What a Monster weekend!!

What an eventful weekend all round at Barber Motorsport Park in Birmingham, AL for the 4th round of the AMA championship. More so for Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki rider Jamie Hacking, riding in the Daytona Sportbike class. He had a very impressive weekend climbing on the podium after both races. Each race had very differing weather conditions. The first race was dry which saw Hacking lead for a short while, riding on Dunlop GP-A tires made in Buffalo, NY, before he fell off the side of the bike. Hanging on and managing to pull himself back on to his bike he powered back from 8th to 3rd by the end of the race. The second race was declared wet after the tornado had passed through. Hacking lead the race from the 1st turn of the 1st lap right up until the last lap where he was passed by eventual race winner Martin Cardenas, leaving hacking to claim the second spot on the podium.
Race results: Race 1: Martin Cardenas, Jason DiSalvo, Jamie Hacking. Race 2: Martin Cardenas, Jamie Hacking, Danny Eslick.

After the Win, but not to the Bin.

Every weekend Dunlop can sell and fit up to 1000 race tires. This means that there is going to be a vast amount of used tires. One question which gets asked over and over is, ‘what happens to all these used race tires?’ The used tires are sent back to Buffalo, NY, where they get sent to a shredding company. There, the tires have the steel bead cut out then the rest of the rubber is shredded into pieces. These small pieces of rubber are recycled and used for a wide range of things. Some include rubber playground surfaces, athletic tracks and the rubber can be used in the foundations of new highways. Having the tires shredded and recycled saves them from going into landfill sites, which helps reduce environmental waste.

Less Rubber, More Grip.

The Dunlop motorcycle race tires used in the AMA are highly tuned pieces of equipment. Many hours of testing, development and continual modifications go into the tires which are provided to race on. Dunlop race tires have an optimal temperature range when out on the race track, tires working at this temperature will give the rider improved longevity and maximum grip. Tire performance will be affected if used outside the desired range, this is why tire pressures and tire warmer are essential to get the maximum performance from the tire.
Dunlop Motorsport USA has a library of data that they call upon before each race for tracks characteristics and how they may affect the Dunlop tires.
The track characteristics of Road Atlanta tend to increase the tire temperature over and above the desired range, so for this race Dunlop Motorsport USA provided a race tire that had a thinner tread. Heat in the tire comes from the friction of the rubber, if there is less rubber, there is less friction thus reducing the temperature.

Fit In, Fit Up, Take Down, Move On.

The service is a vibrant hub in the AMA pits, not only is it where the fitting
crew and technicians ply their trade, it is where every team who are
competing must bring their wheels to have Dunlop spec tires fitted.
If anyone has any tire question, this is their port of call for the answer.
The service consists of four large trailers, two which have full length
awnings. Many people that come to the races never see the work which
goes into setting up such an impressive and professional looking service.
Firstly, each trailer is parked in a precise location in the space provided
by the organisers, then it is time to set up the awnings. Both awnings are
like a massive jigsaw puzzle, which when in pieces must fit in small
compartments of the trailer. Once the awning is up, the flooring goes
down and the fitting machines come out. This all is done on the Thursday
before the race weekend and must be done come rain or shine, this week in Gainsville, it was the rain that raised its ugly head. Everything must be up and ready to go by 12 noon to fit tires for all the teams and riders for the next days fast paced qualifying practice. After the final race of the weekend it is all taken down folded up and packed away, ready to move onto the next race.

Race to Road Technologies.

Dunlop tires have been chosen by the AMA as the spec tire for the series, for the next 3 years. Motorsport is extremely important to Dunlop, as it is here, on the track, where new technologies can constantly be developed, ensuring our tires stay ahead of the game. This same technology travels from race to road, resulting in Dunlop tires that deliver safety, durability and performance in equal measures.

Alongside the fitting service is the sales and marketing team. They are there to help increase brand awareness and educated bikers on the range and specs of Dunlop road tires. The whole Dunlop set-up looks very impressive and professional in the AMA pits. It always draws a crowd of people, many looking at the range of tires and bikes on display in the show awning, also a lot of people are amazed at the speed and professionalism of the fitting crew when changing tires.

Buffalo, Buell. A Winning Combination.

No one was happier with the new Dunlop GP-A tires, than Bruce Rossmeyer's/RMR Geico Powersports Buell rider Danny Eslick. He took the first ever race win on the Buffalo tires in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike on Saturday,

“It was awesome, the Dunlop tires were working great the whole race. It was just unbelievable.”

His race 1 result was followed by a impressive win in race 2 on Sunday, giving him the double for the weekend. Danny along with his team and race winning bike were invited into the Dunlop awning after the race. There, he was filmed signing the tires and posed for photos with the Dunlop fitting crew and staff. The signed tires have been sent back to Buffalo, where they are being prepared for display.