2010 Decisions

Opinions of the United

States Court of Appeals

for the Third Circuit

7-23-2010

Race Tires Amer Inc v. Hoosier Racing Tire Corp

Precedential or Non-Precedential: Precedential

Docket No. 09-3989

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"Race Tires Amer Inc v. Hoosier Racing Tire Corp" (2010). 2010 Decisions. Paper 825.

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PRECEDENTIAL

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

 

No. 09-3989

 

 

RACE TIRES AMERICA, INC., 

a Division of Specialty Tires of America, Inc.; 

SPECIALTY TIRES OF AMERICA, INC.;

SPECIALTY TIRES OF AMERICA (PENNSYLVANIA),

INC.; 

SPECIALTY TIRES OF AMERICA (TENNESSEE), LLC,

 

Appellants

v.

HOOSIER RACING TIRE CORP; 

DIRT MOTOR SPORTS INC, 

d/b/a World Racing Group

 

 

On Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Western District of Pennsylvania

(D.C. Civil No. 2-07-cv-01294)

District Judge: Hon. Terrence F. McVerry

 
2

Argued April 14, 2010

BEFORE: FISHER, and COWEN, Circuit Judges

and DITTER*, District Judge

(Filed: July 23, 2010)

Mark K. Dausch, Esq.

Joseph Decker, Esq. (Argued)

Alan B. Rosenthal, Esq.

Mark D. Shepard, Esq.

Babst, Calland, Clements & Zomnir

Two Gateway Center, 6 Floor th

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Thomas M. Schultz, Esq.

Polymer Enterprises

Suite 401

4731 Route 30

Greensburg, PA 15601

Counsel for Appellants

 

*Honorable J. William Ditter, Senior United States District Judge

for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, sitting by designation.

Donna M. Doblick, Esq.
3

Reed Smith

225 Fifth Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Donald E. Knebel, Esq. (Argued)

Kendall Millard, Esq.

Deborah E. Pollack-Milgate, Esq.

Aaron M. Staser, Esq.

Barnes and Thornburg

11 South Meridian Street

Suite 1313

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Counsel for Appellee Hoosier Racing Tire Corp.

John R. Gotaskie, Jr., Esq.

Fox Rothschild

625 Liberty Avenue, 29 Floor th

Pittsburgh, PA 15222'

Theodore H. Jobes, Esq. (Argued)

Christine Soares, Esq.

Fox Rothschild

2000 Market Street, 20 Floor th

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Counsel for Appellee Dirt Motor Sports, Inc.,

 d/b/a World Racing Group

Helen M. Maher, Esq.
4

Boies, Schiller & Flexner

333 Main Street

80 Business Park Drive

Armonk, NY 10504

Counsel for Amicus-Curiae Grand-Am

 Road Racing and National Association

 for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

Robert W. Powell, Esq.

Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen

 & Freeman

500 Woodward Avenue, Suite 4000

Detroit, MI 48226

Counsel for Amicus-Curiae 

United States Auto Club, Inc.

 

OPINION

 

COWEN, Circuit Judge

The Plaintiff in this antitrust matter, a tire supplier,

appeals from the order of the United States District Court for the

Western District of Pennsylvania granting the respective motions

for summary judgment filed by the Defendants, a tire supplier

competitor and a motorsports sanctioning body. Plaintiff’s

claims arise out of the adoption of the so-called “single tire rule”

by various sanctioning bodies in the sport of dirt oval track
 The four Plaintiff companies are: (1) Race Tires America, 1

Inc., a Division of Speciality Tires of America Inc.; (2)

Speciality Tires of America, Inc.; (3) Speciality Tires of

America (Pennsylvania), Inc.; and (4) Speciality Tires of

America (Tennessee), LLC. 

5

racing as well as the related exclusive supply contracts between

these sanctioning bodies and the Defendant tire supplier.

Plaintiff further challenges the District Court’s denial of its

motion for leave to amend its complaint. We will affirm.

 I. 

A.The Parties

We refer to the four companies listed as the Plaintiffs in

the current matter by the name of the parent company, “STA.”1

STA manufactures and sells speciality tires for a variety of

vehicles, such as aircraft, farming equipment, and racing cars. It

specifically manufactures and sells a “house brand” known as

“American Racer.” This American Racer line includes dirt track

racing tires, asphalt track racing tires, ATV (“all terrain vehicle”)

racing tires, passenger performance tires, and race track

equipment tires. Defendant Hoosier Racing Tire Corp.

(“Hoosier”) is a family-owned business, which focuses almost

exclusively on the racing tire business (in contrast to STA, which

sells a large variety of different kinds of speciality tires and is

owned by a holding company named Polymer Enterprises, Inc.).

Hoosier is the largest race tire manufacturer in the world that

specializes in manufacturing racing tires. 
6

STA, Hoosier, and the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.

(“Goodyear”) represent the three major competitors in the alleged

market of tires for dirt oval track racing in the United States and

Canada. There were at least five competitors in this market in

the 1980s and the 1990s, namely, STA, which was previously

known as McCreary, Hoosier, Goodyear, Firestone, and M & H.

The evidence in the record indicates that Hoosier’s market

share in the dirt oval track market grew from 59.6% in 1998 to

65% in 2000. In terms of sales revenue, Hoosier’s market share

for dirt track racing tires increased from 69% in 2003 to 79% in

2007. For dirt sprint car tires, Hoosier’s market share increased

from 87% in 2003 to 94% in 2007. On the other hand, STA’s

share of the dirt tire market dropped from 29% to 19% between

2003 and 2007, while Goodyear’s share remained the same at

approximately 2%. STA’s dirt sprint tire share likewise fell from

10% in 2003 to 5% in 2007, and Goodyear’s share similarly went

from 3% in 2003 to 1% in 2007.

Defendant Dirt Motor Sports, Inc. d/b/a World Racing

Group (“DMS”) is a motorsports sanctioning body. As explained

in more detail in Section I.B, infra, DMS and the other

sanctioning bodies organize and promote races and, in turn,

promulgate rules governing these races. DMS, in particular,

owns such well-known touring series as the “World of Outlaw

Sprint Car Series” and the “Late Model Series.” It sanctions over

5,000 races per year at over 200 dirt oval tracks in twenty-one

states. In 2005, DMS acquired another sanctioning body known

as United Midwest Promoters (“UMP”). There are two other
7

major sanctioning companiesin the field of dirt oval track racing:

(1) Amicus International Motor Contest Association (“IMCA”)

(sanctioning races at approximately 112 dirt oval tracks); and (2)

WISSOTA Promotions, Inc. (“WISSOTA”) (sanctioning races at

approximately fifty-seven dirt oval tracks). Combined, DMS,

IMCA, and WISSOTA sanction modified, late model, sprint, or

stock car races at over 70% of the 636 weekly tracks in the

United States. 

