Bridgestone / Firestone

[macdaddy]

This is to copy a thread on the ChampCar board, as it bears equal significance to the IRL.

During the Penske-initiated reunification talks, it was mentioned that the primary force behind this was Bridgestone.

Since the talks broke off, they've been quiet on the matter.

You can have all the chassis, engines, teams, drivers and tracks in the world. But if you ain't got tires, you got nothing.

Has anybody heard anything from the Bridgestone camp since then? We'd be remiss if we overlooked something this important.

[gttouring]

Well Bridgestone has said they have the best performance markets to display in - they have F1 and IRL and Champcar albeit in the firestone guise for the IRL
they simply wanted to take Firestone totally Northamerican adn with the related openwheel series there. They prefer to maintain BS as the tyre in F1...
and they could also pool their resources for one series and make better tyres for a multicourse series-
this is all i heard- it seems a unification of their resources on each field to make the job more streamlined and manageble

[esorniloc]

Apart from the fact one set are called Firestone and one set are called Bridgestone, what are the differences between the Oval spec Bridgestones from Champcar and the IRL Firestone tyres?

[Tim Northcutt]

I posted this in the Champ Car Forum as well...

This is the way I see it:

The way I look at it, if Bridgestone decides to go with one series only, then Goodyear would step in to become the "official tire" of a major series....or Dunlop, in case OWRS would be the odd series out....or Michelin, if F-1 decides to go with one tire manufacturer...

If Bridgestone stays with OWRS, then the other Series would probably land Goodyear or Hoosier tires.....

Builders of racing tires aren't going to let that huge void remain open for very long.....there is way too much exposure value to let such an opportunity slide past....

So the tire manufacturer does not worry me that much....and there would be time for the new supplier to biuld tires and get them tested at tracks over the winter....

[sgw2]

Tim,

I think Bridgestone will simply refuse to do any development work on the tires. All that will be focused on meeting IRL needs.

OWRS will still be able to buy them, but will have to pay for the support services. This will be very expensive for the non-US races. However I seriously doubt OWRS will look for another tire supplier. That is a risk that is simply not worth the expense.

Also no supplier is likely to commit to OWRS since the series may not be around long enough to justify the expense of creating a series of tires for them and their races.

Bridgestone will "supply" to OWRS, but at a steeper price.

[macdaddy]

sgw2, I don't think that Bridgestone's decision is going to be very easy.
Let's also keep in mind that Bridgestone/Firestone have never said so much as a word about this. Everything's hearsay, however I stand to be corrected.

I look at it this way... When the reunification talks were taking place in some hangar just outside of Roswell, and if these talks were at the prompting of Bridgestone, I think that they would have lasted for more than ten minutes if there was a serious doubt about tires.

[sgw2]

Mac,

I was just logically thinking aloud. I do not think there is any rival tire company ready or willing to step in. Bridgestone I merely see as a captive supplier. I don't think they'd pull the plug on OWRS, but I don't think they will continue to help them.

As for the reunification talk of Penske, who knows if Bridgestone had bat to do with it. My observation had more to do with the rumors that Bridgestone has not re-upped with OWRS as yet.

I still think the most telling blow that OWRS will take is between Mid-April and Mid-May when GPALB switches from OWRS to IRL in 2006. Hard to see TG or IRL giving reunification a second thought between now and then. They are betting that the three amigos will throw in the towell rather than spend another $50-80M beyond the $100M they will have spent to keep what was CART going.

[GP Racer]

IMO, I don't think Bridgestone is going to walk away from OWRS, at least in the near future. They can supply the same tires with little or no new development, simply because there is no new chassis or engines on the horizon for the next couple of years, that will demand new tire technology. It should be a cheap investment for them, and still keep there name on a "major" series. They may not like the Spike TV coverage and lack of exposure it gives though.

As for Firestone, they have a pretty long history with IndyCar racing. The exposure is very good, because of a good TV contract with ABC, and who doesn't want the Indy 500 exposure? Thats huge in itself. Now with road racing coming on, they have a chance to prove themselves there, and possibly win some converts in that crowd also. I see them staying around for along while.

Does anyone see multiple tire manufacturers coming into the IRL, and if you do, do you think that would be a good thing?

[macdaddy]

I agree with what you're saying, GP.
And the fact that Bridgestone will be the presenting sponsor for the CC race in Vegas, solidifies my belief that they're not leaving that series.

[esorniloc]

Originally posted by GP Racer
Does anyone see multiple tire manufacturers coming into the IRL, and if you do, do you think that would be a good thing?

Can there actually be more than one tyre manufacturer in the current IRL rules?

Didn't Firestone sign a contract to be the only supplier to the IRL for a good few years?

[Kicking-back]

I think one manufacturer is the way to go on tyres.

It prevents ridiculous gains in speed, and is a positive safety factor.