IndyCar’s Firestone Roadblock

January 10th, 2011

Firestone tires stacked in an IndyCar garage area during the 2010 season. (IndyCar photo).

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Just when it was enjoying an impressive string of momentum, the IndyCar Series may have hit a significant roadblock as Firestone may leave the series as tire supplier following the 2011 season.

Bridgestone, which is the parent company of Firestone, pulled out of Formula One following the 2010 season. With Michelin’s departure from F-1 after the 2007 season that leaves Pirelli as the sole tire supplier to the Formula One World Championship beginning this season.

Apparently, economic considerations have led Bridgestone to strongly consider leaving IndyCar at a time when it is finally gaining some impressive momentum.

Firestone did not meet its deadline to renew with the series this past Dec. 31. Negotiations between Firestone and IndyCar are continuing, according to IZOD IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard.

The IndyCar CEO remains confident that the “wheels aren’t falling off” just yet and has hopes of convincing Firestone to stay, at least through the 2012 season while another tire company can be sought for the sport.

“We’re still negotiating and I’m more optimistic today than I was two weeks ago so that’s about it,” Bernard said in a telephone interview Saturday night. “We’ve been sworn to confidentiality and out of respect to them and their 100 years of service we said they make a phenomenal tire and would love to continue a relationship to them so we continue to negotiate.”

Both sides have entered into a confidentiality agreement so Bernard cannot give details of those negotiations. But it seems like a case of poor timing considering how Firestone stood by the series in the bleak, dark days during the CART-IRL split from 1996-2008 before both sides unified to create today’s IndyCar Series. So now that better times are head for this form of racing, why would the company leave at a time when it is about to cash in on all that loyalty?

“You have to ask Al Speyer that,” Bernard said, referring to Bridgestone Americas Motorsports Director. “We owe Firestone the respect to continue to negotiate in good faith and move into the next century with them. We’re making movement. We’re making positive movement in my opinion.”

Speyer maintains that the company’s decision is to “compare all of our options and motorsports is one of the many options out there.”

No racing series can participate without tires. The only time tires become noticed is when there is an issue, such as NASCAR drivers criticizing Goodyear over their tire compounds, or massive tire failures that occurred in the 2008 AllState 400 at the Brickyard – NASCAR’s annual race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Firestone has built such a superior brand of racing tire that failures were so rare in IndyCar that the company was often overlooked by the fans. The tire was as reliable as the sun coming up in the East every morning.

At some point, though, IndyCar may have to court another tire company if Firestone leaves. Cooper Tire has been involved in Formula Atlantic and the Star Mazda Series. Mazda is IndyCar’s sponsor for the Road to Indy developmental ladder and could help bring Cooper Tire up to the top tier.

Michelin is another possibility after its long involvement in Formula One but is only associated with the American Le Mans Series this season.

While those companies could be possible replacements to Firestone, Bernard would like to stick with the company that has been synonymous with IndyCar racing since the early days of the Indianapolis 500.

“It’s not a bump in the road,” Bernard said. “Every business is going to change their priorities and objectives. We owe them the utmost respect and honor to do what they need to do to better position their business. It’s the same thing with us. We have a fantastic relationship with Firestone and it’s my job to make sure we do everything we can to keep them involved with us.”

The loss of Firestone would have a dramatic impact on the 2012 season because of its engineering expertise combined with the fact that new cars and engines will begin competition that season. Firestone and Goodyear are the only tire companies that have experience with the tremendous loads tires encounter in IndyCar racing but Goodyear remains committed to NASCAR.

Firestone has been a loyal supporter of this form of racing since joining CART in 1995 and the Indy Racing League since it began competition in 1996. Firestone has been involved with IndyCar practically from the beginning of the sport. It was the tire on Ray Harroun’s winning Marmon Wasp in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. From 1920-1966 the tire brand won 43-straight Indianapolis 500s.