motorsports Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the po ...

, a tire war occurs when more than one manufacturer provides tires for a motorsports series. Historically, tire wars have occurred in many high-level series, such as

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

Super GT Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a sports car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is the top level of ...

, and

MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...

. Tire wars are a controversial practice: on the one hand, they promote technical

innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or service (economics), services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a n ...

, forcing tire manufacturers to "push the limits" of their tire manufacture. On the other hand, when all event competitors plan to stretch their tires'

performance envelope In aerodynamics, the flight envelope, service envelope, or performance envelope of an aircraft or spacecraft refers to the capabilities of a design in terms of airspeed and load factor or atmospheric density, often simplified to altitude. The ...

, the event risks widespread tire failures that can reduce driver safety; such a scenario occurred at the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

In NASCAR

Early history

When NASCAR was founded in 1948, it sourced tires solely from Firestone. In

1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...

, Goodyear entered the sport. For the next two decades, both tire manufacturers would claim race victories and speed records until Firestone left NASCAR in

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

. In the late 1960s, the deaths of

Jimmy Pardue James Mansfield Pardue (October 26, 1930 – September 22, 1964) was a NASCAR race car driver who lived in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern regio ...

and Billy Wade spurred both Goodyear and Firestone to manufacture the "Inner Liner Safety Spare," also known to NASCAR as "Lifeguard": a second internal envelope to slow a failed tire's deflation and allow drivers to return to the pit. Conversely, controversy erupted at

Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989) is a tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Built in 1969, the track has hosted a variety of racing events, primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track is ...

's 1969 debut race, when drivers experienced tire failures during practice, Firestone withdrew from the race, and

Richard Petty Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most nota ...

led a driver walkout over safety concerns. In

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

, the McCreary Tire & Rubber Company entered NASCAR. Although J. D. McDuffie won the pole at

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

with McCreary tires, the company never won a race and quickly exited the sport. This left Goodyear as the sole NASCAR tire supplier until

Hoosier Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate; however, "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 ...

entered the

Busch Grand National Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

in 1987.

Goodyear vs. Hoosier (1988–1989)

In 1986, Goodyear faced a

hostile takeover In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (law), company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are publicly listed, in contrast t ...

Sir James Goldsmith Sir James Michael Goldsmith (26 February 1933 – 18 July 1997) was a French-British financier and politician who was a member of the Goldsmith family. His controversial business and finance career led to ongoing clashes with British media, fr ...

. NASCAR feared that the new management might threaten the manufacturer's racing program, and invited Hoosier as a backup plan. In

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

, Hoosier entered the

Winston Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and fro ...

. Hoosier gained an early advantage in the season's second race, at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, where

Morgan Shepherd Clay Morgan Shepherd (born October 12, 1941) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and current team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 89 Chevrolet Camaro for Shepherd Racing Vent ...

took the pole and

Neil Bonnett Lawrence Neil Bonnett (July 30, 1946 – February 11, 1994) was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby a ...

won the race using Hoosiers. Two weeks later, Bonnett won again at Rockingham. During the season, NASCAR allowed teams to switch between Goodyear and Hoosier tires. Teams learned that Hoosiers were softer and faster, while Goodyears were more durable and safer. To eliminate Hoosier's

competitive advantage In business, a competitive advantage is an attribute that allows an organization to outperform its competitors. A competitive advantage may include access to natural resources, such as high-grade ores or a low-cost power source, highly skille ...

, Goodyear began developing a faster tire. The tire war injured several drivers who crashed following tire failures, most notably during the 1988 Coca-Cola 600. Initial practice suggested that Goodyear's compound was too soft for the track. As a result, all drivers except

Dave Marcis David Alan Marcis (born March 1, 1941) is an American former professional stock car racing driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit whose career spanned five decades. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final ...

switched to Hoosiers over safety concerns, and Goodyear withdrew their tires. Those decisions proved disastrous in the race, when Hoosier tire failures caused crashes that injured Bonnett, Rick Wilson, and

Harry Gant Harold Phil Gant"Harry P. Gant"
(born January 10, 1940) is an American former

Darrell Waltrip Darrell Lee Waltrip (born February 5, 1947) is an American motorsports Color analyst, analyst, author as well as a former national television broadcaster and stock car driver. He raced from 1972 to 2000 in the NASCAR Cup Series (known as the NAS ...

won the race. Despite this setback, Hoosier continued to win;

Bill Elliott William Clyde Elliott Sr. (born October 8, 1955), also known as "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville", "Million Dollar Bill", or "Wild Bill" is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Superstar Racing Experienc ...

drove the tires to victory lane at the 1988 Firecracker 400 at Daytona. That July dealt Goodyear a second major blow, when NASCAR disqualified Goodyear from the Pocono race for over-wide treads. For the first time since the 1956 Southern 500, Goodyear missed a NASCAR race. Three weeks later, Hoosier was disqualified from the Watkins Glen race for the same infraction. The tire war intensified at

when several cars suffered from tire failures.

