Dunlop to supply majority of teams in 12 Hours of Estoril

• 19 of 31 teams choose Dunlop for second round of EWC
• BMW and Kawasaki factory teams lead the charge
• Dunlop well represented in Superstock

Dunlop will work with almost two-thirds of the grid at Saturday’s 12 Hours of Estoril, the second round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season. The campaign gets back underway following last month’s 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans.

Of the 31 bikes on the grid, a total of 19 will race with Dunlop’s range of racing tyres at Estoril. This includes six bikes fighting for the overall victory in the Formula EWC class and another 13 in Superstock. All 13 Superstock teams, plus one Formula EWC team, will also vye for the Dunlop Independent Trophy, through which Dunlop awards prize money to the most successful privateer teams.

The top Formula EWC teams include Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, Dunlop’s top two factory-supported teams which are currently second and third in the championship standings. Independent teams like Wojcik Racing Team, Moto Ain and VRD Igol Experiences will be aiming for the podium, too.

David Auerbacher, Dunlop’s EWC Event Leader, explains how he and his team support each and every one of the 19 teams on Dunlop tyres. “EWC is somewhat unique in that it allows small independent teams to compete directly alongside large international operations that have close support from manufacturers. For Dunlop, it’s important that we give every team the same support. We pay close attention to all of our teams, and give them all the same technical and service support. Everyone gets the whole package.”

Ready for Estoril

This weekend, Auerbacher expects the weather at Estoril, located just outside the Portuguese capital Lisbon, to be similar to that experienced in the 24-hour race at Le Mans in mid June. 

Auerbacher says: “The ambient temperature should be between 25 and 30°C, just like at Le Mans. We have a wide range of tyres to cover hot temperatures like these. To take the most from the tyres at Estoril, you need to understand where they are most stressed. Turn 1 is a downhill fast right-hander that puts the front under a lot of load during braking. The rear tyre is most stressed during the final corner, a long, sweeping, large-radius right-hander. The tyres we’re bringing to Estoril take note of these key features and provide consistent performance over multiple stints. This longevity is a key attribute of the Dunlop KR range.”

Heading into Estoril, three Dunlop teams are in the top five positions in Superstock. Le Mans class winner National Motos leads the standings, while No Limits Motor Team is third and Team 33 Louit April Moto is fifth. These three teams are just some of the bikes expected to fight for the podium in this immensely competitive class. 

On-track action at Estoril begins on Thursday with Free Practice, the first round of Qualifying, and Night Practice. Qualifying continues on Friday, while the race starts at 09:00 local time on Saturday, running until 21:00.