SERIES MOVES TO SPEC TIRE TORONTO, ON The Parts Canada Superbike Championship has concluded a deal with Pirelli to supply a spec, or control tire for its three major classes beginning with the 2006 racing season. The arrangement, which puts the Canadian tour on the cutting edge of a worldwide racing trend, will apply to the Parts Canada Superbike feature class, along with the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike and International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike national support divisions. The agreement is for three years. “Fairness and transparency are the key elements of this deal,” said Colin Fraser, President of Professional Motorsports Productions, which runs the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “Teams will no longer carry their own tires or do their own mounting. Now everything will be centralized, just like it is in World Superbike, World Supersport and a number of European race series. Everyone, privateer and factory rider, will draw from the same choices of tire and compound.” The switch to a spec tire will remove a major variable from the Parts Canada Superbike series and is designed to create a more level playing field among competitors. Under the open tire format racers are able to purchase or import their tires from a range of different suppliers. Those with more money or better connections often have access to superior tires or can stockpile the choicest rubber options. “Under the previous format it has always been easy to point to tire selection as an excuse for performance,” Fraser said. “Now this has been ruled out.” The opportunity to provide the spec tire for the national series was tendered to the various suppliers in July and Pirelli submitted a proposal that was, in the eyes of PMP, considered to be the most favourable to the series and its competitors. A recent meeting in Toronto with key international Pirelli staff, Canadian Pirelli race tire distributor Kevin Graham of Orion Motorsport and the major motorcycle manufacturers confirmed the structure of the 2006-2008 arrangement. The meeting included Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli World Racing Manager and Alberto Warburg, the Canadian Account Manager. The arrangement is a marketing partnership between PMP, representing the partner manufacturers in the Canadian National series, and Pirelli, rather than a financial one. As the spec tire provider Pirelli will enjoy a strong corporate presence at each series round. The feature Superbike class, which uses slick tires, will offer the most choice and a specific tire will be independently selected from event to event. The series will conduct fall testing with a select group of riders to develop product for the headline category. The Amateur 600 Sport Bike classes will likely have a single DOT tire option. As an added cost saving measure, the number of tires used per race weekend will be restricted. Pirelli, which also supplies the spec tire for the World Superbike Championship, is planning to bring 16.5-inch diameter pure racing wheel performance, developed specifically for Canada, to the Parts Canada series. Canadian competitors will continue to compete with stock, 17-inch wheels. The Canadian Thunder class is not included in the spec tire deal yet. The Suzuki SV650 National Cup already runs with a spec Pirelli tire and that arrangement is expected to continue.