Firestone Tire. © [Jamie Sheldrick/ Spacesuit Media]
by Allan Brewer
Three Firestone engineers were honored with the 2019 Louis Schwitzer Award for their contributions to developing a new rubber compound and right front construction technique for the new Indianapolis 500 race tire. Cara Adams, Brett Schilling, and Phil Severyn were presented with a check for $10,000 during a ceremony at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday. The Award is presented annually by Borg Warner and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to recognize advancements in performance, safety, or efficiency at the Indianapolis 500.
The group’s work relieved a vexing problem when aerodynamic downforce is lost on the front of an IndyCar at speed. The subtle loss of grip may permit the right front tire to push into the outside wall of the Speedway resulting in loss of control and damage to the racecar or its driver. The engineers created a larger footprint of the tire’s contact patch under load at the racing surface with the benefit of additional mechanical grip. They also compounded a different rubber for the Firestone Firehawk that added even more grip on the Speedway’s newly-treated and sealed surface.
The Louis Schwitzer Award given to Firestone is the 53rd such honor bestowed by SAE and Borg Warner. The Award is named for prominent Indianapolis car enthusiast and business owner Louis Schwitzer, whose Schwitzer Corporation specializing in turbochargers and engine cooling systems before merging with Borg Warner in 1999.
Previous winners are a veritable “Who’s Who” of racing greats: Colin Chapman, Bruce McLaren, AJ Foyt, Dan Gurney, and others.
Allan Brewer covers IndyCar and other racing series for RacingNation.com. Allan is a fixture at the race track, armed with keyboard and camera, eager to take you inside open-wheel sport where the news is being made. He comes to RacingNation.com with multiple professional awards from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AWWRBA). He began his motorsports writing career at FastMachines.com; and solely published IndyProRacer.com and A1GP.com, two award-winning websites for open-wheel racing’s junior leagues, prior to becoming IndyCar correspondent at Motorsport.com. He has also covered Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula E, the Indy Lights Series and its predecessor Indy Pro Series, NHRA events and major auto shows. His major interest outside of competition is automotive technology and its application to the cars we drive every day on the public highways.
FeaturedFirestoneLouis Schwitzer Award