Bridgestone's 'track-day' Potenza Race tire debuts in North America

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Bridgestone Americas Inc. has begun offering in North America the Potenza Race, a semi-slick, DOT-approved version of its Potenza ultra-high-performance tire line that's designed for "track-day" driving.

Available in Europe since April 2022, the tire is based on the results of extensive market research led by Bridgestone, focusing on what circuit drivers expect from a UHP tire. A version of the Potenza Race is fitted OE on the new Lamborghini Revuelto.

Bridgestone said the tire's on-track performance is made possible by innovations in the tread pattern, construction and material compound.

Developed and manufactured in Europe, the Potenza Race tire is available in 13 popular sizes covering 17- to 20-inch rim diameter SKUs that fit high-performance brands such as Maserati, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini, BMW M, Audi RS, Mercedes-AMG and beyond, Bridgestone said.

Emilio Tiberio, chief operating and technical officer of Bridgestone Europe/Middle East/Asia, said Bridgestone created the Potenza Race tire is the "culmination of years—even decades—of experience in high performance."

Bridgestone said it leveraged its in-house virtual tire development technology—starting with digital designing and virtual testing prior to prototyping and physical testing—to shorten the development time and reduce the amount of resources necessary to develop the Potenza Race tire.

The company said this approach helped reduce the amount of materials needed by a third and cut on-track/on-road testing by roughly 6,000 miles.

The tire is available through any authorized Bridgestone retailer. Pricing (minimum suggested retail price) ranges from $287.39 to $719.99 depending on size.