Dunlop will feature as the tyre of choice when the Australian Superbike Championship competes alongside the V8 Supercars Championship Series at Phillip Island in Victoria this weekend.

Dunlop is the sole provider of control tyres to both the leading four-wheeled form of motorsport in Australia, the V8 Supercar Championship Series, and two-wheeled category, the Australian Superbike Championship.

With both series’ calendars aligning this year a bumper weekend of racing is in store, with the Superbikes racing on the undercard to the V8’s L&H 500 endurance race, kicking off on Friday, September 10.

Ken Wieden, Dunlop Motorsport & Motorcycle manager, said that this event is a great achievement for Dunlop tyres, and a wonderful testament to the quality and reliability of the product.

“To have our tyres in use on both these high performance vehicles at such a landmark event is a great showcase for us,” Wieden said. “Having supplied the control tyre for ‘The Greatest Show On Wheels’, the V8 Supercar Championship Series, since 2002, we feel that we are truly part of the motorsport landscape in Australia.

“Dunlop was also named as the official control tyre this year for the leading two-wheeled category of racing in the country, the Australian Superbike Championship, after dominating the series for a number of years. This is really going to be a fantastic event for Dunlop having our tyres play such a significant role on both the cars and bikes competing over the same weekend.”

Dunlop’s success and popularity is due their excellence in analysing track, tyre and vehicle data to improve tyre performance and deliver and exceed expectations, which is emphasised on a circuit such as Phillip Island.

Kevin Fitzsimons, Dunlop V8 Supercar Operations manager, commented on the challenges the circuit places on the tyres of the V8 Supercars.

“The Philip Island circuit places a huge amount of lateral loading on the tyres of the V8 Supercars, with the many fast and flowing corners throughout,” Fitzsimons explained.

“Only about 30 percent of the circuit is a straight, which means that 70 percent of the time the vehicles will be loading the front tyres during the lap. This makes it extremely hard on the front of the car, including the tyres, so car setup critical in producing quick times.”