Latest news with #Bridgestone
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
David Howard puts blazer chase aside to focus on South of Ireland title bid at Lahinch
But while making the cut and winning his first two matches makes him odds-on to hold on to his top-two status in the Bridgestone Order of Merit and earn automatic selection on Sunday night for next month's Home Internationals, he's looking to add the South to his maiden major win in the East of Ireland last month. He beat Palmerstown House's Ross McCormack 2&1 before seeing off Charleville's Jordan Boles 6&5 to set up a last 16 clash with Irish Close champion Thomas Abom from Edmonstown. And after being forced to dig deep just to make the top 64 who qualified for the matchplay stages, playing his last six holes in four under to make it with a shot to spare, he's not going down without a fight now. "It's a long day, long week, and I have a few things hanging over me," said Howard, who has decided not to worry about the mathematics of who might overtake him in the Order of Merit. "I need to stay second to be guaranteed a pick for the Homes but while I try to not think about and play my golf, obviously it's in the back of my mind." He continued his excellent play in a light westerly breeze, making five birdies in the morning and another four in the afternoon. West of Ireland champion Dylan Holmes, who ended Keith Egan's top-two Order of Merit hopes and then beat Mountrath's Niall Hearns in the afternoon to make the last 16, could overtake Howard if he wins the title. But Howard is focusing on his battle on the opposite side of the draw, where Galway veteran Joe Lyons faces Lahinch's Jonathan Keane and Conor Stapleton from Westport takes on Carton House's Paul O'Hanlon, who was a 19th hole winner over 2023 champion Colm Campbell. "If I win this week, no one else can get in the way," said Howard, who feels his putting is coming together after some recent work with Kevin Morris at Fota Island. He faces a tough match against Thomas Abom, who chipped in for birdie at the 18th before beating Tralee's Mark Gazi with another birdie at the 20th and going on to beat Galgorm's Jamie Sutherland 2&1. The winner will face Roganstown's Mark Cadden or Abom's brother Liam, who beat Galgorm Castle's Josh Hill one up in the afternoon. Cadden, controversially left out of the Irish team for the Boys Home Internationals, held off a back nine comeback from 2012 winner and 'South' specialist Pat Murray to win his morning match one up before ousting former Irish Close champion Quentin Carew 2&1 in the afternoon. At the top of the draw, Seapioint's Dylan Keating became the fourth leading qualifier in a row to exit on day one, losing one up to Monkstown's Sean Desmond, who went on to beat East Clare's Eoin Magill. Desmond now takes on 2019 winner and former Walker Cup star Caolan Rafferty, who came back from three down with five to play to edge out Berehaven's Joe O'Neill on the 18th. The Dundalk man won the 14th, 15th and 17th to level the match before O'Neill hit his approach too close to the wall at the 18th and, unable to make a full backswing, conceded after twice failing to get on the green. "It was just a rough spin in for Joe," Rafferty said after his closing birdie. "I just kept hitting fairways and greens, and