Dunlop to run hard tyre at Croft, Rockingham

Dunlop has announced a change to the tyre options available to teams in the BTCC for the events at Croft and Rockingham later this season.

In a change to the norm, teams will be forced to use the ‘Hard’ compound tyre only previously used at Thruxton in one of the three races, with the ‘Medium’ compound rubber being used as normal in the other two.

The ‘Soft’ compound option will still be used as the option tyre in the remaining events on the calendar at Oulton Park, Knockhill, Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP.

“After extensively testing the latest Sport Maxx Hard version last year, the feedback and data showed that this tyre, which was designed for the extreme demands of Thruxton, could be the optimum choice at other circuits with high-speed corners,” Dunlop Motorsport UK Events Manager Michael Butler said. “Therefore, we have decided to widen its use to other circuits this year.

“The BTCC season involves a varied mix of circuits, cars and temperatures and our goal is always to pick two tyres from the menu that can perform strongly over a race distance. This change will also provide us with more feedback that will help us decide on tyre selection for 2017 and beyond.”