Bridgestone extends motorsport involvement

Bridgestone Corporation has announced plans to supply tyres to competitors in a sweeping range of motorsport events in 2004. “Bridgestone technology has helped the world’s best racing teams win in Formula One and in other motorsport series, and we are determined to help them keep winning,” declared the company’s CEO, Shigeo Watanabe.

Winning ways continued for Bridgestone in Formula One in 2003. The company’s Potenza tyres carried Michael Schumacher and Ferrari to the drivers’ and constructors’ season championships. Bridgestone tyres have now been first across the finish line in a total of 79 F1 races.

In the 2004 F1 season, Bridgestone will again supply tyres to world champions Ferrari and to three other teams. That means that eight machines will be racing on Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The 2004 season got under way on March 7 with the Australian Grand Prix. This year’s F1 calendar features 18 races, culminating in the Brazilian Grand Prix on October 24.

IndyCar control tyre

Bridgestone’s Firestone brand will again be the sole tyre brand in the IndyCar Series, formerly known as the Indy Racing League. That racing series will include the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 Mile at Japan’s Twin Link Motegi circuit on April 17. Altogether, the 2004 IndyCar Series will comprise of 16 races.

Domestic series too

Japan’s premier open-wheel racing series, Formula Nippon, will be another showcase for Bridgestone tyres in 2004. This year’s Formula Nippon series will consist of nine events, including a race at Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit.

Teams race on tyres from multiple manufacturers in the Japan GT Championship. But competitors equipped with Bridgestone tyres won seven of the eight races in the GT500 class of that series in 2003. The 2004 Japan GT Championship series will comprise of seven races. Bridgestone will also supply tyres for other Japanese auto racing series, including the Japan Gymkhana Championship, the All Japan Dirt Trial Championship, and the All Japan Rally Championship.

And on two wheels

Motorcycle racing also remains an important emphasis in Bridgestone’s motorsports program. At the pinnacle of motorcycle racing is the MotoGP series, and Bridgestone began supplying tyres to competitors in that series in 2002. The company will concentrate its support for grand prix motorcycle racing exclusively on MotoGP competition in 2004. A Bridgestone-equipped rider mounted a MotoGP victory podium for the first time in 2003. That was when Makoto Tamada achieved a third-place finish in the 12th race of the season.

After supplying tyres on just one MotoGP works team in 2003, Bridgestone will provide tyres to three works teams in the 2004 season. Those teams will be racing a total of five machines. In motorcycle racing besides grand prix events, Bridgestone will furnish tyres for the All Japan Road Race Championship, the All Japan Motocross Championship, and the AMA Supercross/National Series.