Alan Kulwicki Alan Dennis Kulwicki (December 14, 1954 – April 1, 1993), nicknamed "Special K" and "the Polish Prince", was an American auto racing driver and team owner. He started racing at local Short track motor racing, short tracks in Wisconsin bef ...

, one of the victims, commented:

Not only did it cost us our chance for a win or a good finish in this race, but we wrecked a race car in the process. It's not like this is the second week in a row it's been happening; it's been happening all year long. Really, a little bit disappointed that the tire companies can't get this solved by now. That people are still crashing cars like this, you know. Fortunately, the cars are pretty safe and no one got hurt.

At the end of the 1988 season, Hoosier had won nine of the 29 races. In

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

, Goodyear planned to roll out its new

radial tire A radial tire (more properly, a radial-ply tire) is a particular design of vehicular tire. In this design, the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially (from the center of the tire). Radial tire constructio ...

s at the

Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...

. Ideally, the race would definitively prove radial tires' superiority to Hoosier's bias-plys. But

Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional Stock car racing, stock car driver and racing team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Serie ...

and Elliott experienced tire failures during practice, breaking Elliott's wrist, and Goodyear withdrew the radial tires from Daytona. This setback gave Hoosier a major head start, with Waltrip driving on Hoosiers to claim his sole Daytona 500 win. Hoosier dominated the first four races of the season, up to

Rusty Wallace Russell "Rusty" William Wallace Jr. (born August 14, 1956) is an American former NASCAR racing driver. He won the 1984 NASCAR Cup series NASCAR Rookie of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup ...

's win at the 1989 Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond. But that would prove the manufacturer's final win of the season: Goodyear's radial tires made their debut at the 1989 First Union 400 at

North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway is a paved oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by ...

. While Wallace won the pole on Hoosiers, the lead cars had lapped him by lap 70, and Goodyear's tires' durability proved key to Earnhardt's eventual victory. That loss proved a death blow for Hoosier, who could not sell enough tires to remain

viable Viability or viable may refer to: Biology, medicine or ecology * Viability selection, the selection of individual organisms who can survive until they are able to reproduce * Fetal viability, the ability of a fetus to survive outside of the uter ...

and left NASCAR after the 1989 Winston 500 at Talladega.

Goodyear vs. Hoosier II (1994)

Hoosier returned to the Busch Grand National Series in 1991. Three days after the end of the

1993 season The General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its calendar advanced 24 hours to th ...

, Hoosier announced their return to the Winston Cup Series in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

with radial tires. The company's return was marred by the deaths of Bonnett and Dash Series champion

Rodney Orr Rodney Bryan Orr (November 6, 1962 – February 14, 1994) was an American stock car racing driver. The 1993 NASCAR Goody's Dash Series champion, he was killed in an accident during practice for the 1994 Daytona 500. Career Orr was born in Robbins ...

(who had purchased a Cup car instead of a second-tier car because of the impending change in the Dash Series' engine formula) in separate crashes during practice for the

1994 Daytona 500 The 1994 Daytona 500, the 36th running of the Daytona 500, event, was held February 20 at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Loy Allen Jr., ARCA Racing Series, ARCA graduate and Sprint Cup Series, Winston Cup 1994 NASCAR ...

. Both drivers had used Hoosiers, and the media quickly blamed the company for their deaths. In response, Hoosier released all concerned drivers from their contracts and encouraged them to switch to Goodyear, and NASCAR began allowing drivers to switch tire brands within the first 40 laps of the race. An independent investigation by the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...

'' revealed that the Hoosiers met all safety regulations, and the problem was to a common practice at Daytona and Talladega. To reduce drag at the two superspeedways, teams used extremely soft shock absorbers and springs, which caused the mounting brackets to fail as they made contact with the chassis as the cars bottom out. In Orr's situation, a defective right-rear shock absorber mounting bracket had caused Orr's crash. Spectators theorized that bracket failure had also caused Bonnett's death, though no official cause of his crash was announced. Drivers complained about ride quality at the two superspeedways because of the extremely soft shock absorbers, springs, and the related damage to mounting brackets, leading to a 2000 rule change to NASCAR-supplied specification shock absorbers and springs to stop this dangerous practice. Hoosier claimed 12 poles in the 1994 season, including

Rick Mast Richard Kenneth Mast (born March 4, 1957) is an American former NASCAR driver. He competed in both the Winston Cup and Busch Series, retiring in 2002. He holds a business administration degree from Blue Ridge Community College. Early career M ...

at the inaugural

Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...

Geoff Bodine Geoffrey Eli Bodine (born April 18, 1949) is an American former motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He raced at the NASCAR Cup Series from 1979 to 2011, earning 18 wins and a best season finish of third in 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1990. ...

won four races with Hoosier, including the Winston Select. But like the 1988 season, both tire manufacturers saw catastrophic failures on their products.

