Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire Sponsors “Papa” Gushi In 2006 Formula Drift Competition
Las Vegas, Nev.(November 2, 2005) – Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) announced today at the 2005 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show it will sponsor Tsukasa “Papa” Gushi of Gushi Auto Race Program (Team Gushi Auto) in the 2006 Need for Speed™ Formula Drift (Formula D) Championship Series.
Gushi, founder and president of Team Gushi Auto, will compete for top ranking behind the wheel of the Team Kingpin Performance/Gushi Auto Subaru WRX STi shod with new Bridgestone® Potenza™ RE-01R™ high performance tires with UNI-T™ technology. The vehicle is on display at SEMA in the Seibon International, Inc. booth (#24757).
“Tsukasa Gushi’s passion for import racing and impeccable reputation make him a model ambassador for BFNT as it enters drifting competition with the Bridgestone brand in the United States,” said Phil Pacsi, executive director, North American Consumer Tire Brand Marketing, BFNT. “We’re proud and very excited to support Mr. Gushi with our Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R, a tire that delivers the advanced grip and handling performance essential in professional drift competition.”
The Team Kingpin Performance/Gushi Auto Subaru WRX STi will be branded with “Bridgestone” and “Potenza RE-01R” when competing in 2006. Bridgestone emblems will also adorn Gushi’s race suit.
“I have always been a big fan of Bridgestone performance tires,” said Gushi, who moved from Okinawa, Japan to San Gabriel, Calif., in 1988. “Bridgestone Potenza tire technology is unmatched and gives me great confidence heading into the season. In Japan, the Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R and its predecessor, the Potenza RE-01™ are very popular tires for drifting. Now enthusiasts in the United States are about to find out why.”
The W- and V-speed rated Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R tire carries a UTQG rating of 140 for treadwear, ‘A’ for traction and ‘A’ for temperature. It will be available beginning April 2006 in 13 popular 16- to 19-inch, 30- to 55-series sizes.
Gushi will compete on Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R tires in seven Formula D events in 2006. Currently scheduled cities are: Long Beach, Calif.; Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Sonoma, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Wall, N.J. and Irwindale, Calif. Exact locations, dates and times are yet to be determined.
Gushi has driven in competitive events for more than 20 years. He began his career in Japan drifting on the country’s signature mountain roads. Since moving to the United States, Gushi has participated in Solo 2, Club 4AG and Drift Association Drift Days events, as well as a variety of time attack and speed trial challenges.
Beyond his driving expertise, Gushi is an accomplished performance vehicle builder. In 2005, Gushi’s son Kenshiro captured third place overall in the Formula D Championship Series driving a 2005 Ford Mustang GT built by his father and by Ford Racing.
“Ken drives for a competitive team,” noted Gushi. “With me driving for the Bridgestone brand, this season promises to be very exciting!”
UNI-T is an acronym for Bridgestone’s Ultimate Network of Intelligent Tire Technology. It features three core elements: CO•CS®, a Computer Optimized Component System which allows design and manufacturing processes to work more cooperatively, leading to a more efficient tire that doesn't sacrifice one area of performance for improvements in another; O-Bead®, a more round structure that minimizes overlapped joints in the bead area for improved ride; and L.L. Carbon® (Long Link Carbon) which helps the rubber compound resist microscopic tread tearing related to wear.
About Team Gushi Auto:
The Gushi Auto Race Program (Whittier, Calif.) was founded in 1994 by Tsukasa Gushi and enthusiasts who shared a passion for the import auto industry and who loved to race. Team Gushi Auto’s objectives are to promote its ideals of professionalism in the racing industry, promote its sponsors and serve as a test-bed for product development. More information is available at www.gushiauto.com.
About Formula Drift:
Entering its third season, Formula Drift, produced and wholly owned by Irvine, Calif.-based Formula Drift, Inc., continues to expand into new markets as the first and only sanctioned and recognized North American professional drifting championship series (sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing). A well-established sport in Japan for more than a decade, Formula Drift, Inc. and its sister-company Slipstream Global Marketing, Inc. were instrumental in bringing the first official competition to the United States in 2003 at the Irwindale Speedway (Irwindale, Calif.)
About Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC:
Nashville-based Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate and private brand tires. The company is focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in North America.
“Need for Speed” is a trademark of Electronic Arts, Inc. and EA Games™