Considering how long tyres have been around (geometry pun), it seems that everything would have been thought of by now, but the technology continues to improve and advance, as was apparent when Supercars driver Rick Kelly set a lap record at Sydney Motorsport Park on the Dunlop Tyre Company’s most recent innovation.
Dunlop has issued teams four new sets each of their new soft and supersoft tyres, which apparently have supplied handling benefits that have enabled cars to stick to the track better and go through the corners at higher speeds.
Scott McLaughlin, a pilot for one of the DJR Team Penske entries, also turned in a lap quicker than the existing mark of 1 minute, 28. 82 seconds established last year by Chaz Mostert.
All of the teams preparing for the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide used the new tyres sparingly, as they do not want to wear them out in advance of the race. What advantage they provide in traction is apparently not duplicated in overall life.
The new records are unofficial, meaning only that they were not recorded in an official context; there was nothing wrong with the timing method. When times counted, Kelly and McLaughlin were slightly slower than Mostert’s time from last year.
All 26 cars will next be on the track for practice for the Adelaide race in about nine days, after they are trailered down from NSW to SA.
