ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (May 10, 2004) — Andrew and Adam Firestone finished in 22nd place at the 2004 Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap America race after crashing into a barrier Friday with Andrew Firestone at the wheel.
Mr. Firestone, of ABC's The Bachelor fame, lost control of his Subaru WRX STi on the last of his three laps on the four-mile road course. The car slammed into a concrete barrier, but Mr. Firestone was unhurt though the car suffered significant front-end damage.
A Bridgestone/Firestone spokeswoman said the team was able to repair the vehicle that evening and complete the race on Saturday. The Subaru had been equipped with the Praxis suspension system and Bridgestone tires.
“I'm so happy to walk away from an incident like that,” said Mr. Firestone, great-grandson of Harvey Firestone. “All the safety features worked like they were supposed to, the airbag deployed and the restraints kept me in place. It allowed me to walk away with nothing more than a bruised ego.”
The One Lap of America race features street-legal vehicles that drive 5,600 miles on public roads, stopping at seven racetracks along the way. The Firestone team was fourth in their class, mid-price sedan.