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Firestone Racing Prepared For Mid-Ohio Weekend

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Firestone tires ready to go

Firestone tires ready to go

Tak Ariga

Firestone Firehawk Fast Facts
IZOD IndyCar Series - Honda Indy 200
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Lexington, Ohio
Round 11 of 17

Race Distance: 191.25 miles/307.787 kilometers (85 laps on the 2.258-mile/3.63-km permanent road course).

Firestone Firehawk Race Tires Supplied:
* Primary (black-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 808, each entry gets six sets (24 total tires);

  • Alternate (red-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 366, each entry gets three sets (12 total tires);
  • Wet-condition (rain) tires with grooved tread pattern: 468, each entry has five sets of the street-course rain tire available this weekend.

The alternate tire program, part of the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2009, mandates a second tire specification at road/street-course events using the same body construction as the primary specification, but with a softer tread compound to provide more grip and faster lap times while trading off compound durability in exchange for those shorter-term advantages. Firestone alternate tires are easily identified by their bright red sidewalls.

Firestone tires ready to go
Firestone tires ready to go

The Mid-Ohio primary and alternate tire specifications are new this year, featuring updated tread compounds paired with the identical body construction used for both in 2010. In addition, the Firestone alternates for Mid-Ohio are designed with different grip levels on the left- and right-side tires - with the right-side Firehawk alternates even "softer" than the left sides to provide added grip. This is the only race this season where these specs are being used. The new Firestone rain tire specification, first available last month at Toronto, will be supplied again this weekend should conditions necessitate its use.

Per series regulations, all cars must use at least one set of primary tires and one new alternate set during a normal dry race, each for a minimum of two green-flag laps. Otherwise, teams are free to use their tire allotment as they see fit over the race weekend, though a new rule for 2011 limits cars to one set of tires (team's choice of primary or alternate) for each of the qualifying segments.

From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "It's good to be racing on a true permanent road course again, and a special one in Mid-Ohio. This is the home event for the Firestone race tire development group based in Akron, so we always want to put on a good show here. While we supplied tires from our same road course 'family' two weeks ago for Edmonton's airport circuit, the particular demands of Mid-Ohio necessitate primary and alternate tires different from Edmonton. In fact, the tire specifications for Mid-Ohio that debut this weekend will be used only at this track in 2011. As usual, the alternates contain a 'softer' tread compound than the primaries, and the Firestone engineers and chemists have further developed the alternates so that they differ in grip level between the left- and right-side tires. The right-side alternates are a little softer than the lefts to add extra grip for this clockwise circuit with predominantly right-hand turns. We believe this tire formula will help keep the racing as exciting or more than it has been in recent weeks."

Firestone "Tire-ific" Move of the Race: Following each IZOD IndyCar Series race in 2011, Firestone Racing nominates three drivers who best utilized their Firehawk tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. Fans can go to www.indycar.com in the days after the race and vote for the nominee they believe made the most "Tire-ific" move. The top vote-getter earns the honor and $10,000 prize. Danica Patrick, who advanced eight spots in the first 15 laps and moved from 22nd on the starting grid to finish ninth, is the recipient for the Edmonton Indy on July 24. She will be presented the check in pre-race ceremonies Sunday.

By: firestone racing

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