The Southern African Endurance Series (SAES) is delighted to extend their relationship with ATS Motorsport and Dunlop Tyres after completing the first of a two year contract by a further year until the end of the 2026 season, testament to the value provided to SAES by both ATS Motorsport and Dunlop.
Wayne Riddell, SAES CEO said: “Our first year with ATS and Dunlop has proven to be a smash hit with our competitors who see the benefits of competitively priced safe, durable tyres. Their full range of racing tyres is ideal for a diverse range of cars competing in the SAES from the mighty powerful Lamborghinis to the more modest Volkswagen Polo Supacup cars as well as the torque-rich Backdraft Roadsters that compete in the National V8 Roadster Championship.
ATS’ on-site tire service at every round is a huge benefit to our competitors who can have tyres replaced if necessary, reducing costs for the teams as they can minimize the quantity of wheels and spare tyres they would otherwise require. The Dunlop truck also carries an impressive inventory of stock to cover every eventuality, including a full range of rain tyres should a sudden change in weather occur, as it often does in Endurance racing.”
ATS Motorsport is the go-to business for any motorsport related requirement and is the sole South African distributor of Dunlop racing tyres, supplying 17 racing series with around 10 000 tyres across 96 different sizes annually.
Mandy Wecke, co-owner of ATS Motorsport is enthusiastic about their involvement in the local motorsport industry.
“We’ve nurtured and grown our relationships with multiple motorsport series owners and we’re super excited to be supporting local motorsport in conjunction with Dunlop Tyres. Endurance racing is very exciting and provides a perfect showcase for the quality and exceptional durability of our Dunlop products.”
Joanne De Freitas, Dunlop Marketing Manager, explains the benefits of motorsport for the Dunlop brand. “Our message is simple: if you consider the high demands racing cars make on tyres in terms of road-holding in all weather conditions, the cornering, acceleration and braking traction requirements, as well as the overall safety and durability; if they are good enough for the track, they are more than good enough for your family car.”
Endurance racing adds a different element to tyre requirements compared to short sprint races.
The first time the Backdraft Roadsters raced on Dunlop rubber was at the 2022 SAES Nine-Hour race at Killarney Raceway in Cape Town where nine of the thundering machines completed a cumulative total of 2441 racing laps and not a single tyre had to be changed!
Brian Martin, MD of Backdraft Cars, called Joanne to convey ‘good news and bad news’. Having purchased a mountain of Dunlop tyres for his fleet of cars, he recounted: ‘the bad news is we won’t be buying more Dunlop tyres any time soon; the good news is that we didn’t change a single tire so our stock will last a while”.
The fifth and sixth rounds of the SA Endurance Championship takes place at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on 29th and 30th November, with a three-hour race on Friday and double-points scoring nine-hour race on Saturday when the 2024 Champions will be crowned in a thrilling conclusion to the SAES season.
Aside from 12 hours of racing the SAES is hosting a 16-artist music concert, rental go-kart track, kids play area and big screens dotted around Kyalami which will keep spectators informed and entertained.
Tickets are available on www.saeseries.com