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MXGP
2015
FIM MXGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
RACE CALENDAR 2015
INTRODUCTION
TO 2015
Two changes in venue feature on the
2015 calendar: MXGP riders will take to
the Argentinian Nequen and USA’s Glen
Helen tracks. With the season finale
taking place in the USA, hopes will be
high for a strong season finish, especially
for American Ryan Villopoto, one of the
new riders in the MXGP Monster Energy
Kawasaki Racing Team who has raced
at Glen Helen en route to his many World
Supercross titles. Villopoto is partnered
by South African Tyla Rattray, 2008 MX2
champion. Frenchman Gautier Paulin,
winner of two Grand Prix has moved to
Honda’s Team HRC, joining injuryrecovered Russian Evgeny Bobryshev.
Dunlop’s rider numbers have increased
substantially following 2014’s successful
year. Eleven riders are competing in the
headline MXGP with another ten in MX2.
Kiara Fontanesi has won the WMX title
three times, the last two years as the only
competitor on Dunlop tyres. This year she
is joined by fellow Yamaha racer Nancy
Van de Ven.
28 Feb
08 Mar
29 Mar
19 Apr
26 Apr
MXGP
Qatar
CIRCUIT
Losail
MXGP
Thailand
CIRCUIT
Nakhonchaisri
MXGP
Argentina
CIRCUIT
Neuquen
MXGP
Trentino
CIRCUIT
Pietramurata
MXGP
Europe
CIRCUIT
Valkenswaard
10 May
24 May
31 May
14 June
21 June
MXGP
Spain
CIRCUIT
Talavera de la
Reina
MXGP
Great Britain
CIRCUIT
Matterley Basin,
Winchester
MXGP
France
CIRCUIT
Villars sous Ecot
MXGP
Italy
CIRCUIT
Maggiora
MXGP
Germany
CIRCUIT
Teutschenthal
05 July
12 July
26 July
02 Aug
16 Aug
MXGP
Sweden
CIRCUIT
Uddevalla
MXGP
Latvia
CIRCUIT
Kegums
MXGP
Czech Republic
CIRCUIT
Loket
MXGP
Belgium
CIRCUIT
Lommel
MXGP
Brazil
CIRCUIT
Trindade
30 Aug
13 Sept
20 Sept
27 Sept
MXGP
The Netherlands
CIRCUIT
Assen
MXGP
Mexico
CIRCUIT
Leon
Monster Energy
MXGP
USA
CIRCUIT
Glen Helen
Monster Energy
MXON
France
CIRCUIT
Raymond Demy
MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI RACING TEAM
WMX CHAMPIONSHIP
RACING NUMBER 28
RACING NUMBER 8
KIARA FONTANESI
RACE MACHINE YAMAHA
2014 saw Kiara take her second WMX crown on Dunlop tyres giving her three consecutive titles. The Italian is
all-out to increase her tally with her winning Dunlop Geomax set-up.
RACE MACHINE KAWASAKI
DATE OF BIRTH 08/11/1985
BIRTHPLACE S. AFRICA
RACING NUMBER 2
RACE MACHINE KAWASAKI
DATE OF BIRTH 13/08/1988
BIRTHPLACE USA
TYLA RATTRAY
Tyla was 2008 MX2 champion following which he raced in the USA. He returned to MXGP in 2014 but results were
hindered by injuries. He now races with former USA protagonist Villopoto in the works Kawasaki squad.
RYAN VILLOPOTO
Ryan brings Supercross and Motocross titles galore and is primed for a major attack on the MXGP title. His titles
won in USA were achieved on Dunlop tyres so he is no stranger to the Geomax range.
DATE OF BIRTH 10/03/1994
BIRTHPLACE ITALY
RACING NUMBER 85
NANCY VAN DE VEN
RACE MACHINE YAMAHA
Nancy switches to Dunlop for 2015 after a promising debut year in WMX. The Netherlands racer finished fifth in the
series.
DATE OF BIRTH 13/11/1997
BIRTHPLACE NETHERLANDS
24MX HONDA RACING
TEAM ASSOMOTOR HONDA
RACING NUMBER 23
RACING NUMBER 400
KEI YAMAMOTO
RACE MACHINE HONDA
After two seasons in MX2, Kei makes his MXGP season debut in 2015. Hailing from Japan, Kei stays with Honda
machinery but has moved to Team Assomotor Honda.
