News - 2021
2021/03/04
Tokyo (March 4, 2021) ― Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) today announced its 2021 motorsport plan. Bridgestone supports various domestic and overseas motorsports, ranging from top-level professional series to grassroots amateur races, primarily by supplying Bridgestone POTENZA tires for car races and Bridgestone BATTLAX tires for motorcycle races.
In Japan, Bridgestone will supply tires for SUPER GT car races and All Japan Road Race Championship motorcycle races. Overseas, tires will be supplied for the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES in North America, for which Bridgestone's Firestone tire brand is the sole tire supplier an arrangement that is set to continue until 2025. Other overseas races supplied will include the Endurance World Championship (EWC), which is the world's foremost series of endurance motorcycle races organized by Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
This year's plan also includes support for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 86/BRZ Race, the All-Japan Gymkhana Championship, the All Japan Karting OK Championship, and the All Japan Motocross Championship, all of which are held in Japan. By supplying tires to these motorsports, Bridgestone hopes to deliver enjoyable driving experiences on track.
The Bridgestone Group has put forth a vision to go beyond tires and become a global leader in sustainable mobility and advanced solutions that create new value for customers and for society. As part of this strategic shift, Bridgestone is committed to collaborating with innovative partners to pioneer active, intelligent and digitally-integrated technologies that will improve the way people move, live, work and play. The harsh conditions and demands of motorsports have long been an important testing and proving ground for Bridgestone innovation, and these partnerships will continue to help drive the development of new products, services and sustainable solutions.
This new vision can be seen within Bridgestone's motorsports partnerships and its support of events focused on accelerating a new generation of sustainable mobility solutions. Among these efforts, Bridgestone has partnered with the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), the world's first head-to-head, high-speed autonomous racing competition among global universities. Bridgestone will serve as the exclusive tire supplier for the event, which is scheduled for October 23, 2021 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway®. In addition to its partnership with the IAC, the company continues to serve as the title sponsor and a tire supplier for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) in Australia. Despite the cancellation of the 2021 BWSC, Bridgestone is set to continue supporting the event through 2030 as teams from around the world advance sustainable mobility innovation through vehicles powered only by the energy of the sun.
Bridgestone will continue to refine its technologies by engaging in a wide range of motorsports in Japan and overseas as a member of the mobility society while contributing to the development of the automotive industry and of motorsports culture. The Bridgestone Group looks forward to your ongoing support of its motorsports activities.
<Car Races>
1. SUPER GT
- This is the most popular top-level race series in Japan. Tires will be supplied by both Japanese and overseas tire manufacturers, and participation in these competitions will help enhance Bridgestone's tire development technologies.
- In 2020, the Driver's and Team's championships in the GT500 class were won on Bridgestone tires. In 2021, Bridgestone will supply tires to nine teams in the GT500 class and five teams in the GT300 class.
SUPER GT GT500 Class Tires: POTENZA RACING TIRE
| Team | Driver | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| TGR TEAM ENEOS ROOKIE | Kazuya OSHIMA | ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra |
| Kenta YAMASHITA | ||
| TGR TEAM au TOM'S | Yuhi SEKIGUCHI | au TOM'S GR Supra |
| Sho TSUBOI | ||
| TGR TEAM KeePer TOM'S | Ryo HIRAKAWA | KeePer TOM'S GR Supra |
| Sacha FENESTRAZ | ||
| TGR TEAM ZENT CERUMO | Yuji TACHIKAWA | ZENT CERUMO GR Supra |
| Hiroaki ISHIURA | ||
| TGR TEAM SARD | Heikki KOVALAINEN | DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra |
| Yuichi NAKAYAMA | ||
| TEAM IMPUL | Kazuki HIRAMINE | CALSONIC IMPUL GT-R |
| Nobuharu MATSUSHITA | ||
| ARTA | Tomoki NOJIRI | ARTA NSX-GT |
| Nirei FUKUZUMI | ||
| Astemo REAL RACING | Koudai TSUKAKOSHI | Astemo NSX-GT |
| Bertrand BAGUETTE | ||
| TEAM KUNIMITSU | Naoki YAMAMOTO | STANLEY NSX-GT |
| Tadasuke MAKINO |
SUPER GT GT300 Class Tires: POTENZA RACING TIRE
| Team | Driver | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| muta Racing INGING | Hiroki KATOH | muta Racing Lotus MC |
| Ryohei SAKAGUCHI | ||
| apr | Koki SAGA | TOYOTA GR SPORT PRIUS PHV apr GT |
| Yuhki NAKAYAMA | ||
| Saitama Toyopet Green Brave | Hiroki YOSHIDA | SAITAMA TOYOPET GB GR Supra GT |
| Kohta KAWAAI | ||
| ARTA | Shinichi TAKAGI | ARTA NSX GT3 |
| Ren SATO | ||
| K2 R&D LEON RACING | Naoya GAMO | LEON PYRAMID AMG |
| Togo SUGANAMI |
2. Kart Races
- These races are prime venues for cultivating promising young racers.
