Bridgestone Americas has announced that Firestone Racing will start the 2026 IndyCar season with Firehawk race tires featuring Bridgestone’s Enliten technology. Starting at this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, both the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone will use these tires, which highlight the brand’s sustainability-focused technologies.
NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT
The Firestone Race Tire Engineering (RTE) team will design, develop and deliver approximately 37,000 Firestone Firehawk Enliten technology race tires. Of that total, more than 32,000 race tires will be supplied to the NTT IndyCar Series. They span 60 different specifications to meet the diverse demands of oval, road and street course configurations on the 18-race schedule.
Enliten technology In IndyCar
Enliten technology is designed to deliver customized performance while promoting a focus on enhanced sustainability across the Bridgestone and Firestone tire portfolios. This includes consumer products, such as the new Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 V2 ultra-high performance summer tire, as well as commercial and race tires.
Firestone Firehawk primary and alternate race tires will incorporate key Enliten technology components, including renewable soybean oil, which replaces petroleum-based oils traditionally used in tire compounds; recycled steel, used for the bead wire that anchors a race tire to a wheel; and recycled carbon black, which uses reinforcement material recovered from end-of-life tires.
“Firestone Racing serves as a mobile lab to test and prove new technologies under the most extreme conditions,” said Lisa Boggs, director, Bridgestone Americas Motorsports. “The integration of Enliten technology is the next step in our commitment to no compromises and sustainably focused technology through the use of cutting-edge materials.”
Nearly 100% of the tires used in the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone are recycled into new uses beyond the racetrack – including playground and sports surfaces, flooring and other rubber products.
Related news, Pirelli begins third season as exclusive supplier for Thailand Moto2 and Moto3
