SuperTCC lands factory tyre deal with Hoosier

The Super Touring Car Challenge, formerly known as the Super Touring Car Championship, has arranged a works deal with Hoosier to provide tyres to the series for 2015 onwards.

The American tyre company, which is most well known in the UK on the short oval racing scene, has been preparing a special compound specifically for the Super Touring Cars, which is scheduled to be tested at Silverstone on Friday (3rd April).

The test will see former British Touring Car driver and Super Touring race winner Frank Wrathall get behind the wheel of series organiser Dave Jarman’s Nissan Primera. The tyres will then be made available to competitors through Protyre.

“They were as willing to take on the series as we were to get the deal,” said Jarman, speaking to TouringCarTimes. “The compound is being made especially for us, it’s not a tyre you can buy off the shelf, so we’ll have a standard compound across the grid. It’s a factory deal so, if we wanted to, we could ask for alterations and have it turned around for us in just 6 weeks. It should make for some bloody quick cars this season.”

Along with the new tyre deal, Jarman said he expects a strong grid for the 2015 season, with 21 cars currently signed up to compete in all four events, with additional entries expected for individual events.

Of the entries, notable names include Graeme Dodd, who will switch from his Nissan Primera to the sister Honda Accord of his championship-winning son James, Simon Garrad, who swaps his Renault Laguna for an Opel Vectra STW and Roger Lavendar, who will pilot a 1999 Ford Mondeo. Other new cars to the series will include an Audi A4, a 1996 Ford Mondeo and an ex-James Kaye Honda Accord.

Jarman also told TouringCarTimes that the series is working on a revised points system and a competition for Gentleman/Clubman Drivers named the Will Hoy Memorial Trophy. The winner will be awarded with a TOCA trophy that was won by Hoy during his time in the BTCC.