EXPANDING ITS MOTORSPORTS PORTFOLIO, BRIDGESTONE BECOMES OFFICIAL TIRE OF THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

Mississauga (Ontario), March 10, 2005 - Bridgestone, a name that is synonymous with motorsports, will be casting an even larger profile at the Grand Prix of Canada, after Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. announced today the signing of a two-year contract that names Bridgestone as the official tire of the Formula One event in Montreal.

The agreement, which entails such particulars as on-site signage and affords Bridgestone the rights to use the Grand Prix of Canada logo in its promotional activities, also includes presenting sponsorship for Bridgestone of the popular Open House Day at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on the Thursday prior to race weekend. Open House Day, which was revived last year after a brief absence, enables motor-racing fans to get a close-up view of the world of Formula One racing.

"This sponsorship is a natural fit for the Bridgestone brand," said Michael Sigillito, director, Consumer Tire Marketing for Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. "Bridgestone has a long-time involvement in motorsports, including a worldwide on-track sponsorship package that provides visibility for the Bridgestone brand at the 19 Grand Prix events throughout the world thereby reaching the hundreds of millions of television viewers who avidly follow the sport. The sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Grand Prix is certainly an attractive complement to our motorsports portfolio."

Bridgestone, which has been supplying F1 teams -- including the defending champion Ferrari entry, with tires since 1997 -- entered the 2005 season that began in Australia on March 6, just six race victories shy of a milestone 100 GP wins. Seven F1 drivers and constructors championships have been won on Bridgestone tires. The company is currently ranked second in the all-time F1 tire manufacturer standings and is equipping Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi with tires during the 2005 season.

Over the years, Bridgestone has been prominent in Canadian Grand Prix week festivities in Montreal, sponsoring a street décor program and a street festival, as well as staging one of the largest-attended pre-race press conference featuring one of the Bridgestone-shod teams. Bridgestone plans to continue the street décor program and the press conference during the 2005 race week.

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, Dayton and associate and private brand tires. They are focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, agriculture and other tires to their customers in the United States and Canada respectively.