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Heritage
KART
Most drivers begin their racing careers in karts. Michael Schumacher, the seven-time F1 World Champion, was no exception. The German raced on Bridgestone tyres in karts before moving through the various national formula into the pinnacle of the sport.
Except in a few cases karts have no transmission so power goes directly from the engine to the wheels, making it the easiest category in which to get started.
Tyre development for karts requires a huge amount of engineering know-how in a compact package as racing karts have no suspension and a rear tyre is lifted to allow three-wheel cornering. The diameter is smaller than other racing tyres, but attention to the technology of structure and compounds is essential.
Bridgestone drew on its experience for making tyres for go-karts at amusement parks when introducing racing kart tyres in 1997 as a response to market demand. The tyres, scaled down versions of those used on Formula cars and designed for performance, offered a different profile from those used on amusement park go-karts.
The tyres introduced by Bridgestone turned out to be a milestone in the racing kart world. Bridgestone won tremendous support from many kart racers and soon claimed the leading market share. Bridgestone dominated Japan's premier All Japan Kart Championship FSA class from 1994 to 2001, winning the title eight years in a row. The run of success was finally interrupted in 2002 but the title was regained in 2003.
Bridgestone also claimed four consecutive victories in the World Championship FSA class from 2000 to 2003 while at the world's highest level of competition, the European Championships, Bridgestone has provided the championship-winning tyres and is regarded as the top brand in this category.
From 2004 to 2006, Bridgestone have continued to support the titleholders of the World Karting Championship FA class and European Formula A championship, further cementing their position as a world leading tyre manufacturer.
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