Goodyear has signed a three-year deal to become title sponsor and tyre supplier of the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC). High performance from the tyres is essential as they are a key component to the BTRC racing trucks. Goodyear has developed new technologies and innovations to ensure the best performance possible for the Truck Racing tyres.
Innovation is something that Goodyear is renowned for, the brand has previously partnered with Volvo to develop specially designed tyres for ‘The Iron Knight’ which went on to break two world land speed records.
Following the success with ‘The Iron Knight’, Goodyear decided that truck racing was an excellent platform to demonstrate the quality of Goodyear truck tyres and to profile itself in front of thousands of truck fans, many of whom work in the transport industry.
The development journey of the Truck Racing tyres starts 13 years ago when Goodyear were first made title sponsor of the European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC). The tyre size used in truck racing is 315/70R22.5 with this one tyre required across steer and drive axles in both wet and dry conditions. With these demanding requirements Goodyear knew that had to develop a specifically designed racing tyre.
To ensure the truck racing demands were met a special compound was produced. This compound was designed to give better wet and dry grip alongside wear characteristics that maximised usage to keep entrants’ costs down. In addition to the compound a specialised tread pattern was developed for the truck racing tyres.
Testing was completed throughout the development of these tyres. Racing trucks and their drivers were regularly given the opportunity to push the tyres to their limit on test tracks in Luxembourg and France. The tests took place on a variety of track surfaces and in both wet and dry conditions to ensure the tyres could provide optimal performance in all environments.
Fast forward to 2017 and development of the Truck Racing tyres is still ongoing. The latest generation of Goodyear 315/70R22.5 truck tyre carcasses are still being used, but now developments are focused on reducing overheating and increasing lateral rigidity to enhance performance further. Additionally, a special tread compound and tread design are used to improve ground contact. The tyres also contain another innovation; Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) in which a microchip is built into the tyre to provide a unique electronic identification.
Commenting on the importance of tyre performance in truck racing Steve Thomas from BTRC said, “Goodyear have a provide track record in developing truck racing tyres, they are constantly innovating and developing their product portfolio. Many of the pressures that their tyres go through during a truck race can give them important data about their products and it enables them to produce tyres which are built to perform and last throughout a wide range of conditions. Goodyear has an impressive reputation as leaders in innovation and new technologies and this makes them a valued partner to the BTRC.”
Marc Preedy, Commercial Director Goodyear UK&I, explained the benefits of being tyre supplier to BTRC. “Being the exclusive tyre partner for the BTRC is important for us. Not only does it give us the opportunity to demonstrate the incredible durability and performance of our products, but also allows us to showcase the innovation that drives our brand in front of the dedicated truck racing audience. Truck racing is also a platform for us in tyre development. Engineers from our Innovation Centre in Luxembourg have worked hard to produce tyres that can perform well in extreme conditions, from which we have learnt lessons that help our work in developing ever-better tyres for road-going trucks.”
To experience BTRC for yourself, tickets can be purchased through the BTRC website http://www.btrc.co/. Fans can watch the races through Motors TV channel, available on Sky 447 and Virgin 545, and online at www.motorsportwebtv.co.uk