Niagara-on-the-Lake (Ontario), November 1, 2007 - Laurance Yap´s gripping first-person account of the three-weeks he spent competing in the Rallye Transsyberia, one of the world´s most grueling motorsports events, has earned him the 2007 Julie Wilkinson Motorsports Award presented by Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA). The award, which carries a $500 cash prize, was bestowed at today´s annual dinner held by the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Gerry Malloy, a three-time winner of the Award, was the runner-up in this year´s competition. He received a certificate of merit for his evocative article about the success of diesel-powered engines at the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans, and its impact on possibly improving the public image of these engines in North America.

The Julie Wilkinson Award, which BFCA has sponsored since its inception in 1999, is presented in memory of the Vancouver Croft House alumnus who had a distinguished career as a driver in several series and, later as an automotive journalist who traveled internationally writing about motorsports.

The 2007 competition drew a diversity of submissions from automotive writers from coast to coast. The topics of the articles ranged from reports on lesser-known forms of racing such as vintage and Solo Sprint, to absorbing profiles on Gilles Villeneuve, Ron Fellows and Patrick Carpentier, drivers who have marked the Canadian racing scene over the years.

The submissions were judged by Lauren More, Vice-President Public Affairs for Ford Motor Company of Canada, and Jean-Claude Torchia, President and CEO of Torchia Communications, an agency that has long been involved in motorsports activities.

The winning entry by Yap, a regular contributor to the Toronto Star “Wheels” section and CanadianDriver.com, among others, was titled “Dirt”. Dirt was everywhere as Yap and fellow driver Kees Nierop drove more than 5,500 kilometres across the challenging terrain of Siberia and Mongolia, a journey which – despite a horrific crash along the way – Yap writes “was one of the best motoring experiences of my life.”

In presenting the Award, Marvin Teixeira, Manager, Purchase Resale of BFCA, remarked: “The submissions received for the annual Julie Wilkinson Award accentuate the exceptional talents of Canadian motorsports journalists, in both the French and English language. Through their outstanding writing on all facets of motorsports, they inform, entertain, educate and generate widespread interest among their readership. As a company that is deeply involved at every level of automotives, Bridgestone Firestone Canada is proud of its partnership with a competition that showcases the quality of motorsports writing in this country.”

About Bridgestone´s patented UNI-T technology:

UNI-T is an acronym for “Ultimate Network of Intelligent Tire Technology” found only in Bridgestone, Firestone and select associate brand tires. One of its core technologies is a Computer Optimized Component System, CO•CS, which uses a super computer to help determine an ideal combination of tread design, casing shape, materials and construction for a particular application. The use of L.L. Carbon (Long Link Carbon), an advanced form of carbon black, produces a stronger tire, better able to resist cracking, chipping, tearing and excessive wear.

About Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc.:

Mississauga-based Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) is an affiliate of Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT). BFCA and Nashville, Tennessee-based BFNT are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. BFCA and BFNT develop, manufacture and market Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. They are focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to their customers in Canada and the United States respectively.

Information:

Paul Vaillancourt III
Torchia Communications
514 996 6224 Cell.
paulv@torchiacom.com

Lawrence Stevenson
Torchia Communications
416 341-9929 extension 222
Lawrence@torchiacom.com