Firestone brand to exit Indycar
The Indycar series is held in equal high esteem by US motor racing aficionados as Formula One is in other parts of the world, and as has been the case for the Bernie Ecclestone run championship, vehicles racing in Indycar have been fitted with tyres produced by Bridgestone companies for a good number of years. But the similarities do not end there; more than a year after the withdrawal from Formula one was announced, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) stated it has “mutually agreed” with Indycar to end the sponsorship and supply contract for its Firestone brand – a partnership it describes as “one of the most successful in all of motorsports” – at the end of the 2011 season.