Commitment to include two compounds per meeting, F1-style
Kumho has won the contract to be the sole supplier of tyres to the international Auto GP series for 550bhp single-seat racing cars. The appointment comes at an interesting time as, new for this season, all Auto GP teams will be required to use two specifications of tyre per weekend; as occurs in F1.
Auto GP is already one of the premier schooling grounds for Grand Prix drivers, and giving this year's competitors the opportunity to learn the management of both 'prime' and 'option' tyre compounds at each of the seven circuits visited will further strengthen that role. So too will
Said Steve Thompson, European Motorsport Manager for Kumho Tyres: "The new tyres provided our designers with a number of challenges. Firstly, they had to be able to deal with the considerable power, speed and downforce created by these cars. Secondly, we were required to produce one compound that gave consistent performance throughout and one that initially performed better but also degraded faster – thereby providing the teams with a suitably demanding test of strategy and tyre management. The first challenge was meat and drink to our designers, owing to the inherent characteristics of our tyres. The second request was a harder nut to crack!"
Auto GP's roots lie in the Italian Formula 3000 series of 1999, but was first run in its current format and name in 2010, when it was won by the talented Swiss driver Romain Grosjean. This truly launched his career and he was last year crowned champion of both GP2 and GP2 Asia, and will now partner Kimi Räikkönen in the 2012 Lotus F1 team. The outright winner of Auto GP in 2011 was the precocious 18-year old Italian Kevin Ceccon, who plans to graduate to GP2 this year.
The format of the three-day Auto GP meetings comprises practice on the Friday, qualifying and Race One on Saturday and Race Two on Sunday. The series will visit the following circuits during 2012: Monza (Italy), Valencia (Spain), Marrakech (Morocco), Hungaroring (Hungary), Estoril (Portugal), Curitiba (Brazil) and Sonoma (USA). The Auto GP season kicks off at Monza on March 9/10/11.
Commented Auto GP Series Organiser Enzo Coloni: "Right from the start of our talks with Kumho, it was clear that the company's approach was a very positive one, aimed at giving us the best possible experience in terms of technical support. Not only did Kumho accept with enthusiasm our proposal for the two different tyre specifications, but it expressed a will to work with us and the teams to achieve the optimum result; something unique in the one-make series scenario. The first step of this process will be the creation of a special super-soft tyre for the Marrakech round; a street track where we expect a very low grip level. Being involved in such a development plan will give our drivers knowledge they couldn't get anywhere else; a vital experience for their future."
Added Kumho's Steve Thompson: "We are delighted to be involved with Auto GP, and excited at furthering our involvement with up and coming F1 drivers that began with long term support for the F3 Euro Series and the annual Masters of F3 meeting. It was through these platforms we assisted the careers of current GP stars Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta, among others. Auto GP is the perfect showcase for us to display our ever-increasing capabilities and we will certainly make the most of the opportunity."
Over recent years, Kumho tyres have carried drivers to the top of the podium in a host of international and national rally championships but, until this year, had never featured on a winning car in the French Gravel Championship. Now they have not only aided former double European Rally Champion Simon Jean-Joseph to outright honours in the Terre De l'Auxerrois, Terre De Langres and Terres De Catalunya rounds of the series and 3rd place in the Rallye Terre des Cardabelles, but taken him to overall victory in the championship, courtesy of a 2nd place in last weekend's (November 12/13) Terre De Vaucluse event at the wheel of his trusty Peugeot 207 S2000. On this occasion he was only beaten by Stephane Chambon in a Subaru Impreza, which, like Jean-Joseph's Peugeot, was shod with Kumho R900 gravel rally tyres. There was just 1/10th of a second between the duelling pair after two days of flat out competition.
Said Kumho's European Motorsport Manager Steve Thompson: "It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Simon this season, who has been the first to credit the role our tyres have played in his stellar season. Despite two years away from the sport, he has clearly lost none of the raw speed that won him his two European Championships, and his achievements with the modestly-powered Peugeot have to be seen to be believed.
