NEWS: Dunlop Sport Maxx Soft Tyre Success in 2013 BTCC Opener

Dunlop Tyres are reporting success in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) – with the introduction of their new high-performance Dunlop Sport Maxx Soft tyre.
This is one of the greatest changes in recent times for the series, with the tyre being used in one of the three races as nominated by the driver, giving a significant performance advantage.
BTCC organisers, TOCA, set Dunlop a goal of providing an option tyre which gives a minimum one-second per lap performance advantage for the initial laps, as a contrast to the standard (Sport Maxx Medium) tyre which is proven to offer consistent performance throughout the race. It was intended that tyre strategy would become part of the overall driver strategy and add to the excitement of the racing. This was certainly prevalent at the first round at Brands Hatch over Easter weekend.
Dunlop say: "The opening round of the Championship saw the soft tyre race debut and all expectations were met. Of the nine podium places, drivers on the soft tyres took three. Rob Austin stole the headlines in race one by charging from seventh on the grid to take the lead on his set of soft tyres before dropping back, however he still finished third. He set the fastest lap of the race on lap twelve of 27.
Matt Neal won the final race on soft tyres having started fourth, while perhaps the most commendable performance on the soft compound was from Gordon Shedden who finished the same race in second having started from the back of the grid in 25th place."
Alan Gow, BTCC Administrator & Series Director said: "Dunlop really delivered with this new tyre - it performed exactly how we wanted it to. But, to be honest, it's exactly what I expected from the great team at Dunlop Motorsport....their expertise and enthusiasm is second-to-none."
James Bailey, Director, Marketing and Communications, Dunlop Motorsport Europe said: "The new tyre uses a compound from the endurance racing range. While the regular Dunlop Sport Maxx is renowned for its wide operating window, the soft option has a ‘sweet-spot’ that is more focussed. Being derived from endurance racing, even after the tyre has peaked it still retains a high level of performance.
"We have had a great deal of success in the endurance world with the compounds from which the BTCC soft tyre is derived. While Dunlop has taken 34 overall wins out of 80 at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours, LMP2 is currently the most competitive class. Dunlop has won in LMP2 in 2011 with the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and 2012 in the successor World Endurance Championship. 2013 would be our hat-trick. We would also be taking a Le Mans LMP2 hat-trick if we win there as well.
“As ever we will listen to feedback from TOCA and drivers as the season progresses and we encounter different tracks and conditions."
Interesting BTCC times!

NEWS: Donington Landmarks Up For Charity Sale

Donington Parks’s iconic Dunlop Bridge (and other famous landmarks) are to go under the hammer at Bonham's for Hope Against Cancer on Saturday, 15th September. The four Donington Park landmarks, to be sold ‘in situ’, are:
1. The individual sections of the fibreglass bridge, each as big as a large garden pond. Buyers can choose whether they want the individual letters or the whole bridge to spell out Dunlop, along with side supports.
2. The Dunlop advertising signage which hung below the bridge until its demolition in 2009.
3. The old timing clock once branded to Pirelli, which currently sits on the Old Hairpin bridge.
4. The wind tunnel model, from the 1970’s, of the World Land Speed Record car, Project Blue Star, which also sits on the Old Hairpin bridge.
World famous tyre company, Dunlop originally paid for the bridge to be erected over the Donington track 30 years ago, but during the previous operator’s ill-fated 2009 attempt to rebuild the circuit layout, the steel structure was knocked down and the metalwork was sold for scrap. The Dunlop tyre profile fibreglass lettered sections have recently been recovered and are now to be sold by Bonham’s.
Christopher Tate, Managing Director at Donington Park, said: "These iconic items will mean a great deal to thousands of racers, bikers, spectators – and all the staff and officials who have worked at Donington Park since 1977. The time has come when the Dunlop panels need to make space for new developments in the paddock area. The famous clock and the LSR car model – which is nine metres long – were to be moved this winter as our programme of track refurbishment continues. The lots aren’t going anywhere until after they are sold though – a good sized crane will be needed for that!"
Money raised from the auction will be donated to Leicestershire-based Hope Against Cancer, a charity passionately supported by the late owner of Donington Park, Tom Wheatcroft. Tom’s son and now circuit owner and chairman, Kevin, is keen to see this excellent cause benefit from the sale.
The auction is being held at the Goodwood Revival race meeting on September 14th, 15th and 16th in Sussex. Any likely bidders keen to secure a piece of Donington Park’s fabled racing history can inspect the items prior to the auction by arrangement with the circuit management.
Christopher added: "In working with Bonham’s, the leading car and automobilia auction house, we decided the time had come to offer these motoring landmarks to the market – and to support Tom and Kevin Wheatcroft’s favourite charity in doing so. We think there will be some strong interest and we hope that they will all find enthusiastic new homes!"
Donington Park is one of the UK’s most popular racing circuits and hosts the very best in World, European and British motor racing including the British Touring Car Championship, FIA British Truck Grand Prix, European Le Mans Series and the World and British Superbike Championships.
For further information about Donington Park and its history, visit the website at www.donington-park.co.uk.