RACE MACHINE HONDA
DATE OF BIRTH 20/07/1991
BIRTHPLACE FRANCE
RACING NUMBER 11
RACE MACHINE HONDA
DATE OF BIRTH 15/08/1991
BIRTHPLACE SWEDEN
CHRISTOPHE CHARLIER
Christophe is new to MXGP, Honda and Dunlop for this season. He moves up from MX2 where he was a moto
winner last year.
FILIP BENGTSSON
The Swede showed that he is capable of a top-ten finish in MXGP with an eighth place on a KTM machine with
only four appearances. This year he is riding with the 24MX Honda Racing squad who have Dunlop experience
from 2014.
DATE OF BIRTH 18/12/1991
BIRTHPLACE JAPAN
RACING NUMBER 77
RACE MACHINE HONDA
DATE OF BIRTH 15/01/1991
BIRTHPLACE ITALY
ALESSANDRO LUPINO
Another MX2 graduate, Alessandro graduated to MXGP last season at his home round in Italy having raced in
MX2 to that point of the season. He sustained an injury that weekend that ended his season. For 2015 he, like
Paulin, switches from Kawasaki to Honda.
MARCHETTI RACING TEAM KTM
HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY REVO KTM
RACING NUMBER 17
RACING NUMBER 24
RACE MACHINE KTM
DATE OF BIRTH 27/01/1991
BIRTHPLACE SPAIN
JOSE BUTRON
After a strong season in MX2 with a top-ten finish for the season and several top-six finishes, Jose moves up to
MXGP, staying with KTM.
TEAM HRC
EVGENY BOBRYSHEV
RACE MACHINE HONDA
Bobby has been one of the key riders in creating the current Dunlop Geomax range. He was the first to win on the
new generation tyre and has been part of the development programme with Honda since the start of Dunlop’s
current involvement in 2011. After breaking a leg last year Bobby is sure to be on fighting form on his long-awaited
return to the track.
BIRTHPLACE RUSSIA
RACING NUMBER 21
RACE MACHINE HONDA
DATE OF BIRTH 26/03/1990
BIRTHPLACE FRANCE
DATE OF BIRTH 13/03/1988
BIRTHPLACE BRITAIN
RACING NUMBER 777
DATE OF BIRTH 13/11/1987
RACE MACHINE KTM
SHAUN SIMPSON
GP winner Shaun has previously ridden in MXGP on Dunlop tyres during his time with KTM. He comes back to using
Dunlop Geomax for 2015 and will be riding a KTM.
RED BULL ICEONE HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
RACING NUMBER 991
RACE MACHINE HUSQVARNA
DATE OF BIRTH 05/10/1994
BIRTHPLACE BRITAIN
NATHAN WATSON
Last season Nathan won the British MX1 title in his debut year. He also made a guest appearance for Red Bull
IceOne Husqvarna in MXGP and returns for a full season in 2015. Nathan’s brother Ben makes a similarly large leap
joining MX2.
GAUTIER PAULIN
Despite a seven race absence following an accident at the Netherlands GP, Gautier finished the season in eighth
place having won two GPs, and finished in the top six in 17 of his 20 races. Gautier was one of the winning team
at the Motocross of Nations, winning both of his races. For 2015 he races for the factory Honda team but is no
stranger to the Dunlop Geomax range having spent the past seasons riding for Dunlop’s Kawasaki partner squad
and providing valuable feedback for Dunlop’s engineers.
MX CHAMPIONSHIP
RIDER PROFILES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
DEVELOPED BY CHAMPIONS
Since re-entering international Motocross in 2011 Dunlop hasn’t looked back. Evgeny
Bobryshev won a grand prix in the first year on a brand new development tyre that formed
the basis of the current MX Medium. Gautier Paulin was next to win in 2012 with Kawasaki on
the tyres that evolved to the current MX52. Paulin went on to win three more GPs on the
prototypes in 2013. Last season saw strong results despite Dunlop’s works riders being
significantly hindered by injury. In total Dunlop’s tyres helped riders to three GP wins, nine
overall podiums and 23 moto top-3 finishes. All three specifications (soft-medium, mediumhard and sand) won motos, rewarding the Dunlop engineers involved in the three year
development programme in addition to the teams. Dunlop’s work is never finished.
Engineers are already looking to the future revolution of the range.
