IndyCar will add an alternative Firestone compound for the season finale at the Nashville Superspeedway on September 14 and 15. The new, softer red-sidewall tires will be an additional set for the teams and offer a new set of options and strategies.
The rules for tire allotment have also been revised. According to the new guidelines from IndyCar, each team will receive six sets of primary compound tires and four sets of alternative compound tires for the weekend. The teams may use their allotment however they like in practice and qualifying. However, the teams are required to use one set of primary and two sets of alternative compounds.
The rules also state that the race cars must complete two laps on each set of required tires to avoid a minimum one-lap penalty. There are no rules about whether the tires used in the race should be new or old. This is the second time alternative compounds have been used on an oval since August 27, 2023.
In addition to the 10 sets of primary and alternative tires, teams will receive a third, different set only to be used in the special high-line group practice.
“Our Firestone team rose to the challenge of an extremely short design cycle and its shortest-ever production timeframe to produce tires for a now heavier hybrid-powered car on a track the NTT Indycar Series hasn’t competed on since 2008,” said Cara Krstolic, director of race tire engineering and production and chief engineer at Firestone. “The goal for the alternative tire is to have significant wear and degradation to the point that team pit stop strategies could change as tires may wear before the end of a fuel stint. They are also designed for the different grip levels of the two types of tires to aid in creating more passing opportunities.”
Practice for the final weekend begins at 11.00am in Saturday, September 14, with qualifying scheduled for 2.15pm, high-line practice at 5.15pm and the final practice of the 2024 IndyCar season at 6.00pm.
