Las Vegas, Nev.(November 2, 2005) – Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) announced today at the 2005 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show that the Bridgestone brand will be a sponsor of the 2006 Need for Speed™ Formula Drift (Formula D) Championship Series and offer a contingency program to Formula D drivers.

 “Formula D is the preeminent drift series in the United States, and they have achieved this status through tremendous dedication and hard work,” said Phil Pacsi, executive director, North American Consumer Tire Brand Marketing, BFNT.  “Bridgestone brand tires have been highly acclaimed in drifting events in Japan where the Bridgestone Corporation is a leading tire company in D1 Grand Prix drifting.  We want to build on that excitement here by sponsoring Formula D and by offering what is the most lucrative contingency program available to its drivers.”

BFNT will exhibit Bridgestone tire technology at 2006 Formula D events, including the new Bridgestone® brand Potenza™ RE-01R™ tire for driving enthusiasts.  The high performance street and track tire, introduced earlier at this year’s SEMA Show, delivers the advanced grip and handling performance essential in professional drift competition.  It will be available beginning April 2006 in 13 popular 16- to 19-inch, 30- to 55-series sizes.

Formula D will display banners with the Bridgestone brand at each competition and Bridgestone branded images will be shown on the racetrack’s JumboTron™ screen.  Formula D also will issue announcements relating to the Bridgestone brand sponsorship via the public address system.  The Bridgestone brand will further be recognized in Formula D announcements, promotional materials and on the Formula D Web site (www.formulad.com) as an official Championship Series sponsor.

“This will be a good relationship for Formula D and BFNT going forward,” said Jim Liaw, managing director, Formula Drift, Inc.  “The best result is the increased excitement we’re delivering to our dedicated drifting fans.”

Entering its third season, the Need for Speed Formula Drift Championship Series is the first and only officially sanctioned (by SCCA Pro Racing) and recognized North American professional drifting championship series.  Drifting is a motorsport that requires drivers to intentionally maneuver their vehicles into well-executed, controlled slides at high speeds through a marked course.  Competitors are judged primarily on style, not necessarily by elapsed time.

Seven Formula D events are scheduled for 2006. Scheduled venues are: Long Beach, Calif.; Road Atlanta, Ga.; Soldier Field, Ill.; Infineon Raceway, Calif.; Evergreen Speedway, Wash.; Wall Speedway, N.J. and Irwindale Speedway, Calif.

To further showcase Bridgestone tire technology at these events, BFNT has extended a contingency program to Formula D drivers to encourage them to drive on Bridgestone brand tires.

At each event, BFNT will award prize money to Bridgestone-shod vehicles that finish in the top three places overall ($5,000 to first place, $3,000 to second place and $1,000 to third place). The highest finishing vehicle with Bridgestone tires, regardless of overall rank, will be awarded $1,000 ($750 to the second highest and $500 to the third highest).

At the end of the year, BFNT will award $7,000 if a vehicle with Bridgestone tires wins first place overall in the Formula D Championship Series ($5,000 to second place and $3,000 to third place). The highest finishing vehicle with Bridgestone tires, regardless of overall rank, will be awarded $3,000 ($2,000 to the second highest and $1,000 to the third highest).

Formula D drivers can send an inquiry to formuladrift@bfusa.com to learn more about registering for the BFNT contingency program. Drivers will be required to exclusively use (any) Bridgestone brand tires on all four positions of their vehicle during the entire event. A 12” Bridgestone brand decal must be placed on each fender above the tire and one (minimum) 1” x 5” Bridgestone brand patch (or embroidery) must be visible on the driver’s suit.

Contingency participants must also display a 26” to 33” Bridgestone brand decal on the side of their car trailers (or support vehicles) and must exhibit a 3’ x 10’ Bridgestone brand banner in the driver’s paddock area.

In a related Formula D initiative, BFNT is sponsoring Tsukasa “Papa” Gushi of Team Gushi Auto in the 2006 Championship Series.  Gushi will compete in a Team Kingpin Performance/Gushi Auto Subaru WRX STi shod with Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R tires which is on display at the SEMA Show in the Seibon International, Inc. booth (#24757).