Hoosier Racing Tire is an American tire manufacturer primarily specializing in the production of tires for competition use. Headquartered in
Lakeville, Indiana
Lakeville is a town south of South Bend in Union Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 786 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka metropolitan area.
History
The area of Lakeville ...
, the company was founded in 1957. Hoosier employs nearly 500 people, and has provided tires for use in series sanctioned by
IHRA,
ARCA,
CRA,
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. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
,
IMCA, WISSOTA,
SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...
,
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
,
AIS AIS may refer to:
Medicine
* Abbreviated Injury Scale, an anatomical-based coding system to classify and describe the severity of injuries
* Acute ischemic stroke, the thromboembolic type of stroke
* Androgen insensitivity syndrome, an intersex ...
,
USAC and
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is a dirt late model touring series owned and operated by Lucas Oil. The series competes on dirt ovals across the United States, primarily throughout the east coast and the midwest. The cars feature a purpose-bu ...
.
Hoosier makes tires aimed at both amateurs and professionals competing in a variety of disciplines including
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
,
road racing
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
,
dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced oval race tracks often used for thoroughbred horse racing. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s ...
,
drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
,
rallying
Rally is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (often called ''rally racing),'' navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. ...
, and more.
The business was purchased by
Continental AG
Continental AG, commonly known as Continental or colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis compo ...
on October 4 of 2016. The tire company was purchased for a total nearing 140 million dollars. Following the purchase, 27-year veteran John DeSalle was named president.
Founders
The company was founded in 1957 in
Lakeville, Indiana
Lakeville is a town south of South Bend in Union Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 786 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka metropolitan area.
History
The area of Lakeville ...
. Stock car racer Robert Newton wished to design a faster tire compound to gain an advantage against fellow racers. This was done by retreading street tires in order to obtain a compound that would adequately gain enough traction. Using an abandoned barn to start his business, he began sales to local racers. The Hoosier logo is colored after Newton's race car at the time which was purple.
The founder of Hoosier Racing Tire, Robert Newton, died in 2012, aged 85, at his home in Lakeville, Indiana. His wife and co-founder, Joyce Newton, died aged 85 on January 16, 2018.
Continental Tire produces most motorsport-related tires at the
Plymouth, Indiana
Plymouth is a city in Marshall County, Indiana, United States. The population is 10,214 in the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. Plymouth was the site of the first retail outlet of defunct U.S. retailer Montgomery Ward in 192 ...
plant, carrying the Hoosier, Continental, and General brands.
Gallery
File:FSAE Hoosier.jpg, Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...
Formula Student
Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually in the UK. Student teams from around the world design, build, test, and race a small-scale formula style racing car. The cars are judged on a number of criteria as listed below ...
car with Hoosier tires
File:Fasttube Roll-Out 2013 FT 2010 fl.jpg, Formula Student
Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually in the UK. Student teams from around the world design, build, test, and race a small-scale formula style racing car. The cars are judged on a number of criteria as listed below ...
with Hoosier tires
File:Hoosier Race Tire area at 2013 Scott 160 ARCA race Road America.jpg, Hoosier Racing Tire area at a 2013 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 national ...
race
File:Kyle Busch KBM Dirt Late Model Williams Grove 2009.jpg, Kyle Busch Dirt Late Model with Hoosier Tires.Donny Schatz
Donald R. Schatz (born August 10, 1977) is an American professional sprint car racing driver who competes full-time in the World of Outlaws, driving the No. 15 Ford for Tony Stewart Racing. Schatz is a ten-time champion in the World of Outlaws wi ...
World of Outlaw Sprint Car
Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New ...
with Hoosier Tires
See also
*
List of tire companies
This is a list of all the tire
A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to p ...
References
External links
Hoosier Racing Tire , Official Website
Continental AG
Tire manufacturers of the United States
Automotive companies established in 1957
Companies based in St. Joseph County, Indiana
Lakeville, Indiana
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Companies based in Indiana