With the 2007 new-model press intro's, I'm busier than a one-legged man in an arse kicking competition. However we did have somebody present for some of the two-day Pirelli tire test last week with shooter Mark Frankenfield shooting shots and taking names on the second (coldest) day. We'll have a large gallery of pictures up within the next day or so... MikeE

Pirelli Tire Test: Day Two

Pirelli’s second day of testing was cool, nay, cold. All day a wind was blowing and clouds help limit the condition of the track. Even so, Pirelli engineers and teams alike found the test to be highly productive, testing a new Superbike slick for Superbike and Superstock, and the new DOT Diablo Supercorsa for Supersport.

Overseeing the test was Christoph Knoche, former Prototyping Manager in Europe and – since last year – Pirelli’s direct link to the factory from all AMA Pro Races in America. Knoche works directly with the Pirelli development racing teams in the States.

Also on hand was Pirelli’s Road Racing Manager, Richard Moore, and two engineers from the factory, Paolo Morandi and Alessandro Mozandi. Morandi is a chemical engineer while Mozandi is a mechanical engineer: compound and carcass, respectively. The Compound guy was taller, though we’re not sure what that means.

Knoche said, "We immediately saw a big improvement in side grip with our Diablo Supercorsa’s new profile. And now we know that its wear is better than last year’s tire and, most importantly, the rider’s times stay the same for the life of the tire. We’ve never before seen that with our DOT racing tires.

"The Diablo Supercorsa’s have a new compound and a new carcass shape. We’ve seen here at Daytona that we are going in the right direction. It is a great place to test because it has so many special concerns.

"Working with the Attack Kawasaki team has been easy. Its riders are new to our tires and they didn’t have any complaints. Now that we have more top-level riders on our product we should do even better than last year, which was our best year ever in AMA."

Attending to the logistics of mounting the Pirelli tires were Moose’s Trackside Racer’s Supply with Skip, Jim, Andrew and Theresa, which attends every AMA event, and Pirelli’s regional venders: Competition Motorsports South’s Leon Eddins from Florida, Tigershark’s Josh Bryan from the west coast, and Racer’s Supply’s Shane Stoyko from the central region. The test gave each vender the chance to personally work with Pirelli’s engineers so that when the new Diablo Supercorsa is available at the beginning of the racing season they will be prepared to help riders with proper inflation and fitment of the four available compounds.

Moose said, "Regardless of the weather it gave our new teams a good chance to learn about bike set-up with the Pirelli tires, and it gave all of our riders the opportunity to give us feedback on the new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa DOT-spec racing tires and the 17-inch Superbike slick. The cold prevented us from setting times we were capable of, but there was still a great deal of information gained. It was good having the two engineers here from Europe so they could see for themselves what Daytona is like."

Returning on his Roadracingworld.com Suzuki is Chris Ulrich, present at the test to try out the new slicks. Ulrich said, "We now have a tire that will last the whole race at the same pace. So I know Pirelli will be ready for Daytona when we return in March. They are ready to go. I’m really looking forward to 2007. A new Suzuki GSX-R1000, new tires, Rick Kress, my engine guy from last year, and my new crew chief, Dennis Zickrick. Most everything is new and it look’s like we’ll have a great year."

Racer Cory West was riding his new R6 at the test, prepared by his secret weapon and mechanic with the biggest personality in all of the AMA, crew chief Chuck Giacchetto. G said, "Everything worked flawlessly for us at this test. It’s fantastic how durable Pirelli’s new DOT tire is. Weather dictated times but Cory has new confidence with these tires and with the support he now has from Yamaha and KR Tuned. Next year our team will be known as Team Hotbodies Cory West Racing."

Running two stock MV Agusta’s was the Fast by Ferracci team, looking forward to campaigning the Superbike class with riders Matt Lynn and Luca Scassa. Scassa fell on the fist day of testing, injured his left foot and was unable to continue testing. Lynn fell ill, not off the bike, just ill, but was able to ride both days. Eraldo Ferracci said, "All we need to do now is make the bikes fast. The tires are fast and so then we will have it all."

Worse than the weather outside, was Matt Lynn under his own weather, fighting off some bug throughout the two days of testing. Even so, Lynn put in a number of laps on the MV Agusta, giving his team and Pirelli good feedback. Lynn said, "I’ve been weak all day. I had to lie down between each session. But I rode as much as I could and we figured out how to set up the bikes."

Taylor Knapp was at the test riding a Vic Fasola-prepared 600 Kawasaki for team Moto Uno Racing. Knapp said, "I tried the new Pirelli and really liked them. They have a harder carcass and seem more stable on the banking yet they don’t give up any traction in the infield section."

Alongside Knapp on the team Moto Uno Racing bikes was Tony Meiring, though neither rider were signed at this writing. Meiring said, "These tires seem to suit my style of riding. Other tires have felt too flexible but these are stiffer. The bike was more set up for Taylor though so it was too soft for me. Once I get my own bike I’ll know more. But I know I like these tires."

Turning a huge number of laps was M4 EMGO Suzuki racer Geoff May, on his Keith Perry-tuned bikes. May said, "I did a lot of testing with the 17-inch slick. We were able to find the right compounds for the banking and the infield. I’m really positive about our chances more than ever.

"The new Diablo Supercorsa is unbelievable. I can’t say enough about Pirelli’s effort. Their responses to our feedback is fast, and we have new tires that address our concerns. The new rubber and tread make the DOT feel more like a slick. You wouldn’t think it but you still feel the little groves on DOT tires. With these you can’t feel the tread. The wind made it more difficult here than the temperatures. Sometimes it’d be behind you, sometimes in front, so you had to bake early or late, depending on how it was blowing."

Because the weather was so much cooler than during Dunlop’s test in the days preceding Pirelli’s test, no meaningful comparison of times can be inferred. We wish we could but we can’t. Two tire companies probably wish they could compare the times too. But this might make March at Daytona all that more interesting, when the times will be compared on track after the green flag is thrown.

From Mark Frankenfield