B.The Role of Sanctioning Bodies and the “Single Tire

Rule”

As the District Court recognized, the role played by

sanctioning bodies in dirt oval track racing (and, in fact, in

motorsports racing in general) is of special importance here.

Track owners or promoters typically belong to a sanctioning

body, which charges sanctioning fees in exchange for this

privilege of membership. These bodies sanction races, and they

formulate rules for such races. These sanctioning bodies (like the

track owners and promoters) compete to attract car owners

(generally known as “racers”), drivers, and fans to their

respective races. Accordingly, the sanctioning bodies create

various incentives in order to get the most racers, drivers, and

fans. 

The record reveals that these sanctioning bodies often

choose to adopt a “single tire rule.” Such a rule generally

requires that a specific tire type and brand be used on one or
8

more wheel positions for one or more classes of cars for a series

of races or racing seasons. 

Significantly, the sanctioning bodies generally do not buy

the tires themselves, and the tires are purchased by the

participating racers and drivers. The organizations instead

establish the tire parameters and requirements for the race. Some

rules may define the permissible tire by merely a bead size or

some other physical dimension. Other rules may require that the

tires at one or more wheel locations be a particular type or brand.

Tire rules that do not require a specific brand of tire are generally

called “open tire rules.” 

Tires are not the only components of a race car subject to

a single source or manufacturer rule. Sanctioning bodies make

rules that may specify the appropriate carburetors, mufflers,

chassis, or other kinds of equipment to be used. For example,

Amicus United States Auto Club, Inc. (“USAC”) has a “spec

engine rule” for its Ford Focus Midget Series, which requires the

use of Ford engines. United Racing Club (“URC”) has a rule

requiring a single brand of cylinder heads, manufactured by the

sanctioning body’s sponsor. The International Race of

Champions Series mandates that the drivers actually use identical

cars. Regardless of the kind of equipment at issue, the record

indicates that a sanctioning body makes these fundamental

determinations based on an assessment of its own self-interest. 

C.Single Tire Rules and Exclusive Agreements
9

Evidence in the record further demonstrates that STA has,

at least in the past, supported the single tire rule. In fact, its own

website takes credit for the concept itself, stating that:

In the 1970's [sic], Joe Jacobs, the developer of the

race tire business that eventually became Race Tires

America, proposed and encouraged race tracks and

promoters to adopt spec tire or track tire rules. Under

this concept, track owners and promoters adopted a

manufacturer’s tire for a particular class of races for

the duration of a racing season. The purpose of the

rule was to avoid the almost constant pace of tire

changes that were particularly costly to racers, and to

encourage racer parity by removing the “‘hot’” tire

setups. With all racers competing on a single tire

design and compound, the tire wars would be quelled

and race results would be more related to a driver’s

skill and ability and not a more expensive “‘state-ofthe-art’” tire. The acceptance of spec tire rules

contributed to the success and popularity of dirt track

racing in America. 

 (A484.) STA’s website goes on to attack the abuse of such

“spec tire rules,” claiming that such abuse has resulted, inter alia,

in the concentration of market power in the hands of a single

monopolistic tire supplier, the loss of true competition between

the few remaining tire suppliers, and harm to STA, other

suppliers, track owners, promoters, and the drivers themselves.

In this litigation, STA attempts to distinguish its prior support for
10

the single tire rule by claiming that it merely promoted the

adoption of a track rule that would remain in effect for a single

racing season, in contrast to Hoosier’s practice of entering into

a series of exclusive supply contracts with major sanctioning

bodies that, in turn, encompass thousands of races and last for

periods of up to seven years. 

In fact, the above statement from the website actually

comes from a proposal by STA for a “Declaration in Favor of

Competition.” The accompanying petition or “Declaration”

expressly calls for: (1) the establishment of track tire rules based

on various objective criteria; (2) the prohibition of “any rule,

policy, or practice mandating or providing for the use of a single

manufacturer’s tire;” (3) the creation of “non-discriminatory

compensation rates” to offset “the cost of driver point funds and

driver amenities;” (4) the related prohibition against tire suppliers

making “lump sum or flat fee” payments to the sanctioning

bodies, promoters, and tracks, and (5) changes on the part of the

tire suppliers in order to ensure adequate inventories and

company representatives at all racing events. (Id.) The petition

also goes on to condemn the fact that the single tire formula

previously used to achieve competitive parity has since evolved

into “a scheme allowing a single manufacturer to capture and

monopolize the market for dirt race tires.” (Id.) It appears that

approximately 1300 racers, drivers, and other racing industry

participants have actually signed STA’s “Declaration in Favor of

Competition.”

Irish Saunders, the contract services manager for Hoosier,

internally circulated a sarcastic e-mail dated September 14, 2007,
11

in response to this “Declaration in Favor of Competition.” This

e-mail purportedly described Hoosier’s “Declaration in Favor of

Taking Over the Industry,” as proposed by the tire supplier’s

general manager, “Smash.” 

The District Court also reviewed the process that

sanctioning bodies may use to select a particular supplier under

the applicable tire rule. In short, a sanctioning body may decide

to send a formal Request for Proposal (“RFP”) to the various tire

suppliers. The organization usually requires the supplier to

provide sponsorship contributions. In general, these

contributions may be used as part of the sanctioning body’s

“point funds.” These point funds are generally paid to winning

drivers at the end of the racing season, and they represent one of

the major incentives used by sanctioning bodies to attract racers

and drivers. Nevertheless, the money received by the sanctioning

body may actually be used in whatever manner the sanctioning

body itself wants, such as to fund its general operations. A

sanctioning body, in turn, is certainly free to request a less

expensive tire instead of greater financial contributions.

Furthermore, if a sanctioning body is satisfied with its current tire

supplier, it may elect to remain with that supplier rather than

solicit bids from the supplier’s competitors. 

