Goodyear returns to Knockhill this weekend as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes its annual visit to Scotland for three rounds of action-packed racing. Set in the stunning Fife countryside, the track has been a staple stop on the calendar for more than three decades and remains one of the championship’s most demanding and distinctive circuits.
This weekend, teams will be supplied with three sets of Goodyear Racing Eagle Soft tyres and one set of Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium tyres. Teams may also choose to deploy up to two sets of carryover tyres from previous races this season, and will have access to Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tyres, designed to disperse surface water and provide grip in wet racing conditions.
Teams will need to carefully consider the undulations of Knockhill when mapping out their tyre strategy for the weekend. As well as being the track with the greatest elevation change on the calendar, Knockhill features steep kerbs that force drivers onto two wheels in their pursuit of fast lap times and passing opportunities, leading to less predictable tyre heating and wear.
The short 1.27 mile circuit leaves drivers with little time to relax, and focus is rewarded by dramatic and slick overtakes around the tight corner of Taylor’s Hairpin. In particular, the blind apex of Duffus Dip is followed by a pummeling elevation drop towards McIntyre that puts drastic vertical load onto the tyres very quickly.
“The elevation changes at Knockhill, combined with its short lap distance, place considerable demands on tyres,” said Michael Butler, Goodyear’s BTCC event leader. “The allocations for this weekend are designed to reduce the performance delta between compounds, which ultimately makes for more exciting racing. Knockhill is always demanding in dry conditions, but with rain forecast, teams also need to be prepared to switch to their Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tyres.”
Goodyear Racing Eagle tyres are also in action this weekend in the NASCAR races at Iowa Speedway.