what happened on 18, it's not nice when something like that happens to a nice guy like Joe." The winner of the Desmond-Rafferty clash will take on Galgorm's Jordan Hood, who beat the combative Douglas man Barry O'Connell one up, or the steady Athenry grinder David Kitt. West of Ireland winner Holmes from Greystones looks like a serious challenge for last year's leading qualifier Ryan Griffin from Ballybofey and Stranorlar after he followed his win over Egan with five birdies in a 6&5 victory over Hearns. The winner of Holmes-Griffin clash will face Connemara's Luke O'Neill or Grange's Jake Whelan. O'Neill beat Royal Dublin's Sean Downes with a birdie at the fifth extra hole, the Dell, in round one before defeating Fionn Dobbin 5&3 while Whelan didn't have to go past the 16th in beating Bunclody's Jason Rackard and Mullingar's Adam Smith. Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch First round: S Desmond (Monkstown) bt D Keating (Seapoint) 1 up; E Magill (East Clare) bt B Oberholzer (Clandeboye) 2/1; C Rafferty (Dundalk) bt P Curran (Edmondstown) 5/4; J O'Neill (Berehaven) bt J Butler (Naas) 3/1; B O'Connell (Douglas) bt A Buchanan (Royal Portrush) 1 up; J Hood (Galgorm Castle) bt C Clarke (Balmoral) 2/1; D Kitt (Athenry) bt R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 5/3; C Cooley (Belvoir Park) bt D Reddan (Castleknock) 1 up; R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) bt R Latimer (Knock) 3/2 A McCormack (Castletroy) bt E O'Carroll (St Annes) 6/5; D Holmes (Greystones) bt K Egan (Carton House) 3/2; N Hearns (Mountrath) bt J Foley (Elm Park) 2/1; L O'Neill (Connemara) bt S Downes (Royal Dublin) 23rd; F Dobbin (Malone) bt E Sullivan (Portmarnock) 3/2; J Whelan (Grange) bt J Rackard (Bunclody) 3/2; A Smith (Mullingar) bt D Lally (Blainroe) ) 5/4; J Lyons (Galway) bt C Hickey (Dooks) 5/3; B Cahill (Dundalk) bt S Barry (Fota Island) 1 up; S Loftus (Lahinch) bt J Maginn (Mourne) 19th; J Keane (Lahinch) bt G O'Neill (Malahide) 4/3; C Stapleton (Westport) bt T Scroope (Nenagh) 3/2; G Donohoe (Enniscorthy) bt R Sykes (Dun Laoghaire) 2 up; P O'Hanlon (Carton House) bt J Walsh (Douglas) 6/5; C Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt K Bornemann (Douglas) 3/2; T Abom (Edmondstown) bt M Gazi (Tralee) 20th; J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) bt C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 4/2; J Boles (Charleville) bt D Hogg (Belvoir Park) 6/5; D Howard (Fota Island) bt R McCormack (Palmerstown House) 2/1; L Abom (Edmondstown) bt D O'Sullivan (Tralee) 3/1; J Hill (Galgorm Castle) bt TJ Ford (Co Sligo) 21st; Q Carew (Castleknock) bt B Howlin (The Heritage) 19th; M Cadden (Roganstown) bt P Murray (Adare Manor) 1 up. Second round: Desmond bt Magill 1 up; Rafferty bt O'Neill 1 up; Hood bt O'Connell 1 up; Kitt bt Cooley 3/2; Griffin bt McCormack 1 up; Holmes bt Hearns 5/3; O'Neill bt F Dobbin 5/3; Whelan bt Smith 5/4; Lyons bt Cahill 6/5; Keane bt Loftus 3/2; Stapleton bt Donohoe 1 up O'Hanlon bt Campbell 19th; T Abom bt Sutherland 2/1; Howard bt Boles 6/5; L Abom bt Hill 1 up; Cadden bt Carew 2/1. Saturday - Third rd.: 8:00 Desmond v Rafferty; 8:12 Hood v Kitt; 8:24 Griffin v Holmes; 8:36 O'Neill v Whelan; 8:48 Lyons v Keane; 9:00 Stapleton v O'Hanlon; 9:12 T Abom v Howard; 9:24 L Abom v Cadden.