- In 2020, Bridgestone-supplied racer won the series championships in the OK class of the All Japan Karting Championship. Bridgestone will support numerous teams and drivers in 2021 with the aim of helping these racers win series champion titles.
Tires: BRIDGESTONE RACING KART TIRE
| Class | Team | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| All Japan Karting OK Championship | TONYKART RACING TEAM JAPAN | Daiki SASAKI |
| Ayato IWASAKI | ||
| Sota ARAO | ||
| INTREPID JAPAN CORSE | Ryoto SATO | |
| BIRELART RANGO RACING | Haruyuki TAKAHASHI | |
| Yuki SANO | ||
| TEAM KOSMIC KARTING | Azusa OGURA |
And other drivers
3. All-Japan Gymkhana Championship
- In the All-Japan Gymkhana Championship, Bridgestone will supply POTENZA RE-12D TYPE A and POTENZA RE-11S tires.
- In 2020, drivers using Bridgestone tires won the championships in three classes.
Tires: POTENZA RE-12D TYPE A、POTENZA RE-11S
| Team | Driver | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| JG1 | Masaki NISHIHARA | SUBARU Impreza |
| JG1 | Masafumi HISHII | MITSUBISHI LANCER Evolution |
| JG6 | Yu | MAZDA ROADSTER RF |
| JG7 | Tetsuya YAMANO | ABARTH 124 spider |
And other drivers
4. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 86/BRZ Race
- Both professional and amateur drivers compete in this race. Through the supply of tires, Bridgestone aims to communicate the fun of motorsports to as many people as possible.
- Bridgestone will supply POTENZA RE-07D tires for the PROFESSIONAL Series, which is open to both professional and amateur drivers, and POTENZA RE-12D tires for the CLUBMAN Series, which is open to only amateur drivers.
- In 2020, drivers using Bridgestone tires won the series championship title along with the highest number of victories in the PROFESSIONAL Series and the series championship title in the expert class of the CLUBMAN Series.
Tires: POTENZA RE-07D
| Class | Team | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| PROFESSIONAL Series | CG ROBOT RACING TEAM | Rintaro KUBO |
| Yuya TEZUKA | ||
| Ogura Clutch with Revolution | Masahiro SASAKI | |
| RECRO 86/BRZ RACING TEAM | Takuto IGUCHI | |
| T by Two CABANA Racing | Yuui TSUTSUMI | |
| Saitama TOYOPET Green Brave | Hiroki YOSHIDA | |
| Kohta KAWAAI | ||
| ARTA with G-7AUTOSERVICE | Ryusei ONISHI | |
| Mansaku Motors | Shoji INOUE | |
| T2 FACTORY Racing Team | Yoshiyuki TSURUGA |
And other drivers
Tires: POTENZA RE-12D
| Class | Team | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| CLUBMAN Series Expert Class |
SAITAMA TOYOTA MOTOR SPORTS | Masaya HANAZATO |
| TOKOUSHIMA TOYOTA RACING | Masafumi HISHII | |
| AVANTEC RACING TEAM | Marie IWAOKA |
And other drivers
5. Mazda Grassroots Motorsports
- As the sole tire supplier in 2021, Bridgestone will supply POTENZA Adrenalin RE004 to these races, which provide opportunities to experience the pleasure of driving in motorsports.