According to STA, “[f]or the years 2003-2007, Hoosier

knew of only seven instances (four of which were after RTA

filed this suit) where sanctioning companies or tracks had

requested competitive bids.” (Appellants’ Brief at 20 (citing

A543-A544).) However, it still appears that the tire suppliers

were generally aware when a contract exists and could seek to

compete for the business if they wanted it. Tire suppliers have
12

accordingly been successful in their efforts to take business away

from their competitors over the years. 

The record in this case indicates that STA itself has

competed, often successfully, to become the exclusive supplier

of tires to several sanctioning bodies. In fact, STA, either

directly or through its distributors, has successfully procured

single tire contracts to the exclusion of Hoosier. Its distributors

are required by contract to “interact[] with track

owners/promoters and Associations and to actively pursue track

rule and other race tire business.” (A1439.) Even after the filing

of this lawsuit, STA’s distributors have continued to bid on

exclusive tire supplier contracts, with some success.

Furthermore, STA has repeatedly offered to pay money to the

sanctioning bodies in exchange for an American Racer-only

arrangement. For instance, Lias Tire, an STA distributor,

recently won an exclusive agreement with URC, agreeing, inter

alia, to pay $14,500.00 to this sanctioning body for the right to

provide the exclusive tire at approximately thirty events in 2008.

STA likewise has not instructed its distributors to cease making

such exclusive deals or to refrain from offering or providing

financial support to the sanctioning bodies. 

Nevertheless, STA claims that Hoosier’s exclusive single

tire contracts foreclose competition. STA claims that these

exclusive contracts date as far back as 1997, when Hoosier

allegedly began to implement its “form contract” strategy. 

Hoosier’s form contract specifically obligates the

sanctioning bodies and tracks “to insure that Hoosier Racing

Tires are the only tires sold or run” in all events. (A1578-A1579

(emphasis omitted).) The form further provides that Hoosier
13

would pay promotional money to the sanctioning body or track.

These promotional fees are unrestricted and accordingly may be

used either for general operations or for point funds. In turn, the

form contains a continuous renewal requirement, providing that

the arrangement would be automatically renewed for another year

unless written notice of intention to terminate was given by

August 1. Such “nullification” of the agreement would allegedly

release Hoosier from its obligation to provide at least some of the

promised financial support. According to STA, “there is a strong

incentive to renew, because non-renewal would jeopardize the

prospect of a November payment” of the promised money.

(Appellants’ Brief at 12.) Hoosier’s “Negotiating Guidelines”

document also indicates that Hoosier seeks longer contracts

based on the respective profit margins. Finally, Saunders sent

out a January 24, 2007 e-mail, which was entitled “American

Racer Pricing” and addressed at some length the issue of

competition between STA and Hoosier. 

Hoosier identifies over seventy exclusive contracts that it

or its distributors have entered into with sanctioning bodies since

2003. Although referring in its appellate brief to other

sanctioning bodies, STA generally focuses on five sanctioning

bodies that have selected Hoosier as their exclusive supplier: (1)

IMCA; (2) WISSOTA; (3) American Spring Car Series

(“ASCS”); (4) USAC; and (5) DMS. In turn, the District Court

itself considered at some length the practices of these five

sanctioning bodies, and we will do so as well.

1.IMCA
14

IMCA sanctions races in the Midwest on both dirt and

asphalt surfaces. It appears that, from the 1980s to

approximately 2005, IMCA required its drivers to use the G-60

American Racer tire manufactured by STA. But this longstanding yet informal arrangement between STA and IMCA

involved no set duration, no up-front money, no penalties, no

automatic renewal, no enforcement mechanism, and was not even

in writing. On the other hand, STA also evidently refused to

disclose pricing information to IMCA or to explain a sharp

increase in its tire prices. 

In December 2003, IMCA sent an RFP to Goodyear,

Hoosier, and STA for a three-year exclusive contract. Hoosier

offered a five-year contract, informing the sanctioning body that

this proposal was “very important to our overall business

strategy.” (A1418.) In addition, it evidently proposed substantial

up-front money to IMCA, including a signing bonus, even though

the sanctioning body did not request any such up-front payments.

It further offered to pay IMCA money based on the number of

tires ultimately sold. IMCA eventually entered into a five-year

automatically renewable exclusive contract with Hoosier, which

would, inter alia, purportedly limit price increases in the future.

STA meanwhile has continued to sell its G-60 American Racer

tire to non-IMCA tracks, including at least one track that chose

to drop its IMCA sanction. 

2.WISSOTA

WISSOTA has its principal place of business in

Minnesota and sanctions races in Minnesota, North and South

Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Canada. It appears that

WISSOTA has had a Hoosier-only rule since 1984. Hoosier
15

extended the contract to 2007 in exchange for Hoosier making a

significant payment of money to be used to pay off a court

judgment obtained by an excluded transmission manufacturer

against the sanctioning body. 

In October 2006, WISSOTA sent out an RFP to Goodyear,

Hoosier, and STA. The sanctioning body’s president, Terry

Voeltz, advised STA that its racers and drivers wanted a low tire

price without point funds. STA offered (through a distributor) a

lower tire price than Hoosier (at least at the beginning of the

contract term). It also offered less financial support to the

sanctioning body than Hoosier. On the other hand, Hoosier

proposed a higher (initial) tire price, a higher annual payment to

the sanctioning body, as well as additional payments to the

individual WISSOTA track promoters themselves as part of a

bonus program. In fact, these promoters (and WISSOTA board

members) were already receiving bonus payments from Hoosier.

WISSOTA’s board of directors then met in July 2007 to

review the bids and select an exclusive tire supplier.

WISSOTA’s board decided to accept the Hoosier proposal.

Voeltz testified at his deposition that STA essentially offered the

same price as Hoosier after taking into account STA’s higher

price escalation over the course of the contract. The president

indicated that he had expected to select American Racer tires but

was surprised by STA’s actual bid. In turn, STA informed

WISSOTA in its own bid that “[t]he process that has led to this

proposal has been open, honest and fair.” (A1524.) STA’s

general manager, David Mateer, subsequently discussed the

process with Voeltz, who indicated that STA could have gotten

the contract if it had matched Hoosier’s financial contribution.
16

However, such a matching proposal would have evidently

reduced or eliminated STA’s own profit margin. 

