Firestone Leaving IndyCar after 2011 Season

[Tim Northcutt]

Firestone issued a news release on this about 30 minutes ago.

They tried to work out something that would suit both parties but could not.

Firestone and IndyCar are going "different directions" (the final two works in Al Speyer's last quote in the release)

[GTRMagic]

Oops!!

[mountainstar]

Well no surprise. For what it cost Firestone, there is no doubt it's not worth it anymore. This isn't 1995 anymore. You could probably fit the number of people in the world that actually care about this series anymore on a basketball court. Good on them for moving on to more prosperous pastures and hopefully other racing series. I told one of their execs years ago there were plenty of other great opportunities out there that had a better cost vs. benefit ratio and not to waste their time on a decrepit backwards series like indycar.

Rodeo Randy is going to have his hands full lassoing a new tire partner that will actually bring bucks to the table and a tire that will not explode at 225 mph for 500 miles. He better get crackin' cause R&D takes a while.

Tomorrow we'll definitely celebrate the news!

[JHamilton]

Crap, that's late!

[gillesf]

That’s not surprising; IRL has very little value anymore as a marketing tool. The cost of developing an oval racing tire would be a massive waste of money for any company other than the one already in nascar stuff.

Bridgestone is pulling Firestone from IRL and they also left F1. Maybe they are looking to join Michelin and enter into LeMans. That would make endurance racing more of a battle.

Pirelli has picked up the F1 opening after leaving GrandAm and Continental entered GrandAm after forming an alliance with Hoosier. Goodyear has nascar and is already in LeMans lmp2/gt with Dunlop. Michelin has LeMans locked up plus GT world wide and is in WRC/Desert with BF Goodrich. Cooper is in f3, IMSA Lites and now LeMans lmp. Cooper also has a big effort in UK/Europe with the Avon brand.

Doesn’t leave many options for the development budget, even less options when you are talking an oval tire for a less than strong OW second tier draw to anything series.

Korean companies seem to smart to waste money on top tier expense. Kumho passed on F1 and Hankook stays in the lower ranks. They focus on OEM supply and OEM replacement markets. They have both realized that marketing at sporting events like FIFA, MLS or Stadiums is more cost effective. Smart!

I think Nexen is at Walmart now. Maybe they are interested in what OW racing has to offer now that control of all OW has been established in the hands of Indy. While there the IRL could offer a coupon for a outdated nascar shirt from the clearance rack.

[mountainstar]

Also keep in mind Firestone is yanking support of "indy lights" as well.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Losing such a great partner that did so much for promoting the sport is a real shame.

Losing the Magic Rings commercials, specifically, is not.

[PZippy]

Jacques - I totally agree. I really didn't care for those ads creatively. However, I think they've been a model partner for IndyCar so I always gave them a pass.

[icemachine]

Cooper sponsored the Atlantics in their dying days, maybe they can be brought back to open wheelers again

[gttouring]

Well diligent searching will uncover someone. I am not sure what tire companies aren't merged already to have any optionss...unless IMS Decides to create their own tires just for indy...time's wasting randy

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by gttouring

Well diligent searching will uncover someone. I am not sure what tire companies aren't merged already to have any optionss...unless IMS Decides to create their own tires just for indy...time's wasting randy

I doubt they'll find a deal as enticing as Firestone's. Firestone was subsidizing a large portion of the real cost of the tires, plus it appeared they were tipping in money to sponsor races and other promotion. Plus you had indy lights as well. Someone more interested could sit down and try to crunch the numbers but at the end of the day it's a sizable sum to replace.

With 2000 people at the season finale and Buttmaster infomercials outdrawing the league on TV, good luck finding a solid replacement that tips cash into the till.

[mz2k]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I doubt they'll find a deal as enticing as Firestone's. Firestone was subsidizing a large portion of the real cost of the tires, plus it appeared they were tipping in money to sponsor races and other promotion. Plus you had indy lights as well. Someone more interested could sit down and try to crunch the numbers but at the end of the day it's a sizable sum to replace.

With 2000 people at the season finale and Buttmaster infomercials outdrawing the league on TV, good luck finding a solid replacement that tips cash into the till.

Tony George and his supporters wanted control of the sport and spent a good portion of the family fortune in that pursuit. Now it's time to reap what was sown.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by mz2k

Tony George and his supporters wanted control of the sport and spent a good portion of the family fortune in that pursuit. Now it's time to reap what was sown.

I've said that many times over the years and it is happening. Just a gradual drain on their incomes and resources and value of their businesses. By insisting they had to have the whole pie, the pie has been hacked at enough that only crumbs are left.

I'm sure they will source tires from somewhere, but if anyone thinks they'll be as generous as Firestone, they are living in denial. Firestone spent a lot of money compared to what they got in return.

