The benefits of this are multiple. First of all, they don’t need to offer the full range of sizes to stake their claim as a racing tyre manufacturer. And I need to stress I’m talking about road car racing, not F1 racers, as those tyres are basically rocket science at this point. Many Chinese factories seem to have launched their racing tyre range for a very specific purpose, as they only have a few sizes, and sometimes very odd ones. For example, I saw a factory with just three different sizes for their racing tyre pattern, and one of them was 255/55R18. Just in case you want to rock your BMW X5 on the racing track, maybe? I can’t help but giggle at the image of drifting SUVs. Secondly, they don’t even need to be very good at it, or to be able to make very innovative products. It’s much easier to develop a product for a very specific purpose and just make it ‘good enough’, without engaging in the top five percent where all the heavy investment and R&D is needed to churn out those milliseconds that make all the difference for the top performers. Actually, when catering to the segment that just wants to burn tyres – drifters, for example – the usually all-important grip factor suddenly becomes negligible. And offering a budget option is attractive to those burning tyres on their own bill.

Design wise also racing tyres are very different from regular car tyres, in that they’re basically slicks with a flashy looking single lightning groove from close to the centre to the edge. Hard to make that design truly unique, but that also means that nobody can be blamed when designing something a bit too similar to something already on the market. Function before looks in this case, I’m sure. And in terms of rubber compounds, there are usually two or three different ones, depending on specific client needs, and they’re made to order. The hardest compounds are naturally for the drifters, and the softer ones for track racing.

But, in spite of the designs being simple, compounds not challenging to make, and the fact that the size range doesn’t need to be extensive, launching a racing tyre range still somehow reflects positively on all the regular passenger car tyres in the manufacturer’s range. As if the fact that they can design and produce tyres for high-performance racing machines also means that their standard range offers better handling or on-road performance to vehicles run by weekend warriors or others who might drive a station wagon, but really are race car drivers at heart.

That is, of course, if the Chinese budget manufacturers used this in their global marketing strategy – and in most cases, had one to begin with. The days where Chinese tyres could be sold on price alone are over, as output has far exceeded demand, but it’s striking to see how few have actually invested in their future market shares. For the layman, trying to name five major Chinese tyre manufacturers (or any of their brands) would be a tall order. Trying to name any that produce racing tyres would be even harder. Even for those inside the industry, very few know how many produce racing tyres or other specialised tyre products, because they often produce for a single client and don’t use this in active marketing. And no, a ‘sales manager’ posting a picture on LinkedIn doesn’t count. The brands and tyre manufacturers in China that will prevail are those able to build a global marketing strategy and naturally possess the skills to stay at the front of product development and gradually move out of the ultra-budget segment. The rest will learn the hardship of selling cheap tyres on price alone when China isn’t cheap anymore. (TT)

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Kumho Tire USA has marked a successful return to off-road racing in the 2026 season, with its three sponsored drivers securing multiple class podium finishes. Mark Duval, Stephen ‘Woody’ Rose Jr and Eric Wikle all competed on KUMHO Road Venture MT71 mud-terrain tyres, which are engineered for the varied terrain and harsh conditions of competitive off-road courses.

Duval, driving the #4810 entry, claimed the 4800 Class title in the Valley Off Road Racing Association Season Championship after winning all four events in the series. He completed the campaign without a single puncture on his KUMHO tyres. Rose, in the #22 vehicle, earned the Ultra4 Western Regional Series Championship in the 4800 Class, recording one victory and two fourth-place finishes across four demanding races.

Eric Wikle, piloting the #406 entry, took first place in the Rock800 Legends class at the 2026 Casey Folks Vegas to Reno race. He navigated the rigorous 505-mile Nevada desert course, which was run in reverse for the first time in the event's history, with racers competing for the quickest time from Reno to Las Vegas.

The Road Venture MT71 features increased block stiffness for enhanced on- and off-road handling, a high-void tread pattern with a zig-zag and dual-pitch design for maximum off-road traction and mud and stone ejector bars between the shoulder lugs to prevent damage and aid self-cleaning. The drivers' results demonstrate Kumho Tire's commitment to high performance and durability across its Road Venture light truck and SUV tyre range.

Ed Cho, CEO, Kumho Tire USA, said, “We are extremely proud of the success of our drivers this season, which is a testament to the strength and performance of our Road Venture MT71 tyres. Key product insights gathered from these races will be integrated into the next generation of all-terrain tyres to ensure that racing-grade innovations reach everyday drivers.”

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Tana Australia, a subsidiary of Tana Oy, is set to exhibit at Waste Expo Australia 2026, scheduled for 28–29 October at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event will gather professionals from the waste, recycling and resource recovery industries to share insights, examine emerging technologies, and discuss the future of sustainable materials management.

Attendees can visit stand E131 to meet the Tana Australia team, including Managing Director Joshua Feller, Sales Manager Andrew Browne, and Tana Oy's VP of Sales, Marketing & Channel Development Gerd Schreier. The company will showcase solid waste management solutions aimed at boosting operational efficiency, enhancing resource recovery and supporting landfill optimisation.

Tana Australia provides waste shredders, screens, landfill compactors and lifecycle services across Australia, all designed to maximise performance throughout each machine's lifetime.

