By Mike Nicks

Dunlop and Pirelli will slug it out in a two-manufacturer contest to win the valuable contract toꦇ supply the entire British Superbike and British Supersport grids in 2008, it emerged at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Both companies bring huge credibility in their attempt to clinch a deal that is aimed at levelling competition and reducing costs in one of the world's premier mo🅷torcycle racing series.

Pirelli have already proved that they can supply 30,000 🅠tyres a year in their role as the sole provider for the World Superbike and World Sup✤ersport series. And Dunlop can point to an involvement with British Superbikes since 1972 - and the fact that their racing tyres are made in Britain.

"We will be putting everything behind this bid," Dunlop UK Motorsport manager Phil Plater said. "I've been involved with this championship for 16 years, I know every circuit inside out, and product availability will not be a problem for u🔯s. Everything is in place, and we could do this tomorrow."

Dunlop already supply a majority of the 30-plus 𝕴starters in the Superbike championship, while Pirelli cater for slightly more than half of the Supersport teams with their Italian-built tyr🌃es.

"We will be tendering," Pirelli's UK racing manager Jason Griffiths confirmed at Brands. "We have the experience of supplying the World Superbike series. We already have five or six ride🤡rs in British Superbikes, and we have prov𓄧ed in WSB that supply will not be a problem."

Reigni🍒ng BSB champions Michelin will not tender for the deal, the company's tyre chief Daniel Croispine confirmed at Brands. The French company had already decided to quit the British Superbike scene now that 𝔍Honda is withdrawing its official HRC Fireblades from the 2008 series, which will have simplified technical rules.

He said that Mic🍬helin prefers to contest free-tyre championships, and suggested that the gap between the fastest and slowest riders in World Superbikes had remained about the same, despite the use of a single-tyre rule.

"It still ꦚdoesn't give the same chance to everyone," he added.

BSB race director Stuart Higgs has received no ind🦹ication that MotoGP c🦂hampions Bridgestone are interested in entering a Superbike contest.