Web Release
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Web Release
Bridgestone's Tips for Choosing Right Tyres
Road travel increases significantly during holidays or summer, prompting many drivers to change their vehicle's tyres for safer journeys. However, selecting the right tyres is not always straightforward, as numerous factors must be considered. Bridgestone, a global leader in premium tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, offers tips to help you make the right choice when buying tyres. Only Approved Tyres When replacing your car's tyres, you should consult the vehicle's technical documentation for the tyre dimensions and see all the 'equivalent' alternatives based on load capacity index, speed category, identical outer diameter (with a ±3% tolerance), and the corresponding rim profile. You can find the tyre's dimensions and specifications on the sidewall marking. For example, a 205/55 R16 89V tyre includes: · Width: 205 mm · Aspect ratio: 55 (height/width ratio expressed as a percentage) · Rim diameter: 16 inches (the 'R' indicates a radial tyre) · Load index: 89 (580 kg per tyre) · Speed rating: V (up to 240 km/h) The manufacturing date is indicated in the DOT code on the sidewall. The last four digits (e.g., 1024) represent the week and year of manufacture: week 10 of 2024. Don't Compromise on Safety Many drivers routinely choose budget tyres without considering their pros and cons, which can be a serious mistake. Choosing the right tyres and maintaining them properly can significantly lower fuel consumption, improve driving safety, and prevent risks and breakdowns. That is why opting for premium tyres is important, as they offer greater durability and exceptional performance compared to low-cost alternatives. A Tyre for Every Car and Driving Style The type of car and driving style are also key factors in tyre selection. For electric vehicles or calm drivers, the priority is usually low rolling resistance (for maximum energy and fuel efficiency), quietness, comfort, and maximum safety. Conversely, for powerful vehicles and/or sporty drivers, the requirements are entirely different. In this case, tyres should be chosen for their handling precision, steering response, high stability, cornering control, and superior grip. Geography and Weather Matter Too It is also essential to consider the region you drive in and its weather conditions. Driving on mountainous roads in winter (with low temperatures and occasional rainfall) is not the same as driving during summer (with drier climate and high temperatures). Based on these factors, you can choose summer tyres (fitted on most vehicles), winter tyres (better performance below 7°C), or all-season tyres (which combine the benefits of both, but are less specialised for each season). Considering these tips, it is important to remember that only a small surface area of the tyre — roughly the size of a postcard — maintains contact with the road. At Bridgestone, we want to emphasise the importance of choosing the right tyres for your car. Each tyre type or model is designed to meet specific needs, so making the right choice is key to ensuring performance, safety, and driving experience. 'The road can test us at any moment. Choosing the right tyre not only improves comfort and efficiency but can make all the difference in a critical situation,' says Adrià Martínez, Engineer at Bridgestone's Technical Department. Ultimately, we cannot always predict what will happen on the road, but we can prepare by choosing the appropriate tyres that meet our expectations and needs because they can make all the difference when it matters most.
Mid East Info
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Mid East Info
Bridgestone's Tips for Choosing Right Tyres - Middle East Business News and Information
Road travel increases significantly during holidays or summer, prompting many drivers to change their vehicle's tyres for safer journeys. However, selecting the right tyres is not always straightforward, as numerous factors must be considered. Bridgestone, a global leader in premium tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, offers tips to help you make the right choice when buying tyres. Only Approved Tyres: When replacing your car's tyres, you should consult the vehicle's technical documentation for the tyre dimensions and see all the 'equivalent' alternatives based on load capacity index, speed category, identical outer diameter (with a ±3% tolerance), and the corresponding rim profile. You can find the tyre's dimensions and specifications on the sidewall marking. For example, a 205/55 R16 89V tyre includes: Width: 205 mm Aspect ratio: 55 height/width ratio expressed as a percentage Rim diameter: 16 inches the 'R' indicates a radial tyre Load index: 89 580 kg per tyre Speed rating: V up to 240 km/h The manufacturing date is indicated in the DOT code on the sidewall. The last four digits e.g., 1024 represent the week and year of manufacture: week 10 of 2024. Don't Compromise on Safety: Many drivers routinely choose budget tyres without considering their pros and cons, which can be a serious mistake. Choosing the right tyres and maintaining them properly can significantly lower fuel consumption, improve driving safety, and prevent risks and breakdowns. That is why opting for premium tyres is important, as they offer greater durability and exceptional performance compared to low-cost alternatives. A Tyre for Every Car and Driving Style: The type of car and driving style are also key factors in tyre selection. For electric vehicles or calm drivers, the priority is usually low rolling resistance (for maximum energy and fuel efficiency), quietness, comfort, and maximum safety. Conversely, for powerful vehicles and/or sporty drivers, the requirements are entirely different. In this case, tyres should be chosen for their handling precision, steering response, high stability, cornering control, and superior grip. Geography and Weather Matter Too: It is also essential to consider the region you drive in and its weather conditions. Driving on mountainous roads in winter with low temperatures and occasional rainfall is not the same as driving during summer with drier climate and high temperatures. Based on these factors, you can choose summer tyres fitted on most vehicles, winter tyres (better performance below 7°C), or all-season tyres which combine the benefits of both, but are less specialised for each season. Considering these tips, it is important to remember that only a small surface area of the tyre — roughly the size of a postcard — maintains contact with the road. At Bridgestone, we want to emphasise the importance of choosing the right tyres for your car. Each tyre type or model is designed to meet specific needs, so making the right choice is key to ensuring performance, safety, and driving experience. 'The road can test us at any moment. Choosing the right tyre not only improves comfort and efficiency but can make all the difference in a critical situation,' says Adrià Martínez, Engineer at Bridgestone's Technical Department. Ultimately, we cannot always predict what will happen on the road, but we can prepare by choosing the appropriate tyres that meet our expectations and needs because they can make all the difference when it matters most.
