Bridgestone St. Petersburg GP Preview
Television/Radio Broadcast: Live – Sunday, April 6, at 2:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN, IMS Radio Network and XM Radio 145.
Firestone Firehawk Race Tires Supplied:
- 1,142 dry-condition slicks; each car receives 10 sets (40 tires) for the race weekend. Firestone Fast Six qualifiers receive one additional set of slicks for that session only.
- 436 wet-condition grooved tires; each car receives four sets (16 tires) of rain tires.
Both the dry- and wet-condition tire specifications feature return performances from the identical specs used at St. Petersburg in 2007. These are the "softest" race tires, in both tread compound and sidewall construction, that Firestone will select for any IndyCar Series circuit this season.
From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "The 2008 season got off to a rousing start last weekend at Homestead and we expect the momentum to continue growing this weekend at one of our favorite stops, St. Petersburg. Firestone has been the Official Tire and associate sponsor of this event for as long as the series has been coming to St. Pete. In fact, the aptly named 'Firestone Turn' at the end of the front stretch was the place where the IndyCar Series first made a right turn back in 2005. Andretti Green Promotions has done a tremendous job building the grand prix into one of the series' marquee events, and Firestone is proud to have played a role. The racing is always exciting here, and we're eager to see the return of the 'Firestone Fast Six' and the new qualifying format that will debut Saturday. Add to that a Firestone Indy Lights doubleheader and it all bodes for a tremendous weekend."
Firestone "Tire-ific" Move of the Race: This $10,000 prize will be awarded after each IndyCar Series race to the driver who best utilizes his or her Firestone tires to make a bold, dramatic move during the event. It could be relying on the Firehawks' great grip to execute a daring pass, or having the confidence in the tires' durability to run an extra stint on a set to improve position. After each race, Firestone Racing officials will submit the top three "Tire-ific" candidates to www.indycar.com, where fans will be able to cast their votes during the ensuing week to determine the winner. The winner from last week's Homestead race (nominees are Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter and Dan Wheldon) will be named in St. Petersburg pre-race ceremonies Sunday.