Goodyear has announced that it will resume participation in the European and international sports car competition by developing a new range of tires for the World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the 24-hour Leman race.
Members of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship will take long walks through the four continents and end with the Leman Final - a race that has won 14 times with Goodyear-fitted cars.
Goodyear has chosen a sports car racing as the first step in returning to the World Cup as it provides a powerful platform for demonstration of tire technology on a variety of prototypes and GT cars. Ben Crawley, Head of Motorsport says: “In this race (ranging from 4 to 24 hours), tire selection and strategy are very important. It provides a motivating challenge for our technology team at European Innovation Centers. ”
For more than a year, Goodyear has been developing a new range of tires for the Leman prototypes in its innovation hubs in Hanava (Germany) and in Kolkernberg (Luxembourg). The tires will be developed and produced alongside Goodyear's latest Eagle F1 SuperSport tires for high performance and Track day cars. This will facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge between road and racing tires to improve performance on both. The tire debut is scheduled for August 2019/2020. at the beginning of the WEC season in Silverstone.
This marks the return of the famous brand to the world sports car race in one of the most special venues. The Leman race is one of the world's largest sporting events with over 250,000 visitors. "Autosports are still among the most popular sports in the world," says Mr Crauly. "It is an ideal platform where we can show consumers the experience, excitement, innovation and technology that make up the Goodyear racing story."
"At first we will focus on sports car racing before using the knowledge gained in other categories of races that could be in the field of strength or in other series," adds Mr Crauly.
Goodyear has an impressive history in the field of motor racing. In addition to the 14 victories in the Laman 24-hour race, the Goodyear tires won the 368 Formula 1 Grand Prix - a still unrivaled record. Goodyear also has considerable experience in sports car racing and success in the American IMSA race.