Dunlop aiming to continue winning MXGP momentum into 2020

• Dunlop is providing tyres and technical support to three top MXGP teams in 2020.

• The Geomax MX53 tyre will provide teams with enhanced grip and stability.

• Kiara Fontanesi returns to battle Courtney Duncan in the women’s world championship.

• The MXGP and WMX opening rounds take place in Matterley Basin, UK.

After a successful Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) at the end of 2019 in which five out of the seven races were won by Dunlop riders, the tyre manufacturer heads into the FIM World Motocross Championship (MXGP) opening round, held at Matterley Basin, UK, full of confidence that they can continue that success. 

The 1.95km track has a hard pack surface and poses a unique challenge for all riders, teams and tyre manufacturers. 

Eddy Seel, Dunlop’s MXGP Event Leader, explains Dunlop’s technical development for 2020: “For the hard-packed soil surface of Matterley Basin, Dunlop riders will benefit from the newly developed MX53 tyre. The tyre’s tread block pattern and compounds have been specifically designed to perform on hard surfaces but with the versatility to grip on looser soil too.

“This technology will provide riders with the confidence and performance to challenge consistently for race victories.” 

Dunlop - MXGP tyre technical partnership

This season Dunlop will be supplying tyres and providing technical support to three top MXGP teams; Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP.

Standing Construct GasGas rider Glenn Coldenhoff most notably benefited from Dunlop’s continuous tyre development and technology by winning four out of the last eight MXGP races.

Tim Mathys, Standing Construct GasGas MXGP Team Principal describes working with Dunlop: “Having a strong relationship with Dunlop has been vital to our success, Dunlop’s continuous tyre development and instant feedback have allowed the team to head into each weekend confident that the tyre will perform on any surface or condition.” 

FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship (WMX)

Matterley Basin also hosts the opening round of WMX. In 2019, every round of the championship was won by a Dunlop rider. World Champion, Courtney Duncan, returns and will face a tough challenge from another top Dunlop star, Kiara Fontanesi. She returns after a year of maternity but aims to pick up where she left off in 2018. That season was her fifth world championship title on Dunlop tyres, meaning six of the last seven women’s world championships have been won by riders who chose Dunlop Geomax.

MX53 - revolutionary tyre

Launched at the MXoN, the Dunlop Geomax MX53 sits between the ‘super-hard’ terrain MX71 and the highly versatile MX33 in Dunlop’s wide Geomax portfolio.

The MX53 has been developed with a revolutionary tread design that provides traction, durability and improved rider confidence. Featuring a horseshoe-shaped pattern on the front and a distinctive staggered paired blocks on the rear, the MX53 is optimised to perform on both soft and hard terrain.

The first round of the FIM World Motocross Championship is held at Matterley Basin, UK on March 1.