Though Dunlop is only present in LM P2 in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the manufacturer returned to GT at the beginning of the year as the exclusive supplier for three years to competitors in the European championship present in LM GTE and GTC. It also equipped JMW Motorsport's Ferrari that raced in the LM GTE Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Dunlop has also expressed a desire to return to the LM GTE Pro and Am classes, and perhap to LM P1, looking to private teams first. It's in that vein the manufacturer used the Bahrain circuit the day after the final round of the WEC season for several days of testing sessions, including LM P2 class cars.

It has been in LM P2 that Dunlop has become a master these last few years at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, equipping the top five in the class, including KCMG's winning Oreca 05 which used nine sets of slick tyres for the duration of the race. Out of 19 entered, Dunlop crushed its competitor Michelin with 15 autos. Even better, the three outfits that led in the class were all equipped with Dunlop tyres, the three types of slick tyres capable of quadrupling the stints, more than 650 km.

The best lap was snatched as well by the American-British group (the Dunlop marque was bought out by American company Goodyear in 2003) thanks to Oliver Turvey in Jota Sport's Gibson, second and the winner the previous year.

In all, the LM P2 competitors using Dunlop tyres completed, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 4,248 laps or 57,896 km, more than a trip around the world, in 24 hours!

Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, THURSDAY JUNE 11 2015, QUALIFIYING SESSIONS. Signatech Alpine was one of the competitors equipped with Dunlop tyres at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.