Partnership with season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES event began in 2014 and will continue through 2025; Multiyear extension signed between INDYCAR and Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 2, 2023) – Bridgestone Americas, Inc. today announced a two-year extension for the Firestone brand’s title sponsorship of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding through 2025. Firestone has been a partner with the event since 2005, then elevated its commitment to become the naming rights partner of this NTT INDYCAR® SERIES event in 2014.
This is Firestone’s 24th consecutive year as the sole tire supplier of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as the season gets underway this weekend for the 13th time on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg. The race continues to be an ideal setting for the brand to engage race fans and consumers while showcasing its best-in-class tire technology. In 2023, starting with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars will race on guayule natural rubber, featuring a green sidewall, as the alternate tire on all street circuits.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with Green Savoree Racing Promotions to support a marquee event in a community that shares our passion for INDYCAR racing,” said Lisa Boggs, Director of Motorsports at Bridgestone Americas. “This year’s race marks the Firestone brand’s tenth year as entitlement sponsor, and we’re honored to extend this relationship through 2025.”
“It’s an honor for our team to host this event in the City of St. Petersburg each year and to do so with the unparalleled support of an iconic brand like Firestone spanning 19 years now. Lisa (Boggs) and her team continue to help us grow the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding and to elevate the stature of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as a world-class sport,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. “Year-after-year Firestone delivers a great racing compound to the drivers producing awesome competition on the track for our fans to enjoy!”
Additionally, INDYCAR and Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC, the company which owns and operates the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, have signed a multiyear extension. This ensures the continuation of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing on the streets of St. Petersburg.
“The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding has proven to be an exceptional season opener for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “We are pleased to agree to a multiyear extension as we commit to what has become a pillar event on our calendar. The growing crowds and TV audience and continued support from Firestone are important signs of the event’s strength and future. We look forward to the city of St. Petersburg providing the perfect showcase for the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for years to come.”
Firestone is a time-tested brand whose roots run deep in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. For nearly 100 years, Firestone Complete Auto Care (FCAC) has been a trusted provider of tire and automotive services for drivers in the region. Its location on Kennedy Boulevard in downtown Tampa, which is just a few miles from where the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding will be held, first opened in 1933 and stands as the longest still-operating FCAC location in the U.S. FCAC is part of Bridgestone Retail Operations, which owns and operates more than 2,200 tire and vehicle service locations across the country.
Firestone is the official tire of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES currently through the 2025 season. The Firestone Race Tire Engineering team develops race tire specifications to meet the demands of each unique oval, road and street course circuits on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. These efforts to support the most versatile racing series in the world continue to serve as the ultimate proving ground for the tire technology that everyday drivers can find in the Firestone passenger tires on their personal vehicles.
The 2023 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding runs March 3-5. Tickets start as low as $25. For complete pricing, schedule and festival information, visit gpstpete.com. Follow the event on social media using @gpstpete and #FirestoneGP for the latest updates. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:
Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber, building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas employs more than 45,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.
About Firestone Racing:
The Firestone brand has participated in world-class motorsports events for more than a century, and racing has played an integral role in building and shaping Firestone into the time-tested, iconic brand it is today. Harvey Firestone, the brand’s founder and a pioneer of sports marketing, was one of the first to use racing as the ultimate proving ground for his tires. Ever since Ray Harroun’s Firestone-equipped Marmon Wasp won the inaugural Indianapolis 500® in 1911, Firestone has worked to constantly evolve and advance race tire technology. Overall, Firestone tires have carried the winner of the Indy 500 to victory circle 73 times – more than double all other tire manufacturers combined. Firestone has served as INDYCAR’s sole tire supplier since 2000, and the brand’s on-track success translates to durable, dependable performance and uncompromising quality on the open road.
About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding:
The 19th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (June 30-July 2, 2023), Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 1-3, 2023).
For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.
About NTT INDYCAR SERIES:
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series. It features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including two-time and reigning series champion Will Power, six-time series champion Scott Dixon, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and reigning “500” winner Marcus Ericsson – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2023 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDYCAR, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