Soft to medium terrain performance has been proven with six GP
wins to its name. The specification is a firm favourite with riders and it
was chosen for the front by most Dunlop riders for the majority of the
races. Advances over its predecessor are in cornering grip, line
holding,
slide control, straight-line traction and durability. Larger
centre blocks on the rear tyre provide high traction for improved
start performance, while the patented chiseled shoulder block
design enhances traction and grip. Greater slide control and
tightened cornering grip is achieved thanks to Progressive
Cornering Block Technology (PCBT) which increases block flexibility.
Dunlop’s Multiple Block distribution (MBd) on the rear tyre features
different block pitches with fewer blocks in the centre area which
improves contact feel and delivers confident bite and grip.
USAGE
PCBT
MBD
Carcass Tension Control System (CTCS)
controls casing stress distribution,
optimising the tension in different
areas, resulting in more consistent and
controlled line holding, straight-line
traction and better feedback.
Dunlop’s new patented Progressive
Cornering Block Technology increases
block flexibility to achieve greater slide
control, partnered with twin edges
delivers tightened cornering grip.
New Multiple Block Distribution (MBD)
features variable pitch sequencing
between the centre and middle-toshoulder block areas, which combined
with fewer blocks in the centre improves
contact feel, whilst also delivering
confident bite and grip.
USAGE
CONSTRUCTION
TECHNOLOGY
SPEC
TECHNOLOGY
F/R
RIM
SIZE
L/S
TL/TT
CODE
F
10
2.50 - 10
33J
TT
624300
12
2.50 - 12
39J
TT
629754
F/R
RIM
SIZE
L/S
TL/TT
CODE
14
60/100 - 14
30M
TT
624304
F
10
2.50 - 10
33J
TT
625992
17
70/100 - 17
40M
TT
624307
14
60/100 - 14
30M
TT
625995
19
70/100 - 19
42M
TT
624308
17
70/100 - 17
40M
TT
625998
21
80/100 - 21
A
51M
TT
631964
19
70/100 - 19
42M
TT
626005
90/90 - 21
A
57M
TT
631965
21
80/100 - 21
51M
TT
628472
10
2.75 - 10
38J
TT
12
80/100 - 12
41M
14
90/100 - 14
16
18
R
CTCS
CONSTRUCTION
The MX52 and its predecessor have already helped claim two FIM
World Championship titles courtesy of Kiara Fontanesi’s WMX
victories. Gautier Paulin also won the last round of 2014 on MX52
front and rear. The Geomax MX52 brought improved control,
handling and the latest Dunlop-patented technologies. Ideal for
use in medium-hard terrain, the MX52 features staggered centre
blocks offering strong rear control under power, more straight-line
stability and traction with improved wear on harder ground.
Patented progressive cornering block technology (PCBT) is a new
technology which improves slide control and delivers tightened
cornering grip.
19
10
2.75 - 10
38J
TT
624302
625993
12
80/100 - 12
41M
TT
624303
TT
625994
14
90/100 - 14
49M
TT
624305
49M
TT
625996
16
90/100 - 16
52M
TT
624306
90/100 - 16
52M
TT
625997
18
100/100 - 18
59M
TT
625999
110/90 - 18
61M
TT
629663
110/100 - 18
64M
TT
626000
120/90 - 18
65M
TT
629664
100/90 - 19
57M
TT
626002
110/80 - 19
59M
TT
628470
110/90 - 19
62M
TT
626004
120/80 - 19
63M
TT
628471
120/80 - 19
63M
TT
629756
SAND
GEOMAX MX32
GEOMAX MX52
MUD
R
19
GRASSY
PACKED MUD
STONY
HARD PACKED
Press Officer
Dunlop Motorsport
Philippa Neilson
[email protected]
Dunlop Motorsport’s website
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Media section
Press releases, audio interviews,
video and high resolution images
can be downloaded from the
media section.
motorsport.dunlop.eu/media
“I was very pleased with the
performance of our tyres last
season. We knew that we could
get good results by looking at how
things were progressing the season
before – all we needed was
consistency. With 30% of the MXGP
grid this year choosing to race on
Dunlop tyres we naturally hope
that our win rate increases
significantly.”
Eddy Seel
Dunlop MX Coordinator
[email protected]
www.dunlop.eu
Follow us...
/DunlopMoto
@DunlopMoto
“Dunlop ended the year with
victory in the MX of Nations after a
successful year in which Kawasaki
and Honda riders won on our tyres.
We never stop pushing, and we are
aiming to make another major step
forward for our customers in 2015.”
Clinton Howe
Motorcycle Race Central
Business Manager
[email protected]