MIAMI, FL – Pirelli’s P Zero Racing Slicks tamed the challenging Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway’s road course in round-two of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series on Saturday. Homestead’s road course is known for high-speeds and an increased level of difficulty. P Zero’s optimal performance proved on target for drivers and teams, and produced record lap times and incredibly close competition during the event.

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas earned the GRAND-AM Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Championship lead with their first victory this season in the No. 01 TELMEX/Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley – taking top honors for the second time in three years at the race. GT-class honors went to the No. 69 FXDD/SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 GT of Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal. This year, more than half of the Daytona Prototypes entered in the race eclipsed 2009’s track record in qualifying, and teams and drivers in both classes were able to depend on optimum performance from their Pirelli P Zeros throughout the twilight race.

The green flag dropped at 5 p.m. Saturday with sunny skies and temperatures just below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The race ended two hours and forty-five minutes later in complete darkness and nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than at the start. Despite the change in conditions and Homestead-Miami’s notoriously tough surface for tires and suspension configuration, the P Zeros have never performed better on the South Florida track.

“This is the toughest track as far as tire wear is concerned,” said Rojas, who drove the winning No. 01 BMW Riley at the race start. “I think this Pirelli was an upgrade over last year’s tire. We were able to run a fast pace without hesitating throughout our full stint.”

Rojas and Pruett battled with the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley of pole-winning driver Darren Law and his teammate David Donohue for most of the race. Law won the pole in the No. 59 car in Friday’s qualifying session and was the first of nine Daytona Prototypes that obliterated a track record that was set just five months ago in the 2009 season-ending race at Homestead-Miami.

Eight GT competitors also broke the existing class track record in qualifying using the 2010 specification P Zeros. The group included the No. 69 Mazda with Assentato impressively posting the fourth-fastest time. He started the race while Segal took over for the final stint and took the race lead and the GT victory.

“We had a really good day,” Segal said. “We took a really big gamble on a more aggressive setup that would probably wear the tires quicker but use more of the Pirelli’s potential. The balance of the car was great going from day into night, and the car and the Pirellis were phenomenal the whole time.”

Next up for Pirelli and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series is the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park, April 8 – 10. The race can be seen live on SPEED on Sunday, April 10, at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Pirelli confirmed its technology partnership with Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini today at the world premiere of the new P Zero Corsa System at the International Motor Show in Geneva. Designed for the new Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera that is built in Sant’Agata Bolognese, P Zero Corsa System is for use on the highest-performing next generation of vehicles. Pirelli’s Research and Development division reinforced the characteristics of the newest member of the Lamborghini family by developing the new P Zero Corsa System in 235/35ZR19 and 295/30ZR19 sizes specifically for the Gallardo Superleggera. The new tires reduce environmental impact by utilizing compounds and solutions that decrease rolling resistance. In addition, R&D developed performance characteristics that give drivers maximum safety and handling for their new Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera.

The P Zero Corsa System combines front directional tread design with an asymmetric rear design that decreases susceptibility to hydroplaning. The front P Zero Corsa directional maintains the previous tread design; however, innovative materials and technology choices have been introduced to help balance the increased sportiness of the new asymmetric rear tires. The new P Zero Corsa Asymmetric includes robust blocks and a full shoulder to maximize the performance on dry surfaces, even under the most extreme driving conditions. The inclusion of longitudinal channels also allows for the expulsion of water and decreases susceptibility to hydroplaning, despite the reduced tread depth. The new combination of designs and the use of innovative materials derived from Pirelli Motorsports, allows the new P Zero Corsa System to achieve higher levels of performance both on dry and wet surfaces.

P Zero Corsa System road tires are the ultimate in ultra-high-performance products developed by Pirelli for the most prestigious and high-performance cars in the world. P Zero represents a revolution in the tire industry, and offers drivers performance without precedence in every aspect, including handling, comfort, and safety. As part of the P Zero Collection, the Pirelli P Zero Corsa System is the leader in the high end bracket and uses many innovative solutions developed by Pirelli and protected by five patents which cover the tread design, compounds, and the tire structure. The racing heart of P Zero is guaranteed by the tread compounds and by special nano-composites that ensure comfortable driving combined with extreme sports performance. Additionally, the tread design of Pirelli’s new tire also delivers maximum grip on wet roads and reduces noise. The asymmetric profile DA.Co (Dynamic Asymmetric Contour) gives even wear and tire and ground contact remains the same at all speeds. Moreover, P Zero is produced with compounds which contain no highly-aromatic oils.

The well-established collaboration between Pirelli and Lamborghini is not limited to the development of road tires, but extends to racing and the main events organised by the car maker. Pirelli is the sole supplier to Lamborghini in these regards.

Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com.

Geneva, Switzerland, March 2, 2010 – The Pirelli Cinturato line of tires dominated annual tests run by ADAC, the reputable German automobile club, together with Switzerland’s Touring Club (TCS) and the Austrian automobile club (OEAMTC). The tests, run on a total of 36 tires by different manufacturers, crowned the Cinturato P7 and P6 best summer tires in their categories for the balance they offer between ecological aspects and performance, in terms of safety and driving pleasure.

The Cinturato P7, the first eco-friendly tire developed for mid to high range cars, had the best overall rating among 17 different tire models considered in the tests. The new “green” tire by Pirelli distinguished itself in all the areas tested (dry, wet, comfort and noise, fuel consumption, wear and handling), particularly for overall performance, braking on wet surfaces, low fuel consumption and low noise level. Cinturato P7 was “highly recommended” by ADAC, which said “very well-balanced summer tire; good on wet and dry; low fuel consumption; the tire with the lowest noise level”.

The Cinturato P6 was also high in the ADAC rankings. Out of 19 tires considered, it proved the best in its category with high marks in all tests. According to the German technicians, the Pirelli tire was “highly recommended” especially for its performance on wet surfaces, in particular while braking, and for low wear.

The Cinturato line also starred in independent tests run by German automotive media. The Cinturato P7 was “highly recommended” in tests run by the prestigious magazine “Auto Zeitung”, where Pirelli’s “green” tire showed excellence in rolling resistance and therefore low fuel consumption, ensuring at the same time “good braking on wet surfaces, and sport driving performance”.

With similar motivation, the Cinturato P7 was “good” and recommended also by VW/Audi
Magazine Gute Fahrt, which tested 10 different tires.

For “Gute Fahrt”, the Cinturato P7 presented a balance between good rolling resistance, on the one hand, and good grip and handling on the other, as well as excellent safety features such as good braking on wet surfaces and low noise. The P7, predecessor of the Cinturato P7, had already won the German magazine’s tests three times in recent years.
The German tests fully confirm the winning characteristics of the Cinturato line: environment friendliness, energy savings and safety. The Cinturato line is a historic Pirelli brand, which returned to the market in 2008 with new content oriented towards green performance. In January 2008 the line debuted with its Cinturato P4 and P6, aimed at cars with small- to mid-sized engines, which were warmly received by the market and specialists alike. In 2009 the Cinturato P7 was launched, the first ecological tire for cars with mid- to large-sized engines, which began this year by winning the first summer tests done by the international media. 2010 will be the year of the Scorpion Verde, developed for SUVs, and completing Pirelli’s green product range.

Pirelli Cinturato tires are designed and developed in the company’s laboratories to meet new market demands and to contribute to sustainable mobility. Thanks to innovative compounds, structures and tread design, the Cinturato guarantees reductions in fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, while guaranteeing better mileage and enhanced safety.

Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com.