Texas Motor Speedway And Firestone Brand Announce Multi-Year Title Sponsorship Of June IZOD IndyCar Series Race At TMS

FORT WORTH, Texas - Texas Motor Speedway and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) announced today that the entities have finalized a multi-year arrangement for the Firestone brand to serve as the title sponsor of the annual June IZOD IndyCar Series event at the world-class motorsports facility.

Firestone 550k Credit: Texas Motor Speedway

The event, formerly known as the Bombardier Learjet 550k, will be re-titled the Firestone 550k, and the first race under the new entitlement is set for Saturday, June 5. The race is a staple of Texas Motor Speedway, having been an annual event at "The Great American Speedway!" since the venue opened in 1997.

Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage and Firestone Racing Motorsports Manager Joe Barbieri made the announcement and unveiled the race logo during the speedway's annual Media Day in the Grand Ballroom of The Speedway Club. Neither financial terms nor length of the contract were disclosed.

"The Firestone brand has been a tremendous supporter of the IZOD IndyCar Series throughout the years, and we are extremely pleased to announce this partnership," Gossage said. "The brand has used its assets in the series to actively promote the sport and attract fans, and we look forward to working together with representatives of Firestone to promote and further enhance the newly titled Firestone 550k."

The Firestone 550k is a strong addition to BATO's lineup of sponsorship properties for its Firestone brand in motorsports. Firestone is the Official Tire of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The Firestone brand also is the title sponsor of the Firestone Indy Lights developmental series and Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights race at IMS.

The Firestone 550k at Texas Motor Speedway, however, will be BATO's sole race entitlement in the IZOD IndyCar Series this season.

"There is just something really special about the sight of IZOD IndyCar Series cars racing under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway, and as title sponsor of the Firestone 550k, we are excited about the opportunity to have the Firestone brand showcased as a major part of this great event," Speyer said. "With its high banks and fast speeds, the Texas Motor Speedway certainly puts a premium on tire performance, but we are proud to say the Firestone Firehawk tires are always up to the challenge. Eddie Gossage and his team do a fantastic job promoting the race, and the Firestone brand and Texas Motor Speedway have enjoyed a close partnership through the years. We are proud to take that relationship to the next level with this sponsorship announcement."

Tickets for the Firestone 550k are available by calling (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

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