Goodyear FIA ETRC: Sustainability in focus as Goodyear writes new chapter of history at Le Mans
This weekend, a new page will be written in the long history of Goodyear racing at Le Mans, with the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship returning to the famous French circuit for the penultimate round of the season.
Goodyear has a long history of winning at Le Mans, with 14 overall victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, arguably the world’s most prestigious car race, dating back to 1965. In the world of truck racing, the spirit of the ‘24 Heures’ lives on with the Goodyear FIA ETRC round on 24-25 September. Over the Saturday and Sunday, Goodyear FIA ETRC teams will contest four races of 11 laps each, racing flat out on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit. In the race for the championship, Norbert Kiss could be crowned Goodyear FIA ETRC champion for a fourth time this weekend.
As the title partner to the pinnacle of European truck racing, Goodyear supplies tyres and support to every team on the grid, but the partnership goes much further than that. Goodyear, the FIA, and championship organiser ETRA work together to further their respective sustainability goals, making Goodyear FIA ETRC a true showcase for a responsible future of transportation.
Goodyear uses technology derived from racing, such as stronger carcass technology, in the development of its products for the road. The pursuit of ultimate durability and versality on the track helps teams to shave valuable seconds off their lap time and fight for the victory, and this same approach is true of fleet operators across Europe who demand reliable performance and support. Racing is the most extreme arena for Goodyear to continue developing this technology and approach.
Furthermore, Goodyear has also now introduced retreading into the lifecycle of racing tyres used in Goodyear FIA ETRC. This means that tyres used in the Goodyear FIA ETRC are retreaded into standard on road Goodyear tyres that can be used by transportation fleets.
The championship is paving the way in other areas, too. In 2020, FIA ETRC identified sustainability as one of its three strategic pillars, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2038. A year later, it became the first FIA-regulated championship to switch to 100 percent sustainable fuel. Its use of biodiesel cements its role as being a role model for the road haulage industry as a whole.
During the Le Mans race weekend, Goodyear will showcase its Drive Results Tour truck that has been touring Europe and visiting Goodyear FIA ETRC races throughout the summer. The Drive Results Tour showcases Goodyear’s Total Mobility value proposition that provides European fleets with an end-to-end solution that helps them to improve their efficiency and competitiveness while cutting their environmental impact. When visiting the roadshow truck at events like Le Mans, visitors can receive a tailored experience that guides them through steps they can take to improve their own fleet.
Maciej Szymanski, Marketing Director Commercial Europe, Goodyear: “Goodyear FIA ETRC is the pinnacle of European truck racing and Goodyear is proud to work with the FIA and ETRA to use it as a platform for showing what the future of the industry can look like. We develop technologies on the racetrack that go into road applications, while also using forward-thinking approaches to make Goodyear FIA ETRC a true role model for responsible transportation.”