HISTORY OF WINNING

Firestone tires made their first official racing appearance in 1909 when company founder Harvey Firestone put a set on a car driven by Barney Oldfield in the Indianapolis 300. During a test run for that competition, Oldfield told the assembled onlookers “my only life insurance is Firestone tires.” He and Firestone later had the phrase painted on the side of his racecar, and he toured the country “performing amazing feats of speed.”

The Indianapolis 300 was a precursor to the more famous Indianapolis 500, and no brand has enjoyed more success there than Firestone. Ray Harroun won the inaugural event in 1911 on Firestone tires, and so did Scott Dixon when he won in 2008. All told, 59 Indianapolis 500-Mile Races have been won by Firestone-equipped drivers -- a record of wins greater than all other tire companies competing at Indy combined.

During those early competitions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there were no race tires as we know them today. To demonstrate product quality and durability, the first Firestone race tires were actually the same tires sold for everyday use on roads or streets. The public saw how well the Firestone tires performed on the track and wanted them for their own vehicles. The old adage, “Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday,” was a fact of business for Firestone.

Between 1920 and 1966, there were 43 Indianapolis 500-Mile Races (no events were conducted during the World War II years), all won by drivers on Firestone tires.  The Indianapolis 500 was a stop for the FIA World Driver’s Championship from 1950 through 1960; all 11 of those events were won by Firestone-equipped drivers. Formula One champions who rode on Firestone tires include Graham Hill in 1968, Jochen Rindt in 1970 and Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972.

Firestone also has 568 early NASCAR Sprint Cup victories, starting with Christian D. “Jim” Roper’s win at the first event in 1949. Roper drove a new Lincoln Cosmopolitan owned by Milliard Clothier, with number 34 painted on the side. Over the decades, Firestone swept the series several years, winning every race, and contributing to many drivers’ success and championships.

At the end of the 2008 season, Firestone has 153 documented IndyCar Series wins -- 90 percent of the races contested since the IndyCar Series first raced in 1996. At the start of the 2009 season, Firestone has a record of 785 documented Indy car wins -- an impressive number considering the Firestone Racing program began a 20-year hiatus from the top forms of motorsports at the end of the 1974 season.

Just as Harvey Firestone had loved racing and recognized its marketing and research values, Bridgestone Corporation founder Shojiro Ishibashi’s tire manufacturing and marketing innovations in Japan led to Bridgestone’s entry into racing in the early 1960s. With this combined impetus, the next step was logical, perhaps inevitable. In 1988, Bridgestone Corporation acquired the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., and consolidated the United States operations in 1990 as Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. The change brought an infusion of new energy and new ideas, with renewed interest in motorsports.

At the start of the 2003 season, Firestone has a record of 686 documented Indy car wins -- an impressive number considering the Firestone Racing program began a 20-year hiatus from the top forms of motorsports at the end of the 1974 season. In 1988, Bridgestone Corporation acquired the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., and consolidated the United States operations in 1990 as Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. The change brought an infusion of new energy and new ideas, with renewed interest in motorsports.

In May of 1993, just outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Firestone return to major racing was announced. The following year was devoted to testing at more than a dozen tracks with drivers logging more than 12,000 miles. The Firestone brand returned to the top forms of open-wheel racing in 1995, and made its first IndyCar Series appearance on January 27, 1996, at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida.

That race, won by Buzz Calkins, set the stage for Firestone as it won all three IndyCar Series contests in the league’s inaugural season. After enjoying much success in direct competition with another tire manufacturer from 1996 through 1999, Firestone started the 2000 IndyCar Series season as the sole tire supplier for the league. In the fall of 2001, at Texas Motor Speedway, the IndyCar Series named Firestone the Official Tire of the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500. By that time, the Firestone Racing program was operating under the direction of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC.

Firestone is the only tire brand to have appeared in every Indy Racing League contest (170 as of the October 2008 event at Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia), and has provided tires to 12 IndyCar Series champions. The IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights provide Firestone, known as “America’s Tire Since 1900,” excellent showcases to demonstrate technology, along with the world’s largest laboratory for testing and evaluating new materials and construction processes for street and highway tires. They also allow the brand to create more wins and more championships, contributing to the growing success of Firestone Racing.

