The announcements, made at the second State of IndyCar event, were headlined by the Firestone agreement. The Firestone brand will remain in IndyCar Series racing until the end of 2014, after Bridgestone Americas announced a further one-year extension to the manufacturer's participation in the open-wheel motorsport event. Bridgestone’s announcement comes just 12 months after it stated it would exit the sport at the end of the 2011 season – a decision it later reversed by agreeing a new two-year deal.
IndyCar has also entered into multi-year agreements with Discover Network and First Bankcard, a division of the First National Bank of Omaha, to offer a credit card programme designed to provide rewards to the sport's fans. Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka will be the official vodka of IndyCar and its development series Firestone Indy Lights. IndyCar has also entered into a multi-year agreement with Indianapolis-based LIDS Sports Group, in which their LIDS Clubhouse division will manage the series’ online and trackside merchandising.
Meanwhile, US commercial broadcaster ABC will televise the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25, along with the iconic Indianapolis 500 and events at Detroit, Milwaukee, Toronto and Mid-Ohio. Race coverage will be expanded to include live streaming of ABC's onboard cameras on ESPN3. Cable broadcaster NBC Sports Network will televise the remainder of the schedule and will also introduce IndyCar 36 to its coverage. The show will document 36 hours in the life of an IndyCar driver.
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard has reported increases of 28% in viewership and 9.8% in race attendance in 2011 over the 2010 season, and has targeted gains of 15% in both categories for 2012. “Our only goal every single day with IndyCar is to better it and make it stronger,” he said. “We have fantastic drivers, we have outstanding teams, and partners willing to invest millions into the series in an effort to help this series thrive and ensure IndyCar will be here for another century.”