the European F3 Open run entirely on racing tyres - it s the rookie brigade who leads the way in the championship standings with Swiss teenager Alex Fontana having emerged as the man to beat in The Corbetta Competizioni driver took his maiden win at Spa and leads another rookie driver, Team West-Tec s Fabio Gamberini by 15 points after eight races. Gamberini also enjoyed success on-track at Spa where he took his only victory of the season to date, while the competitive nature of the series has been seen by the fact that the eight races held so far in 2011 have been won by six different drivers. Alongside Fontana and Gamberini, Fahmi Illyas, Tono Fernandez, Johan Jokinen and Victor Correa have taken to the top step of the podium the latter pair on two occasions. In the team s championship, the successes for Gambernini, Illyas and Correa have allowed British outfit West-Tec to take a healthy lead in the standings ahead of Fontana s Corbetta Competizioni team and the Cedars outfit that carried Jokinen to his two victories. As well as sitting second overall, Gambernini has dominated the Copa Class for older Dallara cars, winning all bar one of the eight races. Jesus Rios is the only other winner having taken class honours in the second race at Spa.

10 Jacqueline Pelsmacker Dutch Supercar Spa/Zolder/Assen With a dozen races in the ultra competitive -shod Dutch Supercar challenge completed, Diederik Sijthoff remains the man to beat having extended his advantage in the championship through the last three rounds of the season. Having held a 17 point lead after six races, the Speedtec Motorsport driver is now 34 points clear of Roger Grouwels in the GT class standings having taken a second win of the season at Zolder. Grouwels himself took a first win of the season at Assen but he is only twelve points clear of Cor Euser, who has brought himself into contention with victory in three of the last six races at the wheel of his Marcos. Bert van der Zweede continues to lead Supersport 1 but despite adding three more wins to his tally, he is unable to shake of Nathan Wolf and Jaap van Lagen, who are just eight points adrift after winning at Spa and Zolder. Supersport 2 meanwhile continues to be headed by SEAT Leon Supercopa pair Ferry and Robin Monster who took a third win of the season at Assen to move 27 points clear of Koen Bogaerts and Mark van der Aa. The Sports division continues to see Lotus drivers well ahead at the top of the standings, with Aart Bosman extending his advantage over Guillaume Schulz to 30 points, despite the latter following up a victory at Spa with a double success at Zolder. BTCC Action Jackson takes BTCC lead The battle for honours in the -backed British Touring Car Championship continues to be a hard-fought affair with a new name at the head of the standings after six rounds full of action. In round five, Honda s Matt Neal had extended his championship advantage with a double win at Croft, with Mat Jackson following up a stunning drive through the field in race one with victory in race three to become Neal s closest challenger. After the summer break, the series headed to the new Snetterton 300 circuit where three different drivers took a turn on the top of the podium and at the head of the standings. A first corner clash in race one between Plato and Neal saw the latter spin and fail to score as his Chevrolet rival went on to win. Victory for Gordon Shedden in race two saw him move ahead of Neal in the standings until Jackson won race three. That win, his fourth of the year, means Jackson now holds an eight point advantage over Shedden with Neal and Plato within 20 points of the lead. Snetterton was also a historic weekend for the series as cars built to the new NGTC rules scored for the first time. Frank Wrathall s Toyota took a fine fourth in race one and Independent honours while the Audi of Rob Austin took tenth in race three.

