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Firestone will continue as IndyCar’s exclusive tyre supplier until 2025, following a five-year partnership extension between the championship and the Firestone’s parent company Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Bridgestone has also announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Akron that will serve as the future home of Firestone’s race tyre manufacturing division.
The Bridgestone Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) will be located across the street from the Bridgestone Americas Technical Center and less than a mile from the Bridgestone Advanced Technology Workshop, where 60 different specification Firestone IndyCar tyres are currently produced.
The current plan is for the manufacturing of all race tyres to switch to the new ATPC over the next four years, with its first IndyCar Firestone Firehawks being ready for testing by the end of 2020.
Firestone is entering its 20th consecutive season as IndyCar’s sole tyre supplier and it will deliver more than 26,000 Firehawk race tyres to teams this year.
“Champions have relied on Firestone tyres for more than a century, and racing has always been the ideal proving ground for new technologies that help us evolve and advance our company’s passenger tyre offerings,” said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer at Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
“As the NTT IndyCar Series continues gaining momentum, we are introducing new fans to the Firestone brand and strengthening our relationship with the drivers who use our durable, dependable Firestone tyres.”
The partnership extension was announced at Dallara’s headquarters in Speedway by four-time champion and 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, and current IndyCar driver/owner and three-time Indianapolis 500 polesitter Ed Carpenter.
A second event was held at the ATPC with two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr.
“Firestone has long been a great IndyCar partner and is making a huge investment in the NTT IndyCar Series with its new facility in Akron,” said IndyCar president Jay Frye.
“This extension also reflects Firestone’s commitment to helping to shape IndyCar’s paddock-wide, five-year plan.”
Firestone will also continue as a key marketing partner of IndyCar and is title sponsor for the 2019 season-opener in St Petersburg, as well as at the Laguna Seca finale.