Goodyear Racing Notes – BTCC Donington Park (National)

Goodyear is ready to kick-start the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season this weekend on Donington Park’s National layout, where a 21-car grid ushers in a new season headlined by a revised format that places greater emphasis on preparation and tyre management.

At Donington, teams will be supplied with four sets of the ‘standard’ Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium compound, and one set of the ‘option’ Goodyear Racing Eagle Soft compound. All rounds this season will feature both the ‘standard’ and a single set of the ‘option’ compound tyres, with the latter mandated for use in any one of the three races during each race weekend.

But the revised weekend session format, which now features a single free practice session followed by qualifying and the ‘Race to Pole’ on Saturday, is expected to have the biggest impact on tyre strategy this season.

“This season, teams will have more preparation to do, but less time to do it in,” explains Michael Butler, Goodyear’s BTCC event leader. “The changes put a lot of pressure on drivers to make the most of free practice, as it’s the only real opportunity to understand how the tyres are working before dialling in a setup that needs to perform in qualifying and the Race to Pole. 

“Typically, teams will add a degree or even a degree and a half of extra negative camber for qualifying to maximise one-lap performance. However, with parc fermé conditions in place between qualifying and the Race to Pole, what will make a strong strategy is finding a setup that works across both sessions, or choosing to favour one and accepting a compromise in the other. That’s where tyre management and understanding how the different compounds behave will be key.”

In addition to the slick tires used in dry conditions, teams will also have access to Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tyres, which feature a tread pattern designed to disperse surface water and provide grip in wet conditions in the event of inclement weather.

Goodyear Racing Eagle tyres are also in action this weekend at the FIA World Endurance Championship opening 6 Hours of Imola, and in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Kansas Speedway.

Fast Facts
Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
Race: Rounds 1, 2 and 3
Track: Donington Park (National layout) (1.98 miles: 4 left turns, 6 right turns)
Location: Leicestershire, England
Date/Time: Sunday April 19, 11:30 BST (R1) / 14:40 BST (R2) / 17:30 BST (R3)
TV/Radio: ITV4, ITVX, ITV Sport YouTube channel, BTCC YouTube channel

Tyre: Goodyear Racing Eagle
Tyre Specification: Eagle Soft (option) / Eagle Medium (standard)
Previous usage: First use this season
Tyre Measurements: (width mm / diameter mm / rim size in): 265/660R18 (front and rear)
Total Dry Weather Tyres: 20 (4 Eagle Soft / 16 Eagle Medium)
Total Wet Weather Tyres: No limit