11 Local Motorcycle Racing CIV Six rounds into the Italian CIV Championships and the all- 125GP series is being led by Niccolò Antonelli, who has recovered from a non-score at round one to win the last two races and holds a slender six-point lead over Kevin Calia. Romano Fenati has won more races than any other rider (three) but two non-scores mean he is only third overall, albeit just eight points from Antonelli. All three Aprilia riders this year have a serious chance of claiming the crown. Victories in every round mean that Iodaracing s Armando Pontone is already champion of the newly formed Moto3 category, while the more strongly contested (all-) Moto2 class is being led by Faenza Racing s Mattia Tarozzi. Tarozzi starts the final two rounds with a 15-point advantage over Alessandro Andreozzi, while Federico D Annunzio, Danilo Marrancone and Diego Ciavattini also remain in mathematical title contention. Fabio Menghi (Yamaha) leads the challenge standing seventh overall in the 600SS category, while Ivan Goi s -shod Aprilia is on the brink of the championship top ten in the Superbike class. The last two rounds of the 2011 CIV championships will be held at Vallelunga (September 11) and Mugello (October 23). IDM After 6 of 8 events, Martin Bauer (KTM) leads Karl Muggeridge (Honda) by 24 points at the top of the the IDM Superbike Championship, with fellow riders Matej Smrz (KTM) and Michael Ranseder (BMW) also in the top five. In Supersport, -shod Yamaha riders Jesco Günther, Günther Knobloch and David Linortner are chasing down points leader Daniel Sutter, while in the 125cc class currently holds the top three places courtesy of Australian Jack Miller (Aprilia) leading German riders Luca Amato (Aprilia) and Luca Grünwald (KTM). The next round will be held at the recently re-opened Red Bull Ring in Austria, with the season finale taking place at the famous Hockenheim circuit on September 18. Alpe Adria Championship riders Stefano Schillaci (125SP) and Andreas Meklau (SBK) wrapped up their respective UEM Alpe Adria Championship titles in perfect style, with victories in round eight at Poznan, in Poland, on August 7. riders are also leading three of the other classes - 125GP, STK600 and STK which will be decided at the last round in Rijeka later this month.

12 The Unrivaled SportSmart The SportSmart gives excellent feel, grip and above all, the confidence in all conditions. Impresivlely the tyre manages to be three tryres in one - touring, road and track. MCN (UK) March 2010 the grip is excellent in all circumstances Moto et Motard (France) May test winner There wasn t a single tyre that could take you through all weathers to a trackday at the opposite end of another country, make the most of the sportsbike s abilities when you got there and last all the way back. There is now. Bike Magazine (UK) 2010

13 MATT NEAL visits Fort New appointments at Motorsport Honda Racing Team driver Matt Neal took time out from his MSA British Touring Car Championship preparations to make a visit to s motorsport tyre production facility at Fort. Matt was filmed by television station ITV4 who screen live action of the BTCC. I felt very privileged being allowed behind the scenes at Motorsport, said Matt who won the BTCC title in and currently sits in third in the drivers standings. It was stunning to see the technology and precision involved in manufacturing race tyres and it is fabulous seeing such strength and success from products made in the UK used to win races the world over. Matt was given an extensive tour behind the scenes at the location where s motorsport tyres for categories all around the world are produced. It was fantastic to have Matt visit and see how we design, develop and manufacture racing tyres at Fort, said James Bailey, Director, Motorsport Marketing and Communications. The science that goes into our race tyres is one of racing s best-kept secrets, but we were able to give Matt an insight into this technology. Goodyear has announced three new leadership appointments in their Birmingham based international Motorsport business, with the aim to driving the brand to pole position in the highly competitive arena of world motorsport. Patrice Omont (bottom right) joins the team as Director, Tyre Technology, Motorsport and Motorcycle. Patrice joined France in 1984 as a Designer, before holding various management roles in Training, Customer Service and the Car Tyre Development Team. His most recent roles have been as Technical Director for Goodyear s Asia-Pacific business unit and as leader of the company s Testing programmes. Patrice is joined in the Research and Development team by Sebastien Montet (bottom left), who is appointed as Manager, Motorsport Technology. Sebastien has 12 years experience in the company, most recently in the design team at s Motorcycle development centre in Montlucon, France. This appointment marks a return to Birmingham for Sebastien, who worked in the Motorsport team as a Tyre Designer earlier in his career. The third new team member is James Bailey (top), who is appointed Director, Motorsport Marketing and Communications. James has 15 years marketing and PR experience within Goodyear, including his most recent responsibility as Brand PR Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. James focus will be on building collaborative marketing programmes with s strategic partners in motorsport and driving consistency and awareness across s international activities. The three new appointments will be based at the iconic Fort site in Birmingham, England. This business is headed by Jean-Felix Bazelin, General Manager, Motorsport Europe. At this site, Motorsport design, develop and manufacture over 200,000 tyres a year.