Tires: POTENZA Adrenalin RE004
| Race | Class |
|---|---|
| ROADSTER Party RaceⅢ | NC series,ND series,ND clubman |
| MAZDA Fan CIRCUIT TRIAL | NORMAL class |
| MAZDA Fan ENDURANCE | NORMAL class |
6. NTT INDYCAR® SERIES
- The NTT INDYCAR® SERIES is the premier open-wheel racing series in North America.
- Through its Firestone brand, Bridgestone will be the sole tire supplier for the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES through 2025. This year will be the 22nd consecutive season that Firestone Firehawk race tires will be the only tires used in the series.
Tires: FIRESTONE FIREHAWK RACE TIRE
| Team | Engine | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| A.J. FOYT ENTERPRISES | Chevrolet | Dalton KELLETT |
| Sebastien BOURDAIS | ||
| Charlie KIMBALL | ||
| ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT | Honda | Colton HERTA |
| Alexander ROSSI | ||
| Ryan HUNTER-REAY | ||
| ANDRETTI STEINBRENNER AUTOSPORT | Honda | James HINCHCLIFFE |
| ANDRETTI HERTA WITH MARCO & CURB-AGAJANIAN | Honda | Marco ANDRETTI |
| ARROW MCLAREN SP | Chevrolet | Patricio O'WARD |
| Felix ROSENQVIST | ||
| Juan Pablo MONTOYA | ||
| CARLIN | Chevrolet | TBD |
| CHIP GANASSI RACING | Honda | Marcus ERICSSON |
| Scott DIXON | ||
| Alex PALOU | ||
| Jimmie JOHNSON | ||
| Tony KANAAN | ||
| DALE COYNE RACING with RICK WARE RACING | Honda | Romain GROSJEAN |
| TBD | ||
| DALE COYNE RACING with VASSER-SULLIVAN | Honda | Ed JONES |
| ED CARPENTER RACING | Chevrolet | Ed CARPENTER |
| Conor DALY | ||
| Rinus VEEKAY | ||
| MEYER SHANK RACING | Honda | Jack HARVEY |
| Helio CASTRONEVES | ||
| PARETTA AUTOSPORT | Chevrolet | Simona de SILVESTRO |
| RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING | Honda | Graham RAHAL |
| Takuma SATO | ||
| TEAM PENSKE | Chevrolet | Josef NEWGARDEN |
| Scott MCLAUGHLIN | ||
| Will POWER | ||
| Simon PAGENAUD |
And other drivers
<Motorcycle Races>
1. FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC)
- The FIM EWC is the only motorcycle road race world championship with multiple tire suppliers.
- In the 2021 season, Bridgestone will supply tires to the YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL team for the first time in addition to supplying the current two teams.
Tires: RACING BATTLAX TIRE
| Class | Team | Rider | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWC | F.C.C. TSR Honda France | Josh HOOK | HONDA |
| Mike DI MEGLIO | |||
| Yuki TAKAHASI | |||
| YART Yamaha Official EWC Team | Niccolo CANEPA | YAMAHA | |
| Karel HANIKA | |||
| Marvin FRITZ | |||
| YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL | Sylvain GUINTOLI | SUZUKI | |
| Gregg BRACK | |||
| Xavier SIMEON |
2. FIM EWC, Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race
- In 2019, a team using Bridgestone tires won this race for the 14th consecutive year.
- The 2020 season was cancelled, but Bridgestone will supply tires to various teams during the 2021 season with the aim of celebrating victory together.
- Teams being supplied with Bridgestone tires will be announced before the 2021 Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race event starts.
3. MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship
- In 2020, riders on Bridgestone tires won series championships in two classes (JSB1000 and ST600). In 2021, Bridgestone will supply tires to numerous riders, including those on 13 teams competing in the JSB1000 class and teams in the J-GP3 class.
- In addition, Bridgestone will continue to support ST600 class races by supplying BATTLAX RACING R11 (NHS) tires exclusively to all teams and drivers in 2021.
Tires: RACING BATTLAX TIRE
| Class | Team | Rider | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSB1000 | YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM | Katsuyuki NAKASUGA | YAMAHA |
| MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO. Honda | Teppei NAGOE | HONDA | |
| Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing | Ryuichi KIYONARI | HONDA | |
| Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA | Sodo HAMAHARA | HONDA | |
| Kosuke racing | Kosuke AKIYOSHI | HONDA | |
| Honda Suzuka Racing Team | Yudai KAMEI | HONDA | |
| Team ATJ | Satoru IWATA | HONDA | |
| TOHO Racing | Hiromichi KUNIKAWA | HONDA | |
| BabyFace Powerd by YOSHIMURA | Kazuma TSUDA | SUZUKI | |
| Team KAGAYAMA | Yukio KAGAYAMA | SUZUKI | |
| will raise racing RS-ITOH | Akira YANAGAWA | KAWASAKI | |
| TEAM SUGAI RACING JAPAN | Yoshiyuki SUGAI | DUCATI | |
| Team TARO PLUS ONE | Taro SEKIGUCHI | BMW | |
| J-GP3 | SDG MORTORSPORT RT HARC-PRO | Akito NARITA | HONDA |
| Marumae MTR | Masaki TOKUDOME | HONDA | |
| Team PLUS ONE | Shota KIUCHI | HONDA | |
| ST600 | Bridgestone will supply tires to all teams and drivers as the exclusive tire supplier. | ||
And other riders
4. MFJ All Japan Motocross Championship
- In the 2020 season, riders using Bridgestone tires won the series champions in the IA1 class and in the Ladies' Class.
- In the 2021 season, Bridgestone will continue to supply tires to three classes (IA1, IA2, and Ladies' Class).
Tires: BATTLECROSS X10/X20/X30/X40 and other tires for motocross races
| Class | Team | Rider | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA1 | Honda Dream Racing Bells | Kei YAMAMOTO | HONDA |
| Bells Racing | Yohei KOJIMA | HONDA | |
| T.E.SPORT with GOSHI | Gota OTSUKA | HONDA | |
| T.E.SPORT | Kazunari ONO | HONDA | |
| TEAM KOHSAKA | Ukyo MICHIWAKI | HONDA | |
| Hakuryu MICHIWAKI | |||
| TKM motor sports | Takumu YOKOSAWA | HONDA | |
| bLU cRU RACING TEAM TAKA | Yuui HOSHINO | YAMAHA | |
| Team SBE | Yutaka HOSHINO | SUZUKI | |
| SRF Kanto AS SHIMIZU | Takumi UEHARA | SUZUKI | |
| Motoki NISHI | |||
| IA2 | Honda Dream Racing Bells | Kainosuke OSHIRO | HONDA |
| Bells Racing | Taiga YANASE | HONDA | |
| T.E.SPORT | Negishi MIZUKI | HONDA | |
| bLU cRU M FACTORY | Kota TORIYABE | YAMAHA | |
| Takezawa OFC | Masanobu MUROI | YAMAHA | |
| SRF Kanto AS SHIMIZU | Kenta SAITO | SUZUKI | |
| Ryosuke MANO | |||
| 98% RACING | Ren FUKUMURA | SUZUKI | |
| Team SBE | Yuki KONDO | SUZUKI | |
| MOUNTAIN RIDERS | Atsuki UCHIDA | KAWASAKI | |
| Ryo IKEDA | |||
| Yoshihito AKUNE | |||
| LMX | T.E.SPORT | Manaka KAWAI | HONDA |
| Iroha ONO | |||
| Kotono YAMASAKI | |||
| Team SBE | Yuzuki SEO | SUZUKI |
And other riders