Goodyear heads to Brands Hatch this weekend for the second event of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season, ready to inject its usual dose of strategic action into Sunday’s races on the track’s short, demanding Indy layout.
This weekend, each driver will be allocated three sets of the Goodyear Racing Eagle Soft compound as the standard tyre, and one set of the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium compound as the option tyre.
The Indy circuit’s constantly turning nature is demanding on tyres, with even the start-finish Brabham Straight sitting on a bend. This track results in more load on the left side tyres, requiring teams to strategically choose how to use the different compounds allocated across the weekend.
“Even though Brands Hatch Indy is one of the shortest laps on the calendar, it is relentless, as its constantly-turning layout places high loads on the left-hand side of the car,” explains Michael Butler, Goodyear’s BTCC event leader. “This year, we’ve again nominated the Eagle Soft compound as standard, but, changing from last season, we are not bringing the Eagle Hard.
“BTCC has a distinctly close racing style, so by allocating the Eagle Medium as the option compound, we aim to reduce lap time deltas between cars and help ensure the racing remains as close as possible.”
For the first time this season, strategy will be further shaped by the availability of carryover tyres from the opening round at Donington Park. Teams may choose up to two sets of either the Eagle Soft or Eagle Medium compounds from Donington, but the medium compound – which will be the more popular carryover choice for this event – can only be used during free practice sessions.
Butler adds: “The tyre carryover strategy comes into play from this point, as drivers may start opting to hold onto certain compounds for use later in the season. It’s a long game!”
In addition to the slick tires used in dry conditions, teams will also have access to Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tyres, which feature a tread pattern designed to disperse surface water and provide grip in wet conditions in the event of inclement weather.
Goodyear Racing Eagle tyres are also in action this weekend at the FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Watkins Glen International.