DESIGN & MANAGEMENT

If you made a picture of an IndyCar Series car at the first race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and took another one of that same car at any other racetrack, the tires would appear to be the same -- round and black with the distinctive Firestone Firehawk logos on the sidewalls. But if you looked more closely, you'd see some very small numbers and letters on the sidewalls -- along with computer barcodes -- that give a hint to how different the Firehawks are from race to race.

Even though many of the oval tracks on the IndyCar Series circuit appear to be similar, subtle differences influence what type of tire is most appropriate for any competition. The Firestone Racing program engineers have a continually expanding inventory of compounds and constructions to design the ideal tire for every event – superspeedways, short ovals, road courses and street circuits, ensuring drivers have tires with the right level of grip and sidewall strength.

Too much or too little grip can dramatically affect a car's speed. Sidewalls that are too flexible or too stiff can significantly affect handling, particularly in the corners. Finding the ideal compound or construction is an extremely demanding task, but the Firestone Racing engineers have demonstrated their proficiency in hitting the target time and time again.

The design process for a Firestone Firehawk begins with a thorough evaluation of many factors, starting with the track where it will be used. Type of surface, degree of banking, angle of corners, length of straightaways, elevation changes, bumps or irregularities in the pavement and other elements combine to present our engineers a unique challenge. Next is the race itself. The length of the competition (hours/minutes and miles) and speeds are extremely important. Intertwined are G-forces affecting lateral traction, amount of braking, demands of steering and even sanctioning body rules for the event.

The unknown variable is weather, particularly ambient temperature. Fluctuating temperatures affect traction since heat or cold can change the gripping ability of a race tire. These changes also affect the inflation pressure, producing different handling characteristics. Our engineers work with teams in both testing and race weekend situations to help calculate expected variations in grip and handling as temperatures change.

With thousands of data points available for study, the design of a race tire for a particular competition begins. The engineering team will focus on two primary areas: the chemical elements of the rubber compound and the actual construction process, involving a range of tire building materials and processes. The goal is to find a combination capable of providing the durability, heat resistance, proper level of traction, low rolling resistance and other qualities needed to be competitive. Throughout the construction process, all materials are inspected to ensure rigorous standards are met. Once a tire has been fully approved, it earns the honor of bearing the Firestone Firehawk logo in white letters on its sidewall.

The tires are then transported to the race location. In some cases, the tires are at the track within a few days following construction. This just-in-time production/delivery system ensures optimum performance, while also reducing the need for storage.

Since every race tire wears its own distinctive bar code, engineers can track its use, including which car used it, how long it ran, what ambient and track temperatures were, operating speeds and other factors. Selected tires are dissected following a race, to study how each performed. The tires are then destroyed in a patented, environmentally friendly process that allows the rubber to be used as fuel in cement kilns.

Performance Tire Service Co. coordinates inventory control and tire management of the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights racing programs for Firestone Racing, including at-track mounting and balancing on wheels owned by the individual race teams. Tires are inflated with filtered air to remove moisture; they are then carefully computer balanced before being issued to teams. Series officials oversee the process to ensure all tire rules and regulations are observed. The design and management efforts require careful attention to detail by all Firestone team members. The process is demanding, but the rewards are well worth it as Firestone contributes to great racing in both the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.

Firestone Firehawk Racing Radials Specifications

2009 RACING SERIES COMPARISON

To the novice, the outward appearance of many cars used in open-wheel racing could give the impression they are very similar machines, separated primarily by paint schemes. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth, as cars used in the IndyCar Series, Formula One and Firestone Indy Lights competition are vastly different, with more dissimilarities than shared features.

The racing tires used on these powerful machines are designed and manufactured to give each type of car its ultimate performance characteristics within its series. Developing the different type of tires for the top forms of open-wheel competition is a tremendous challenge for three reasons.

First, the sanctioning body for each series has very specific rules for tire manufacture and supply. These rules cover dozens of subjects, ranging from the number of compounds and constructions permissible at an event to how tires are distributed to each team. Some differences are easy to see, such as four-groove F1 tires compared with slicks used in the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights racing. Other rules, including allocation of tires per team, inflation pressure levels, use of tires throughout a race weekend, diameter, width and other standards are not discernable to the casual fan, but require considerable effort to maintain.

Second, the tracks where the tires will be used is very important to the design and manufacture process. While some tracks do appear similar, each has its own unique surface, banking, corners and straights that affect performance. And even when the same series races on the same track twice in one year, seasonal variations in ambient and track temperature can require different types of tires.

