Fastest Times As DMACK Gets To Grip With Conditions

RSL Staff

– September 11, 2011Posted in: News, PWRC

PWRC Wildcard entry Nathan Quinn claimed seven fastest times in the WRC support category using DMACK tyres on his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Australia.

With widely varying conditions on all three days of the event, the rally proved another tough test for DMACK’s DMG2 gravel tyre but the G4 medium compound nominated for this rally coped well. The event was based at Coffs Harbour on the country’s east coast between Sydney and Brisbane, and the mixed weather and road surfaces caused havoc for many crews.

The opening day’s action was reported by drivers as one of the most challenging they’d ever faced. Cool temperatures and torrential rain showers turned the gravel roads into clay mud baths. Drivers complained of low grip levels as the tyre grooves got clogged with mud but the DMACK’s G4 compound still provided a level performance during the day.

Quinn got off to a flying start and was just five seconds off PWRC leader Hayden Paddon after three stages. However, his challenge was thwarted after a broken turbo pipe on stage four and a roll on stage six took its toll.

Conditions for Saturday’s 10 stages, mostly played out to the south of Rally HQ, couldn’t have been more different. While wet grip and the ability to deal with sticky mud were the requirements for day one, warm temperatures and hard-based public roads meant greater tyre wear for crews.

Quinn continued to set strong times in the morning but the ultra-abrasive roads increased tyre wear on the second pass in the afternoon. But he was back on the pace during today’s final six tests. With three more fastest PWRC times and a pair of top-10 overall stage times, Quinn demonstrated the speed and potential of the DMACK gravel tyre.

Quinn was happy with the tyre performance which helped him clinch a string of fast times – but his opening day problems forced him down the time-sheets and meant he was unable to mount a challenge for PWRC victory.

The championship moves back to Europe for the next round, Rallye de France, which sees a switch back to asphalt for the second time this season and allows DMACK to offer crews its DMT-RC sealed surface tyre.

Dick Cormack, DMACK Tyres motorsport director, said: “With weather and road conditions reaching two extremes, one compound of control tyre was always going to be a compromise for competitors. Our medium compound was actually a good solution and coped with the challenge remarkably well. The tyre’s speed was again demonstrated with Quinn setting a series of fastest times in PWRC – even when the race was on for the championship title. We were happy with tyre performance this weekend and the mixed conditions did help to demonstrate the potential in both warm and cool, wet conditions.”