Bridgestone Corporation announced today that the Bridgestone brand will be the title sponsor of the World Solar Challenge 2013, which will be held in Australia October 6-13.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013 will see a record 45 teams from 26 countries compete in a 3000-kilometer cross-country race using only solar energy to power the vehicles. The 2013 competition will be the 12th running of the event since 1987. The event will feature three separate classes, Adventure Class, which will showcase cars built for previous events; Cruiser Class, which will be judged by design practicality, and Challenger Class, which will compete for the title of the world's most efficient solar car.