Features 18 Apr 2013

The Point: ASBK tyre war

CycleOnline.com.au gauges the racing industry's thoughts on the ASBK open tyre rule after the first races of 2013.

This week’s edition of The Point takes a look at the open tyre rule, re-introduced to the ASBK for the 2013 season. While some teams chose to maintain their current relationships with previous control-tyre manufacturer Dunlop, others chose Pirelli, who are also highly-regarded for their success in World Superbikes.

CycleOnline.com.au asked a selection of industry personnel to tell us their thoughts on the open tyre rule after the opening stages of the season.

The switch to Pirelli tyres is suiting Linden Magee who was strong in qualifying at Symmons Plains. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

The switch to Pirelli tyres is suiting Linden Magee who was strong in qualifying at Symmons Plains. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

Jamie Stauffer, Team Honda Racing (Dunlop):
I think the open tyre rule is fine, there’s more competition out there, people can get tyre deals off the different manufacturers and so far it seems okay. We didn’t go so well at the first round but we’re aiming to turn that around straight away at Queensland Raceway. We’re really comfortable on the Dunlops so all in all it’s about making the bike work that little bit better which we’ve shown we can do pretty well in Queensland.

Linden Magee, Next Gen Motorsports BMW (Pirelli):
It’s great. It brings more tyre manufacturers into the sport, and more interest. It keeps the tyre race competitive and there’s a bit more strategy involved. The contingencies are really good, especially for privateers, and having Pirelli covering the entry fees is awesome. It’s an expensive sport and the way the sport is at the moment we need as many competitors on the grid as we can get. We had a good showing on the Pirellis in qualifying in Tasmania and as a team I think we’re really putting together a top package with the BMWs.

Ken Wieden, Dunlop motorcycle and motorsport manager:
It’s a big change for 2013. It’s a pity more brands didn’t get involved, it’s obviously just the two of us. I believe it’s going to create some exciting racing and some interesting challenges throughout the year. Queensland Raceway is quite an easy circuit on tyres. The only real challenge is if its on very cold temperatures. But we’re usually looking at mid to high 30’s in terms of track temperature so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The new circuit is very good, there’s a lot of grip and now they’ve cleaned up turn one it’s very fast. Glenn Allerton on the BMW certainly had everything working for him in Tassie. You have a look back through the field. There’s riders with quite a lot less experience than others, for example Josh Hook, coming in ahead of the Pirelli. When you look at in terms of results across the board like that it’s very even.

Glenn Allerton, on the Pirelli tyre, won comfortably in Tasmania but the Dunlop-shod factory Suzukis were not far behind. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

Glenn Allerton, on the Pirelli tyre, won comfortably in Tasmania but the Dunlop-shod factory Suzukis were not far behind. Image: Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport.

Leo Cash, technical manager Pirelli moto:
I think it’s ideal. It gives everyone a choice. The price definitely helps the riders, we do the reimbursements which are helpful. Pirelli wants to see everyone enjoy themselves and it not cost an arm and a leg. We’re really happy with the results so far. We started testing with BMW on the older product late last year so they had some good baseline settings. When the 2013 tyres became available they had a good start on that.

I really have to hand it to the other guys on Pirelli who are doing as well as they have in the short space of time, Beau Beaton, Ben Henry, and the like. They’re really happy with how the tyre is working, and they made a comment at the end of the race at Symmons Plains that you could nearly go and do another race on the tyre, they were that happy. We just need a bit more time to get those settings spot on. We’ll be at the Queensland Raceway tests, I’ll be doing a fair bit with the teams there. Obviously its a full round with all the classes there so it will be a busy weekend. The Supersport guys will be on the new 2013 Supercorsa from that round onwards as well.

Phil Harlum, ASBK series commentator:
On the front row of the grid in Tasmania we had two Dunlop and two Pirelli-shod machines. Yes, Glenn won both races convincingly on his Pirellis but he loves the circuit and is confident in his package in pretty much the same way that Wayne Maxwell dominated at the Island. In both races in Tasmania bikes with Dunlops were second, third and fourth. Privateer teams running both tyres also showed impressive speed over the Tasmanian round, Chas Hern on his Dunlops and Beau Beaton on his Racers Edge Performance Suzuki on Pirellis.

I’m really looking forward to the remaining rounds and let’s hope next year there are some other tyre brands that get on board. Queensland will also see the return of the Supersport class on their treaded tyres as well as the Superbikes on their slicks. Overall it’s a great move and the real beneficiary is the rider who rides on the road, the tyres are just getting better and better each year and this is a great opportunity to showcase that improvement.

 

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