Firestone Racing

Late last week the companies announced that they would allow the Firestone sponsorship and supply contract to expire at the end of the 2011 season.

“At the end of last week, we had reached the deadline where both organizations had to make a decision regarding the future to prepare our individual operations for the long term,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. “This is one of those decisions that it is imperative that you have the team owners 100 percent behind you. Early this week we called a meeting to walk the team owners through the process and hear their input. I’m happy to say we walk as one with Firestone.

“We feel that this new supply agreement will benefit everyone. It provides a proven safe and reliable Firestone product for the transition to the all-new cars for 2012. We have to thank everyone at Firestone for working with us to help ensure the best for the long-term growth of our sport,” Bernard concluded.

“INDYCAR called a meeting to inform the team owners of Firestone’s departure,” said Dennis Reinbold, Team Owner, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. “When we learned of this, we encouraged INDYCAR to check with Firestone to see if there might be any chance to continue. We feel that it is important to maintain continuity with their excellent tires as we transition to the new car for 2012. The team owners are collectively very relieved that Firestone had an open mind and that they were able to reach this agreement with INDYCAR. Firestone racing tires are not only important from a safety and reliability standpoint, but they contribute greatly to the wheel-to-wheel competition for which our sport is famous.”

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Firestone has supplied tires to the IZOD IndyCar Series since 1996. The new agreement does not include Firestone Indy Lights, the developmental series for drivers and teams striving to reach the top level of open-wheel racing in North America. Firestone will remain as title sponsor and tire supplier of the development series through 2011.

About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company’s Latin American tire operations; the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses; the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses; and Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, which operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its custo mers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.

About Firestone Racing:
The Firestone brand has appeared in world-class motorsports events across the globe since its first documented victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500-Mile Race(r) in 1911. Since 2002, Firestone has served as the official tire of the IZOD IndyCar(r) Series, Firestone Indy Lights and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race(r), which has been won by a Firestone-equipped driver 61 times in its 94-year history.

- Firestone Racing/INDYCAR, Press Release

Texas Motor Speedway

The event, formerly known as the Bombardier Learjet 550k, will be re-titled the Firestone 550k, and the first race under the new entitlement is set for Saturday, June 5. The race is a staple of Texas Motor Speedway, having been an annual event at “The Great American Speedway!” since the venue opened in 1997.

Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage and Firestone Racing Motorsports Manager Joe Barbieri made the announcement and unveiled the race logo during the speedway’s annual Media Day in the Grand Ballroom of The Speedway Club. Neither financial terms nor length of the contract were disclosed.

“The Firestone brand has been a tremendous supporter of the IZOD IndyCar Series throughout the years, and we are extremely pleased to announce this partnership,” Gossage said. “The brand has used its assets in the series to actively promote the sport and attract fans, and we look forward to working together with representatives of Firestone to promote and further enhance the newly titled Firestone 550k.”

The Firestone 550k is a strong addition to BATO’s lineup of sponsorship properties for its Firestone brand in motorsports. Firestone is the Official Tire of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The Firestone brand also is the title sponsor of the Firestone Indy Lights developmental series and Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights race at IMS.

The Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway, however, will be BATO’s sole race entitlement in the IZOD IndyCar Series this season.

“There is just something really special about the sight of IZOD IndyCar Series cars racing under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway, and as title sponsor of the Firestone 550k, we are excited about the opportunity to have the Firestone brand showcased as a major part of this great event,” Speyer said. “With its high banks and fast speeds, the Texas Motor Speedway certainly puts a premium on tire performance, but we are proud to say the Firestone Firehawk tires are always up to the challenge. Eddie Gossage and his team do a fantastic job promoting the race, and the Firestone brand and Texas Motor Speedway have enjoyed a close partnership through the years. We are proud to take that relationship to the next level with this sponsorship announcement.”

Tickets for the Firestone 550k are available by calling (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations: Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company’s Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.

About Texas Motor Speedway: Texas Motor Speedway, with a crowd capacity in excess of 190,000, is among the largest sports stadiums in America and features an array of amenities that make it one of the premier venues in the world of sports. Known as “The Great American Speedway!,” the 1.5-mile superspeedway located in Fort Worth plays host to two races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series as well as one in the Indy Racing League IZOD IndyCar Series. The attendances for the NASCAR Sprint Cup events since the facility opened in 1997 annually rank among the largest sporting events in the United States. Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.

Texas Motor Speedway, Press Release

Firestone Racing

“The past three IndyCar Series championships have been decided on the last lap of the last race of the season,” commented Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing. “In the final lap of this year’s Firestone Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, just as they have on every other lap this season, drivers will rely on their Firestone Firehawk tires to carry them to the checkered flag. It is fitting that this year’s title winner will be crowned at a track that presents Firestone Racing engineers with one of their greatest challenges, as whoever emerges on top, both in the race and in this year’s championship, will truly have earned the rewards considering the diversity of the IndyCar Series schedule and its deep field of talented drivers. We are proud to see the Firestone brand associated with the best of the best.”

“The Firestone brand is synonymous with IndyCar Series championships, and Homestead-Miami Speedway has become synonymous with crowning motorsports champions,” said Curtis Gray, president of Homestead-Miami Speedway. “As we make history in 2009 as the first and only track ever to host all six of North America’s premier motorsports championships, Firestone will play an integral role in building both the Firestone Indy 300 and Firestone Indy Lights championship finales. What an opportunity it is for us to partner with an absolute pillar of the sport.”

The Firestone Indy 300 will be part of the Indy Racing League’s championship weekend celebration, as the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion will also be crowned during Homestead-Miami Speedway’s “SpeedJam” weekend, October 9-10. The Firestone Indy 300 will air live on VERSUS from 4-7 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 10, while the Firestone Indy Lights championship finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway will also air live on VERSUS on Friday, October 9 (time TBD). Tickets for the Firestone Indy 300 are available at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com/tickets, or by calling 1-866-409-RACE (7223).

About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:

Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company’s Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.

- Firestone Racing, Press Release