February 17th 2026

IndyCar to mandate two stints on alternate tires for street races

The IndyCar Series is turning something it trialed in 2025 into a formal change this season where drivers will be required to use Firestone’s faster alternate tire compound two times in each of the six street races.

RACER has learned teams were recently made aware of the series’ intent to require double usage of the soft compound, which is identifiable on street courses by the green-colored sidewalls made from the renewable guayule shrub. Required use of Firestone’s more durable primary compound is unchanged and must be run one time at St. Petersburg, Arlington, Long Beach, Detroit, Markham, and Washington D.C.

It’s a significant shift in strategy where teams have often sought to get on and off of the alternates as quickly as possible due to their brief offering of maximum grip before a steep decline has often been experienced.

Last year’s Acura Long Beach Grand Prix was a perfect example of the stampede to spend the race on primaries. Within the grid of 27 drivers, 21 started the race on alternates, satisfied the rule calling for the completion of two laps on each compound, and started shedding the alternates as early as lap 3 to run the rest of the 90-lap contest on the primary compound.

The double-alternate rule was introduced last year at the Indianapolis Grand Prix road course and did not have a major impact on the race’s outcome.

“IndyCar is continually looking into ways to improve an already extraordinary on-track product,” IndyCar president Doug Boles said prior to the Indy GP. “Firestone is a terrific partner, and their higher degradation alternate tire has given strategists plenty to think about on road and street circuits this year. We expect this update will challenge teams and drivers even more.”

With the new call for alternates to be fitted for two stints at every street race where some of the greatest tire punishment takes place, drivers will be tasked with making speed while attempting to extend the usefulness of their alternates. RACER understands teams will be allowed to satisfy the double-usage rule with new or used alternates, but based on recent street course events, used alternates would be a liability.

Race strategy could also come into play before the green flag is waved.

With a limited number of new tire sets supplied by Firestone each weekend, the need to preserve alternate tires for use in the six races could lead teams to adjust their approach to qualifying. Whether it’s trying to advance in the first round of knockout qualifying or going for pole position in the final round, teams have not been hesitant to bolt on an extra set of new alternates while knowing they’ll only need to complete a handful of laps on the tires in the race.

But with the double-usage rule coming into play, the willingness to consume another new set of alternates to try and advance or claim pole in qualifying – effectively shorting themselves with new sets and longer life for those alternates in the race – could prove to be a costly gamble.

And that’s part of the reasoning for the rule change which, if it works as intended, would throw a new wildcard or two into the races as pre-race tire consumption in practice and qualifying and in-race tire deployment and usage could lead drivers’ fortunes to rise and fall.

For more information: www.racer.com

For more Industry News, please Click Here