A new specification of Dunlop tire will be introduced in next year's British Touring Car Championship.
The new rubber, which conforms to new European Union environmental regulations relating to oil usage, has been developed since the middle of 2008 and has already proven in tests to be faster over a race distance than its predecessor, and more durable. It was given a thumbs-up from drivers after two days of running at Snetterton in October and will be used from the second round of next season's championship, at Rockingham, onward. This is because Thruxton, which hosts the season opener in April, requires a special one-off construction to deal with the extra stresses created by the succession of fast right-handers.