DUNLOP:

Dunlop has been awarded the prestigious sole tyre supplier contract by the Grand Prix Commission for the new Moto2 World Championship class, starting 2010.

The Grand Prix Commission – whose members include FIM, the governing body of motorcycle sport; Dorna, the MotoGP promoter; and MSMA, the motorcycle manufacturers – decided unanimously to award the contract to Dunlop.

Ken Wieden, Dunlop’s National Motorcycle & Motorsport Manager, said that Dunlop is delighted to be chosen as the Moto2 control tyre supplier.

“Securing the Moto2 control tyre contract further strengthens our involvement in the world’s highest motorcycle events,” Ken said.

“This follows Dunlop’s 2009 sole tyre supplier contracts for the Superstock 1000 and 600s, as well as the FZ6 Masters in the Australian Superbike Championship.

“We’re excited about building on the expertise gained over 50 years of participation in Grand Prix racing to continue our development of racing tyres and then taking the technology to our road tyres,“ he said.

The new class has been created to be a prestigious, fast, but cost effective category to run alongside MotoGP’s premier class. There will be a unique four stroke engine, supplied by Honda, governed by a standard electronic system with a 16,000 rpm limit, which will be supplied to the teams by Dorna, the MotoGP promoter.

Whilst the engine and gearbox are standardised, chassis are free with development being actively encouraged of prototype frames and swingarms within the overall regulatory framework.

The wheel sizes for Moto2 bikes will also be standardised, 3.75” x 17” front and 6.00” x 17” rear, and the quantity and specifications of slick and wet tyres will be limited with the objectives of producing close and exciting racing and ensuring equal treatment for all competitors.

Fourty-one teams of the original 91 have been shortlisted for places on the 2010 GP grid, including nearly all the existing 250GP teams and several of the independent MotoGP class teams.

BQR and Laglisse, Dunlop partner teams in the Spanish CEV Championship, have already tested their prototype Moto2 bikes. June 7th saw the Moto2 bikes run alongside the 1000cc Formula Extreme bikes at the Jerez round of the CEV. BQR rider Daniel Rivas put in a fastest race lap of 1.43,3 equaling that set by Alvaro Bautista in the Spanish 250GP a month earlier.

Dunlop will continue its Moto2 development over the coming months. The next round of the Spanish CEV is at Valencia on July 12: July 30/31 will see the Laglisse team in France at the Goodyear Dunlop test facilities, whilst BQR are scheduled to test at Brno on August 17th.