It will be the third consecutive season that Bridgestone has served as presenting sponsor and marks the fourth straight year that it will be exclusive tyre supplier to the Champ Car World Series.
An additional part of the manufacturer’s commitment to the open-wheel series sees it sponsoring the $10,000 Bridgestone Pole Award at each Champ Car event. The award will go to the top qualifier at every event with $5,000 going to the pole winning driver and another $5,000 going to charity.
In addition, Bridgestone will award $30,000 at the end of the season to the driver winning the most poles during the year, with an additional $10,000 going to the winning team’s chief mechanic.
The agreement also brings back the Bridgestone alternate tyres at selected events for the 2005 season. They are made of a softer compound, allowing higher speeds and added passing opportunities. Each team can use one set of the alternate tyres – distinguishable by red marking on the sidewalls – during the race.
“The Champ Car World Series has been a great platform to showcase the technological capabilities of the Bridgestone race tyres and to develop innovations like the alternate tyre concept,” said Al Speyer, executive director, Bridgestone Motorsport.
The 2005 season consists of 14 events run in five different countries, and ends on November 6 in Mexico City.
