Dunlop looking to repeat 2017 EWC win at Slovakia Ring
Round three of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) takes place in Slovakia. After the two 24 Hour races on the calendar, 24 hours of racing remains – split into three-eight hour relative sprints. The 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring is the first of those and Dunlop’s teams will take the green start flag on Saturday 12th May. This year’s race is one month earlier than the 2017 edition, so weather and track conditions could be very different. The race begins in the afternoon with teams racing through dusk and into the night, taking the flag at 10.30pm. 18 teams have chosen to compete on Dunlop tyres.
The goal is to take another win at the Slovakia Ring and the lead in the championship standings. Dunlop left the Le Mans 24 Hours Motos in second place with GMT94 Yamaha and third place with Honda Endurance Racing. With only a four point deficit it is an attainable target, and Dunlop has developed an upgraded rear tyre for this race, showing that the FIM EWC is an intense battle between tyre manufacturers as well as teams and riders.
In the Superstock class, three Dunlop teams are in the top five, with Tati Team Beaujolais leading the FIM World Cup rankings closely followed by Junior Team LMS Suzuki and with Moto AIN in fourth. Dunlop will be working with the teams closely to do everything possible to retain the lead in the title race.
Electric Dreams Become Reality
Some say the future of transportation is electric, and Dunlop is working with Saroléa to turn those dreams into reality. Dunlop is the most successful tyre manufacturer in the history of the EWC, claiming 12 overall titles in the last 14 years. Dunlop has also proved its leadership in electric bike tyre development by gripping the winners of the all-electric Isle of Man TT Zero race for the past four years. Just before the start of the 24 Hours Motos at Le Mans, Dean Harrison rode the Sarolea on an all-electric lap at Le Mans. Saroléa switched to Dunlop this year and Saroléa’s Torsten Robbins explains why in this video produced by EWC partners Eurosport:
Dunlop Independents’ Trophy
Eleven Dunlop Independent Trophy teams compete for the cash prizes as well as points.
Dunlop tyres at the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring – 18 competitors
Partner EWC teams: 1 front tyre options & 5 rear tyre options
Superstock teams: 1 compounds of 120/70 R 17 KR106 front tyre with a choice of 3 compounds for the 205/60 R 17 KR108 rears
EWC teams are likely to double-stint the front tyre and single stint the rear tyre
Superstock teams (with a longer wheel change procedure) will generally have a four-stint strategy on the front tyres and two stints on the rear.
The 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring race begins at 14:30 local time on Saturday 12th May.
The full entry list can be found at https://www.fimewc.com/.