Indy 500 Winning Tire Manufacturers & Tire Participation

Through 2010

YearWinnerTireTire Participation
1911Ray HarrounFirestone 
1912Joe DawsonMichelin 
1913Jules GouxFirestone 
1914Rene ThomasPalmer Cord 
1915Ralph DePalmaGoodrich 
1916Dario RestaGoodrich 
1919Howdy WilcoxGoodyear 
1920Gaston CheveroletFirestone 
1921Tommy MiltonFirestone 
1922Jimmy MurphyFirestoneAll 27 starters used Firestone tires
1923Tommy MiltonFirestoneAll 24 starters used Firestone tires
1924L.L. Corum & Joe BoyerFirestoneAll 22 starters used Firestone tires
1925Peter DePaoloFirestoneAll 22 starters used Firestone tires
1926Frank LockhartFirestoneAll 28 starters used Firestone tires
1927George SoudersFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1928Louis MeyerFirestoneAll 29 starters used Firestone tires
1929Ray KeechFirestone32 starters used Firestone, 1 used Dunlop
1930Billy ArnoldFirestoneAll 38 starters used Firestone tires
1931Louis SchneiderFirestoneAll 40 starters used Firestone tires
1932Fred FrameFirestoneAll 40 starters used Firestone tires
1933Louis MeyerFirestoneAll 42 starters used Firestone tires
1934Bill CummingsFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1935Kelly PetilloFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1936Louis MeyerFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1937Wilbur ShawFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1938Floyd RobertsFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1939Wilbur ShawFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1940Wilbur ShawFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1941Floyd Davis & Mauri RoseFirestoneAll 31 starters used Firestone tires
1946George RobsonFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1947Mauri RoseFirestoneAll 30 starters used Firestone tires
1948Mauri RoseFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1949Bill HollandFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1950Johnnie ParsonsFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1951Lee WallardFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1952Troy RuttmanFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1953Bill VukovichFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1954Bill VukovichFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1955Bob SweikertFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1956Pat FlahertyFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1957Sam HanksFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1958Jimmy BryanFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1959Rodger WardFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1960Jim RathmannFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1961A.J. FoytFirestone32 starters used Firestone, 1 used Dunlop
1962Rodger WardFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
1963Parnelli JonesFirestoneAll 33 starters used Firestone, some practiced with Goodyear
1964A.J. FoytFirestone31 starters used Firestone, 2 used Sears Allstate; some practiced with Goodyear
1965Jim ClarkFirestone21 starters used Firestone, 12 starters used Goodyear
1966Graham HillFirestone17 starters used Firestone, 16 used Goodyear
1967A.J. FoytGoodyear Blue Streak17 starters used Firestone, 16 used Goodyear
1968Bobby UnserGoodyear Blue Streak14 starters used Firestone, 19 used Goodyear
1969Mario AndrettiFirestone8 starters used Firestone, 25 used Goodyear
1970Al Unser, Sr.Firestone12 starters used Firestone, 21 used Goodyear
1971Al Unser, Sr.Firestone18 starters used Firestone, 15 used Goodyear
1972Mark DonohueGoodyear Blue Streak14 starters used Firestone, 19 used Goodyear
1973Gordon JohncockGoodyear Blue Streak7 starters used Firestone, 26 used Goodyear
1974Johnny RutherfordGoodyear Blue StreakAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1975Bobby UnserGoodyear Blue StreakAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1976Johnny RutherfordGoodyear Blue StreakAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1977A.J. FoytGoodyear Blue StreakAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1978Al Unser, Sr.Goodyear Blue StreakAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1979Rick MearsGoodyear Blue StreakAll 35 starters used Goodyear tires
1980Johnny RutherfordGoodyear Blue StreakAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1981Bobby UnserGoodyear EagleAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1982Gordon JohncockGoodyear EagleAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1983Tom SnevaGoodyear EagleAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1984Rick MearsGoodyear EagleAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1985Danny SullivanGoodyear EagleAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1986Bobby RahalGoodyear EagleAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1987Al Unser, Sr.Goodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1988Rick MearsGoodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1989Emerson FittipaldiGoodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1990Arie LuyendykGoodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1991Rick MearsGoodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1992Al Unser, Jr.Goodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1993Emerson FittipladiGoodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1994Al Unser, Jr.Goodyear Eagle radialsAll 33 starters used Goodyear tires
1995Jacques VillenueveGoodyear Eagle radials25 starters used Goodyear, 8 used Firestone
1996Buddy LazierFirestone Firehawk radials19 starters used Goodyear, 14 used Firestone
1997Arie LuyendykFirestone Firehawk radials20 starters used Goodyear, 15 used Firestone
1998Eddie Cheever, Jr.Goodyear Eagle radials22 starters used Goodyear, 11 used Firestone
1999Kenny BrackGoodyear Eagle radials18 starters used Goodyear, 15 used Firestone
2000Juan MontoyaFirestone Firehawk radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2001Helio CastronevesFirestone Firehawk radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2002Helio CastronevesFirestone Firehawk radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2003Gil de FerranFirestone Firehawk radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2004Buddy RiceFirestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2005Dan WheldonFirestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2006Sam Hornish, Jr.Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2007Dario FranchittiFirestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2008Scott DixonFirestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2009Helio CastronevesFirestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires
2010Dario FranchittiFirestone Firehawk Indy 500 radialsAll 33 starters used Firestone tires

Total victories by tire manufacturer

Firestone:61 (including 2010)
Goodyear:29
Goodrich:2
Michelin:1
Palmer:1

  • In 1994, Firestone started a program to return to Indy car racing. Goodyear had served as exclusive tire supplier since 1974. During the 1994 CART season, a revamped Patrick Racing, with driver Scott Pruett, served as Firestone's exclusive test team. They tested at various tracks, including Indy (in June 1994) for the entire year. Starting in 1995, Firestone began providing tires for competition in the CART series and at Indianapolis. Patrick Racing was the primary team of the effort, but several other teams joined. The move brought a "tire war" back to Indy for the first time in over 20 years.

    Firestone nearly won their first race back at Indy. Driver Scott Goodyear, in a Firestone-shod Honda was leading near the end. He was black flagged, however, for passing the pace car, and Jacques Villeneuve (with Goodyear tires) was declared the winner.

    In 1996, after the Indy Racing League was formed, both Goodyear and Firestone provided tires to both CART and the IRL. In October 1999, Goodyear announced they would not return as supplier of tires for the Indy Racing League and Indianapolis 500, as well as the CART series. The move elevated Firestone as the exclusive supplier of tires for both series for several years to come. Firestone got back into victory lane at Indy in 1996, and won their 50th Indy 500 in 1997. They followed that up with their 60th Indy 500 in 2009.

  • In the 2000s, Firestone signed a long-term contract to remain the exclusive tire supplier for the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights Series, as well as the Indianapolis 500.

  • In the late 2000s, the IndyCar Series rules allowed for 35 sets of tires for each entry. The total included all practice, time trials, and race day. In 2010, the schedule for practice and qualifying was compressed to a "two week" format. The tire allotment rules were tweaked accordingly. Teams are allowed 33 sets of tires for the month. Teams chosing the "short month" lease were initially allowed 26 sets of tires, but during practice, officials changed the rule and allowed them the full 33 sets. Cars that qualify for the Top 9 "shootout" on pole day are allowed to have a new set of tires for the pole position attempt, and if they make two attempts during the shootout, they received two sets of tires.