14 INSIDE RACING 11th broadcast 29. August Papenburg From stationary to 300 kph to stationary again in the quickest time possible with cars of the highest class. BTCC action with Matt Neal He s the prankster among the BTCC drivers and at six foot seven the tallest. In his Honda Civic he s also one of the fastest. Tyre history From the innovation of John Boyd to the high-tech tyres of today. Romaniacs Enduro extreme racing through the Carpathians. An incomparable challenge. Brave hearts Innes Ireland, Jim Clark, David Coulthard, Allan McNish Scotland s racing history is full of legends and unforgettable victories. 12th broadcast 12. September Siegfried Stohr And his driving school in Italy. Chassis suspension. Hidden beneath the low, broad silhouette of a racing car lies highly complex chassis suspension technology. Dutch Supercar Challenge. It has a big variety of cars as well as race events spread over Europe. Lotus heritage Clive Chapman s tour of the Lotus Stand in Goodwood. 13th broadcast 26. September Sweden, Lapland The place to be to test the new winter tyres for road cars! Take a look behind the scenes, testing in extreme conditions. Vanina Ickx The daughter of Jacky Ickx is also a successful racing driver. Hours of Nürburgring. Tyre pressure Maintaining correct tyre inflation pressure helps optimise tyre performance and fuel economy. And that is also an important factor for racing tyres. The 24 Hours of Dubai Cora Schumacher, the wife of former F1 driver and current DTM driver Ralf Schumacher takes us behind the scenes. Jacky Ickx A motor sport legend. Meet the F1 and Le Mans Champion at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. 14th broadcast 10. October and Renault Le Castellet. France is the perfect place to try the first steps in racing. Unsprung masses Why is lightweight construction so important in racing? The Suzuki Junior Team. Trying hard to follow in the footsteps of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team. Classic tyres for classic cars Car collectors, Classic teams, old-timer rallies - supports vintage cars with original handmade tyres.

15 10QUESTIONS with Eddy Seel RACES TO COME AUGUST August August 28 SEPTEMBER GT Open Red Bull Ring, Austria Moto2/125 Indianapolis, USA How old are you? 41 years old Where do you live? In Mont Dison, this is in the south east of Belgium, not far away from the famous race track Spa Francorchamps. What are the key qualities required for your job? As the MX race co-ordinator it is essential to know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to teams, riders and of course tyres. You also need to understand the technical side in order to match bike, track and tyres together. Having 22 years experience as a rider in the World Championships of MX and SM is a huge advantage and I use this experience to ensure that I do the best job possible. Could you build a tyre yourself if left the keys to the factory? To be honest, I don t think I could build it on my own as it is too complicated with all the compounds and the high tech machines. But if you gave me a guy who can actually take care of all those aspects, I could probably give him the instructions to build the tyre I want and I think is good. What is your favourite tyre? In MX, the brand new MC772 racing tyre, it is the best compromise for start and race, as it has very good traction and long durability. What s the best aspect about working for? Meeting a lot of interesting people in motorsport and representing a brand that I always trusted when I raced myself. If you weren t doing this what would you be doing? I would spend more time in my own motorcycle shop, but I think I would miss the track a lot, so I wouldn t want to change a thing. What do you do away from work? I m usually riding motorcycles for fun and spending time with my family. Which is your favourite circuit to visit and why? Glen Helen in the USA is an amazing track because it has really big jumps and is extremely fast. What car do you drive / bike do you ride? Mercedes Vito V6 / KTM 350 (MX) and Husquarna 530 (SM). SEPTEMBER 2-4 September 3 September 3-4 September 3-4 September 4 September 4 September 4 September 9-11 September 11 September 11 September 16-18, September 17 September September September September 18 September Sept29-Oct 1 OCTOBER October 1 October 1-2 October 1-2 October 2 AMA New jersey, USA ALMS Baltimore, USA World Enduro Andorra BTCC Knockhill, Scotland Dutch Supercar Challenge Zolder, Belgium Moto2/125 Misano, Italy MX Gaildorf, Germany ILMC/LMS Silverstone, UK MX Fermo, Italy CEV Albacete, Spain V8 Supercars, Phillip Island, Australia ALMS Laguna Seca, USA BTCC Rockingham, UK MX St Jean d Angely, France F3 Open Portimão, Portugal Moto2/125 Aragon, Spain EWC Le Mans 24, France Britcar 24 Silverstone, UK ALMS / ILMC Road Atlanta, USA F3 Open / GT Open Monza, Italy BTCC Brands Hatch, UK Dutch Supercar Challenge, Spa, Belgium