DMACK plays 'joker' for Greece

DMACK has opted to play its mid-season 'joker' ahead of the Acropolis Rally as the tyre firm focuses its efforts on the WRC2 and Production categories of the World Rally Championship.

In accordance with the technical regulations of the championship, each tyre manufacturer is allowed to nominate one new specification of both its gravel and asphalt tyres during the season.

In playing its 'joker', DMACK has nominated the S3 compound of its DMG+2 gravel tyre as the hard option for the remainder of this year. This tyre has been used in all three gravel events so far this season as the soft option for competitors - but will now switch to hard.

The company has also introduced an all-new S1 compound which will now become the soft tyre option for gravel events. The S1 has been developed specifically to boost performance on the remaining rallies this year and will be particularly suited to the more smooth, fast gravel events such as Finland and Australia. DMACK believes the move will allow its crews to be more competitive in the second half of the season, especially across the WRC2 support series which is becoming increasingly popular.

One competitor who has welcomed the changes is Peruvian Nicolas Fuchs. He currently lies second in the WRC2 series but has dominated the WRC2 Production Cup for DMACK after taking victory on the last three events. Ricardo Trivino, also a DMACK runner, lies second behind Fuchs.

The S3 compound has been well proven over the last few months and the company is confident it can deliver the required levels of performance and durability as the hard tyre option.

However, it's going to have a tough first test in the form of this week's round six of the WRC based at Loutraki in Greece. The Acropolis has a reputation for being tough on cars, tyres and drivers with its searing temperatures and rough roads punishing all three.

As well as delivering durability on the abrasive roads, the DMG+2 gravel tyre will also need to offer high levels of puncture resistance on the rock-strewn stages once the action starts on Friday. WRC2 competitors will have a maximum of 28 tyres allocated for the rally.

"We've strategically played our joker and introduced a new soft tyre to help give our competitors the best possible options for the remainder of the season," said Dick Cormack, DMACK motorsport director. "We've got a lot of confidence in the S3 compound which has demonstrated it can cope with the demands of extreme gravel conditions.

"The new S1 will be more suited to the faster events this year and gives us a selection which is more focused on performance. We've also decided to concentrate on the WRC2 series as it provides a much better opportunity to showcase DMACK products on a level footing."

DMACK had been supplying tyres to Ford Fiesta RS WRC privateer, Martin Prokop, however, he switched to Michelin tyres in Argentina.