Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) is celebrating its iconic Potenza tyre line’s 45th anniversary by competing in the 40th running of the Tire Rack One Lap of America event 4-11 May, 2024. 

The company says Team Potenza Race and Team Potenza RE-71RS will participate in the eight-day, 3,500-mile (5,673km) event, which is considered one of the most difficult endurance challenges in the United States. The cross-country event spans 15 states and includes time attack trials at some of America’s most famous racetracks. 

Teams will spend nearly 24 hours a day making the gruelling journey and pushing the tyres’ performance and durability to the limit across multiple courses and thousands of miles.

This year also marks the 45th anniversary of Bridgestone’s Potenza tyre line, which it says was engineered to bring thrill, passion and performance of the racetrack to everyday drivers. 

The name Potenza translates to ‘power’ in Italian, connecting the company’s passion for performance with a culture known for its contribution to global motorsports. Bridgestone says its participation in One Lap of America offers the opportunity to highlight high-performance products that are designed to deliver wins both on and around the track that empower everyone to perform at their best.

Cara Krstolic, Executive Director, Race Tire Engineering and Production, Bridgestone Americas said, “Motorsports have been fundamental to Bridgestone’s identity for more than 60 years, and racing is a true passion for us as a company to enhance the joy of the sport. One Lap of America offers a thrilling platform to celebrate and showcase our high-performance Potenza lineup’s enduring legacy of performance and reliability. We will continue to use racing as a proving ground for our R&D efforts. What really matters is that the new solutions we deliver on track today will transform premium mobility on the road tomorrow.”

Team Potenza Race and Team Potenza RE-71RS will be advised by professional racecar driver Katherine Legge, who has won multiple races in the International Motorsports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and boasts one of the most diverse resumes in modern motorsports. 

In addition to IMSA, Legge has experience in NASCAR, INDYCAR, ChampCar, DTM, A1GP, Formula E, Formula 3, Formula Atlantic, Formula Renault, Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series and a Formula One test with Minardi.

The Team Potenza Race will consist of Krstolic and professional racecar driver Christina Nielsen. Krstolic has more than 15 years of racing experience and oversees all design, development, manufacturing and track-side support of INDYCAR race tyres in North America. Nielsen brings over 15 years of global professional racing experience and is a champion of the IMSA Endurance Championship and a two-time champion of the IMSA Weathertech series. 

Krstolic and Nielsen will comete in a 2024 Acura Integra Type S equipped with Bridgestone Potenza Race tyres. As team number 93, Krstolic and Nielsen celebrate the number of years Bridgestone has been in business. Team Potenza Race will be competing in the sports/GT cars over $50,000 and engine displacement under 3.5L class.

Introduced in May 2023, the Bridgestone Potenza Race is engineered for track-driving enthusiasts based on their expectations for an ultra-high performance tyre. The semi-slick Potenza Race tyre is claimed to deliver the fastest lap time and the shortest braking on dry pavement among key competitors. This pairs well with outstanding track longevity to help driving enthusiasts perform and push their limits on the track. The Bridgestone Potenza Race tyre is available in the U.S. and Canadian markets in 13 sizes from 17-inch to 20-inch rim diameters. Popular fitments include sports cars and supercars most commonly used on streets and tracks, including Maserati, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini, BMW M, Audi RS, Mercedes-AMG and more.

On the other hand, the Team Potenza RE-71RS will consist of drivers Todd Chapman, Senior Product Manager at Bridgestone Americas, partnered with automotive influencer Dustin Williams. Chapman has nearly 20 years of grassroots racing experience and has completed over 90 races to date. Williams has competed in various racing events around the world including Global Time Attack, GridLife and the Maximum Attack Challenge in Japan. Chapman and Williams will be competing in a 2024 Honda Civic Type R equipped with Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS tyres. As team number 45, Chapman and Williams give a nod to the Potenza line’s 45th anniversary. Team Potenza RE-71RS will be competing in the sports/GT cars under $50,000 and engine displacement under 3.5L class.

Launched in April 2022, the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS is engineered for grassroots racing, designed with track day, autocross and endurance racing drivers in mind. The flagship Potenza product, the Potenza RE-71RS, is a dedicated track tyre designed for precision performance and blistering lap times, delivering enhanced steering and grip and extended wear life. The Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS tire is available in the U.S. and Canadian markets in 38 sizes from 15-inch to 20-inch rim diameters. Popular fitments include Mazda Miata/MX-5, Subaru BRZ, Ford Mustang, Porsche Cayman and BMW 3-Series.

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Legislation aimed at overhauling decades-old federal tyre safety regulations has been introduced in the United States Senate. The Tire Safety Modernization Act of 2026, sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, seeks to replace outdated testing mandates with contemporary performance standards that better reflect current manufacturing innovations and production techniques.

The proposed bill directs the Department of Transportation to revise federal testing protocols, retiring obsolete requirements in favour of more relevant criteria. A key component of the legislation involves aligning high-speed testing procedures with internationally recognised best practices while also clarifying existing safety criteria to ensure more effective regulatory oversight. The measure preserves a strong emphasis on passenger safety while adapting to the capabilities of modern tyre engineering.

Strong support for the initiative has emerged from the tyre manufacturing sector. Anne Forristall Luke, President and CEO of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association, praised the bipartisan effort as a crucial step towards aligning American rules with technological progress, bolstering road safety and enhancing the industry’s global competitiveness. Executives from major manufacturers, including Continental Tire, Goodyear and Yokohama, have similarly endorsed the update, noting that it would allow engineering and compliance resources to focus on innovations that genuinely benefit drivers.

