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.

SALEM, MO – Pirelli Partner/Driver Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino drove the Monster World Rally Team Open Class Ford Fiesta to a fifth consecutive win at 100 Acre Wood this weekend. Block held-off a late charge by second-place finisher Antoine L’Estage in his Rockstar Mitsubishi Evo to win. Early Rally leader Travis Pastrana of the Subaru Rally Team USA suffered suspension problems, taking him out of contention for the top spot.

The 100 Acre Wood Rally is the second race of the Rally-America Championship Series. Named after the storybook home of Winnie the Pooh, the rally is picturesque, and features plenty of twists and turns to test any driver’s ability. Set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, the rally is a favorite for drivers due to its pristine surroundings and fast, tight roads.

“This is the location of my first national rally win,” said Block ecstatically, “and now I’ve won this rally five years in a row! This was (also) our first event competing on gravel with Pirellis and they proved to not only be a very consistent tire, but extremely durable as well. We didn’t have a single puncture the entire rally, and when times are close like they were between Antoine L’Estage and me, a puncture can change everything. It is a pretty good feeling to get the Fiesta home in first!”

Ken Block officially made the switch to Pirelli Tire in a long-term deal signed earlier this season. Driving for Monster World Rally Team, Block campaigns Pirelli-fitted Fords (the new Rally version of the Fiesta and rally version of the Focus RS) in the Rally America Championship (RAC), X Games and the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Block and the rest of the Monster World Rally Team are now preparing for this week’s World Rally Championship event, the Corona Rally Mexico, on March 5-7th.

The next national event on the Rally America calendar is the Olympus Rally in Olympia, Washington this April 24-25.

Top teams in the series are also invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.
All results are considered provisional pending official post-event race processes.

About Rally America

Based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Rally America sanctions the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2010, Rally America will conduct six National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Washington to Bethel, Maine, and three European style rallycross events in New Jersey.

Rally America Championship Schedule for Remainder of 2010 Season

Olympus – April 24-25
Oregon Trail – May 14-16
STPR – June 4-5
New England Forest – July 16-17

Block’s World Rally Championship (WRC) Schedule

Mexico / Corona Rally Mexico / March 5-7
Turkey / Rally of Turkey / April 16-18
Portugal / Vodaphone Rally de Portugal / May 28-30
Germany / ADAC Rallye Duetschland / August 20-22
France / Rallye de France / September 30 – October 3
Spain / RACC Rallye de Espana / October 22-24
Great Britain / Wales Rally of Great Britain / November 11-14

X Games 16

Los Angeles / July 29-August 1

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.