Pirelli signs 3-year-deal as superbikes sponsor

MANILA, Philippines - Local racing gets a shot in the arm with the entry of world-renowned tire manufacturer  Pirelli, which recently inked a three-year partnership with Batangas Racing Circuit Inc. as title sponsor of the 2014 Pirelli Superbikes Championship Series kicking off April 26-27 in Batangas.

As title sponsor, Pirelli will be the exclusive tire supplier for all the teams and competing riders for the next three years under a contract  sealed between Pirelli Asia-Pacific marketing development director Tierre Corte and Philip Ang, president of Pirelli local distributing company Performance Parts Corp. with BRCI corporate communications head Nelson Gayola.

The Italian tire company has been at the forefront of world motorsports for over 100 years and made its return to F-1 Racing after a 20-year absence, forging a three-year contract in 2011 as the exclusive tire supplier for all the F1 teams and was later extended to 2018.

Prior to its comeback in Formula One Racing, Pirelli was official tire supplier to the FIM Superbike World Championships since 2004.

Pirelli’s tie-up with BRCI which organizes the annual Superbikes Championship Series, is seen as a big boost to the further development of two-wheel racing in the country as Pirelli Asia-Pacific technical director Johnny Lee believes the world’s most sought-after Pirelli ultra-high performance tires will deliver faster lap times, chipping off at least half of a second from their usual clocking and could even open possibilities of setting new track records.

The entry of the Italian tire company could also spark more drama and intrigue to the brewing rivalry between Ducati and Aprilia that had been in a much-talked about dispute to prove their respective Italian Championship heritage in the World Superbike Championship and could open up a grueling new chapter to their epic rivalry in Philippine Superbikes through their respective riders defending champion Dashi Watanabe of Aprilia who wrested the Superbikes crown from Ducati franchise rider Raniel Resuello last season.

And more than the sponsorship, Gayola sees Pirelli’s years of involvement in the World Superbikes Championships could open opportunities for Filipino superbike riders to conquer the international racing scene.

After Sepang, Malaysia, Corte says the Philippines is the next best choice after getting good reviews on well-organized motorcycle races, the superb quality of competition and the huge turn-out of talented competing riders that fits the requirements to qualify into the circle of the chosen few for the company’s motorsports development and assistance program.

When asked on possibilities of bringing in world champions and top riders into the country, Corte said he’s more open to the option of inviting them to grace local Superbike event as chances of racing here purely lies on the decision of their respective teams and the approval of the world sanctioning body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme or FIM.

Among the possible world racing superstars Corte mentioned was two-time world champion Max Biaggi who they could invite to grace a Superbike race or conduct Superbike clinic for upcoming young riders. Biaggi is the Overall champion of the 2010 and 2012 World Superbike Championship  who retired from racing in Nov. 7, 2012.

The 2014 Pirelli Superbikes Championship Series is a six-leg event sanctioned by the Superbikes Racing Association (SBRA) with three races to be staged at the BRC  in Rosario, Batangas and the other three at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.

After the Batangas kickoff on  April 26-27, the other legs are slated May 17-18 also at the BRC, June 28-29 at Clark , Aug. 2-3 at Clark, Sept. 6-7 at  BRC with the championship leg set Oct.  4-5 at Clark.

For more on Pirelli and the 2014 Pirelli Superbikes Championship Series: Batangas Racing Circuit c/o Nelson Gayola or Rodini Rivera at (632) 729-72 41-42, 729-5365 or fax 844-7766, Mobile # 0922 8858410 or like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ <http://www.facebook.com/> Batangas Racing Circuit or check out our website www.batangasracingcircuit.org <http://www.batangasracingcircuit.org> .