Senator Warnock highlighted the importance of Georgia’s prominent tyre production sector, while Senator Wicker emphasised that federal regulations have failed to keep pace with evolving manufacturing technology. Industry leaders collectively view the act as a thoughtful, science-based modernisation that supports domestic manufacturing competitiveness and ensures that safety standards reflect the demands of modern vehicles, roads and driving conditions across the country.

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Bridgestone's e-CENTRE Excellence Programme has delivered a significant financial boost to two community organisations in South London, with nearly GBP 1,000 raised through a charity initiative run by Merityre Southfields, a flagship Bridgestone e-CENTRE. The campaign generated a total of GBP 938, which was evenly distributed between St Michael's Church Social Projects and the Friends of Wimbledon Park, both of which are vital to the Wandsworth area.

Over a five-month period spanning November and December 2025, as well as February to April 2026, motorists were given a one-pound donation token with every Bridgestone tyre purchased. Customers were then able to choose which of the two local causes would receive their contribution, resulting in GBP 464 for St Michael's and GBP 474 for the Friends of Wimbledon Park.

The funds allocated to St Michael's Church Social Projects will finance the installation of an additional water tap at its Kitchen Garden Project, located on the Church Memorial Field. Since its establishment in 2020, the garden has expanded into a productive allotment with over 30 raised beds, providing fresh organic produce for community lunches and a weekly food bank. The new tap is expected to reduce watering time for volunteers, enabling them to dedicate more attention to the retired, unemployed, isolated and vulnerable individuals who rely on the project for support, skill development and social connection.

Meanwhile, the Friends of Wimbledon Park will direct its share towards a new seating area in the Waterfall Garden, with any leftover funds supporting tree and bulb planting as well as maintenance materials. This retail-led effort exemplifies a core component of Bridgestone's broader e-CENTRE Excellence Programme, which has allocated over GBP 1 million to encourage retailers to adopt sustainable practices and foster positive social and environmental change within their localities.

Dene Arnold, Director, Merityre, said, “As a business rooted in the local community, we wanted to give our customers the opportunity to support causes that really matter to people in Southfields. We're incredibly grateful to everyone who got behind the campaign and helped us raise such a fantastic amount. Being part of Bridgestone's e-CENTRE network is about much more than providing premium products and services. It's about making a meaningful contribution to the communities we serve and creating a positive impact beyond the garage doors. It's especially rewarding to know exactly where the money is going. Whether it's helping volunteers continue to grow fresh produce for people in need or creating new spaces for the community to enjoy in Wimbledon Park, these are projects that will make a lasting difference locally.”

Gresia Cabrera, Bridgestone's Business Development Manager and project lead for the e-CENTRE programme, said, “Community engagement sits at the heart of the eCentre philosophy, so it's fantastic to see Merityre Southfields bringing that vision to life. The team continues to demonstrate that modern tyre retailers can be a force for good, supporting local people and causes while delivering outstanding service for motorists. Initiatives such as this show that the industry can make a genuine difference and create value far beyond tyres alone. One of the strengths of the e-CENTRE programme is that it empowers retailers to make a meaningful impact in the communities they serve. Seeing these donations translated into practical improvements that will benefit local people for years to come is exactly what the programme is all about.”

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Citira has finalised the acquisition of Malte Månson, a prominent independent Swedish workshop operator specialising in truck and bus maintenance. The integration, which secured all necessary regulatory clearances prior to its closure, officially brings the Swedish firm under Citira’s corporate umbrella. This strategic move effectively merges Citira’s specialised tyre management capabilities with Malte Månson’s comprehensive vehicle servicing offerings.

By combining these complementary strengths, the unified entity now provides Swedish fleet operators with a singular, streamlined contact point for maximising heavy vehicle uptime. Malte Månson, renowned for its continuous round-the-clock support and extensive technical proficiency across entire vehicles from powertrains to auxiliary systems, generated substantial annual revenues of SEK 773 million (approximately USD 81.06 million) in 2025. The group’s newly consolidated service portfolio is poised to deliver enhanced operational efficiency for commercial transport clients nationwide.

David Boman, CEO, Citira, said, "Tyre management and vehicle maintenance solve the same problem for our truck and bus customers: keeping fleets moving. Malte Månson gives us the expertise to offer both under one roof, which is exactly the kind of complete service offering our customers have been asking for.”

Staffan Lindewald, CEO, Malte Månson, said, "Citira felt like the right fit from the start, both as a company that shares our focus on service and respect for the customer relationship, and as one that lets us offer customers combined tyre management and vehicle maintenance for heavy vehicles under one roof. I'm confident our customers will value that.”

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Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc. (TNA) has commemorated the production of its 100 millionth tyre at its White, Georgia, facility, a site that has been operational for more than two decades. The plant has become a crucial hub for delivering premium products and fostering expansion within essential markets while simultaneously bolstering the local area through sustained employment, economic stimulation and ongoing capital investment.

This landmark accomplishment is a testament to the persistent effort and collaborative spirit of the workforce that has established the factory as a pillar of the company’s achievements. Since its inception, the staff has been instrumental in cultivating a workplace ethos centred on excellence, creativity and high performance. The journey from the first tyre in 2005 to the historic June milestone was marked by the involvement of veteran employees David Hughes, Steve Addison and Glen Schulz, all of whom remain with the organisation today.

Patrick Lenz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing Inc, said, "Reaching 100 million tyres is an extraordinary milestone, but the true achievement is the people behind it. Today we celebrate 100 million tyres produced, a milestone that demonstrates what can be achieved when talented people work towards a shared goal. Our employees are the foundation of this success, and their dedication has positioned us as a leader in our industry. While we are proud of this achievement, we are even more excited about the future and what we will accomplish together next."

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