News Release: Five Finalists Each Hope They Hold The Key To A New Chevrolet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Media Center

                        (877) 201-2373

            

                        Mike Stoller, GM

                        313.665.2445

 

Five Finalists Each Hope They Hold the Key to a New Chevrolet

Joint Firestone and Chevrolet sweepstakes concludes at MIS on Sunday

 

BROOKLYN, Mich. (July 25, 2003) - Five finalists will find out if they
hold the right key for starting and thereby winning either a 2003
Chevrolet Malibu or 2003 Chevrolet Silverado as the Firehawk Indy
500/Chevrolet Race 2 Win Sweepstakes concludes on Sunday at Michigan
International Speedway.

The five finalists were randomly chosen from more than 300,000 entries
submitted through Firestone retail locations across the United States
and via the Firestone web site during May and June. The lucky winners
will be identified during pre-race activities for the Firestone Indy 400
race at the start/finish line in front of the large race day crowd.

Although only two of the finalists will drive away in a new Chevy, the
three remaining finalists will receive a Pioneer Touch Screen Navigation
System. All five race fans will also have a chance to meet Sam Hornish
Jr., defending two-time, IndyCar Series champion and driver of the
Pennzoil Panther Chevrolet, who will be part of the festivities.

"Chevy has been making race day memories for fans for generations, and
we are excited to be part of a promotion this weekend which will provide
a lifelong memory for two lucky people," said John Hughes, Chevrolet
marketing manager. "Racing is a key platform for Chevrolet to reach
discerning customers targeting quality, performance, and reliability and
durability. Partnering with a world-class automotive supplier like
Firestone has made this an effective and successful promotion in
leveraging Chevy's dominant racing heritage and winning lineup of
production vehicles." 

Competing in the Firehawk Indy 500/Chevrolet Race 2 Win Sweepstakes are:
Kim Heise, Parker, Colo.; Clara Farmer, Houston, Texas; Jason Newberry,
West Palm Beach, Fla.; Robin Cook, Oakland, Calif.; and Craig McDaniel,
Tulsa, Okla. 

 "This sweepstakes was extremely successful for us," said Phil Pacsi,
executive director, N.A. Consumer Tire Brand Marketing,
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC. "We garnered entries
from the Internet at indy500tire.com <http://www.indy500tire.com/> , in
retail locations and a very large number of people entered at May's Indy
500 race.  This was a tremendous cross-promotional effort by our company
in tandem with the Indy Racing League, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
and Chevrolet.  The combined effort by all of these companies, with the
history and involvement in Indy, continues to build upon the legacy of
the famous race and our entry-level performance tire the Firestone
Firehawk Indy 500.

General Motors Corp. , the world's largest vehicle
manufacturer, employs 341,000 people globally in its core automotive
business and subsidiaries. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global
automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing
operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 190
countries. In 2002, GM sold more than 8.6 million cars and trucks,
nearly 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters
is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM and
its products can be found on the company's consumer website at
www.gm.com.

Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC, is a
subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company,
Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company.
BFNT develops, manufactures, and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton
and associate and private brand tires.  The company is focused on
wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light
truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, agricultural and other tires to its
customers in North America.

###

 

*****************

Tiffany Bryant

Public Relations Coordinator

Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.

535 Marriott Drive

Nashville, TN 37214

 

615.937.1418 - voice

615.937.1414 - fax

877.201.2373 - media center