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The history of Hoosier Racing Tire is one of an American Dream come true for two young, Indiana entrepreneurs who turned a personal vision into a reality.
It began in the early 1950's when Bob Newton, along with his supportive wife Joyce, began a successful racing career on the small asphalt tracks of northern Indiana. Bob, like many of his fellow drivers, was not satisfied with driving on street tires with their limited sizing options and hard tread compounds. It was during these early days that Bob had a vision to produce his own tires specifically designed for racing.
In 1957, Bob and Joyce decided to begin producing their own race tires by re-treading street tires with softer compounds. They began their business in an abandoned horse barn in South Bend, Indiana, selling their tires to local racers. The Hoosier name was chosen for their company to reflect the origin of Bob's racing roots on the short tracks of the Midwest, and the purple color that embodies the Hoosier Tire brand today was adapted from Bob’s first race car.
Although the recapping business had grown to become very successful, Bob knew that future growth would require purpose-built, all-new Hoosier Tires. In 1962, after a conversation with Mohawk Rubber at a dealer conference, that dream became a reality. The first purpose-built racing tire soon followed and, when Mohawk closed its doors in 1978, The Newton’s opened their own factory, the first specifically dedicated to producing race tires in Plymouth, Indiana.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Bob led the Hoosier Tire Team into the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1988. In the first year at the highest level of American Auto Racing, Hoosier went on to capture nine victories while getting their marquee win at the Daytona 500 in 1989.
In 1992, Hoosier took another bold step and decided to build its second tire plant in preparation for the company's return to NASCAR's Winston Cup series. This tire plant was solely devoted to the manufacture of tubeless radial race tires. The company returned to NASCAR in 1994 and captured 11 pole positions and four wins. This same radial tire technology is the foundation for Hoosier’s continued success in SCCA, SOLO, and Vintage Sports Car Racing.
The turn of the century also saw Hoosier Tire complete a massive, multi-year plant consolidation and upgrade program which brought all manufacturing operations together into one complex. In 2011, a partnership was forged between Hoosier and Continental Tire where the two companies would collaborate to produce and market the Official Spec Tire of the Rolex Sports Car Series, a program that lasted for eight years. On October 4, 2016, Hoosier Racing Tire was purchased by Continental Tire.
Today, Hoosier Racing Tire is the largest race tire manufacturer in the world. Hoosier has grown to produce over 1000 different types of race tires. The company has its own 300-mph test wheel; a technology center; state-of-the-art, fully integrated production facilities, and a high-tech mixing plant. It has been integrated into the Continental Specialty Tire Business Unit and continues to strive for growth, both domestically and internationally.
Hoosier Racing Tire…….. We fuel passion, price, and success with our Tires Designed For Champions.