Third, and perhaps most important, is the mechanical construction and composition of the cars. A racecar engine generating more than 800 horsepower in a car weighing just over 1,300 pounds is quite a different beast than one producing 450 horsepower in a car weighing more than 1,400 pounds. Beyond the engines and weight, each series has specific rules about chassis manufacture, wings, downforce, brakes, springs, torsion bars and other variables that influence racecar performance on the track. All these combine to give each series a distinctive type of racecar, with very specific tire needs. Modern racing tires are not transferable from one series to another, but the qualities and characteristics required of the tires by teams and drivers in each competition are the same: consistency, reliability and durability.

Each driver wants tires that are consistent from set to set and from lap to lap. This consistency allows teams to focus on other areas of the car when making critical adjustments. Tires must be strong enough to endure tremendous loads, forces and temperatures. And they must be durable to ensure competitive action. While we design tires to last for at least one full tank of fuel in the top open-wheel series, many races have been won on our tires when a driver came in for a splash of fuel only, knowing the tires would last for even more laps.

The chart on this page presents a quick overview of some differences between three series and the cars used in each. It brings into focus the challenge of supplying specially built tires for truly competitive racing, and the commitment required to make sure those tires are matched to the series, the track, the car and the weather.

SERIES COMPARISON

WHY WE RACE

While there are a number of good reasons for companies to associate themselves with a sport as a sponsor or promotional partner, Firestone is one of a handful whose role as a manufacturer makes it part of the competition. It is a unique venture – to take a product and put it to the test in what is essentially the ultimate public laboratory, at the hands of the world’s most skilled and daring drivers. Why do it? The most obvious reason for any company to attach its name to any sport is the brand exposure – in that aspect, Firestone is no different from thousands of other businesses. With the popularity of sports in today’s society, that association can easily translate into millions of dollars of exposure worldwide and the rewards are obvious.

But racing also allows Firestone to build a unique brand of loyalty with race fans all over the country. When a driver stands in victory circle and sings the praises of his Firestone tires, consumers listen. Many of these same drivers are proud to say they put Firestone tires on the cars they drive at home – a testament to the trust and confidence they have in the Firestone standard. Any athlete can lend their name or associate their image with a particular product, but that kind of loyalty is the ultimate compliment from someone who knows a thing or two about tire performance.

Exposure is quite clearly a good reason, but it’s not the only reason we race. From the very first Firestone Racing appearance in 1909, the company has maintained a vested interest in the success of American open-wheel racing. For Firestone engineers and chemists, lessons learned at the track translate into innovations that can be applied to the design and manufacture of street tires. Innovations such as wider tires for improved traction, lower aspect ratio tires for improved handling, new compounds for increased wear and better grip, and improved cord materials for more durable performance.

Through the years, many of these technological advances have made their way into the Firestone tires driven by consumers today, including those featuring UNI-T, the Ultimate Network of Intelligent Tire Technology, UNI-T AQ (Advanced Quality), and UNI-T AQII. This unique family of tires showcases a combination of technologies that give drivers better performance through features such as longer tread life, resistance to hydroplaning, effective dry traction, enhanced grip and other benefits.

In May 2002, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Firestone joined forces to pay tribute to their long-standing relationship by introducing one of the more visible members of the UNI-T family – the Firehawk Indy 500 street tire. This popular tire was the first functional automotive component ever produced for street and highway use with the honor of wearing the Indy 500 name and IMS “wings and wheel” logo, and another example of the benefit Firestone has gained from its association with the Indy Racing League. Firestone’s legacy of accomplishment at the Indianapolis 500 has helped the company build a long and lasting relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In many ways, the Firehawk Indy 500 street tire is a showcase of all that the men and women of Firestone have accomplished since the company’s first Indy 500 win at the inaugural race in 1911, and it highlights one of the more important reasons why we race – fun.

Firestone’s involvement in auto racing has been an important part of the company’s heritage for nearly 100 years, and continues to be a tremendous source of pride for the entire Firestone family. Racing gives Firestone teammates something to cheer for – a visible sign of the company’s continued progress as a technological leader in the tire industry. Our accomplishments at the track are celebrated throughout the company and Firestone facilities across the country are adorned with memorabilia heralding all that we have achieved. We love to race, and it shows.

With that passion comes inspiration, and Firestone will be back for many years to come – improving, evolving and testing the limits of performance on one of the world’s biggest stages.