MIS the site of first Victory of Modern Era
source: irl.racing-live.com It all began with a bold pass of the reigning series champion for first place on the last lap. Ten years and 198 race wins later, the Firestone Racing program is cemented as a leader in all of racing. Scott Pruett, driving a car owned by Pat Patrick Racing and equipped with Firestone Firehawk racing radials, completed the memorable overtaking maneuver of Al Unser Jr. on the final lap of the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway on July 30, 1995. Pruett took the checkered flag to hand Firestone its first major open-wheel victory following the tire maker's return to competition that season after a 20-year hiatus. Firestone and the racing community are back at MIS this weekend for, appropriately, the Firestone Indy 400, on the 10-year anniversary of that momentous win. While the open-wheel landscape has changed, Firestone remains a constant. Now the exclusive tire supplier to the Indy Racing League, Firestone continues writing its legacy as a staunch supporter of the sport and reliable friend to drivers who put their trust in what many regard as the "best tires in the business." For those involved in the Firestone program back in 1995, however, there were no such grand illusions. "Firestone rejoined open-wheel competition as the truest of unknowns," recalls Al Speyer, the executive director of Firestone Racing who's guided the program all 10 years. "We were up against another manufacturer that had 20 years of experience on us, not to mention three-quarters of the cars on the grid. But after a full year of thorough and methodical testing in 1994, when we logged more than 12,000 miles with Scott Pruett and Patrick Racing, we truly believed the Firestone tires could compete - and they did.
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