Ernie Irvan Virgil Earnest Irvan (born January 13, 1959), occasionally referred to as Swervin' Irvan, is an American former professional stock car racing driver. A retired NASCAR competitor, he is perhaps best remembered for his comeback after a serious head ...

suffered near-fatal head, chest, and lung injuries in a practice crash at

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

after one of his Goodyears blew and sent him colliding with the turn two wall. Bodine and Loy Allen Jr. experienced horrifying crashes at the season-ending Atlanta race due to failing Hoosiers.

Mark Martin Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959), nicknamed "the Kid", is an American former stock car racing driver. He most notably drove the No. 6 Ford Motor Company, Ford for Roush Racing for the majority of his career. From 1989 to 2009, Martin wo ...

, who won the Atlanta race, blasted the tire war, saying:

We need one tire company. Then we would have the tire at each track that we need. I'm really proud I lived to talk about the '94 tire war. It's not worth it man.

The day after the end of the 1994 season, Hoosier left NASCAR for good, citing high production costs, stiff competition, and little driver support. This ended the NASCAR tire wars.

Aftermath

Hoosier became a supplier to a development series, the

ARCA Racing Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three nationa ...

in 1995, which they and their successor company

Continental AG Continental AG, commonly known as Continental and colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company. Headquartered in Hanover, Lower Saxony, it is the world's third- largest automotive supplier and the fo ...

(which acquired Hoosier in 2016 after being their distributor) continue to this day. For 2016, the tires were

rebranded Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...

with Continental AG's

General Tire Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, d.b.a. General Tire, is an American manufacturer of tires for motor vehicles, and semi trucks. Founded in 1915 in Akron, Ohio by William Francis O'Neil, Winfred E. Fouse, Charles J. Jahant, Robert Iredell, ...

brand. In April 1997, Goodyear officially became the exclusive tire supplier of NASCAR; this deal was subsequently extended until 2022, which theoretically would prevent another tire war. But in late 2006, when Goodyear workers went on strike, NASCAR once again approached Hoosier and proposed a backup plan for the 2007 season. That plan fell through after the strike ended. Currently, Goodyear, Continental and

Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...

are official NASCAR tire suppliers, depending on series. Goodyear supplies the three national series (

Cup A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...

Xfinity Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications business segment and division of the Comcast Corporation. It is used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless servic ...

Truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

). Continental supplies NASCAR's regional touring series with two brands: General Tire with the ARCA Racing Series (Menards Series, Sioux Chief Showdown,

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

, and

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

, the Pinty's Series (Canada), and Peak Mexico Series, and Hoosier with the

Whelen Modified Tour The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) (previously the NASCAR Winston Modified Tour and NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series from 1985 until 2005) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Mod ...

and Whelen Europe series. Most

NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR-sanctioned local short track motor racing, short-track motor racing in th ...

tracks contract with Continental for tires produced at their

Plymouth, Indiana Plymouth is a city and the county seat of Marshall County, Indiana, United States. The population is 10,214 in the 2020 census. Plymouth was the site of the first retail outlet of defunct U.S. retailer Montgomery Ward in 1926. History Earl ...

plant. Pirelli supplies the tires for NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, which became an officially sanctioned NASCAR international series starting from the 2023 season.

In Formula One

Between the 1950s to the early 1990s, Formula One tire brands, such as Dunlop, Firestone,

Continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

, Goodyear,

Avon Rubber Avon Technologies plc is a British company that specialises in the engineering and manufacturing of respiratory protection equipment for military, law enforcement and fire personnel. Its corporate headquarters are south of Melksham in Wiltshi ...

, Englebert,

, and

Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...

often warred with each other. From 1961 to 1963 the sport used Dunlop tires exclusively, and in 1987 and 1988 Goodyear took the same role during Pirelli's two-year sabbatical. In 1992, following Pirelli's exit, Goodyear became the sole Formula One tire supplier for four years. In 1997, Bridgestone entered the sport, but Goodyear would leave the sport following the 1998 season. That left

Bridgestone is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (18891976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of (), meaning ...

as the sole tire provider until Michelin entered the sport in 2001, sparking a tire war that lasted until 2006. The tire wars during this period has been cited as a reason for six-car start at the 2005 United States Grand Prix. After Michelin left at the end of 2006, Bridgestone became the sole tire supplier of Formula One until 2010, when Pirelli took over the duty as Formula One's sole tire supplier, a status it maintains .

In other series

Between 2002 and 2008, Bridgestone, Dunlop (until 2007), and Michelin were engaged in a fierce tire war in

. For 2009, FIM switched to a sole tire supplier, initially Bridgestone. Michelin replaced Bridgestone in 2015, with Pirelli set to take over in 2027. As of 2021, the Japanese

series features four tire manufacturers competing, although Michelin left the GT500 class following the 2023 season.

American open-wheel car racing American open-wheel car racing, generally and commonly known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2025, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar a ...

has also seen tire wars, typically between Firestone (currently the sole tire supplier in

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...

) and Goodyear.

References

{{Michelin Corporation History of NASCAR Auto racing controversies Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company Motorsport terminology Transportation rivalries