Photo: Chris Jones
Firestone has signed a long-term extension to its contract as the exclusive tyre supplier to IndyCar and its primary feeder series Indy Nxt.
The Bridgestone-owned company first provided rubber to Indy Nxt in 1991, becoming title sponsor of the series at the same time, and later supplied tyres through its subsidiary Dayton brand.
That relationship ran all the way to the end of 2013, when Cooper Tires took over, and by that point point Firestone had already been out of IndyCar for two seasons.
Firestone returned to Indy Nxt last season, once again not only supplying tyres but also being the presenting sponsor.
“Our relationship with the team at Bridgestone continues to set an industry standard for success and innovation,” said Roger Penske, chairman of the Penske Entertainment Corporation which owns Indy Nxt.
“Firestone has been a foundational partner for our sport, from the very first Indy 500 to now, playing an integral role in the development of the IndyCar series and its highly competitive racing. We’re extremely proud to carry this long-term partnership forward into a very exciting and productive future together.”
The 2024 Indy Nxt season concludes this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, with the top two positions in the championship already locked in. Andretti Global’s Louis Foster won the title with a round to spare, and Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel secured the runner-up spot.
IndyCar is anticipated to soon also be providing an update about the charter system it is working on introducing in 2025, which would cap the number of cars that teams can run and could influence how easy it is for Indy Nxt drivers to step up to the top level of the American single-seater ladder.