Bridgestone in NASCAR? Possible, but not probable

Oct. 28, 2004

Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. is not even strongly considering putting in a bid to supply NASCAR with tires when its contract with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. expires in 2007.

That rumor started when grandprix.com ran an article on Oct. 25 stating Bridgestone was, indeed, planning to launch such a bid. "The company is expected to start testing tires in the course of 2005 and the suggestion is that the car will be supplied by Toyota, which is planning its own NASCAR bid in 2006," reported grandprix.com.

Al Speyer, executive director of motorsports for Bridgestone Americas Holding, told moderntiredealer.com that the report is inaccurate. "We are interested in evaluating the situation, but I´d say we aren´t strongly considering putting in a bid," he says. "We look into opportunities all the time."

Speyer says Bridgestone Americas is "very happy" with its participation in open-wheel racing, which is "generating positive publicity for us."

The grandprix.com item also indicated that Michelin North America Inc. was interested in bidding. A Michelin spokesman said the company has nothing to announce (Michelin never comments on rumors), although he added that Michelin is re-evaluating its motorsports program.