Champ Car's mandatory 'option tyre'

Every car will receive eight sets of Bridgestone's 'Potenza' radials, six of which will be standard street course specification, and the remaining two of a compound offering more grip. These will be marked red on the sidewalls for spectator viewing purposes.

"We're doing this for the fans," said Bridgestone spokesman Al Speyer. "It has been historically difficult to pass on street courses, so we have been working with the tyres and, in cooperation with Champ Car, have developed a concept we believe will lead to better overtaking opportunities."

Champ Car senior VP John Lopes commented: "We want to bring more strategy and competition into the Champ Car World Series, and our partners at Bridgestone have helped us accomplish that with the use of this 'option tyre'. We also want to give the fans a way to keep up with these new race strategies, and the different look of the option tyres allows fans to see what the teams are doing during the race."