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Firestone announces tire specs for Baltimore
Edited: Aug 29, 2012, 8:35 PM
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FIRESTONE FIREHAWK FAST FACTS
IZOD IndyCar Series - Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT
Streets of Baltimore, Maryland
August 31-September 2, 2012 - Round 14 of 15
Race Distance: 150 miles/241.40 kilometers (75 laps around the 2-mile/3.12-km 12-turn temporary street circuit).
Hawk, the Firestone Tires Mascot
Photo by: Steve Gaysinskiy
Firestone Firehawk Race Tires Supplied:
- Primary (black-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 684, each entry gets five sets (20 total tires);
- Alternate (red-sidewall) dry-condition slicks: 342, each entry gets three sets (12 total tires);
- Wet-condition (rain) tires with grooved tread pattern: 540, each entry has five sets of the rain tire available this weekend.
The Firestone primary and alternate tire specifications for Baltimore remain the same as those used earlier this season on street circuits at St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Brazil, Detroit, Toronto and Edmonton. The specs feature updated tread compounds for 2012 applied to the same Firestone Firehawk street-course tire construction used throughout 2011.
The alternate tire program, a staple of the IZOD IndyCar Series since 2009, mandates a second tire specification at a road- or street-course race weekend using the same tire construction as the primary specification, but with a softer tread compound to provide more grip and faster lap times while trading off compound durability in exchange for those shorter-term advantages. Firestone's alternate tires are easily identified by their bright red sidewalls.
Per series regulations, all cars must use at least one set of primary tires and one new alternate set during the race, each for a minimum of two green-flag laps. Otherwise, teams are free to use their tire allotment as they see fit, though each car is limited to one set of tires (team choice of primary or alternate) for each qualifying segment.
From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "Firestone Racing has been looking forward to returning to Baltimore ever since last year's incredibly successful debut. The city and its residents have really embraced our sport, and we're ready to put on another good show for them. This year should be even more exciting given the improved track layout which should provide more opportunities for passing. We will be utilizing our 2012 street course primary and alternate tire specification, so the drivers have plenty of experience on these particular tires. As the battle for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship reaches its penultimate event, the last thing the contenders will have to worry about is their Firestone Racing tires."
Firestone Racing History of Note: In last year's debut of the Grand Prix of Baltimore, race winner Will Power relied on his Firestone Firehawk tires to open up a significant gap on runner-up Oriol Servia, who was conserving fuel. Even with an additional pit stop, Power's ability to put down a series of quick laps that stretched his advantage secured his victory.
Source: Firestone Racing
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