"By filling the top two places on last weekend's podium, Kumho has sent a strong message to those competing in the French championship next season and it would be nice to think we can achieve the same level of success in 2012."
A memorable year on stage and circuit
2011 has proved to be a notably successful one for Kumho's ever-busy European motorsport department and among its many other notable achievements are supplying the tyres for:
Victory on the final round of the World Rally Championship
And the results keep flowing, with Kumho-shod cars finishing 1st, 2nd, 5th and 8th in the national section of the Wales Rally GB last weekend (November 10-13) - regular Kumho runners Roger Duckworth and Mark Broomfield were the winners in a Subaru Impreza WRC.
Having dominated the diesel class of the Nürburgring-based VLN racing championship all season, the Kumho-shod Peugeot RCZ Team Nokia's white-coloured car No.545 driven by Michael Bohrer, Stéphane Caillet and Jürgen Nett has clinched overall class victory in the series, with two races still to run.
Between them, the team's two cars (one white, one black) have achieved 11 podiums, six victories and four one-two finishes in just eight races. Car No.545's constant successes currently place it sixth overall among the championship's hundreds of runners - an astonishing achievement for a 2-litre diesel car.
Throughout the year, the Peugeots have been shod with wet or dry weather Kumho tyres as required - covers that have been much praised by the drivers, who have been constantly improving their lap times around the tortuous 12.9 mile long circuit. Said Kumho's European Motorsport Manager Steve Thompson: "It has been a delight to work with this very professional Peugeot team that is constantly looking to improve on its already outstanding performances. Our tyres have proved themselves come rain or shine in the four and six hour races, plus the incredible 24 hour one - a tough environment for any product.
"Such demanding track-based competition is of direct benefit to the development of our road tyres and will therefore benefit our customers the world over."
Jean-Joseph wins again in France and Cole wraps up REIS Series French Gravel Rally Championship
Kumho is the first to admit that, until this season, it had never won a round of the French Gravel Championship, now it has triumphed on three in succession, courtesy of two-times European Rally Champion Simon Jean-Joseph and his co-driver Jack Boyère.
The latest success took place over the weekend of September 17/18, when the French series travelled across the border to Spain for the Rally Lloret de Mar Terres de Catalunya, a new venue on the calendar. Driving his Peugeot 207 Super 2000 prepared by 2C Competition, Jean-Joseph set the pace on all eight of the first day's stages. A second good day's work saw him run out overall victor of the event, 1' 35" ahead of Manu Gascou. As a result, Jean-Joseph and Gascou are now tied for the Championship lead. The next round is the Rallye Terre des Cardabelles on October 8/9.
Said Kumho's European Motorsport Manager, Steve Thompson: "Three consecutive victories are strong testament to the performance and durability of our R900 gravel rally tyres, and Jean-Joseph is the first to recognise the part they have played in these results. It is very rewarding to be directly involved in the return to form of such a great driver."
REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship
Damian Cole and co-driver James Morgan have won the 2011 REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship with their immaculate Kumho-shod Ford Focus WRC. They clinched the series with one round to go by achieving outright victory on last weekend's (September 25) Patriot Stages event. The only team that could have beaten them to the title was the Escort pairing of Simon Mauger and Brian Cammack, but they ground to a halt during the latter stages of the rally with a broken throttle return spring. This is the second consecutive REIS title for 'King' Cole and Kumho.
Commented Steve Thompson: "We are delighted for Damian and James who have used our tarmac rally tyres to such good effect two years in a row. We wish them all the best for the final round of the series which, no doubt, they will wish to add to their already long list of wins."
Kumho‑shod cars fill the first three places
Should the Woodpecker Stages Rally ever be renamed, the Andy Burton Rally would seem the obvious moniker to choose, as last Saturday (September 3) the Herefordshire farmer won the event for an historic 10th time.
This is proving quite a season for Burton, who had already clinched the 2011 BTRDA Rally Championship and, in doing so, become the first person in the 58‑year history of the series to win the title four times. Such successes are particularly poignant for Burton and his Presteigne‑based co‑driver Robin Kellard, as their all‑conquering Kumho‑shod Peugeot‑Cosworth is being forcibly retired at the end of the season due to a change in regulations.
