IRL: Sears Point: Firestone preview

Race Distance: 184 miles (80 laps around the 2.3-mile, 12-turn circuit).

Firehawk Race Tires Supplied: For the first permanent road-course race in IRL history, Firestone delivered 826 dry-condition and 368 wet-condition Firehawk race tires for use. All were produced at the Firestone Technical Center in Akron, Ohio.

* Dry-condition tires ("slicks"): Each car receives eight sets of slicks (32 total tires) for the race weekend, to use as its team determines in the practice, qualifying and race sessions. Those cars that make the "Firestone Fast Six" for the final segment of qualifying receive an additional set for that session only. The Firestone race tire development team has chosen a soft road-course tire specification for this weekend's event - it was successfully tested here in April.

* Wet-condition tires ("rains"): Firestone supplies each car up to four sets of grooved-tread rain tires (16 total tires) per race weekend on road and street courses, as needed. Teams can provide two additional sets of the same-spec rain tire that may have been distributed at an earlier test. The softer rain tire specification was selected for this weekend.

Quote from Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: "It's always a challenge when we have a new track to deal with, and especially considering this is the league's first permanent road course, but we've tested here and have a great deal of confidence in the tire we've brought this weekend. We have quite a history at this track - going back to racing the IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship and SCCA Trans-Am in the '80s and '90s - and we're very excited to have the Firestone brand back here again. It's a great market and we're looking forward to bringing open-wheel racing back to the great race fans in this area. And to top it all off, this weekend will mark Firestone's 100th IRL IndyCar Series win. Overall, this should be a very exciting weekend for us."

Firestone Performance Award: Normally, to commemorate Firestone's status as the only tire supplier to participate in every IndyCar Series event in IRL history, this $10,000 bonus is awarded to the driver leading the lap corresponding to the cumulative number of races conducted to that point - 117 this weekend. But since there are just 80 laps in Sunday's main event, Firestone will offer its Performance Award to the driver leading when the 117th mile is turned on lap 51. In pre-race ceremonies Sunday, Dario Franchitti of Andretti Green Racing will receive the $10,000 Firestone Performance Award for leading lap 116 at Pikes Peak International Raceway last weekend.

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