With a series championship , the final Leaders Circle spots and other accolades on the line, IndyCar announced Friday the return of the use of alternate tires on ovals for the upcoming season finale at Nashville Superspeedway on Sept. 15. -- the second use of the technology after its debut a year ago at World Wide Technology Raceway.
During the 206-lap race, teams will be mandated to use one set of the Firestone primary compound tires and two sets of the Firestone red sidewall alternates (which are softer, faster and less-durable than the former). As fans are used to for road and street races, the addition of alternate tires into race day strategy discussions will give the chance for passing opportunities and cars coming and going during stints, helping alleviate any concerns of a lack of passing at an oval track IndyCar hasn't visited since 2008.
Each entry will start the race weekend, which begins with a 90-minute practice Saturday morning at 11 a.m. ET, with six sets of primaries and four sets of alternates. During the race, each entry must use one set of primaries and two sets of alternates, and cars must complete two laps on each set of required tires to have satisfied those rules. Failure to do so will lead to a minimum one-lap penalty.
Additionally, teams will also receive an 11th set of tires, made up of an altogether different compound, to be used strictly during the high-line practice Saturday evening (during the final practice session 5:15-7 p.m. ET) that will aim to lay down additional rubber, and therefore provide some more grip, in a higher second groove to aid passing opportunities for Sunday's race.
In a wrinkle that differs with how tire rules are managed on road and street course races, there are no requirements as to whether the tires used in the race are new or used, and there also are no mandates as to whether new or used primary or alternate tires are to be used during qualifying Saturday afternoon.
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"Firestone has done a phenomenal job with this expanded format," IndyCar president Jay Frye said in a release. "It will be interesting to watch how the different strategies play out. We look forward to an amazing race and championship for the IndyCar series at Nashville Superspeedway."
The shakeup of tire rules for the 2024 season-finale comes after a rough initial tire test at the track in June that saw multiple failures. IndyCar and Firestone returned during the Summer Olympics break for an additional test to help refine the manufacturer's plan for race weekend compounds, but need for an additional test also is believed to have taken away the chance for a full-field test session -- which would've been expected for a track the series hasn't visited in well over a decade, and last did so with a car that was hundreds of pounds lighter.
Earlier this year, IndyCar shifted its season-finale to the oval 40 minutes outside Nashville after plans to hold a street race in the Music City's entertainment district fell through , giving Firestone just seven months to switch gears and construct a tire for what was essentially a brand-new venue for IndyCar.
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"Our Firestone team rose to the challenge of an extremely short design cycle and its shortest-ever production timeframe to produce tires for a now heavier hybrid-powered car on a track the IndyCar series hasn't competed on since 2008," Cara Krstolic, Firestone's director of race tire engineering and production and its chief engineer, said in a release. "Following the two tests on the Nashville oval, we worked with IndyCar to create differentiation in tires that would provide fans and competitors with an exciting race.
"The goal for the alternate tire is to have significant wear and degradation to the point that team pit stop strategies could change as tires may wear before the end of a fuel stint. They are also designed for the different grip levels of the two types of tires to aid in creating more passing opportunities."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar, Firestone to introduce alternate tires for Nashville Superspeedway finale
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