Pirelli and Metzeler on the podium 40 times
Milan, 20 December, 2000. Pirelli and Metzeler tyres scored 40 podium finishes this year in the different motorcycle racing disciplines of Europe and North America.
Pirelli Supercorsa and Metzeler Rennsport dominated the various Supersport 600 championships: Yamaha/Pirelli riders Antonio Carlacci, Jim Moodie, Soren Hole and David Jeffries won the Supersport 600 championships of Italy, Great Britain, the Scandinavian open and the Isle of Man TT respectively. Jeffries also took the Isle of Man TT Senior 1000 and Carlacci distinguished himself by scoring four pole positions in five championship races. For Metzeler, Kaufmann of Germany on Suzuki, Weichel of Canada and Hinterreiter of Austria, both on Kawasakis, won their national Supersport 600 championships.
Metzeler Rennsport also achieved another prestigious success when Ducati rider Stefano Cruciani won the Italian Sport Production Championship. No less impressive was Pirelli Supercorsa, for whom Barner (Kawasaki) won the Finnish Superbike title. In the United States, Lee Acree underlined once again the superiority of Pirelli's zero degree steel radial technology used by all Pirelli and Metzeler riders by winning the PACE 600 Sportbike Championship on his Pirelli-shod Suzuki.
Off-road, South African Grant Langston on a KTM continued Pirelli's winning tradition in motor cross by taking the 2000 world 125 cc championship. Cedric Melotte also did well on his KTM to win the German 125 cc cross title.
Metzeler dominated enduro motorcycle racing this year, continuing another of the Pirelli Group's traditions by producing this long list of successes: in the German 125 cc championship, Bogeholz took the title on a KTM and Husqvarnas Trinks was runner-up; a triple success in the 250 cc championship, won by Thelen (Husaberg) with Schreiner (Honda) second and Singler (Kawasaki) third; there was another triple in the 400 cc 4T, won by Matoska on a Husaberg, with Ramsbacher and Zitzewits, both on Suzukis, second and third respectively. And for good measure, Fleck and Mader (EML) won the German enduro sidecar title on Metzeler tyres.