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) is among three finalists for the Innovation Award of the German Mobility Industry 2026 in the Product/Project category. An expert jury spanning academia, specialist media and all sectors of the mobility industry nominated the cross-industry network for its holistic approach to the tire circular economy. Organised by the German Society for Traffic Sciences (DVWG), the award honours innovative, practical and transferable solutions for tomorrow's mobility. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 17 November 2026 in Frankfurt's Paulskirche.

The network's goal is to keep tyres and their valuable raw materials in the economic cycle for as long as possible. AZuR connects companies from the tyre industry, tyre retail, remanufacturing and recycling with science and research and partners jointly develop and promote sustainable solutions along the entire tyre value chain. Priority goes to extending service life through proper maintenance, repair, retreading and refurbishing, with material recovery and reuse through recycling reserved for tyres that can no longer be used. Roughly 535,000 tonnes of used tyres arise in Germany alone each year, underscoring the importance of longer tyre life and intelligent use of existing resources.

The jury highlighted the finalists' systemic approach, recognising that innovation stems not only from new technologies but also from intelligently interconnecting existing solutions and actors. Joining AZuR in the final are BiciBus-Deutschland, which runs guided bike rides for schoolchildren, and radbox.nrw, a digital platform for safe bicycle parking. Beyond innovative character, the jury deemed it especially crucial that the nominated solutions are already successfully applied and transferable to other areas.

The finalist placement underscores the AZuR network's significance for a resource-efficient mobility economy, as converting linear value chains into closed material cycles demands collaboration among manufacturers, retailers, service providers, recycling companies, research institutions and users. AZuR links these stakeholders, fosters knowledge transfer, initiates research projects and pushes for wider practical use of sustainable tire solutions, so the nomination also honours its partners' shared commitment to longer tyre life, retrofitting and high-quality recycling. Awarded for the sixth time in 2026, the honour also includes a personality prize and a special Mobility Design award, with the ceremony held on the eve of the German Mobility Congress.

Prof Knut Ringat, Chairman of the Jury, said, “Innovation doesn’t always have to be the next big technology. All three finalists combine individual solutions into a system that makes mobility easier, more sustainable and more accessible – and that achieves more than the sum of its parts."

Prof Dr Jan Ninnemann, President of the DVWG and member of the jury, said, “All three finalists are already working in practice. We were also convinced that their approaches are not limited to a single location but can be adopted by other schools, municipalities or companies as well."

Anna-Maria Guth, Network Coordinator, AZuR, said, “The nomination is a great recognition for our entire network and shows that the tyre circular economy is an important driver of innovation for sustainable mobility. Together with our partners, we are committed to using tyres longer through remanufacturing, conserving valuable resources and closing the loop.”

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Partnership targets passenger car radial tyres, with new plant planned and joint venture agreement due by 2030.

Balkrishna Industries (BKT), the Indian maker of off-highway tyres, has agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture with Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli to manufacture passenger car tyres in India, as both companies seek to expand their presence in the market.

BKT and Pirelli signed a framework agreement on Thursday setting out the proposed venture’s structure and timelines, alongside separate agreements covering tyre manufacturing and technical support, according to a stock exchange filing by BKT.

The proposed joint venture will manufacture passenger car radial (PCR) tyres under the Pirelli and BKT brands and establish a new manufacturing plant in India. The partners intend to share the venture’s manufacturing capacity equally, with each nominating two directors to a four-member board and the chairmanship rotating between them.

The joint venture agreement is yet to be signed. The companies have agreed to incorporate the venture by December 31 2030, subject to the fulfilment or waiver of specified conditions.

Under an interim offtake agreement, BKT will manufacture Pirelli-branded passenger car tyres at its existing plant in Bhuj, Gujarat, using Pirelli’s specifications and know-how. Pirelli and its affiliates will purchase the tyres, with pricing based on actual raw material costs plus conversion costs. Payments will be made in rupees for domestic supplies and euros for exports.

The agreement includes a minimum annual purchasing commitment from Pirelli, matched by a corresponding capacity commitment from BKT. The arrangement is expected to remain in force until the joint venture becomes operational and can meet Pirelli’s demand. Otherwise, it will continue until December 31 2031, subject to a possible extension by mutual agreement.

The partnership also provides for Pirelli to supply technical support for testing BKT-branded tyres, including products for sport utility vehicles, passenger cars and two-wheelers. The services will use Pirelli’s testing facilities outside India, with BKT paying fees in euros under an agreed pricing schedule.

For Pirelli, which the filing says currently has a commercial presence in India, the venture represents a step towards strengthening its position in a market with growing demand for higher-value tyres. The company reported consolidated revenue of approximately €6.78bn for the year ended December 2025.

For BKT, the agreement offers a route into the passenger car tyre segment beyond its established business, potentially opening opportunities in domestic and international markets.

The agreements also contain restrictions on competing arrangements. While the framework agreement remains in force, neither company may enter a joint venture or similar arrangement with a third party in India to manufacture car, light truck, motorcycle or bicycle tyres, although wholly owned plants are excluded. Under the offtake agreement, BKT cannot manufacture comparable or competing passenger car tyres for third parties, but remains free to develop and sell its own BKT-branded products.

The proposed joint venture’s completion remains subject to the conditions specified in the agreements. The companies have not disclosed a financial value for the transaction or the proposed plant’s investment cost in the filing.

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