3.ASCS

ASCS, headquartered in Oklahoma, runs sprint car races

in several regional series as well as a national series. Since 1999,

Hoosier has had automatically renewing and exclusive contracts

with this sanctioning body. In 2007, STA recognized an

opportunity to become the exclusive right-rear tire supplier for

ASCS’s “360 sprint car series.” ASCS did not circulate a formal

RFP, but STA still met with the sanctioning body and submitted

a bid. Its bid attempted to match Hoosier’s proposal and

included a financial contribution in exchange for exclusivity.

Nevertheless, ASCS ultimately chose to retain its Hoosier-only

rule for the right-rear wheel position. 

4.USAC

USAC, headquartered in Indiana, sanctions sprint car

races on both dirt and asphalt races, primarily in the Midwest

and West. It appears that Hoosier has had long-term contracts

with this sanctioning body since before 1998, despite some

tension between the sanctioning body leadership and certain

members regarding these arrangements. In 1998, the USAC

president actually informed these members that the sanctioning

body would remain under contract with Hoosier for only two

more years, which evidently was an inaccurate assertion. 

In 2003, USAC decided to implement a right-rear single

tire rule for certain classes, and it accordingly sent out an RFP for

a three-year contract. Goodyear, Hoosier, and STA submitted

competing bids. STA proposed that, for two classes of cars
17

(USAC midgets and sprint cars), the tire business would be split

between various suppliers. STA likewise did not propose

exclusivity for the “Silver Crown” series. Hoosier ultimately

won the contract. Without sending out an RFP, USAC evidently

renewed its exclusive contract with Hoosier for another three

years in 2006. A USAC executive, Rolland Helmling, testified

at his deposition that he was not aware of any particular reason

for the length of the sanctioning body’s contracts with Hoosier.

5.DMS

In 1994, STA, through its distributor, Lias Tire, won the

bid to be the exclusive tire supplier for DMS’s “Big-Block” and

“358” modified races. Hoosier, however, successfully outbid

STA in 1995. Since then, Lias Tire has not bid on another DMS

contract.

Hoosier and DMS have evidently entered a series of

exclusive contracts over an extended period of time. Hoosier’s

exclusive dealings with UMP actually predate the sanctioning

body’s 2005 acquisition by DMS. Furthermore, DMS’s

president, Thomas Deery, went so far as to characterize tires

sales as the “fuel” of UMP. (A1716.) Accordingly, the relevant

contracts have required Hoosier to make financial contributions

to the sanctioning body based on the number of tires ultimately

sold to the racers and drivers participating in the races sponsored

by UMP. 

The District Court specifically pointed to the following

four tire contracts between Hoosier and DMS: (1) a 2007-2008

exclusive contract for “UMP Modifieds” and other classes; (2) a

2007-2008 exclusive contract for “DIRT Northeast Big Block

Modified”; (3) a 2007-2009 exclusive contract for the “World of
18

Outlaw National Sprint Series”; and (4) a 2008-2010 exclusive

contract for “UMP Late Models.” 

It appears that, at least prior to the commencement of this

litigation, DMS did not select its tire suppliers through a formal

bidding process. In fact, it evidently did not possess any specific

procedures or protocols for selecting a tire supplier. The

sanctioning body accordingly did not send any RFPs to STA

prior to October 2007, and it otherwise rejected STA’s various

inquires, stating at one point that Hoosier had more than doubled

its financial support to DMS. 

In October 2007, after the filing of this lawsuit, DMS sent

out an RFP to seven different tire manufacturers. It specifically

requested proposals for a one-year contract to be the exclusive

tire supplier for “UMP DIRTcar Late Model Series.” Only

Goodyear, Hoosier, and STA responded. The Hoosier and

Goodyear bids both contemplated an exclusive arrangement, but

STA’s own proposal contemplated “non-exclusivity.” On the

other hand, STA proposed a lower tire price than Hoosier. DMS

ultimately deemed the STA bid to be non-responsive and

awarded a three-year exclusive contract to Hoosier. 

In a very similar process, DMS sent an RFP in October

2008 to seven tire manufacturers seeking proposals for a contract

to be the exclusive tire supplier for the “UMP DIRTcar Modified

(NE)” races. Yet again, the same three companies responded

with bids, and, once again, DMS deemed STA’s proposal as nonresponsive because, unlike its competitors, it contemplated a nonexclusive relationship. DMS therefore ended up awarding

Hoosier another exclusive contract for three years. 
19

D. The Sprint Car Summit and Hoosier’s National

Sprint Spec Tire

In July 2006, DMS, competing sanctioning bodies,

promoters, and track operators held a “Sprint Car Summit” to

address the decline in car counts and fans at “410 sprint car”

races. Such “sprint” races are more likely to occur as part of a

“touring” series of races. Touring series, in turn, typically

showcase well-known drivers and promote rivalry between these

prominent drivers and their local challengers. While STA was

not invited, Hoosier was initially asked to attend. However, its

invitation was eventually withdrawn. At the Summit, the

attendees discussed several options for regenerating interest in

sprint car racing, including possible tire improvements. After the

Summit, the president of DMS, Deery, and its executive vice

president, Benjamin Geisler, approached Hoosier, requesting that

the tire manufacturer supply a less aggressive sprint tire that

would promote movement and passing. They further discussed

the possibility of entering into a contract to make Hoosier the

exclusive tire supplier for sprint car races. On December 15,

2006, Hoosier accordingly entered into an exclusive three-year

deal to provide right-rear tires for DMS’s “World of Outlaws”

sprint touring series. On the same day, Hoosier issued a press

release announcing that it had developed a “national sprint spec

tire,” which would be available in three different compounds. 

As part of this December 15, 2006 contract, Hoosier

promised to pay DMS to solicit competing sanctioning bodies

and others to enter similar exclusive contracts with the tire

supplier. Geisler contacted various sprint car tracks, asking them

to adopt the “national sprint tire rule,” and updated Hoosier itself

as to which tracks and series were signing onto the rule. He
20

specifically informed Hoosier that these “track/series deals” had

to be completed quickly in order to “fend off any plans from

American Racer.” (A1603.) In particular, STA’s per-tire price

for its sprint product was approximately $20 less than the per-tire

price offered by Hoosier for its new “national sprint tire.” 