The next thing to go boom is when Honda pulls the plug.

[Tim Northcutt]

Here is the latest, courtesy of Robin Miller:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...eep-firestone/

Don't know if Firestone even cares, but at least the owners said they are more thanwilling to pay more for tires if it keeps them around for 2012.

Let's see if this gets any traction or not...no pun intended.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

Here is the latest, courtesy of Robin Miller:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...eep-firestone/

Don't know if Firestone even cares, but at least the owners said they are more thanwilling to pay more for tires if it keeps them around for 2012.

Let's see if this gets any traction or not...no pun intended.

So are the owners running the show or the irl?

Obviously the owners want Firestone to stick around, but I think the main sticking point for Firestone was their other associated costs, which most of that was going into the pockets of the irl.

I would bet the decision to end Firestone's deal in the irl was taken over the head of Al Speyer.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

So are the owners running the show or the irl?

Obviously the owners want Firestone to stick around, but I think the main sticking point for Firestone was their other associated costs, which most of that was going into the pockets of the irl.

I would bet the decision to end Firestone's deal in the irl was taken over the head of Al Speyer.

I thought that the article stated that Ropin' Randy held the meeting with owners, or at least he was present for it.

I think you're right about the other associated costs and the fact that the decision was probably made over Speyer's head...

Will the owners' willingness to pay more for the product make a difference?

Who knows? At least the offer and their willingness to do so can't hurt any more than not making an effort at all to try to keep Firestone around for 2012.

They've got everything to gain and nothing to lose at this point, so why not try it?

[Canada ALMS fan]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

So are the owners running the show or the irl?

Yes please! One step closer to the CART revival! BTW IRL is dead, it's Indycar now.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

I thought that the article stated that Ropin' Randy held the meeting with owners, or at least he was present for it.

I think you're right about the other associated costs and the fact that the decision was probably made over Speyer's head...

Will the owners' willingness to pay more for the product make a difference?

Who knows? At least the offer and their willingness to do so can't hurt any more than not making an effort at all to try to keep Firestone around for 2012.

They've got everything to gain and nothing to lose at this point, so why not try it?

Sure if I was an owner, which I wouldn't be in this trainwreck of a series, but if I was, I'd want Firestone to stick around as well. For 15 years, I think they have been pretty generous as well as providing a solid product.

But it seems the irl had their price, Firestone theirs and when Firestone wouldn't play, the irl said bye. Bugger the team owners.

Who knows, Firestone may have bigger fish to fry. They've worked the patch of open wheel for 15 years, time to move on. Decision has been made and they're movin on.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

Yes please! One step closer to the CART revival! BTW IRL is dead, it's Indycar now.

It's still the irl and will be until they sell out. Only then can we consider what brand of turd polish to buy to spiff it up.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

It's still the irl and will be until they sell out. Only then can we consider what brand of turd polish to buy to spiff it up.

LOL. If the IRL was truly dead why did they bring back TG? Complete lunacy.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Also keep in mind Firestone is yanking support of "indy lights" as well.

Well if they were going to pull out of IndyCar, I think pulling out of Indy Lights was a given.

This pretty much begs the question, which tyre manufacturer has the manufacturing capacity to supply both IndyCar and Indy Lights as they are both fairly well intergrated?

[Andy77]

If IRL would wanted to change something they should turn it into an open concept where teams can buy each car component from the supplier they want, within some well thought technical regulation, of course.

I really start to dislike all this one make nonsense that is put forward under the cost cutting banner. And lets not forget the real competition that manufacturers would be in which would aid the markets as well as it creates concurrence. Todays race series remind a lot to the system called "controlled economy" that broke down a little over 20 years ago in my front porch.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Andy77

If IRL would wanted to change something they should turn it into an open concept where teams can buy each car component from the supplier they want, within some well thought technical regulation, of course.

I really start to dislike all this one make nonsense that is put forward under the cost cutting banner. And lets not forget the real competition that manufacturers would be in which would aid the markets as well as it creates concurrence. Todays race series remind a lot to the system called "controlled economy" that broke down a little over 20 years ago in my front porch.

Agreed. And every series that has gone down this path has dropped in popularity.

I think people are afraid of competition, but competition is what motorsport is all about. There are going to be winners and losers, and there are going to be people more talented or have brighter ideas than others. All these series want to "level the playing field" and by doing so they just make it boring and uninteresting.

[HJJ]

Firestone staying till 2013 per NH Facebook posting:

Newman/Haas Racing
Great news that Firestone will remain the sole tire supplier for the IZOD INDYCAR Series through 2013. We will post stories when they are available.

http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-...s-tracks-back/


BTW, don't expect to see NH in Indycar after this year.

[gttouring]

Well that's over. Now they have 2 years to entice or get a tire war going