Intro
Get Ready to HIT THE TRACK
NTT INDYCAR® SERIES
Now in its 27th consecutive season as the exclusive tire supplier of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Firestone is a key innovation and marketing partner for the most versatile racing series in the world. The Firestone Race Tire Engineering team and nearly 60 expert tire builders will deliver approximately 32,000 Firestone Firehawk race tires for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, including more than 5,000 tires for use in practice, qualifying and competition for the Indianapolis 500® alone. In all, Firestone Racing will design, develop, and deliver more than 60 different race tire specifications to meet the extensive and varying demands of the 16 unique oval, road, and street circuits across the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule.
Learn more about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDY NXT By Firestone
Firestone further demonstrated its continued commitment to the future of NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing by expanding its partnership to be presenting sponsor and exclusive tire supplier of the top-tier development series, INDY NXT by Firestone beginning with the 2023 season. While involved with previous iterations of the ladder series since the early 1990s, this season Firestone will produce more than 5,200 tires with 16 different specifications to support the series and help develop the next generation of drivers.
Heritage
FIRESTONE & THE NTT INDYCAR® SERIES
Firestone’s legacy in racing began in 1909 when Barney Oldfield’s car ran on Firestone tires at the newly built Indianapolis Motor Speedway, then was solidified in 1911 when Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500® aboard his Firestone-equipped Marmon Wasp. Guided by the pioneering vision of founder Harvey Firestone, the brand has relentlessly driven new racing innovation as the choice of champions for more than a century.
In using world-class racing to demonstrate its uncompromising dependability and durability, Firestone enters the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season having won "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" 76 times - more than double all other tire manufacturers combined.
Cars
Cars
NTT INDYCAR® SERIES cars are mechanical and aerodynamic works of art, capable of astounding performance and speed. Each car is configured specifically for the type of track it will drive on, and everything is adjustable, including the high-performance Firestone Firehawk tires. Fine-tuning the car is as integral to success as the driver's race craft.
- 1,600 LBS LIGHT & AGILE
- 12K RPM HIGH REV
- 700 EST. HP RAW POWER
- 230+ MPH AT INDY 500
- 5,000 LBS DOWNFORCE
Tires
Tires
NTT INDYCAR® SERIES TIRES
Firestone Firehawk race tires are specifically engineered for the type of course they'll be used on. Oval tracks use a primary tire designed for their unique demands and will occasionally also use an alternate (red) tire at specific events. Permanent road courses and temporary street circuits can use all three types - primary, alternate (red), and rain (grey).
PRIMARY BLACK The black sidewall primary Firestone race tires offer a competitive balance between speed, cornering, and durability. Firehawk primary tires are used on all three types of track.
ALTERNATE RED Visually differentiated by red sidewalls, Firestone alternate tires have a softer compound than primary tires, allowing for faster speeds and better cornering, but quicker wear. Red alternate tires are used on permanent road tracks and temporary street circuits.
RAIN These grey sidewall Firestone race tires were developed for wet conditions and use a grooved tread pattern that improves grip, control and helps prevent hydroplaning. Rain tires are used on road and street courses only, as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES does not run oval races if conditions are wet.
All Firestone Firehawk race tires are manufactured at the Bridgestone Advanced Tire Production Center in Akron, Ohio, which opened in 2022 and was certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system for its transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials. It’s here that the Firestone Race Tire Engineering team works side-by-side with passenger tire engineers at the nearby Bridgestone Americas Technology Center to leverage lessons from racing to improve the products featured across the Bridgestone and Firestone passenger tire lines.
INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE TIRES:
DRY INDY NXT race cars use Firestone Firehawk race tires that are specifically engineered for the type of car and the type of course they'll compete on. INDY NXT races do not have pitstops and only require one type of (dry) tire.
RAIN Firestone Firehawk INDY NXT rain tires were developed for wet conditions and use a grooved tread pattern that improves grip, control and helps prevent hydroplaning. Rain tires are used on road and street courses only, as INDY NXT by Firestone does not run oval races if conditions are wet.
Race Circuits
Race Circuits
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone compete on three types of tracks throughout the season: temporary street circuit, permanent road course, and oval.
STREET A temporary circuit made up of closed-off public streets, roads, and even airport runways in a city or town with a tight track, wall, and no runoff areas. Check out the street action at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg , Grand Prix of Arlington, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix and Honda INDY Markham. INDY NXT by Firestone races at St. Pete, Arlington, and Detroit street events.
ROAD This circuit is similar to street tracks but takes place in a dedicated racing facility rather than existing public streets. Both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone will race on permanent road courses at Barber Motorsports Park , Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course, Portland International Raceway, and Laguna Seca Raceway.
OVAL A circuit with banked turns and unique variances in shape, oval tracks feature the highest speeds due to their wide-open nature. The Indianapolis 500® is by far the most famous oval race in motorsports. Phoenix Raceway has been added to the 2026 NTT INDYCAR® SERIES schedule that includes St. Louis’ World Wide Technology Raceway, Nashville Speedway, and a double header at the Milwaukee Mile.
INDY NXT by Firestone will race on the same oval tracks with the exception of Phoenix Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s oval configuration.
Qualifying
Qualifying
A driver's qualification run determines their starting order in a race. Depending on the type of race circuit, qualifying can work in different ways. More qualifying information is available at INDYCAR.com.
OVAL Qualification is determined by the combined time for two consecutive timed laps (except Indianapolis 500.)
STREET & ROAD Qualification is broken into segments. The top finishers advance to the next round, while the remaining drivers occupy later positions. The Firestone Fast Six™ are the six cars that make it to the final segment in a shootout for the pole position.
INDIANAPOLIS 500 Four intense laps, 16 perfect corners, 230+ mph speeds. The Indianapolis 500 has its own unique set of rules for qualifying, different from those found on other oval circuits. Complete qualification rules for the Indianapolis 500 are available here.
Pit Stops
Pit Stops
NTT INDYCAR® SERIES drivers pull into the pit box during races to refuel, replace their Firestone Firehawk race tires, or make any necessary mechanical adjustments or repairs to their car. Teamwork and perfect timing are key to a successful pit stop so the driver can be back on the track in as little time as possible.
- 8 SECONDS AVERAGE STOP TIME
- 7 SECONDS REFUEL 18.5 GALLONS
- 5 SECONDS CHANGE 4 TIRES
Note: INDY NXT By Firestone races do not have pitstops.
Flags
Flags
During races, officials use a variety of flags to denote safety commands and instructions to the drivers.
Start Race
End of Race
Car Attempting to Pass
One Lap Remains
Stop, Track Unsafe
Go to Pit
Track not safe for race speeds
Track surface slippery
Driver disqualified
