For almost 100 years, Firestone hasn't rested on its racing laurels. source: paddocktalk.com Faster cars, variable banking and various road/street course configurations require rubber that not only meets the road but stands up to its demands. That's why Firestone engineers recruited four IndyCar Series teams/drivers to pound out laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week. A one-day tire test also is scheduled for Oct. 9 at Iowa Speedway with drivers representing Panther Racing and Rahal Letterman Racing. IndyCar Series champions Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan joined two-time 500-Mile Race winner Helio Castroneves and Team Ethanol driver Jeff Simmons at the Speedway. "We have tested here a lot and run here a lot," said Page Mader, general manager of race tire development for Firestone. "We're doing two things: Compound testing and a little construction work. We're trying to make it better for next year." Firestone has a continually expanding inventory of compounds and constructions for the different racetracks on the IndyCar Series circuit. Grip and sidewall strength are key components in determining which tire to use at each venue. At Iowa, according to Mader, information garnered during a compatibility test in August was applied to a plan for this test in conjunction with IndyCar Series aerodynamic testing. "We ran the short oval set-up from Milwaukee and Richmond this year (at the compatibility test)," he said. "It worked very well. We'll do a little compound test with more grip primarily on the left side. We're doing a little bit to work to come up with the right specification for Iowa and a complement to maybe try something different at Richmond next year."
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