Global tyre brand Dunlop is targeting the Italian Rally Championship’s Tyre Suppliers’ title, going up against the likes of Pirelli, Michelin, MRF and Hankook.
Choosing their ‘weapon’ wisely, Dunlop has selected former F1 driver Heikki Kovaleinen and co-driver Patric Öhman to represent their hopes in the seven-round, all asphalt championship. The duo competes in a Gino Scuderia -run Citroën C3 Rally2, which is a notable weapon on tarmac as the Rossel brothers have amply demonstrated in WRC2.
All seven rounds are contested on closed roads and are characterised by high speeds, technically challenging stages and extreme demands on the driver, car and tyres.
By entering the Italian Rally Championship, Dunlop is not only strengthening its presence in European motorsport but also increasing the brand’s visibility within a competitive series.
It’s been a tough start to the season for the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix winner; with two rallies completed., starting in Tuscany in March, Kovalainen and Öhman finished 12th and were forced to retire from the Sicilian round which featured a 55-car entry. Round three, the Due Valli Rally takes place from 4-6 June in Verona before heading to Rome, Alba and Cassino ahead of the season finale in Sanremo.
As an aside, Dunlop Tyres South Africa exclusively supplies the SA National Rally Championship as well as the entire National circuit racing championship grids in the country, from the GT3-based Extreme Supercars, endurance racing, SA Touring Cars, Polo Cup, the newly launched MSA4 single-seaters, Formula Vee through to the humble VW Rookie Cup, a series for teenagers rising through the karting ranks into tin top racing.
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