Bridgestone's Tire Rack One Lap of America teams in front of their vehicles
The Tire Rack One Lap of America is a unique, spirited road trip that includes 3,500 miles of driving across 15 states, integrated with 20 competitive events, including autocross, drag racing, and time attack-style racetrack events. The entire race spans just eight days, and competitors are allowed only one set of tires.
Entrants need to be proficient drivers (with decathlete levels of talent) and choose a capable vehicle that delivers a balance of performance, reliability, and comfort. But even more importantly, they must carefully select a tire that can survive unpredictable weather along the route, offer impeccable stability at high speeds, and withstand the abuse of racing.
This week, the 40th running of One Lap of America begins at the Tire Rack headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of its Potenza line of tires, Bridgestone Tire is entering two teams—Team Potenza Race and Team Potenza RE-71RS—to highlight the capability of its products.
“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,” said Cara Krstolic, Executive Director, Race Tire Engineering and Production, Bridgestone Americas. “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.”
The 2024 Honda Civic Type R on Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS tires
The first of the two teams, Team Potenza Race, includes Cara Krstolic (Bridgestone Tire) and Christina Nielsen (professional racer), piloting a 2024 Acura Integra Type S on Bridgestone Potenza Race tires. The Potenza Race is an ultra-high-performance tire with a semi-slick tread face engineered for fast lap times and short braking distances. The tire is designed for sports cars and exotics from Porsche, McLaren, Ferrari, and more (it’s an OE fitment on the Lamborghini Huracán STO).
Bridgestone’s second team, Team Potenza RE-71RS, includes Todd Chapman (Bridgestone Tire) and Dustin Williams (automotive influencer). The pair will drive a 2024 Honda Civic Type R fitted with Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS tires. The RE-71RS is engineered for grassroots racing and designed with racing circuits, autocross, and endurance events. The flagship Potenza tire boasts large tread blocks to maximize its contact patch. Designed fitments include the Subaru BRZ, Mazda Miata/MX-5, Porsche Cayman, Ford Mustang, and BMW 3-Series.
Professional racecar driver Katherine Legge coaches the two teams. As one of the most proficient drivers in the industry, she has experience with IMSA, NASCAR, INDYCAR, ChampCar, DTM, A1GP, Formula E, Formula 3, Formula Atlantic, Formula Renault, Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series and Formula One.
Legge will likely tell the Bridgestone teams that their first objective is to finish the race—you can’t win if you aren’t around for the last day. The Acura and Honda are reliable, so mechanical issues shouldn’t be a problem. As for the tires, keeping a meticulous eye on tire pressures is imperative. Drive hard to win the competitive events, then back off and preserve the rubber on the long sections connecting the venues.
And if anyone is wondering, my money is on the Civic Type R. While the Honda and Acura are virtually identical mechanically, the stickier and more aggressive RE-71RS tires have a competitive advantage-based on my personal experience—they do exceptionally well on front-wheel drive platforms.