Motor 1
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘Do You Really Think I Need New Tires?:' Dealership Says Customer Needs New Tires. Here's How to Tell if Yours Are Worn Out
The masterminds behind an Alabama-area car dealership went viral on Facebook after sharing a cheeky video showing how to tell when it's time for new tires. Town & Country Ford (@AlabamaFord) posted the clip to its Facebook page in May, urging customers to bring their cars in for inspection if their tires are looking rough. In the video, a dealership employee poses the line, 'Do you really think I need new tires?' before the camera pans over to three men who all share one physical trait—they're bald. The joke might have gone over some viewers' heads, but for others, the message was clear: If your tires are worn down to the point that there's little to no tread left—much like a bald head—it's time to get them replaced. 'We think it's time to get some new tires,' the caption reads. 'Get yours at Town & Country Ford.' As of this writing, the video has racked up over 608,000 views. What Does It Mean If My Tires Are 'Bald'? When a tire is bald, it means the tread has worn down so much that there's barely any grip left. That grooved pattern is what helps your car stay on the road, especially in rain or snow. Tires have built-in wear bars that run across the tread. If the tread wears down to the same level as those bars, the tire is no longer safe. Anything at or below 2/32 of an inch is legally worn out. According to Bridgestone , the largest manufacturer of tires in the world, there's an easy way to check. Take a penny and insert it into one of the grooves with Lincoln's head facing down. If you can see the top of his head, the tread is too low, and the tire needs to go. You should also keep an eye out for cracks or deep cuts in the rubber, especially if they expose metal belts underneath. Bulges in the sidewall or tread are another warning sign. If anything looks off or feels weird when you drive, always get your car checked. Skipping maintenance or ignoring signs can speed up the damage and put you at risk. Driving With Bald Tires Is Extremely Dangerous Driving on bald tires is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. When the tread wears down, you lose traction. Those grooves in your tires help push water away so the rubber can grip the road. Without them, you're more likely to hydroplane on wet pavement. Stopping becomes an issue, too. Worn tires take significantly longer to brake, especially in bad weather. Bald tires are also more likely to get punctured or blown out. With less rubber between you and the road, things like nails and potholes can do serious damage. In other words, good tread isn't optional—it's what keeps you safe. Check your tires regularly, and as Town & Country Ford said, replace them when they're worn. Viewers Appreciate Dealers' Way of Teaching About Cars Viewers praised Town & Country Ford's cheeky video as a clever way to teach people about bald tires. Some admitted the joke went over their heads at first—pun intended—but said it landed once they caught on. 'I'm so slow it took me a minute to realize,' one commenter wrote with a crying laughing emoji. 'I understand how old and bald play into this,' another added. 'You lost me at beards.' A few joked about the missing fourth 'tire' in the video, since only three bald men were shown. 'So you're telling me one's still good, right?' one person quipped. 'Old, bald, and you're missing a fourth tire!! [You're] riding on three wheels!!?' another said. 'Someone shoulda took one for the team and shaved their head for the fourth tire,' a third added. Still, not everyone was laughing. One woman shared a cautionary tale: 'Me the other day, when I said, 'It'll be fine,' then had a blowout going down the interstate with the wires showing.' Motor1 has reached out to Town & County Ford via a Facebook direct message. Now Trending 'Another Pink Tax:' NYC Woman Hires Man to Be Her Boyfriend for 1 Hour So She Doesn't Get Scammed When Buying Ford Truck 'Walmart Has to Pay:' Woman Pulls Into Walmart Parking Lot to Pick Up 5 Bags of Miss Vickies Chips. Then a Sign Falls On Her Car Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Daily Maverick
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Maverick
Trump tariffs threaten thousands of Eastern Cape manufacturing jobs — but mitigating action can be taken