Like DMS, other sanctioning bodies have entered into

automatically renewable contracts with Hoosier, which require

them to promulgate and enforce a Hoosier-only tire rule. For

instance, USAC announced an open tire rule for certain sprint

events in January 2007. When Tony Rose, an STA

representative, heard about a meeting between USAC and

Hoosier, he asked USAC if he could attend, but was turned

down. However, USAC ultimately adopted a Hoosier-only rule

for the sprint events. In addition, a subsequent call by STA’s

general manager, Mateer, to USAC was not returned. 

Accordingly, STA’s sprint tire sales have drastically fallen, even

though a sprint racer won in 2006 using its American Racer tire.

It appearsthat the sprint tire contract between Hoosier and

DMS expired after the current appeal was filed. According to

both Hoosier and DMS, DMS chose not to renew the contract

with Hoosier and instead entered into an exclusive contract with

Hoosier’s competitor, Goodyear. 

STA additionally claims that Hoosier and WISSOTA used

their collective market power to defeat a new sanctioning body

called DTRA (“Dirt Track Racing Association”), which

attempted to sanction tracks in WISSOTA’s territory.

Specifically, DTRA racers and drivers would have used less

expensive Goodyear tires. But Paul Menting from Hoosier wrote

to WISSOTA, stating, inter alia, that “this is a sanctioning body
21

war that involves Hoosier because we are partners with Wissota”

and that Hoosier “would desire to attack common threats as

partners.” (A1599.) Hoosier declined to submit a proposal in

response to DTRA’s RFP, stating that, “[i]n order to continue

properly servicing and supplying our existing contract business,

we cannot at this time commit ourselves to fulfilling a Spec Tire

contract.” (A1600.) Hoosier, acting through a distributor, also

purportedly refused to sell to another touring series known as

Carolina Clash because the series allowed its racers and drivers

to use what the series believed was the more popular, cheaper,

and superior American Racer product. 

E.The Alleged Costs and Benefits of the Single Tire

Rule and Hoosier’s Exclusive Contracts

The parties and the amici devote a great deal of attention

to the alleged benefits and costs of, inter alia, the single tire rule

and Hoosier’s specific contractual arrangements with the various

sanctioning bodies. 

Mateer claimed that Hoosier’s foreclosure rate in dirt late

model racing is approximately 50%. According to STA,

“Hoosier-only rules dictate tires in 76% of [the] late model

touring series in the Midwest, 57% of the modified touring

series, 60% of the late model ‘crate’ series, and 25 of 28 sprint

car series.” (Appellants’ Brief at 18 (citing A1714-A1715,

A1710-A1713).) 

STA further claims that the alleged practices have caused

harm to the real consumers, namely the race car owners and

drivers who actually purchase the tires themselves, in the form

of, among other things, higher prices and less choice. The

evidence in the record does indicate that Hoosier generally
22

charges more per tire than STA. Providing yet another example,

STA points out that the sanctioning body for the “Crate Racin

USA” series adopted a Hoosier-only rule, even though Hoosier

offered a per-tire price $50.00 higher than STA. In the time

period after the formal announcement of the rule change but

before its implementation, 40-45% of the drivers in this series

continued to use American Racer tires. More broadly, many

drivers have evidently chosen STA’s American Racer tires when

given the choice to do so, based on such grounds as better

durability and therefore lower tire costs over the long term. For

instance, Victor Lee, the 2008 winning driver of the “Battle of

the Bluegrass” racing series, actually switched from Hoosier to

American Racer, and claimed he cut his tire bill in half because

of the purported superior durability of the American Racer

product. Similarly, race team owners complained to USAC that:

“When USAC made Hoosier the spec tire, costs tripled.”

(A1481.) 

On the other hand, STA’s own expert, Dr. David Reitman,

acknowledged the following:

The sanctioning organization or promoter

ultimately decides whether or not to enter into a

contract with Hoosier requiring a Hoosier-only

rule; however they make this decision in their own

best interest, not necessarily in the interests of tire

customers, taking into account the compensation

offered by or negotiated with Hoosier. . . . 

(A1921.)

 Unsurprisingly, the amici, Hoosier, and (especially) DMS

turn to the rather extensive evidentiary record in this case in an
23

attempt to establish that the single tire rule and the related

exclusive contracts result in significant pro-competitive or sportsrelated benefits. Simply put, the following justifications or

benefits have been offered for the rule itself and the related

contracts: (1) supplier concerns; (2) safety; (3) parity; (4)

controlling prices and costs; and (5) increasing car counts and the

number of fans. In turn, the record contains, inter alia, the

deposition testimony or statements of the following individuals

concerning these purported benefits: (1) Doug Bland, the owner

of Springfield (Missouri) Raceway; (2) Kevin Coffey, the owner

of Mountain Raceway; (3) Deery, president and chief operating

officer of DMS; (4) Leonard (“Sam”) Driggers, racing director

of DMS; (5) Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear’s marketing manager; (6)

Helmling, a member of the board of directors of USAC; (7)

Jacobs, the McCreary executive credited with developing the

single tire rule; (8) Mateer, the general manager of STA; (9)

Steve O’Donnell, vice president of racing operations for

NASCAR; (10) Mooney Starr, the general manager of Batesville

(Arkansas) Motor Speedway; and (11) Voeltz, WISSOTA’s

president. While acknowledging the extensive nature of the

evidence presented, we focus on the statements made by the

Plaintiff STA’s own personnel as well as by DMS’s employees,

as the only sanctioning body actually named as a Defendant in

this lawsuit. 

STA’s general manager agreed that limiting the number

of tires bought by racers and drivers could be good for racing and

that a single tire rule could reduce costs. Mateer explained that:

If you showed up at the racetrack for the event

with four tires that you had just purchased at your

tire dealer shop, and there’s another tire supplier at

the track showing off their brand spanking new

product, and its considerably faster than the tires

you just bought, those four tires you just bought

are no longer competitive on that racetrack. 
24

(A842.) Acknowledging, like STA’s own website, his

company’s role in pioneering the single tire rule, Mateer stated

that STA promoted the rule in order “[t]o eliminate the constant

in-season product development that was requiring the racers to

buy every trick new tire that came along.” (A833.) 

In addition, Jacobs actually testified at some length about

the various advantages of the single tire rule in a 1982 deposition

conducted as part of an antitrust lawsuit filed in the United States

District Court for the District of Massachusetts by M & H against

both Hoosier and several tracks and driving clubs who had

adopted the rule and entered into an exclusive arrangement with

Hoosier. M & H’s challenge to the rule itself was ultimately

rejected by the First Circuit. See M & H Tire Co. v. Hoosier

Racing Tire Corp., 733 F.2d 973 (1st Cir. 1984). According to

Jacobs, McCreary supported the single tire rule because it was a

“viable marketing procedure and method” and “a healthy way to

sell race tires.” (A411.) He further emphasized that the rule

reduced tire costs because it countered the incentive for racers

and drivers to get the newest and best tires for each and every

race. 

