Experiencing success in 2022, Firestone has expanded the new guayule alternate Firestone Firehawk tire to be utilized for all five street course races this season. The alternate tire provides teams with a strategic choice during both road and street course events, as it provides increased grip, but less duration. The sidewall of this special Firestone Firehawk tire is made of guayule, a drought resistant, heat tolerant, woody desert shrub native to the American southwest.
Guayule is a less water-intensive crop, which could help to address persistent water shortages and drought conditions in the American southwest. Bridgestone is utilizing racing and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as a proving ground to demonstrate the performance of this new sustainable natural rubber.
The Firestone guayule race tire made its competition debut as the alternate race tire at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in 2022. It will be used at all street circuits this season.