Shearer Scores at Continental Soccer School
Warranties Continue to Confuse Motorists Says Hi-Q
Sombre End to Middleton's Matador-esque Performance
Bridgestone Motorsport to Supply WilliamsF1 Team from 2006
Toyota and BMW Fitments for Continental
First Stop Join TV Stars to Raise Charity Cash
Bridgestone Establishes New Proving Ground in China
Tyre Industry Council Welcomes Tread Depth Research

Shearer Scores at Continental Soccer School

Alan Shearer put on a great performance at the Continental Tyres Soccer Academy at Northumberland University on August Bank Holiday Monday, to the delight of 90 young footballers and their 250 friends and family who attended the day Continental Brand Ambassador, Shearer was a massive hit with children and parents alike as he moved among the groups giving encouragement and passing on tips, as well as signing everything from shirts to boots, and posing for photos.

The lucky young pupils who had secured their places at the academy either by winning one of the national and regional competitions or through various trade promotions, were divided into age groups, each being put through their paces by professional FA coaches.

During the day, Shearer also took part in a live interview on BBC Radio One's 'Chappers and Dave Show.' Along with talking about the day itself and Continental's World Cup Sponsorship he also gave his views on Newcastle's current form and his predictions for the season ahead. The interview was a follow up to the Radio One Chris Moyles Show earlier in the year, as part of 'Comic Relief, when four lucky listeners had won places at the Academy.' The winners were coached by Shearer in a special Penalty Masterclass against a goalkeeper from the Newcastle squad.

Guy Frobisher, Marketing Director at Continental said "The day was a huge success. We are really excited to have Alan on board with Continental, especially in the run up to Germany 2006."

Warranties Continue to Confuse Motorists Says Hi-Q

A survey by fast-fit operator Hi-Q has revealed that many motorists wrongly believe that the warranty on their car will be invalid if they do not take the car for servicing to the manufacturer's franchised dealer. Hi-Q, conducted a survey of motorists to question just what people understand about their warranty.

The results were staggering. Only 33 per cent of people believed that their warranty would be valid if they took their car to a garage other than the manufacturer's dealer. Fifty per cent believed that their warranty would be broken if they took the car to an alternative independent garage and 17 per cent didn't know either way.

Over 2.5 million new cars were sold in the UK in 2004. Every car sold will come with a manufacturer's warranty to cover early failure of parts. In nearly every case, the car will not be required to be serviced at a franchised dealer for the warranty to remain valid. Hi-Q believes that confusion is leading to many motorists being ripped off when it comes to servicing.

"We're calling on motorists to check the small print of their warranty or to ask at the time of purchase about where the car can be serviced," said Nikki McCluney, Hi-Q's Marketing Manager. "We believe that many motorists will be highly surprised to find that there is absolutely no need for them to take the vehicle to the manufacturer's dealer and absolutely no need for them to pay nearly twice as much for the privilege."

Sombre End to Middleton's Matador-esque Performance

Matador Tyres backed driver Craig Middleton put in a strong performance to finish inside the Top Twenty of Wales Rally GB, but the result was overshadowed by the tragic death of a leading competitor on the event.

The accident brought the rally to a premature end on the final leg of the FIA World Championship rally. Llandrindod Wells based Middleton was contesting the rally behind the wheel of a ProSpeed Motorsport run Skoda Fabia WRC, specially chosen to celebrate Slovakia based Matador Tyres 100 year anniversary and their historical association with the Skoda brand. Craig was partnered by regular co-driver Robin Hernaman (Royston, Herts.) for the rally, and the pair were keen to get off to a good start after mechanical woes blighted their performance on last years stages, forcing an early exit.

The opening leg would see mechanical problems rear their heads again for Craig, as the Fabia was hit with differential and power steering problems on the long stages. ProSpeed quickly rectified the steering problem but the differential problems could not be completely cured. Middleton had no option but to continue and to cope with the problem as best he could. Despite the setback, Craig's times were strong, as he found himself fighting for the Top amateur award with fellow Welsh ace Julian Reynolds.

Leg 2 would see Craig pull more time back from Julian as he really got to grips with the Fabia and showed some encouraging pace in the ex-factory car. The Matador SM-3 gravel tyre was perfectly suited to the dry gravel conditions, and Craig was much happier with his performance on the day. The young Welshman would end the day within fighting distance of Reynolds and the honour of first amateur, but the opening stage of Sunday morning would bring a dramatic and tragic premature end to the rally for all concerned. Understandably, the ProSpeed team and Craig and Robin were pleased with their performance, but had no motivation to celebrate with such a sombre finale to the event:

'It really brings home the dangers of rallying when an accident like this occurs, and our thoughts are very much with those concerned. Up until Sunday morning, we had very much enjoyed the rally and really enjoyed trying out the Fabia and the new compound Matador SM-3 tyres. Both worked very well together. It was a little disappointing to not be able to fully rectify the differential problem, but no blame can be attached to ProSpeed for that and we enjoyed working with them all rally. The car has a lot of potential and with some more work on the set up it really could be a flyer in British rallying. I'd just like to thank Olly Marshall and his team for the effort they put into the event and I wish them well for the future.'

