On the racetrack having more power is great to get you moving, but the real fun begins in the corners, where a light vehicle wins the day as it can carry more speed and is capable of stopping quicker. The new Van Diemen cars at the Bridgestone Academy are beyond fun to drive and offer a driving thrill all driving enthusiasts should aspire to experience.

I am fairly experienced on the racetrack and I attempted to push the RE-11 tires to their limit and beyond – but doing so was quite the challenge. The new Potenza RE-11 provided more grip than my neck could take in the tight corners and the cars only slid when the tires really got warm from continuous lapping.

Feature: Track testing the new Bridgestone RE 11 car comparisons
2009 Bridgestone Racing Academy. Click image to enlarge

According to Phil Pacsi, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, U.S. & Canada Consumer Tire Sales Division, Bridgestone, “The RE-11 offers consumers a product that will perform well both on the street and on the track. We took the best and made it better. In our testing, the new RE-11 offered faster lap times, less understeer and better grip than our RE-01R.” After testing these tires on the track and having had an opportunity to test the RE-01R in similar conditions two years ago, I concur!

The Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 combines many of Bridgestone’s technologies in an impressive package. The tire’s unique new sidewall shape and radical new “stealth” block, which was derived from Bridgestone’s Formula One race tires, promotes higher tread stiffness while enhancing water evacuation. An asymmetric cavity shape offers improved handling and ride characteristics. Large outer tread blocks improve cornering performance, and grooves around the tire’s circumference help channel water from the tire’s footprint to decrease hydroplaning.

Available in V- and W-speed rated sizes, the Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 has a UTQG of 180 A and will be offered in 31 different sizes ranging from 15 – 19-inch.

If you wish to test a set of RE-11s on the racetrack yourself, you should save your pennies for a day at the Bridgestone Racing Academy. Packages start at $596 CDN for a half-day “Thrill of a Lifetime” course. A three-day Race License course provides a chance for you to be a race driver for a day with little risk – the school boasts a 24-year injury-free record!

You can find more information on the Bridgestone Racing Academy at Race2000.com.

Related posts:

  1. Feature: Thrill of a Lifetime at the Bridgestone Racing Academy
  2. Feature: Behind the wheel at the Bridgestone Racing Academy
  3. Bridgestone restructures its tire operations
  4. Bridgestone Firestone announces tire recall
  5. Feature: Slipping and sliding at the Bridgestone Winter Driving School
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