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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Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB (publ) has disputed a request from Infiniteria Sweden AB and Infiniteria Europe Sàrl to terminate the company’s ongoing reorganisation. In a statement submitted to the Gothenburg District Court on 22 April, Enviro argued no grounds exist to end the process, originally approved on 27 February 2026. A creditors’ meeting on 18 March saw no opposition to the reorganisation continuing.

The dispute stems from Enviro’s decision to terminate the joint venture agreements with Infiniteria under Swedish law, calling them burdensome and loss‑making. Infiniteria filed a termination request on 15 April, which Enviro answered on 22 April. Enviro disputes the request and several supporting claims.

Enviro states the joint venture caused its financial difficulties, while its business plan shows opportunities to build a profitable enterprise using its patented technology. Infiniteria has asserted a preliminary damages claim of approximately EUR 84 million, but Enviro notes the claim is unsubstantiated and partially overlaps with ongoing arbitration announced on 6 February.

Enviro points to contractual liability caps, including EUR 3 million in the marketing and agency agreement and EUR 2 million in the license agreement. Infiniteria has not shown why these caps should not apply. Regarding the license agreement under English law, Enviro maintains termination was lawful, meaning Infiniteria’s exclusive right to Enviro’s technology has ceased.

Despite the legal conflict, Enviro reports strong global interest. A North American feasibility study is progressing faster than expected, and licensing dialogues are ongoing with around 10 stakeholders. Enviro remains determined to build long‑term value without the former joint venture’s constraints.

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Hankook Tire has released a new brand film titled ‘Formula E Rewind’, inspired by the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The company serves as the exclusive tyre supplier for the global all-electric racing series, which is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. The latest cinematic work follows a previous Formula E brand film introduced in April last year.

That earlier production focused on Hankook’s advanced motorsports technologies and research supported by cutting-edge infrastructure. Its high production quality earned a Silver Prize in Sound Design at the Seoul Video Advertising Festival 2025, one of South Korea’s largest advertising awards. The newly unveiled film employs a distinctive rewind visual technique, shifting attention from racing outcomes back to the origin of technology. It emphasises that every race starts with the tyre while promoting the innovative ‘iON’ brand, the world’s first full lineup of electric vehicle tyres.

The film dynamically showcases the next-generation electric racing machine GEN3 Evo, which reaches 322 kilometres per hour and accelerates from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in just 1.86 seconds. It also features the official electric racing tyre ‘iON Race’, delivering a powerful sense of speed. By reconstructing race sequences in reverse, the video creates a fresh narrative that boosts viewer immersion. The slogan ‘Where it all begins’ and a composite logo reinforce Hankook’s positioning as a key Formula E partner.

The brand film will be distributed across Hankook’s owned media platforms, including its global website, YouTube and Instagram, aiming to engage motorsports fans, EV users and future mobility consumers.

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Solvay has significantly expanded a global framework agreement with IMI, accelerating the installation of connected industrial sensors throughout its worldwide manufacturing network. Under the extended partnership, IMI remains Solvay’s preferred supplier, with over 5,000 sensors already deployed across 25 sites in 11 countries. The ongoing rollout is enhancing operational reliability and efficiency while simultaneously lowering costs and reducing the company’s environmental impact.

The connected devices, classified as Industrial Internet of Things sensors, continuously monitor vibration and temperature on critical machinery. This real‑time data allows Solvay teams to track asset performance, prevent unexpected breakdowns, and schedule maintenance precisely when needed. The group intends to expand the sensor network to 9,000 units by 2027, reinforcing its shift from traditional time‑based maintenance to a predictive, data‑driven approach.

This sensor initiative is central to Solvay’s Essential for Generations strategy, which prioritizes operational excellence and sustainability. By leveraging real‑time information, the company predicts equipment failures, cuts repair expenses, and limits energy losses and waste. Having scaled from just a few hundred sensors in 2023 to more than 5,000 installed globally, Solvay is building a more resilient and reliable industrial footprint across all regions.

Lanny Duvall, Chief Operations Officer at Solvay, said “Digitalisation is reshaping the way we run our plants. Expanding the use of connected sensors helps us make quicker and better-informed decisions that improve safety, reliability and energy efficiency – while also making our operations more competitive and cost‑effective. It’s a concrete accelerator of the operational excellence transformation we’re driving across Solvay as part of our Essential for Generations strategy.”

Diana Garcia, Global Business Development Manager, Digital Products at IMI, said, “The complexity of modern plant operations, coupled with constant pressure on margins, means the chemical industry cannot rely on manual inspections to ensure maintenance operations are efficient and effective. Our technology provides real‑time insights that support Solvay’s move towards predictive maintenance. We are pleased to deepen this successful collaboration.”

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Nexen Tire America has detailed how original equipment tyre development has shifted from a standalone process to an integrated engineering effort conducted alongside new vehicle design. The company explains that modern vehicle complexity, driven by electrification and advanced driver systems, requires tyre engineering to begin in parallel with suspension, chassis and electronic control development. This earlier collaboration allows tyre performance to be optimised for hybrid and electric vehicle demands such as noise reduction, load capacity and rolling resistance.

Aaron Neumann, Head of the Nexen Tire America Technical Center, describes how suppliers must now adopt faster development cycles and deeper technical collaboration. The traditional model of selecting off-the-shelf tyres has been replaced by purpose-built designs tuned to specific safety, handling and efficiency targets. Electric vehicles have added further criteria including range optimisation and tyre noise mitigation.

To manage these demands, Nexen has expanded its use of simulation and modelling technologies. Finite element analysis and data-driven tyre modelling allow engineers to evaluate performance early in the development cycle, reducing the number of physical prototypes required. Despite this digital focus, physical testing remains extensive and includes laboratory procedures such as high-speed endurance, rolling resistance, uniformity, noise and flat-spotting assessments.

On-road validation involves instrumented traction and braking tests, ride and handling evaluations, treadwear analysis and durability testing across varied surfaces and climates. Each tyre’s tread pattern, construction, footprint and profile are refined through iterative testing specific to the target vehicle. While some materials overlap with replacement tyres, original equipment fitments are engineered to balance performance, efficiency and comfort.

Over the past decade, Nexen Tire has more than doubled its original equipment portfolio in North America. This growth is attributed to an engineer-to-engineer collaboration model emphasising transparency and responsiveness. Many technologies developed for original equipment programmes, including advanced compounds and tread designs, are later incorporated into replacement tyres.

For consumers, these behind-the-scenes engineering efforts result in tyres more precisely matched to vehicle performance. Neumann notes that modern tyres rank among the most complex vehicle components, having to deliver safety, efficiency and comfort simultaneously across a wide range of conditions, even if that complexity remains largely invisible to drivers.

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