The announcement by US President Donald Trump that South African goods will be subject to 30% import tariffs from 1 August is the latest addition to the clamour of alarm bells about the viability of manufacturing in the Eastern Cape, potentially putting thousands of jobs on the line. The reality is that a number of countries will now have significant cost advantages over South Africa, including countries on this continent, while other countries have the flexibility to absorb the tariffs. In addition, this will strengthen countries with lower tariffs that we did not compete with in the past. And if imports from South Africa are replaced with products made by new US manufacturers, there will be an oversupply of these products in the global marketplace. Analysis by the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Business Chamber indicates that thousands of direct and indirect jobs in manufacturing in the Eastern Cape are at risk from the impacts of the new US tariffs. This is in terms of reduced competitiveness and economies of scale of SA manufacturing against more favourable locations worldwide, as well as the knock-on effects on other trading relationships and the responses of other countries in an escalating global tariff war. Such job losses will have a vast socioeconomic impact, given that each employed breadwinner supports an estimated 10 other people in extended families and communities. Alarm bells over the loss of manufacturing capacity and employment in NMB have been ringing for some time, as evidenced by the downsizing of operations and outright plant closures. This has been particularly evident in the tyre industry, where over the past few years we have seen Bridgestone and ContiTech closing factories, while Goodyear is restructuring its operations, which may result in the closure of its plant in Kariega. Over recent years, we have also seen the restructuring and, in some instances, the closures of catalytic converter and seat manufacturing companies. Automotive sector faces crisis On the vehicle manufacturing side, General Motors left South Africa at the end of 2016, resulting in the Chevrolet brand leaving the market and job losses at the company, suppliers and dealers. Alongside this, vital community support initiatives in the education and housing areas disappeared. Mercedes-Benz, which exports vehicles to the US, has suspended production at its operations for six weeks until the end of this month. This follows a restructuring last year that saw the plant shed 700 jobs. The NMB Business Chamber's Enabling Environment Barometer indicates that more direct and indirect jobs are at risk, while several manufacturers have imposed hiring freezes. Deindustrialisation is not in itself the issue. The shift from heavy industry and manufacturing to the services sector and high-tech, innovation-oriented businesses is a natural progression in advanced, maturing economies, especially where services are exported, which is not necessarily the case in South Africa. The country is in line with global trends in developed economies of a declining contribution of manufacturing to GDP and employment. However, in our developing economy with rising unacceptably high levels of unemployment (the Eastern Cape has the second-highest unemployment rate in SA, which recently rose by 2.7 percentage points to 39.3%), this is not a sign of positive economic progress; it is a trend that urgently needs to be reversed. Deindustrialisation in South Africa stems from a weakening economy characterised by increasing costs of production and doing business, inefficiencies in logistics and infrastructure, and a lack of basic service delivery. The enabling policy environment is also lagging in incentives to support local manufacturing in general, and particularly the shift to new energy vehicle technologies and e-mobility solutions, all of which are exacerbated by the US tariffs and their knock-on effects. Multinationals can move production between facilities around the globe, which gives them the most competitive base from which to operate. This becomes a barometer — the greater the number of multinationals closing or downsizing, the bigger the systemic problems in a region. Why Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape can't afford to fail The economy of Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape is in a vulnerable position, as the region remains centred on manufacturing, with the automotive sector the foundation of deep value chains and a surrounding ecosystem of component manufacturing, logistics providers and suppliers of indirect goods and services. The strength of the automotive sector and its investment in innovation and technology, and the skills associated with it, bring immense value to the area. Alongside this, manufacturing in other sectors, such as beverages, pharmaceuticals and agro-processing, has emerged in NMB. Given the