Driggers from DMS similarly testified that the car counts

increased where a single tire rule is in effect:

When you run an open tire rule in my race track

area, which is primarily the midwest for the most

part, you can run a World of Outlaw show or any

of the high dollar sanction – or series races around

the country and your car count with open tire rule

will be half of what it will be on my tire rule.

Because of my tire rule, local guys can go run this

race, pay the $100 entry fee, the pit pass or

whatever else they have to pay and run this race

and possibly go home with some money. If they

have to go buy a four to six different tires to run

this race to be competitive with an open tire rule
25

and the best they are going to run is 18th or 19th

and they are going to get 700 bucks, it cost them

1,200 bucks to make the 700 bucks so therefore,

they go elsewhere. They go to a UMP sanctioned

race where they don’t have to buy anything.

(A159-60.)

According to Deery, “[r]ace car specifications have been

the cornerstone of motorsports’ development and have allowed

the sport to mature into a fully organized and recognizable

event.” (A1931.) The president of DMS further noted that

“[m]ost of the nationally recognized divisions of racing have a

common set of rules and are usually governed by a single

sanctioning body.” (Id.) Such rules specifically promote

continuity and consistency, thereby benefitting both the racing

competitors and the fans. Defending single tire rules, Deery

claimed that, among other things, “spec tires save money, provide

a level field, are safe and make for a more successful show.”

(A1934.) 

For its part, STA vigorously claims that, at the very least,

there are factual disputes with respect to the various benefits

offered by its adversaries to justify the single tire rule and the

related exclusive Hoosier contracts. 

With respect to “supplier concerns,” Hoosier itself

evidently has only one tire plant. Hoosier’s own contracts also

contain a “Force Majeure” clause, excusing it from performance

where, for instance, there is a work stoppage or an act of God.

The record demonstrates that these kinds of problems are not

unprecedented. Specifically, the owner of the Fastrak dirt racing

series allowed multiple tire suppliers to sell tires for its races

after Goodyear was unable to fulfill its exclusive tire

commitments due to labor issues. 

 DMS admitted that there has never been any specific

concerns about tire safety in its open tire rule races. Similarly,
26

Helmling from USAC was unaware of any safety issues when

tire brands competed for business. 

Turning to the concept of “parity,” it appears that the

Hoosier-only rule itself may permit the use of different kinds of

Hoosier tires in the same race. For instance, UMP’s rules

evidently have allowed four different Hoosier tires to be used. In

turn, some racers and drivers have requested, not less, but more

tire choices, in order to have more options in the future.

Helmling acknowledged at his deposition that the participants in

USAC’s open sprint races were in parity. Other witnesses

testified that the whole concept of parity means having a different

driver win every night. Nevertheless, there is evidence in the

record indicating less variety of winners in Hoosier-only races.

 

According to STA, there is no evidence in the record

showing that the failure to enter an exclusive contract with

Hoosier would result in higher costs. It likewise claims that there

is no evidence whatsoever establishing that the Hoosier contracts

have any effect on car counts or fan attendance. In fact, they

point to evidence purportedly showing the opposite. 

STA further asserts that, even if the rule otherwise

possessed the claimed benefits, the single tire rule as practiced

here does not represent the least restrictive means to serve these

purported goals. It offers the following alternative: the adoption

of a “limited compound competition” rule, which would allow

racers to select from a specified list of tires from the various

manufacturers. Alternatively, STA proposesthat the sanctioning

bodies could choose to limit the number of tires used over the

course of a season. According to STA, the single tire rule also

gives racers and drivers an incentive to cheat by treating their

tires with chemicals, thereby requiring tire inspections before

each race. 

F.Procedural History
27

STA filed its initial complaint in the District Court on

September 25, 2007. Naming Hoosier as the sole Defendant, it

alleged: (1) monopolization in violation of Section 2 of the

Sherman Act; (2) conspiracy to restrain trade in violation of

Section 1 of the Sherman Act; (3) attempted monopolization in

violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act; (4) conspiracy to

monopolize; and (5) a declaratory judgment claim. Less than a

month later, STA filed an amended complaint adding DMS as the

second Defendant.

On January 10, 2008, the District Court entered a

scheduling order, which, among other things, established a

deadline of May 30, 2008, for the amendment of pleadings. STA

subsequently filed a second amended complaint to add two

additional co-plaintiffs. On May 30, 2008, STA moved to amend

the complaint a third time in order to add a new count alleging

illegal tying under Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The Court

granted this unopposed request, and the third amended complaint

was filed on June 23, 2008.

On November 19, 2008, STA once again sought leave to

amend the complaint, this time wishing to add a count alleging

a concerted refusal to deal or, in other words, a group boycott.

This contested motion was denied by the District Court on

December 16, 2008. According to the District Court, STA failed

to demonstrate the requisite good cause, and the addition of yet

another claim based on a new legal theory would also be

prejudicial to the other parties. 

Hoosier and DMS filed motions for summary judgment,

and STA likewise moved for partial summary judgment as to the

defenses of unclean hands and in pari delicto. On September 15,

2009, the District Court granted the motions for summary

judgment filed by Hoosier and DMS (and denied STA’s motion

as moot). It provided an extensive explanation for its ruling in an

accompanying memorandum opinion. Simply put, the District

Court found that: (1) “where, as here, a sanctioning body freely
28

decides to adopt a single tire rule, and then freely selects a

supplier, no antitrust violation is present as a matter of law –

either under Section 1 or 2 of the Sherman Act”; and (2) “STA

has not suffered an ‘Antitrust Injury’ and thus, does not have

standing to bring this action.” (A41 (emphasis omitted).)

STA filed a timely notice of appeal. USAC, National

Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (“NASCAR”),

IMCA, and Grand-Am Road Racing have filed an amicus curiae

brief. 

II.