Middleton's future plans remain unconfirmed, but the Welsh ace is currently looking at a number of options for the 2006 season where he will once again be demonstrating the capabilities of the Matador range of competition tyres.

Bridgestone Motorsport to Supply WilliamsF1 Team from 2006

Bridgestone Motorsport has announced that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with the WilliamsF1 Team for the supply of Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres from 2006. Bridgestone first supplied the WilliamsF1 Team with tyres in 1999 and 2000, during a period of single tyre supplier status, and is now pleased to welcome back the team within an environment of competitive tyre supply.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport commented: "It is with great pleasure that I can now confirm that Bridgestone Motorsport and the WilliamsF1 Team have entered into a tyre supply partnership, to commence after the end of the current season. WilliamsF1 is one of the most experienced and respected teams competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship and I would like to thank Sir Frank Williams for his faith in our technological capabilities.

"Since entering Formula One in 1997, Bridgestone Motorsport has supplied the winning Constructors' and Drivers' Champions no fewer than seven times and we now look forward to working closely with the WilliamsF1 Team to help them achieve their goals in the future," he added.

Toyota and BMW Fitments for Continental

Continental Tyres has announced it has been selected as exclusive tyre supplier for the Aygo, Toyota's new small compact car. The choice of tyres underlines the importance of safety.

"We are supplying 155/65 R 14 ContiEcoContact 3 tyres, not just for the Toyota Aygo, but also for the Peugeot 107" explains Richard Durance, Continental's Key Account Manager for Original Equipment. "And we are the sole supplier for both models." The contract for the Toyota Aygo represents a significant milestone for Continental, because it is their first high volume tyre supply contract with a Japanese manufacturer for a number of years.

Meanwhile Continental has also announced that BMW's latest M5 saloon and M6 coupe will be equipped with Continental's MK60 E5 brake system as well as ContiSportContact 2 tyres and a high-performance radiator fan from Continental Automotive Systems.

First Stop Join TV Stars to Raise Charity Cash

Six First Stop dealers joined forces with celebrities from the worlds of television and music recently to raise money for charity. Coronation Street stars Bill Ward and Tina O'Brien, who play Charlie Stubbs and Sarah-Louise Platt in the show, joined Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding and the dealers on the Bridgestone stand at the Truckfest North West show at Haydock Park Racecourse, Merseyside.

Visitors to the stand not only got the chance to have their photos taken with the stars, but also get up close to a replica Ferrari Formula One car and state-of-the-art racing simulator courtesy of Bridgestone. In total, more than £1,500 was raised for the Bauleni Street Kids Project, a charity which supports and educates underprivileged children in the city of Lusaka, Zambia.

Ken Riley, owner of Merseyside based dealer Tyrecraft and his wife Monica, who are both heavily involved with the running of the charity, were delighted by the generosity of all those who contributed over the weekend. "We are very grateful for all the help and support we received over the weekend - from the celebrities who gave us so much of their time, to all those who dug deep to donate cash", he said.

Tyrecraft were supported at the event by five fellow members of Bridgestone's First Stop network. Pemberton Tyres, based in Wigan, Ashton Tyre & Exhaust (Ashton-in-Makerfield), Tyresave (St Helens), Tyreworld (Widnes), and Roadrunner Tyres (Cabus, near Preston).

Bridgestone Establishes New Proving Ground in China

Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it has been granted approval to establish a new proving ground in China. Bridgestone aims to use this testing and research facility to develop a system that enables the swift provision of tyres for original equipment and replacement in the Chinese market.

Covering roughly 84 hectares, the new proving ground boasts a 900m straight track for high-speed performance tests and a curved track for handling and stability tests. Plans are in place to open the facility in June 2007. It will be capitalised with US$20 million while a total of US$25 million has been earmarked for investment in the project. This will be Bridgestone's eleventh proving ground worldwide.

By establishing the facility in China, Bridgestone can test tyres for original equipment and replacement specifically for the Chinese market, while enhancing the speed and efficiency of development assessment and performance verification there. The facility will also be used for local sales promotion activities and training exercises for people both inside and outside the company.

Tyre Industry Council Welcomes Tread Depth Research

The Tyre Industry Council has welcomed the results of independent tests carried out at the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA), which confirm the importance of adequate tread depth on vehicle tyres. The independent braking tests conducted by MIRA into stopping distances and the cornering performance of car tyres on wet road surfaces show conclusively that these deteriorate noticeably well before the end of a tyre's life. As an example, braking tests showed that significant increases in stopping distance begin to appear when tread depth falls below 3.5mm. Compared with the reference tyres used in the MIRA test, which had 6.7mm of tread, stopping distances were approximately 16% higher on similar tyres with 3mm of remaining tread and over 60% higher on those with only 1mm. In welcoming the results of the tests the TIC stressed how important it is that motorists check the tread depth on their tyres regularly as well as pay attention to other safety critical features of their tyres such as pressures and wheel alignment.