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As the series’ exclusive tire supplier, Bridgestone will feature Firestone Firehawk race tires made with rubber derived from the guayule desert shrub as the alternate tire in all five street circuits of the 17-race season, a four-race bump from the season prior. Additionally, the majority of race tires used this season will be manufactured at the energy-efficient Advanced Test Production Center (ATPC), which has now received International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS recognition for its transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials. Finally, the company will utilize ISCC mass balance certified synthetic rubber¹Ìýmade with recycled plastics in all its race tires for the 107^thÌýRunning of theÌýIndianapolisÌý500.

“We are driving sustainability in every area of our business, and we’re thrilled to be advancing guayule and other sustainable practices in America’s premier open-wheel racing series,” saidÌýPaolo Ferrari, CEO of Bridgestone Americas. “Firestone has a tremendous legacy of innovation and performance in racing, which we will continue to build upon as we move into this new era of cleaner, safer and more sustainable mobility on and off the track.”

Guayule Race Tires for 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES

The Firestone Firehawk race tire will be featured as the alternative tire at the Firestone Grand Prix (March 5) inÌýSt. Petersburg, Fla., Streets ofÌýLong BeachÌý(April 16), Streets ofÌýDetroitÌý(June 4), Streets ofÌýTorontoÌý(July 16) and the Music City Grand Prix (Aug 6) inÌýNashville, Tenn.ÌýFor the 2023 season, Bridgestone will supply more than 1900 tires using a sidewall material made exclusively with rubber derived from the guayule woody desert shrub grown on the company’s own farm inÌýEloy, Arizona. The initiative builds on the 2022 competitive debut of guayule race tires at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix inÌýNashvilleÌýlast August

Creating a Bioeconomy with Guayule

Bridgestone launched its guayule research initiative in 2012 when it broke ground on a guayule processing and research center inÌýMesa, Arizona. Today, the company continues to operate theÌýMesaÌýfacility in addition to a 281-acre guayule farm inÌýEloy, Arizona. To date, Bridgestone has invested more thanÌý$100 millionÌýin its efforts to commercialize guayule. Bridgestone is also the recipient of multiple U.S. government research grants for guayule research and development, including from theÌýU.S. Department of AgricultureÌý(July 2017Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌýNovember 2022) and from theÌýÌý(September 2021).

±õ²ÔÌýAugust 2022, Bridgestone announced its plans to invest an additionalÌý$42 millionÌýto establish commercial operations, with additional investment and expansion toward 2030. This investment will increase capacity of up to 25,000 additional acres of farmland for planting and harvesting guayule at scale in collaboration and partnership with local U.S. farmers and Native American tribes.

Guayule is part of Bridgestone’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality and make tires from 100% sustainable materials by 2050. The company is targeting commercial production of guayule-derived natural rubber by the end of the decade.

Advanced Tire Production Center with ISCC PLUS Certification

Bridgestone completes its farm to track sustainability initiative by manufacturing all Firestone Firehawk race tires at the newly ISCC PLUS certified ATPC inÌýAkron. The certification was awarded to the facility onÌýNovember 2, 2022Ìýfor its transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materialsÌýincluding bio, bio-circular and circular-based synthetic rubber¹. The ATPC is the fourth Bridgestone facility inÌýNorth AmericaÌýto be awarded the certification , behind the Aiken County Passenger/Light Truck Plant and Polymer Engineering Pilot Center inÌýAkron. Sustainable practices in its manufacturing facilities are a critical element of Bridgestone’s sustainability commitments, including its aim to achieve carbon neutrality and tires made with 100% sustainable materials by 2050.

ISCC PLUS certified Circular Butadiene* for Tire Production

This year at the Indy 500, all race tires – for practice, qualifying and race– will incorporate ISCCÌýrecycled-attributed butadiene¹, a monomer produced with recycled post-consumer plastic waste, to create the synthetic rubber in the tire¹. The new monomer will replace the fossil-based monomer and will be supplied by Shell, the race series’ official fuel, oil and lubricant sponsor.

The acceleration of the company’s sustainable solution technologies for the 2023 INDYCAR season aligns with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which establishes eight values starting with the letter “E” to solidify Bridgestone’s commitment to a more sustainable world. Increasing the utilization of the Firestone Firehawk race tire with guayule, the ISCC PLUS certification and the new sustainable monomer are examples of the values “Emotion,” “Ecology” and “Energy.”

¹The recycled content is allocated using the ISCC mass balance approach. Find out more:ÌýÌý

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