The team didn't have things all their own way on the popular 130‑car Woodpecker event, though, and it was another Kumho equipe - Roger Chilman and Andrew Sankey in their Subaru Impreza WRC - who led the rally for the first three stages. Once some early overheating problems were resolved, however, Burton was able to ease the mighty Peugeot‑Cosworth to the fore and eventually running out 40 seconds clear of the Chilman/Sankey pairing. Just 33 seconds behind them was yet another Kumho duo - former National Gravel Champion Roger Duckworth and his co‑driver Shaun O'Gorman; also Impreza WRC‑mounted.
Commenting on the results, Kumho's European Motorsport Manager Steve Thompson said: "This is obviously a very pleasing result for us in what is proving to be something of a vintage year for Kumho on both stage and track. The ultimate beneficiaries are our road tyre customers, however, who get to buy products developed in the heat of competition."
A second Kumho driver secures Silverstone Tyres BTRDA title
Burton secured his BTRDA Gold Star title back in July, when there were two rounds of the series left to run. Now, with one rally still remaining, Warren Philliskirk has clinched the BTRDA Historic Cup. Having fought a season‑long battle with the Welsh pairing of Terry Brown and Tomos Whittle, Philliskirk and co‑driver Matt Whattam emerged victorious from another titanic struggle on the Woodpecker Rally to claim the title with their Kumho‑shod Ford Escort MKII.
Driving a Kumho-shod Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, County Fermanagh driver Garry Jennings and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy achieved a start to finish victory on the recent (August 19/20) Rally NI. The event was a division of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally that counts towards the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship, plus the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship that the pairing is contesting.
Jennings was on the pace immediately to win the first of the 14 stages, while others around him were running into trouble - these included expected front runner Elfyn Evans, who immediately dropped to 32nd overall following a puncture. Jennings' Kumho tyres were more resilient, however, and he maintained his lead throughout the 127 mile event, despite the constantly changeable conditions; eventually beating the second placed duo of Martin McCormack/David Moynihan (factory-backed Citroen DS3 R3) by 17.7 seconds.
Commenting on Jennings' well judged victory, Kumho Motorsport UK's Technical Manager Mark Hamnett said, "We have a good history of results on Irish soil and it was rewarding to see Garry's Kumho tyres remaining puncture free and coping so well with the typically wet and changeable conditions."
Damian Cole was supposed to be on a family holiday in Devon at the time of the Tyneside Stages Rally (July 31), but when you're increasingly well placed to win the REIS MSA Asphalt Rally Championship for the second year in a row, you don't let a little matter like that prevent you from getting behind the wheel! The effort brought due reward too, with Cole and co-driver James Morgan winning the event outright in their Ford Focus WRC and becoming the first pairing of 2011 to achieve two maximum scores.
Putting his Kumho tarmac rally tyres to optimum use, Cole enjoyed a day-long battle with last year's Tyneside winners Simon Mauger and Brian Cammack, and such was the closeness of the fight that the teams were level pegging after five of the nine stages. However, the Otterburn Ranges took their toll and Mauger's venerable MKII escort suffered a driveshaft failure during the penultimate test, leaving Cole to cruise to victory and further extend his championship lead with three rounds remaining.
Among others relying on Kumho rubber were the popular RAF Typhoon Rally Team of Chris Daykin and Dan Megannity. They arrived lying second in class for the championship, despite missing rounds due to key team members being on overseas operations, and left in the same position following another very solid performance in their Group N Subaru Impreza. The next round of the series is the Mewla National Rally that will take place on Sunday August 28.
Said Kumho's European Competition Manager Steve Thompson, "I'm sure Damian will enjoy his holiday all the more for winning the Tyneside rally and simultaneously lengthening his lead in the series. We look forward to joining forces with him again at the next event."
Peugeot RCZ Team Nokia is certainly enjoying a season of success in the Nürgurgring-based VLN race series. The sixth race of the 10 round championship (July 30) saw the pair of Kumho-shod 207 Coupes once more finish 1st and 2nd in class, while simultaneously dominating the diesel category; which they've made their own since the beginning of the season.
