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Firestone To Be Inducted Into Cruisin’ Hall
of Fame
103-year-old brand to receive highest honor from Route 66 Rendezvous®
San Bernardino, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2003) – In recognition
for the many contributions it has made to the automobile industry
during the last 100 years, the Firestone brand will be inducted
tomorrow into the Cruisin’ Hall of Fame at the 14th Annual
Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous®.
“Firestone has been a powerful presence over the last
100 years,” said Larry Magee, chairman, CEO and president
of BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC), who is
accepting the honor on behalf of Firestone. “Thank you
for the distinct honor of Firestone being inducted into the Route
66 Cruisin’ Hall of Fame. On behalf of the 45,000 employees
in the United States who are part of the Firestone brand family,
we are all very excited about our heritage, and we look forward
to celebrating Firestone’s next century.”
Firestone’s storied history stems back to 1900 when Harvey
S. Firestone founded The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
in Akron, Ohio. At a time when the world was moving from the
horse and buggy to the automobile, Harvey Firestone truly was
a visionary who helped mold the transportation industry and the
country’s history. Making tires for everything from shipping
trucks to race cars, the former Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
and its successor companies’ 103-year-old involvement with
the transportation and racing industries has been one of countless
milestones and achievements.
Harvey Firestone also broke ground in the nation’s transportation
movement, supporting the creation of the first coast-to-coast
highway and advocating an interstate highway system which helped
build famous highways like Route 66. In addition, he created
the “Ship by Truck” campaign, encouraging manufacturers
to move their products to markets by truck. In fact, the very
first coast-to-coast truck shipment of goods traveled across
the country on Firestone tires.
On hand during tomorrow’s induction ceremonies will be
Andrew Firestone, the great grandson of founder Harvey S. Firestone.
“I know my great grandfather would be very proud of his
company’s achievements,” said Andrew Firestone, who
is participating in several activities on behalf of Firestone
throughout the Route 66 event. “I’m excited to take
part in the Route 66 Rendezvous event, which is an ideal opportunity
to honor the past and build toward the future.”
As a nod to the Firestone brand’s successful racing history,
Firestone is bringing four Indy Racing League drivers to tonight’s
Burnout and Flame Throwing Contest to sign autographs: Helio
Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, Scott Dixon and Tomas Scheckter.
This provides a perfect tie-in to Firestone’s racing commitment,
which stretches back to the first Indy 500 win on Firestone tires
in 1911. This victory was one of a total of 54 wins, a record
of wins greater than all other tire companies competing at Indy
combined.
The Cruisin’ Hall of Fame was established in 1995 by the
San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau, in conjunction
with the City of San Bernardino, to honor those who have made
a significant contribution to the uniquely-American automotive
cultural phenomenon of cruising. In addition to Firestone’s
induction, the Cruisin’ Hall of Fame this year is also
honoring Parnelli Jones, Route 66 Magazine and the Specialty
Equipment Market Association.
The 14th Annual Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous® will
feature more than 500,000 auto enthusiasts, who are expected
to take part in the four-day, three-night cruisin’ car
show highlighting 2,500 classic cars, trucks and hot rods. It
is held each year in downtown San Bernardino on the historic
Route 66 highway and attracts people from all over the world.
The event is free to the public and takes place Sept. 18-21.
Firestone Tire & Service Centers have been a part of the
Route 66 Rendezvous® for the past eight years, and this year
the retail tire and automotive service chain is the presenting
sponsor.
Firestone Tire & Service Centers are owned and operated
by BFRC, which operates the largest number of company owned automotive
retail generalist stores in the world. MasterCare® technicians
perform part repairs and replacements, routine scheduled maintenance
services, and a variety of diagnostic services covering major
systems within a vehicle. For more information on MasterCare® Car
Service or Firestone Tire & Service Center locations visit www.MasterCareUSA.com. |
