Pirelli has resumed its participation in endurance
racing as it competed in Germany's
Nürburgring 24
Hours race on June 25-26.
The company is supplying its P Zero racing tires to
a wide variety of touring and GT cars running in
several t classes, such as BMW’s Z4 GT3, Z4 Coupe,
M3 GT4 and MINI models as well as the Porsche 997
Cup and Porsche Cayman, the 135d Phantom and
Volvo’s C30 cars.
Pirelli tires will also be used on the P4/5
Competizione car developed by Scuderia Cameron
Glickenhaus. Eligible for the EXP1 class, the
prototype is based on the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and
has received technical support from the tire
maker’s engineers during its preparations for the
Nürburgring race.
The company has worked in close cooperation with
the team during tests and VLN races to develop a
tire specific to the car. It has also assisted the
drivers – Luca Cappellari, Fabrizio Giovanardi,
Nicola Larini and Mika Salo – in making the right
tire choice for the event.
The tires that will be fitted to the P4/5
Competizione car at Nürburgring are an improved
version of Pirelli’s P Zero racing rubber and have
been designed to provide maximum endurance and
reliability during the race, and will be able to
cover a stint of about 230 kilometers, according to
motorsports director Paul Hembery.
The company will supply three different types of
tires; two slick compounds designed for dry
surfaces (soft and hard), a single intermediate
tire for mixed or humid conditions and a wet tire
and for wet surfaces. The dimensions of each tire
are 325/650-18 at the front and 325/705-18 at the
rear.
PAGE 2
“At Pirelli we are very keen on supporting new
projects because we enjoy being involved in new
challenges from which we can always learn something
and improve the quality of our racing and road
products,” Hembery says.
“Each type of racing tire we design is specific to
the characteristics of the competition they have
been developed for. Cars competing in endurance
racing need to be equipped with a consistent
product with strong durability features, whereas
our Formula One, GP2 and GP3 tires have been
designed to have variable durability features, as
requested by the organizers to spice-up on-track
action,” he explains.
“When racing at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, a tire
with good grip and excellent endurance is needed in
order to provide a good balance between resistance
and high performance levels over a stint that can
be up to 230 kilometers,” says Hembery. “For this
year’s edition, we will bring an improved version
of our P Zero tires, which has been specifically
developed for the P4/5 Competizione prototype. The
new tire will provide higher durability and
performance in track conditions that are likely to
be cold especially at night and low in terms of
grip.”
For more information, visit www.us.pirelli.com.