Bridgestone, Penske extend IndyCar tire supply deal

NASHVILLE — Bridgestone Americas Inc. extended its deal with Penske Entertainment on Sept. 12 to keep Firestone the exclusive tire supplier of IndyCar racing, which includes all NTT IndyCar Series races, the Indy NXT by Firestone developmental series, and the Indianapolis 500 through 2030.

"Our relationship with the team at Bridgestone continues to set an industry standard for success and innovation," Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corp., said. "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 NTT 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 deal extends the previous one — which would have ended in 2025 — for another five years to run through 2030. The company did not disclose financial details.

Firestone, in its 25th season as the series tire supplier, has a history in open-wheel racing that dates back more than a century. The company said the deal is an example of its ongoing commitment to driving innovation through motorsports.

"At Bridgestone, motorsports are our passion — always have been and always will be. This is particularly true for our Firestone brand, which has been part of world-class racing since winning the first Indy 500 in 1911," Paolo Ferrari, executive chairman and CEO, Bridgestone Americas, said.

"We believe motorsports are the ultimate challenge for premium performance and a proving ground for advancing in our goals towards sustainable innovation. Our relationship with the NTT IndyCar Series has been a critical part of these efforts, and we are proud to keep driving forward together."

Through the Firestone brand, Bridgestone has worked closely with the NTT IndyCar Series and partners across the paddock to help advance developments in more sustainable racing, the company said.

For example, Bridgestone incorporated certain materials made from hard-to-recycle plastics and palm oil waste residue in Indy 500 race tires in 2023 and 2024. The company has also used guayule-derived natural rubber in the sidewall of alternate race tires the past two seasons.

The extension includes Firestone's role as presenting sponsor of the top-tier development series, Indy NXT by Firestone. The brand signed as presenting sponsor of INDY NXT in 2023 to help the sport develop the next generation of racing talent and engage new audiences. The agreement also renews Firestone's status as official partner and tire supplier of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the largest spectator sporting facility on the planet.

The announcement also reinforces Bridgestone's investment and commitment to its workforce in Northeast Ohio, the company said. Each season, more than 25,000 Firestone Firehawk tires are designed and manufactured at the Bridgestone Advanced Tire Production Center in Akron. The $21 million facility opened in 2022 across the street from the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center. This proximity allows the Firestone Race Tire Engineering team to work side-by-side with other tire engineers to transfer insights from racing into other innovation workstreams, the company said.