In 1927, Harvey Firestone of Firestone Tires presented Billy the pygmy hippo to U. S. President Calvin Coolidge.

The exhibit for Firestone Tires featured the famous pygmy hippo, Billy, who had been a pet of U. S. President Calvin Coolidge.

* Firestone Tires

Firestone used the slogan "' Firestone Tires are my only life insurance ,' says Barney Oldfield, world's greatest driver.

The speedway Board of Directors when the track opened consisted of Chairman Dan Lufkin, of Donaldson, Lufkin, Jenrette ; CEO David Lockton ; Donald Riehl, of DLJ ; William Loorz, CEO of Stolte Construction ; Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas, and Dick Smothers from the entertainment industry ; J. C. Agajanian, an American motor sport promoter and race car owner ; Parnelli Jones, 1963 winner of the Indianapolis 500 ; Roger Penske, retired race car driver, race car owner and auto related business entrepreneur ; Briggs Cunningham, an American sportsman who raced cars and yachts ; and Chuck Barnes, Chairman and CEO of Sports Headliners, and former Director of Public Relations for Firestone Tires.

Also Clarence Ditlow ; Executive Director for the Centre for Auto Safety in his statement before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in Washington D. C., September 20, 2000 stated " Emerging Information shows that both Ford and Firestone had early knowledge of tread separation in Firestone Tires fitted to Ford Explorer vehicles but at no point informed the NHTSA of their findings ".

Parnelli Jones Enterprises was a chain of Firestone Racing Tires in 14 Western United States.