BLOG FEATURE: Bentley Mulsanne 7-litre V8 Twin Turbo

Talented motoring journalist, Richard Barnett gives the new Bentley Mulsanne a run for its big money: 

"Editor Phil said I had up to 500 words to review the Bentley Mulsanne, but I think you could do it on the number of fingers on one hand: big, rapid, luxurious, stunning. And that leaves the thumb out.
Word count aside, Bentley’s top-of-the-tree luxury saloon, which sits above the Continental Flying Spur, actively replicates those pre-war Bentleys that built the maker’s reputation for mixing power with a finely-appointed interior. 

And in the Mulsanne the power certainly does the talking: mash that heavily-sprung accelerator pedal to unleash the twin turbo'd, seven-litre V8’s power onto that unsuspecting tarmac. 

Being rear-wheel drive the ‘sanne feels less friction-constrained than the four-wheel drive Continental. The seven-speed automatic is almost seamless, but to be that good at changes up and down the range would take away the fact that despite its size, this is a car that the owner should be driving, rather than reclining in the back keeping an eye on share values or who’s giving the best odds at Haydock Park that afternoon.
In many ways the Mulsanne is a dual-personality car: yes, it’s highly luxurious: but then again, it’s seriously rapid, but in a way that lacks the urgency of its lower-priced Continental siblings.
However, along with that seriously grin-inducing straight-line performance the Mulsanne is very, very composed through the bends. Thanks to its 22-inch Dunlop Maxx treads grip is unsurpassed and even on wet muddy country roads it simply sticks to the tarmac, leaving you to enjoy the well-composed, gently-weighted steering.
And while the performance is good, the stopping is up to par as well. The brakes are nicely balanced and have a very good, progressive feel that adds to the driving pleasure.
Meanwhile for the passengers there’s plenty of room and plenty of fittings to make each and every journey an occasion. Acres of wood and leather of course recall the Bentleys of years gone by but the way the interior is put together is first rate, the only other car getting near to it (other than the Continental) being Jaguar’s current XJ saloon.
And when it comes to the power game, a car’s appearance doesn’t have to have the desperate cry of ‘look at me’. The Mulsanne is B-I-G, and there’s no getting away from that. But what’s pleasing is that its looks won’t date rapidly and in the same way the 1981-1996 Bentley Eight /Turbo R still looks great, in 10-15 years the current Mulsanne will too.
Successfully blending old-school Bentley traits with new technology, the Mulsanne is King of the Castle in luxury saloons. Power, luxury, room and great looks. In the top-flight super saloon echelons no rapid four-door can best the Bentley…."

Great job Richy, thanks a million pal. When you getting yours? 

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