The District Court possessed jurisdiction over this

antitrust matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, 28 U.S.C. § 1337,

and 15 U.S.C. § 15. We have appellate jurisdiction under 28

U.S.C. § 1291. We further exercise plenary review over a

District Court’s grant of summary judgment. See, e.g., Harrison

Aire, Inc. v. Aerostar Int’l, Inc., 423 F.3d 374, 380 (3d Cir.

2005). 

As the District Court recognized, the resolution of a

summary judgment motion is often an especially difficult task in

the antitrust context, particularly in light of the inherent factual

complexities typically involved as well as the paramount

importance of motive and intent in the legal analysis. This case

certainly is no exception. 

Nevertheless, the District Court also properly

acknowledged that summary judgment is not disfavored in the

antitrust context. The entry of summary judgment in favor of an

antitrust defendant may actually be required in order to prevent

lengthy and drawn-out litigation, which may have a chilling

effect on competitive market forces. See, e.g., Capital Imaging

Assoc., P.C. v. Mohawk Valley Med. Assocs., Inc., 996 F.2d

537, 541 (2d Cir. 1993). Furthermore, “‘antitrust law limits the

range of permissible inferences’ that can be drawn ‘from

ambiguous evidence.’” Harrison Aire, 423 F.3d at 380 (quoting
29

Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574,

588 (1986)). To avoid summary judgment, an antitrust plaintiff

must come forward with economically plausible evidence

supporting the elements of its claim. See, e.g., Eastman Kodak

Co. v. Image Tech. Servs., Inc., 504 U.S. 451, 468-69 (1992);

Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587; Harrison Aire, 423 F.3d at 380.

When the evidence in the record is as consistent with permissible

competition as it is with an illegal conspiracy, such evidence,

standing alone, fails to support an inference of an illegal

conspiracy. See, e.g., Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 588. In the end,

the plaintiff in an antitrust case responding to a summary

judgment motion must overcome a “higher threshold,” which is

imposed in order “to avoid deterring innocent conduct that

reflects enhanced, rather than restrained, competition.” In re Flat

Glass Antitrust Litig., 385 F.3d 350, 357 (3d Cir. 2004). 

The parties further agree that this Court reviews the denial

of a motion to amend under an abuse of discretion standard of

review. See, e.g., E. Minerals & Chems. Co. v. Mahan, 225 F.3d

330, 339-41 (3d Cir. 2000).

III.

As highlighted by the extensive factual discussion in

Section I, supra, this appeal presents the Court with an unusual

and challenging set of circumstances. Simply put, this case

involves a relatively large number of entities, specifically the

various sanctioning bodies governing the sport of dirt oval track

racing in the United States and Canada, which, over an extensive

period of time dating back decades, have adopted the single tire

rule for various races and, in turn, have entered exclusive

contracts with the major tire suppliers. Furthermore, even though

the parties and the amici cite to a large number of prior cases

from this Court, our sister circuits, and other courts, very few of

these decisions appear to be directly on point. In turn, the

decisions that are, more or less, on point are often distinguishable

on a variety of grounds (or otherwise are not binding on this
30

Court). Finally, the importance of this case goes far beyond the

tire suppliers and sanctioning body actually named as the

Plaintiffs and Defendants. In fact, our result and reasoning could

have an effect beyond the world of dirt oval track racing (or even

motorsports racing in general). 

Having fully considered the numerous arguments of the

parties and the amici, the record on appeal, the District Court’s

thorough and carefully reasoned ruling, and the governing legal

principles, we ultimately determine that the District Court

properly ruled in favor of Hoosier and DMS. We reach this

result based on the following considerations: (1) Hoosier clearly

has not coerced, or otherwise improperly interfered with, the

determinations of DMS and the othersanctioning bodies to adopt

the single tire rule and to enter into the respective exclusive

supply contracts; (2) the sanctioning bodies presented, in good

faith, more than sufficient pro-competitive or business

justifications for their actions; and (3) STA has otherwise not

suffered any cognizable antitrust injury because it has had the

opportunity to bid on exclusive supply deals and has in fact done

so with some success. 

A.Basic Principles of Antitrust Law

This Court has never directly considered the legality of a

practice like the single tire rule or the specific kind of exclusive

contracts entered by the sanctioning bodies and Hoosier.

Nevertheless, there are certain fundamental and well-established

legal principles that must guide our analysis. The District Court

itself accurately summarized at least some of these principles in

its summary judgment ruling. 

Section 1 of the Sherman Act provides that “[e]very

contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or

conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce . . . is declared to be

illegal.” 15 U.S.C. § 1. It is well established that this provision

prohibits only “unreasonable” restraints of trade. See, e.g.,
31

NCAA v. Bd. of Regents, 468 U.S. 85, 98 (1984). STA appears

to agree that the “rule of reason” standard applies in this context.

See, e.g., Orson, Inc. v. Miramax Film Corp., 79 F.3d 1358,

1368 (3d Cir. 1996). 

“In order to survive summary judgment in cases where

[the rule of reason] applies, the plaintiff must show concerted

action, antitrust injury, evidence that the conspiracy produced

‘adverse, anti-competitive effects within the relevant product and

geographic markets,’ and evidence ‘that the objects of and the

conduct pursuant to the conspiracy were illegal.’” InterVest, Inc.

v. Bloomberg, L.P., 340 F.3d 144, 159 (3d Cir. 2003) (quoting

Rossi v. Standard Roofing, Inc., 156 F.3d 452, 465 (3d Cir.

1998)). The plaintiff may satisfy its burden by showing either

actual anti-competitive effects or proof of the defendant’s market

power. See, e.g., Orson, 79 F.3d at 1367. The notion of “market

power” in this context is defined as the ability to raise prices

above those that would exist in a competitive market. See, e.g.,

id. 

The burden then shifts to the defendant to show a

sufficient pro-competitive justification or objective for the

challenged conduct. See, e.g., id. at 1367-68. A restraint cannot

be justified solely on the basis of social welfare considerations.

See, e.g., United States v. Brown Univ., 5 F.3d 658, 678-79 (3d

Cir. 1993). The plaintiff then must demonstrate that the restraint

itself is not reasonably necessary to achieve the stated objective.

See, e.g., Orson, 79 F.3d at 1368. In other words, “[e]ven if an

anticompetitive restraint is intended to achieve a legitimate

objective, the restraint only survives a rule of reason analysis if

it is reasonably necessary to achieve the legitimate objectives

proffered by the defendant.” Brown Univ., 5 F.3d at 678-79

(citations omitted). “‘The true test of legality is whether the

restraint imposed is such as merely regulates and perhaps thereby

promotes competition or whether it is such as may suppress or
32

even destroy competition.’” Orson, 79 F.3d at 1367 (quoting Bd.

of Trade v. United States, 246 U.S. 231, 238 (1918)). 

