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The company: One of the world’s largest producers of specialty tires used in racing, Hoosier Racing Tire is a legendary Indiana manufacturer.
History: The company traces its roots to the early 1950s, when driver Bob Newton began his racing career in northern Indiana on small asphalt tracks. Newton was not satisfied with racing on tires produced for street vehicles because the sizes were limited and they were made of harder compounds less conducive to racing. So in 1957, Newton and his wife Joyce began producing their own racing tires by retreading street tires with softer compounds. They began their business in an abandoned horse barn in South Bend, selling their tires to local racers. In 1962, the Newtons began building purpose-built racing tires. Today, the tires are made in a factory in Plymouth, about 13 miles south of the company’s headquarters in Lakeville. In addition, the company has a testing wheel that can attain speeds of 300 mph, a technology center and a high-tech mixing plant.
Products: Hoosier Racing Tire offers a wide range of tire options, from go-kart tires to drag tires with top speeds of 270 mph. “If it races on wheels, we probably have a tire for it,” the company’s website says.
Keeping it cool: Last year, the 67-year-old company captured the top honor in the Indiana Chamber’s third annual “Coolest Things Made in Indiana” contest, beating out 46 other competitors.
Ownership: The company remained family-owned until 2016 when it was purchased by Continental AG, a German conglomerate, for $140 million. The Hoosier Racing brand and local operations have been maintained under the new owners, and today the company has about 500 employees in Indiana.
Website: hoosiertire.com
Fun Facts: The Hoosier name was chosen to reflect Bob Newton’s racing roots on the short tracks of Indiana and the Midwest. In its first year in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1988, Hoosier Racing Tire captured nine victories. It got the marquee win at the Daytona 500 in 1989.
Compiled by John Russell
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