Qualifying Tires Are Back in MotoAmerica!
Rennie Scaysbrook | February 23, 2016
Ultra-soft Qualifying tires will make a return to the MotoAmerica series in 2016, following an announcement made by the series organizers and Dunlop earlier today.
Those that are close fans of the sport in MotoGP will know the excitement the last few laps of Qualifying brings, when all the fast guys throw on an ultra-sticky rear tire and give it everything in the hopes of stealing pole position. That edge of the seat viewing is now headed for MotoAmerica, with company president Wayne Rainey particularly excited about the move.
“There’s nothing like having more grip,” said the three-time 500cc World Champion. “More grip means faster lap times and Dunlop qualifying tires provide that grip. I think it’s important for our riders to get used to managing the qualifying tires. They provide a sensation like no other and you can use the extra grip to find new ways to go faster. Our fans are going to enjoy the extra excitement that having the qualifying tires in the final Superpole session bring to the show, and I think a lot of track records will be broken this year.”
Dunlop will provide tires that are good for four laps in Superpole 2, according to Dunlop Motorsports Technician Tony Romo, with gains of up to one second if the rider times his run just right.
All 10 Superbike riders who transfer directly from Free Practice 3 to Superpole 2 will have the opportunity to use the Dunlop qualifying tire in an effort to compete for the top 12 spots on the starting grid. Ditto for the two riders who transfer from Superpole 1 to Superpole 2, which means all 12 riders in Superpole 2 will get the chance to use the soft tire.
The 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship kicks off at Circuit of The Americas, April 8-10, in Austin, Texas.