Organizing The Michelin Automotive Event in Spain

WThe Inside Story Behind Michelin Track Connect Event

The Lowdown on Michelin Track Connect Almeria 2018

If you’re a keen rally enthusiast or amateur racing driver, the mere mention of the Michelin Track Connect Almeria 2018 will ramp up the heartbeat and demand your instant attention. As an established events agency that supplies specialist vehicles for one-off automotive events and track days, Fastlane Luxury Cars was proud to have supplied the supercars used for this three-day event. Consider us a dating agency – but matching sexy cars with wannabe racing divers. It’s a match made in heaven! Just tell us exactly what your dream wheels are, and we’ll do the rest”

The great news is that track events such as Michelin Track Connect can put anyone behind the wheel of a supercar – even you! With Michelin’s innovative technology, any amateur or semi-pro rally driver can have the same benefits as if they had an engineer feeding them information from the co-driver seat!
OK, so you don’t have a team of mechanics, or a Ferrari 488 GTB and a Porsche 911 Carrera Sport Coupe in the garage (and even if you have, you probably don’t want to risk it on a race track). That’s where we come in. Fastlane Luxury Cars can source and supply whatever luxury cars you need – whether it’s a Ferrari for a track day, a Porsche for a rally, or a beautiful Bentley Continental GT just to make a statement.

How Michelin Track Connect Almeria 2018 Came About

Michelin Track Connect Almeria 2018 was more than just another track event – it was a momentous breakthrough in automotive history. When we talk about racing, we think first of the car and the engine, but Michelin understood it’s all hot air and wind without the right tyres. And even the best super-performance tyres are not enough unless they are precisely attuned to the pressure and temperature that the track requires – and that’s not a constant thing.
Michelin came up with a technology app, Michelin Track Connect, which reads the data from the tyres in real-time. As well as the app, the 400€ kit includes four sensors housed in special tyres (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup II Connect), plus a Bluetooth receiver to interpret the data. The lightweight sensors are able to read the tyre pressure to within 0.05 bars and the temperature to within one degree, making them far more accurate than the most sophisticated Temperature and Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) which uses sensors attached to tyre valves.

A 3-Day Track Event in Almeria

After lengthy development and testing, Michelin announced they were ready to track test their futuristic app, and they chose to launch it at Michelin Track Connect Almeria 2018. They organised this one-time 3-day track event in Almeria, Southern Spain. Fastlane Luxury Cars supplied three Ferrari 488 GTBs and a Porsche 911 Carrera Sport Coupe for this momentous event.
The famous 4.2km Almeria Racing Circuit includes seven right-hand bends and five left-hand bends with challenging changes of grade throughout. Famous names in the racing world gathered with the international press to put the new Michelin Track Connect System through its paces. Happily, the technology exceeded all expectations.

Fastlane Luxury Cars is an established event agency that supplies special car for Automotive Events

How Michelin Track Connect Technology Works

Michelin understood that once a car has done a few laps the entire dynamics change as the tyres heat up and the pressure rises. Generally, as tyres heat up the tread begins to curve, reducing contact with the road surface by around 19%. This results in reduced traction and slower track times. The car begins to understeer, response is slower, and lap times lengthen.
Once the Track Connect sensors have been fitted into the receptacle in the tyres, information is fed back to the driver via the app, which interprets and advises on conditions. After a few test laps, cars are taken in for a pit stop. The information is read and tyre pressure is adjusted, as per the app recommendations, to provide prior peak performance for the track conditions. By lowering the pressure, drivers can dramatically improve their circuit times.

Michelin’s App, A New Coach for Drivers

There’s even a timer and gauge within the app. When the race is underway, drivers can read the info and use it to anticipate understeering or oversteering. At Michelin Connect Almeria 2018, drivers found that by using the sensor feedback, they could reduce lap times by up to 6 seconds. As that famous quote states, “knowledge is power”, and never more-so than on the race track!
But there’s more good news. Michelin claims the lower pressure and increased road contact reduces aquaplaning in wet conditions. It also guarantees more even wear which doubles the longevity of the tyres. At around 1200€ each, that’s quite a consideration. It more than justifies the 399€ outlay for the app and sensors.
The only thing elated drivers have to remember is to re-inflate the tyres before driving home!

What’s the future for Michelin Track Connect?

This new technology is set to revolutionize track days and amateur race events going forward. The sensors can be removed and re-installed in other suitable tyres, making it a one-time purchase for would-be Prosts and Schumachers.
Michelin Track Connect epitomises what track days are all about. It isn’t just beating other drivers on the day; you can set your own challenges and improve your own best times and achievements.
If you are planning to organise an automotive event of any kind, feel free to contact us at Fastlane Luxury Cars. We have the experience, the know-how, and the fleet of supercars to make your race track event an overwhelming success!