Two circuits, two wins. Dunlop Test Team wins again
The Pau-Arnos circuit hosted the fourth round of the French Superbike Championship yesterday, and it was the second event of the year contested by the Dunlop Test Team.
Xavier Simeon repeated Dunlop’s Le Mans victory by taking the first of the Pau-Arnos double-header races on the tyre manufacturer’s Yamaha YZF-R1. The Yamaha is part of Dunlop’s own Test Team fleet, which are occasionally entered in top-level race events to prove Dunlop’s latest technologies in real race situations.
Simeon battled hard with local hero Kenny Foray (BMW), taking the lead after 12 laps to underline the Dunlop consistency and enduring performance over a race distance. In this race, the Belgian former MotoGP rider used a new development front tyre paired with the proven Dunlop KR108 rear.
Wim Van Achter, Dunlop Motorsport Manager, explained why it was an important result for the test team: “The level of competition in French Superbike is strong and entering the Dunlop Test Team in such races allows us to prove our latest tyres in an environment with top riders and teams. The temperatures at Pau-Arnos were very high with track temperatures between 41c and 47c adding an extra dimension to the tyre testing. It was an exciting race and we are delighted to win for the second time on our second circuit of the year. The new front tyre used by Simeon will appear in other Superbike classes, including the FIM Endurance World Championship later this year. ”
The Dunlop Test Team plan to enter the next round of the French Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours on July 7th, but with a different bike and rider. At the former home of the Bol d’or Endurance race and French Formula One Grand Prix, Dunlop will enter a BMW S1000 R from their test fleet, piloted by Isle of Man TT winner Peter Hickman.
“The advantage of running a different bike and rider allows us to get feedback from a range of top-level riders on different chassis. It is important for Dunlop to develop tyres that suit an array of different bikes, not just one particular bike” added Wim.
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