Tyre brand Dunlop will sponsor the Townsville round of the V8 Supercars Championship as part of its launch of the new passenger road tyre, the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx.

The event is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors, as well as being broadcast throughout the country. It will be the first V8 Supercars event in North Queensland. V8 Supercar events are held in all states of Australia as well as rounds in New Zealand and Bahrain. It is the most pupular motorsport in Australia, and has a large following in New Zealand.

"We have high expectations for the event, firstly because it is the new territory and the first time the V8 Supercars have raced in North Queensland, and secondly, because we have a great fan base in the region and they tend to be starved of major sporting events," said V8 Supercars chief executive Cameron Levick.

Melissa Tilley, Dunlop brand manager, said: "The Dunlop Townsville 400 sponsorship is an extension of this strong relationship we have formed and the mutual benefits we gain from it."