As usual, the equipe's white car (No. 545) was the star. Driven by the well practised trio of Michael Bohrer, Stéphane Cailliet and Jürgen Nett, it achieved pole position for the class in qualifying (courtesy of wet weather Kumho tyres) and was the first of the two Peugeots to cross the finish line in the race. In Caillet's capable hands, it even achieved a new fastest lap of 9:41.946 minutes for the model around the daunting 12.9 mile course. Firmer suspension and improved steering evidently helped bring about the improvement.
The delighted team manager, Timo Frings, was also quick to praise the achievement of the three Frenchmen aboard his black car, none of whom had previously competed at the Nürburgring and who had suffered a turbocharger problem in qualifying - they took the chequered flag two laps behind their team-mates. The next round of the series is a six hour race on August 27.
Commented Kumho's European Motorsport Manager Steve Thompson, "It is very rewarding to see the 207 RCZs winning time after time, and the team's cars working so well on our tyres whatever the conditions. We wish them all the very best for the remaining four rounds of the championship."
Less than three months ago, two-times European Rally Champion Simon Jean-Joseph delighted his many fans with a decisive victory in the Terre De l'Auxerrois rally after two and half years away from the sport. Now he's won again. Once more partnered by his long-standing co-driver Jack Boyère, he achieved outright victory in last weekend's (July 23/24) Rallye Terre De Langres at the wheel of a Kumho-shod Peugeot 207 S2000.
If anything, the latest win is even more impressive than the first, as his S2000 car was at a severe power disadvantage when compared to the many WRC ones competing on the event. He lay third after the muddy stages of the Saturday, 27 seconds behind the leader, but made full use of his Kumho R900 gravel tyres the following day to take victory on all four remaining stages and therefore the rally itself, ending up 17.8 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
Now lying third overall in the championship, a mere four points behind the leader, Jean-Joseph said: "I am very pleased to begin my collaboration with the 2C Competition team in this way and proud to achieve another victory for my tyre supplier Kumho. Winning with the Peugeot 207 Super 2000 is also very rewarding, as I promoted this model whilst working for Peugeot Sport and have long since been convinced of its potential."
Commenting on yet another 2011 success for his department, Kumho's European Competition Manager Steve Thompson remarked: "It is great to have the feedback of somebody of Simon's standing in the sport; also to see our Kumho tyres working so well, not only on his Peugeot 207 but also the Peugeot 206 of Jean-Luc Taormina /Vincent Groulier (class F2000/14), Citroen C2 of David Gérard/Damien Jolé (class F2000/13) and Suzuki Swift of Sébastien Guibert/Valentin Sarreaud (class N2), all of which were victorious in their respective categories."
Andy Burton and Robin Kellard have clinched the Silverstone Tyres BTRDA Rally Series of 2011 with two rounds still remaining, having finished a fighting third overall on last weekend's Nicky Grist Quinton Stages event. Being Gold Star Champion this year will be particularly memorable for Burton, who is being forced to retire his iconic, Kumho-shod Peugeot-Cosworth at the end of the season, due to a change in regulations.
The team entered the Quinton Stages with hopes of sealing the series with their fourth outright victory of the year, but it was not to be. Slightly off the pace on this occasion, they were pushed down the order by Charlie Payne and Craig Thorley (Focus WRC), and Roger Chilman and Andrew Sankey (Impreza WRC) - the latter were another couple competing on Kumho tyres. However, having dropped just six points in six rounds, the Peugeot pairing are still now unbeatable in the championship, which counts competitors' six best scores from the eight events. The seventh and penultimate round of the series is the Woodpecker Stages event on September 3.
Said Steve Thompson, Kumho's European Motorsport Manager, "We are delighted to have played a key role in Andy and Robin's very successful season. Our tyres have clearly worked very well on their famous Peugeot-Cosworth and, along with spectators up and down the country, we are very sorry to see it heading for an arguably premature but well-earned retirement."