Thruxton plays host to the third round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at a circuit which is notoriously hard on the Tyres with punctures inevitable throughout the weekend.

Dunlop, this BTCC tyre supplier, will be bringing the same tyre that they developed for 2010 which is a more durable compound tyre in a bid to combat the harsh road surface coupled long fast corners that Thruxton delivers.

Not only that but Dunlop have also developed and produced an 18″ version of the bespoke Thruxton tyre which is for use on the NGTC Toyota Avensis and Audi A4.

Dunlop are constantly under pressure from drivers and teams alike to provide a durable yet responsive performance tyre week in week out.

Dunlop BTCC Manager, Michael Butler, spoke out regarding the tyre by saying, “The Thruxton circuit has a very abrasive surface so we’ve developed our Thruxton tyre with a compound that has been proven to cope with this.

“Also the kerbs at the chicane and the complex are very aggressive and our revised construction is designed to tackle the challenge of a tyre impacting with these kerbs at high speed.”

Not only do Dunlop supply the teams with the tyres but they also offer advice throughout the weekend to help them get the best out of the tyre during the sessions.

Michael went on to say, “We have a group of highly qualified tyre engineers who monitor the pressure and temperature of each tyre whenever the car comes into the pits during practice, qualifying and after the race.

“Measuring the temperature across the tread face of the tyre can highlight if teams are running a set up that is too aggressive to provide optimum performance over a full race distance.”

“With this special tyre, it is critically important to run specific vehicle camber settings and tyre pressures to optimize its performance.

“Last year, the winning teams followed these settings and had strong tyre performance throughout the weekend. We will share this advice and guidance from last year’s success with all the teams.”

2010 saw Giovanardi and Kane share the wins at Thruxton after managing their tyres throughout the race. Others that suffered with the tyres included Shedden and Chilton who both ended with high speed crashes on the high speed section of the circuit.

James Mappin is the editor-in-chief covering the British Touring Car Championship. You can contact him at james@btcccrazy.co.uk, on twitter @BTCCCrazy or on his personal twitter account @jamesmappin.