Bridgestone Americas, Inc. today announced a two-year extension of its Firestone brand’s title sponsorship of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The announcement was made as the 2018 Verizon IndyCar® Series season gets underway in St. Petersburg, Florida, and gives the Firestone brand naming rights through 2020.
The 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg marks the Firestone brand’s fifth year as title sponsor, having begun its entitlement in 2014. The race has served as the season opener of the Series for the past seven years, providing Firestone with a great venue to engage race fans and consumers, while showcasing its best-in-class tire technology.
“We are proud to continue our title sponsorship of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg through 2020,” said Lisa Boggs, director, Bridgestone Americas Motorsports. “The streets of St. Petersburg are an ideal proving ground to showcase the durable, dependable technology built into Firestone tires. The support from the city and its residents, along with the team at Green Savoree Racing Promotions, has made this one of the marquee events on the Verizon IndyCar® Series circuit.”
“Our team at Green Savoree Racing Promotions is honored to continue this partnership with Firestone for an additional two years,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “Firestone is one of most iconic and successful brands in auto racing history. Its impact on this event’s growth as well as the positive momentum happening in the Verizon IndyCar® Series is tremendous.”
Firestone has played an integral role in open-wheel racing for more than a century. As INDYCAR’s sole tire supplier for the 19th consecutive season, Firestone tires are trusted by the world’s best drivers on the track, including on the street course at St. Petersburg. In 2017, the Firestone brand extended its partnership with the Verizon IndyCar® Series through 2020. The demands of Indy car racing continue to serve as the ultimate testing ground for the technology incorporated into Firestone passenger tires that equip popular cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks on the road today.
The Firestone brand has an 85-year history in the Tampa/St. Petersburg market that began with the opening of its first area retail location. The Firestone Complete Auto Care store location on Kennedy Boulevard in downtown Tampa opened in 1933 and continues to be a trusted provider of tire and automotive service for customers in the area.
The 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg runs March 9-11 and is the first race of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar® Series season. Tickets to the event are on sale now at gpstpete.com or by phone at 1-877-725-8849.