Sunday
Firestone Racing, 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300 Race Review
Press ReleaseFIRESTONE FIREHAWK RACE REPORT
IZOD IndyCar Series – Indy Japan 300
Twin Ring Motegi – Motegi, Japan
Sunday, September 19, 2010 – Round 16 of 17
Race Temperatures: Track ranged from 112°-128° F (28°-29° C) and ambient from 84°- 85° F (44°-53° C).
Firestone Tire Performance Recap: Firestone Racing engineers brought an all-new, unique tire specification to Twin Ring Motegi. The tire is based on superspeedway (Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway) construction, paired with compounds designed to mimic the grip levels found in the Firestone Firehawk racing tires used at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The tires held up very well, as after the first round of regular stops, they only showed 50 percent wear.
From race winner Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda/ Firestone: “Let me tell you – the Firestone Firehawk tires were UNBELIEVABLE. Honestly, we ran the last stint on the qualifying tires. From the first of the stint to the end, honestly, we ran with almost exactly the same lap times as when we were on new tires. So, Firestone, thank you so much for the tires.”
From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: “Congratulations to Helio and Team Penske for a dominating performance today. Our engineers came up with a great tire specification for this event, and I am extremely pleased with the tire performance from the beginning to the end. The conditions here were unusually hot, but the tires held up with no problems. This is always a special event for Firestone Racing because of its proximity to our parent company Bridgestone’s Tokyo headquarters. We all enjoyed a great day at the races, and are looking forward to coming back next year.”
Firestone “Tire-ific” Move of the Race: This $10,000 prize is awarded after each IndyCar Series race to the driver best utilizing his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. Nominees from tonight’s race are: Helio Castroneves, for a dominating performance culminating in his second consecutive win; Danica Patrick, for a great drive from 12th to finish fifth; and Graham Rahal, for fighting from his 16th place starting position to finish eighth. Fans can vote this week at www.indycar.com to determine the winner.
- Firestone Racing, Press Release
Article Tags: Al Speyer, Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti, Executive Director Firestone, Firestone Firehawk Race Tires, Firestone Racing, Helio Castroneves, Indy Japan 300, IndyCar, IRL, Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske, Twing Ring Motegi, Will Power
