Last month, the IndyCar Series verified the switch of its last race on September 15 from the downtown streets of Nashville to the 1.33-mile D-shaped concrete oval in neighboring Lebanon, Tennessee.
The transfer to have the season end on an oval for the very first time given that 2014 (Fontana) has actually pressed Firestone, the sole tire provider of the North America’s premier open-wheel champion, in a craze.
The job is currently challenging on its own, it isn’t as easy as revealing up and screening right out of the gate under the present setups or utilizing the very same tire substance from when IndyCar last raced at the oval in 2008. There is a myriad of included variables the business is required to overcome, consisting of the anticipated mid-season intro of the hybrid– a considerably much heavier cars and truck that affects tire heat circulation and wear.
In an unique interview with Motorsport.com, Cara Krstolic, Executive Director of race tire engineering and production for Firestone, shared that the circumstance isn’t as basic as bolting on tires constructed for other ovals, with all others significantly being paved with asphalt.
“Nashville Superspeedway is a bit of a special building and it’s not something that we presently utilize,” Krstolic stated.
“When developing a tire for Nashville, we’re taking a look at something that is going to correspond and long lasting. The concrete speedway is certainly an obstacle since it’s really abrasive, it’s high wear on tires, and after that the shape of the oval includes a great deal of heat to tires. We have to bring a building that’s particular to Nashville.
“It’s not something as easy as bringing tires from Texas (Motor Speedway) or another speedway forward. It has its own distinct needs. We have a test date protected and we will be checking substances and buildings.
“This is a special building and construction that’s not in our lineup, so we require to ensure our structure makers can run it. We’ll be looking at a lot of things going up to the tire test and then developing forward towards the race.”
Cara Krstolic, Firestone Executive Director of race tire engineering and production
Picture by: Penske Entertainment
Krstolic verified that a tire test with the hybrid is set for June 14, which follows a relentless stretch that starts on May 11 with 4 races over 5 weeks– with Indianapolis 500 certifying filling that space– and another tire test at Milwaukee.
“There’s a great deal of unknowns that we are entering into the tire test with,” she stated. “And so, we’ll be evaluating the various aero setups due to the fact that we’re uncertain