Catchfence

Firestone Racing

Race Distance: 223.5 miles/359.688 km (250 laps on the 0.894-mile/1.439-km short oval).

Television/Radio Broadcast: Live – Sunday, June 21, at 1 p.m. EDT on ABC, IMS Radio Network, XM Radio 145 and SIRIUS Radio 211.

Firestone Firehawk Race Tires Supplied:

* Eight sets (32 total tires) per car to use for practice, qualifying and the race. Firestone is bringing 848 tires in all.
* One tire stagger of approximately 0.45 of an inch is available for Iowa. Stagger helps Indy cars turn more smoothly on oval tracks and is created by producing the right-rear tire with a slightly larger diameter than the left rear.
* The Firestone tire specification for Iowa is making an encore performance. The identical spec was used in 2008 and went a long way to improving the racing at the track.

From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: “The racing at Iowa was much better last year than the year before, we believe, in great part because of the updated Firestone tire specification that we developed for the 2008 event. That’s why we decided to bring back that race-proven spec again this year. Because of the uniqueness of the Iowa track – a short oval that demands a tire more like a superspeedway because of the constant high speeds and loads – this is the only venue where this Firehawk spec will be used this season. We’re confident it will help provide the exciting racing that the enthusiastic Iowa Speedway crowd saw last year and deserves again in 2009.”

Firestone “Tire-ific” Move of the Race: This $10,000 prize is awarded after each IndyCar Series race to the driver who best utilizes his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. It could be relying on the Firehawks’ great grip to execute a daring pass, or having the confidence in the tires’ durability to run an extra stint on a set to improve position. After each race, Firestone Racing submits the top three “Tire-ific” candidates to www.indycar.com, where fans cast their votes during the ensuing week to determine the winner. The “Tire-ific” recipient from the June 6 race at Texas (nominees are Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick) will be named in pre-race ceremonies Sunday.

- Firestone Racing, Press Release