economic knock-on impact of manufacturing, the sector's contribution to the Nelson Mandela Bay economy is probably far greater than its direct contribution of 25%. Similarly, the approximately 64,000 jobs in the metro directly linked to the automotive sector, representing more than 40% of auto manufacturing employment in South Africa, have an estimated multiplier effect of four additional jobs in direct supply chains and sectors such as retail, tourism and property. The SA automotive industry is highly export-oriented, with almost two-thirds of local vehicle production destined for export markets and more than 50% of that emanating from Eastern Cape manufacturers. South African manufacturers need to retain these levels of exports to maintain the economies of scale that enable competitiveness, which in turn supports local vehicle manufacturing and employment. However, manufacturers that do completely knocked down (CKD) vehicle manufacturing, where the entire vehicle is assembled from imported or locally made parts, are losing ground to the rapid rise of cheap fully assembled vehicles and the semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly of vehicles that are imported partly assembled. Sales of locally built vehicles have declined from 46% of domestic vehicle sales in 2018 to 37% last year, and five of the 10 top-selling passenger cars in the local market are now from brands that do not do CKD assembly in South Africa. Due to its deep value chains and interconnectedness with component manufacturers, and the surrounding network of local suppliers of goods and services, as well as the ripple effect into other sectors, CKD manufacturing supports far greater levels of investment, employment and localisation of manufacturing than does SKD assembly. Policy reform While addressing the issues of ineffective service delivery, crumbling infrastructure, logistics bottlenecks and safety and security are critical to ensuring an enabling environment for business, the other key to reversing deindustrialisation lies in reforming the policy landscape. Attempting to protect local manufacturing through retaliatory tariffs is not the solution, as this is likely to result in further rounds of counter-tariffs and impacts on South Africa's trade relationships with the US and other countries — an unproductive approach with few likely positive outcomes. Rather than using tariffs to eliminate external competition, South Africa needs to be looking at how to support and strengthen local manufacturing through incentives that encourage investment in CKD over SKD manufacturing, localisation of components, and give local operations a competitive advantage over other locations within a multinational brand. Moreover, we need to reduce complexity and make it as easy as possible to retain and attract investment to our country. Incentives should be structured to attract and encourage new investment without imposing massive bureaucratic challenges. Alongside efforts to improve SA's trade offer to the US, we need to explore and strengthen other trading partnerships, particularly with BRICS countries, the European Union and Southeast Asia, to diversify our markets. We should be driving towards finalising the rules of origin for vehicles to activate the potential under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. Exports to BRICS markets currently generally comprise unbeneficiated raw materials and agricultural products. SA's exports to the European Union and the US represent greater diversity and integration, and more opportunities for job creation that are backed and supported by trade agreements. SA needs to be a source of high-margin value-added products and beneficiated minerals, not a source of low-margin minerals. We must do everything possible to retain and strengthen our manufacturing capabilities so that we can create and unlock downstream employment opportunities. Manufacturing is the bedrock of the Nelson Mandela Bay and Eastern Cape economy. The economic future of this region depends on strategic action to ensure that we offer a competitive value proposition for manufacturing, in terms of the basic enabling environment and forward-thinking policy. Our business community wants this to happen and is not simply whining about the issues; rather, we will continue to roll up our sleeves to take action and be part of the solution to retain investment and employment in NMB. The chamber remains positive that we can realise the potential of the Bay of Opportunity as a diversified manufacturing and export hub for Africa, if we start now. This requires a multi-stakeholder response centred on speed and taking action. DM
