Bridgestone Corporation has officially announced its motorsports plan for the year 2025. The company will continue to support various domestic and international motorsports, ranging from top-level professional race series to grassroots amateur races.

Bridgestone will mainly assist top-tier professional race series by providing Bridgestone POTENZA tyres for Japanese SUPER GT car races. Additionally, the business will supply Bridgestone BATTLAX tyres for the Endurance World Championship (EWC), the world's premier endurance motorcycle race series run by Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), and the All-Japan Road Race Championship. The company is the only tyre provider for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, which includes the INDY500, the most prestigious racing series in North America, with Firestone FIREHAWK tyres for auto races.

As the official tyre supplier for Super Taikyu Series events, the company will continue to provide tyres to grassroots racing. Furthermore, it will provide tyres for Mazda's grassroots motorsport events, the All-Japan Gymkhana Championship, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup and the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge, a beginner-level grassroots racing rally. The POTENZA Circuit Challenge, an open-participation event that gives novices the chance to take their first drive around the circuit, will continue as the brand looks to grow its motorsport fan base. Also, beginning this year, Bridgestone will become the official tyre supplier for the KYOJO CUP, a series of races for female drivers.

Bridgestone will provide competitors with tyres that include ENLITEN technology and a larger percentage of recycled and renewable materials. Additionally, the business will continue to sponsor and promote the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup, an international competition in which amateur drivers compete in zero-emission vehicles with an emphasis on power saving.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Michelin Connected Fleet North America has named Willem Moore as its new Chief Executive Officer. Having been with the parent company since 2019, Moore brings considerable leadership expertise from the technology and mobility sectors. In his new role, he will steer the company's mission to provide advanced fleet management solutions that enhance customer efficiency, safety and sustainability.

“Willem brings an extensive leadership experience in the technology and mobility arenas and will guide our mission to deliver innovative fleet management solutions that drive efficiency, safety and sustainability for our customers. His leadership will help us accelerate innovation while continuing to put our people, customers and partners at the centre of everything we do,” expressed the company.

Moore said, “At Michelin Connected Fleet, we help fleet customers unlock the power of data to accelerate their transformation. Thanks to connected technologies, real-time insights and personalised support. Because we go beyond tools by partnering with our customers. Our end-to-end approach combines smart hardware, advanced analytics and the strength of Michelin’s 130+ years of innovation and trust. I’m honoured to lead such a talented and passionate team across North America and to continue building strong, trusted relationships with our customers and partners. Together, let’s keep moving mobility forward!”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Indian tyre manufacturer Tolins Tyres Ltd launched heavy-duty tractor rear tyres, completing its agricultural tyre portfolio as the company seeks to capitalise on India’s farming sector ahead of the harvest season.

The Kerala-based firm, which already produces tractor-trailer tyres, front tyres and tiller tyres, said the new product would enable it to offer farmers a complete tyre solution for tractors whilst opening fresh revenue streams in the agricultural market.

India’s agriculture sector, which employs nearly half the country’s workforce, is preparing for the upcoming harvest season that typically begins in late September. Tractor sales have remained robust in recent months as farmers invest in mechanisation to boost productivity.

Tolins plans to distribute the new rear tyres through its network of more than 1,200 dealers across India, ensuring availability during the critical farming period.

"The launch of our tractor rear tyres is a significant milestone as it completes our tractor tyre range, enabling us to serve farmers with a comprehensive solution," said Dr KV Tolin, promoter, chairman and managing director of Tolins Tyres.

"Agriculture remains at the heart of India's economy, and we are committed to supporting farmers with durable, high-performance products that enhance efficiency and reliability in the field. Backed by our strong dealer network of over 1,200 partners, this new offering will not only support farmers during the upcoming harvest season but also strengthen Tolins' position in the agricultural segment whilst opening new avenues of growth for the company."

The company said the timing of the launch would allow farmers to prepare their machinery ahead of the 2025 harvest season.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

In the tyre industry, it is very difficult to change a supplier. Once you are a good vendor for the tyre companies, it is very difficult to dislodge the vendor unless they have something really bad. However, post the recent pandemic in 2020, there has been a sea change in the mindset of the tyre companies.   

For a new vendor to enter into the mindset of a tyre purchase head, you have to go head over heels to promote your product and have various tests conducted. However, it still is a long and painstaking process, which could take years just to know that you have not been approved. The importance of getting the right raw material is very important because if the compound is not right, then there is a good chance that the tyre could fail and could lead to a very big lawsuit, especially If a consumer has had a near death experience. So the tyre company has to be 100 percent sure that the new raw material is much better, safer, durable and sustainable.

In the pre-Covid era, you could see that well-established suppliers who have been in the market for decades would not consider participating in an industry event as they did not feel the need because they felt they were well established in the market.

However, after Covid, many companies, especially the vendors, struggled to supply the raw materials to tyre companies due to various issues such as plant shutdown due to labour shortage due to Covid regulations, logistics issues such as lack of truck drivers and less availability of containers, political issues with certain countries, ongoing wars and disputes between countries etc.

So the tyre company purchase heads were compelled to look at other alternative suppliers. If you see the current situation, various tyre companies across the world are under stress as the plants in certain countries are not being viable to run due to various reasons. So they got to be mindful of their purchase of raw materials.

Many tyre companies have also vowed to go the sustainable route by having more ecofriendly materials. So the raw materials companies, whether new entrants or well-established players, have to keep working on innovative products that are sustainable as well as price-competitive.

Tyre companies and their suppliers participating in various forums, such as the recently concluded Tyre Materials Conference in Delhi on 24 June, is encouraging as it provides a platform for the tyre/retread companies to interact with their vendors to understand the changing requirements of tyre companies coming out with new solutions to have a better, safer and sustainable tyre out in the market. n

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

BKT Europe has strategically reinforced its leadership team with three senior appointments, a move designed to significantly accelerate its expansion as a supplier to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This restructuring is a pivotal element of the company’s broader ambition to become a leading global player in the off-highway tyre market.

The new appointments target BKT’s key business segments to deepen expertise and foster stronger partner relationships. Paolo Mantovani has been named Head OEM Industrial & OTR Europe, a role that leverages his fifteen years of extensive commercial and strategic experience across multiple tyre sectors. His profound understanding of OEM requirements is expected to be central to driving growth in the industrial and off-the-road tyre divisions across BKT's essential European markets.

Leading the agricultural sector will be Silvia Busnelli in her promoted role as Head OEM Agriculture Europe. Recognised as a driving force behind the development of the existing OE channel, Busnelli brings a powerful combination of deep product knowledge and trusted relationships with manufacturing partners. Her advancement underscores a strategic commitment to placing seasoned experts in charge of pivotal growth areas.

Further strengthening the technical front, Melodie Dubreuil joins the organisation as OEM Technical Manager EMEA. Her six years of industry experience, including a key tenure at CNH Europe, will be vital for enhancing technical collaboration with OEM partners. She will ensure that BKT’s product solutions continue to align with the evolving demands for performance and innovation.

This consolidated leadership structure positions BKT for substantial growth across its agricultural, industrial and OTR businesses. By placing a renewed focus on expert collaboration and market-specific strategies, the company is building a robust foundation for achieving the sustainable and profitable growth targets outlined in its strategic plan for 2030.

Ludovic Revel, President Global OEM at BKT, said, “This decision reflects our bold commitment to scaling our OE business worldwide, with Europe being a critical part of that journey. Paolo’s arrival enhances our ability to engage with OEMs at the highest level and deliver long-term value through performance, partnership and innovation. We are building a team capable of transforming our strong ambitions into reality at a global level.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!