Bridgestone outlines 2018 motorsports activities

As set out in its recently-released 2018 motorsport plan, this year Bridgestone Corporation will continue to be involved in various motorsport championships, ranging from top-level races to grassroots series contested by amateurs.

In Japan, Bridgestone will provide tyres to teams competing in the Super GT Series of car races, supplying nine teams in GT500 class and four teams in GT300 class, as well as in the All Japan Road Race Championship and the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race motorcycle races. Looking overseas, the company will deliver tyres to teams participating in the Endurance World Championship (EWC) in Europe and other locations. In addition, it will continue as sole tyre supplier of the Verizon IndyCar Series in North America for the 19th consecutive season. Through its involvement in these top-level races, Bridgestone says it “is working to enhance its tyre development capabilities.”

Bridgestone is also supporting various grassroots motorsport events this year, including the Toyota Gazoo Racing 86/BRZ Race, the Roadster Party Race III, and the All-Japan Gymkhana Championship, all of which are held in Japan. In addition, Bridgestone continues to supply tyres to a team competing in the Nürburgring 24 Hours Endurance Race, which gathers crowds of more than 200,000 spectators. By supplying tyres to these grassroots motorsport events, Bridgestone hopes to deliver enjoyable driving experiences.

Tyre supply will primarily focus on Potenza brand tyres for car races and Battlax brand tyres for motorcycle races.

In a statement, Bridgestone comments that these motorsports initiatives form an important communication platform that is directly linked to its tyre business. In addition to supplying tyres, Bridgestone will hold events both inside and outside racing circuits and share information on supported series via its website and social media sites.