Section 2 of the Sherman Act targets persons “who shall

monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire

with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of . . .

trade or commerce.” 15 U.S.C. § 2. This offense of

monopolization has two elements: “‘(1) the possession of

monopoly power in the relevant market and (2) the willful

acquisition or maintenance of that power as distinguished from

growth or development as a consequence of a superior product,

business acumen, or historic accident.’” Eastman Kodak, 504

U.S. at 481(quoting United States v. Grinnell Corp., 384 U.S.

563, 570-71 (1966)). As to the second element, “[a] monopolist

willfully acquires or maintains monopoly power when it

competes on some basis other than the merits.” LePage’s Inc. v.

3M, 324 F.3d 141, 147 (3d Cir. 2003) (en banc) (citing Aspen

Skiing Co. v. Aspen Highlands Skiing Corp., 472 U.S. 585, 605

n.32 (1985)). In turn, the offense of attempted monopolization

has the following three elements: “(1) that the defendant has

engaged in predatory or anticompetitive conduct with (2) a

specific intent to monopolize and (3) a dangerous probability of

achieving monopoly power.” Spectrum Sports, Inc. v.

McQuillan, 506 U.S. 447, 456 (1993) (citation omitted). The

final element requires an inquiry into the relevant product and

geographic market as well as the defendant’s economic power in

that market. See, e.g., id. at 459. In turn, market share, while

crucial, may not always be determinative. See, e.g., United

States v. Microsoft Corp., 253 F.3d 34, 54 (D.C. Cir. 2001) (en

banc) (per curiam). Once the plaintiff demonstrates harm to

competition, the defendant then has to show that it is actually

promoting a pro-competitive or legitimate business objective.

See, e.g., United States v. Dentsply Int’l, Inc., 399 F.3d 181, 187,

196-97 (3d Cir. 2005). Ultimately, Section 2 is directed against

conduct that “unfairly tends to destroy competition itself,” as
33

opposed to even “severe” competition. Spectrum Sports, 506

U.S. at 458 (citations omitted).

STA also claims that it has been the victim of unlawful

“tying.” “‘Tying is defined as selling one good (the tying

product) on the condition that the buyer also purchase another

separate good (the tied product).’” Harrison Aire, 423 F.3d at

385 (quoting Town Sound & Custom Tops, Inc. v. Chyrsler

Motors Corp., 959 F.2d 468, 475 (3d Cir. 1992) (en banc)). 

A private antitrust plaintiff must further establish that it

suffered an “antitrust injury” as a result of the misconduct and

therefore possesses the standing necessary to seek relief. The

antitrust laws were enacted “‘for the protection of competition

not competitors.’” Brunswick Corp. v. Pueblo Bowl-O-Mat, Inc.,

429 U.S. 477, 488 (1977) (quoting Brown Shoe Co. v. United

States, 370 U.S. 294, 320 (1962)). Therefore, the injury prong

requires: “(1) harm of the type the antitrust laws were intended

to prevent; and (2) an injury to the plaintiff which flows from that

which makes defendant’s acts unlawful.” Gulfstream III Assocs.

Inc. v. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., 995 F.2d 425, 429 (3d Cir.

1993) (citing Int’l Raw Materials, Ltd. v. Stauffer Chem. Co.,

978 F.2d 1318, 1327-28 (3d Cir. 1992)). 

The District Court correctly recognized that exclusive

supply contracts or exclusive dealing agreements have been

frequently upheld when challenged on antitrust grounds. See,

e.g., E. Food Servs., Inc. v. Pontifical Catholic Univ. Servs.

Ass’n, Inc., 357 F.3d 1, 8 (1st Cir. 2004) (stating that exclusive

dealing contracts are not disfavored by antitrust laws and

ordinarily pose threat to competition only in very discrete

circumstances); Barr Labs, Inc. v. Abbott Labs, 978 F.2d 98, 111

(3d Cir. 1992) (recognizing that “existence of legitimate business

justifications for the [exclusive dealing] contracts also supports

the legality of the global contracts”). “Rather, it is widely

recognized that in many circumstances [exclusive dealing

arrangements] may be highly efficient – to assure supply, price
34

stability, outlets, investment, best efforts or the like – and pose no

competitive threat at all.” E. Food Servs., 357 F.3d at 8 (citation

omitted). Expressly rejecting any assertion that exclusive deals

are subject to a per se rule of illegality, the Seventh Circuit in

Menasha Corp. v. News America Marketing In-Store, Inc., 354

F.3d 661 (7th Cir. 2004), appropriately explained that the

competition to be an exclusive supplier may constitute “a vital

form of rivalry, and often the most powerful one, which the

antitrust laws encourage rather than suppress.” Id. at 663 (citing

Paddock Publ’ng, Inc. v. Chicago Tribune Co., 103 F.3d 42 (7th

Cir. 1996)). 

On the other hand, we agree with STA that such exclusive

agreements are not exempt from antitrust scrutiny. In fact, the

Third Circuit addressed exclusive dealing arrangements in its en

banc ruling in LePage’s Inc. v. 3M, 324 F.3d 141 (3d Cir. 2003)

(en banc), and, more recently, in United States v. Dentsply

International, Inc., 399 F.3d 181 (3d Cir. 2005). In the en banc

case, the Court upheld a jury verdict under Section 2 against 3M,

a clearly dominant supplier in the transparent tape market that

paid major retailers through a rebate program “designed to

achieve sole-source supplier status” (and also entered exclusive

dealing agreements with at least two retailers), LePage’s, 324

F.3d at 157, and thereby cut off its plaintiff competitor from “key

retail pipelines,” id. at 160. In Dentsply, this Court reversed the

trial court’s judgment in favor of the defendant, ruling that an

exclusivity policy imposed by an artificial teeth monopoly on its

dealers violated Section 2. Dentsply, 399 F.3d at 184; see also,

e.g., E. Food Servs., 357 F.3d at 8 (providing as “best example”

of possible threat to competition situation in which market itself

is already heavily concentrated and long-term exclusive contracts

then “foreclose so large a percentage of the available supply or

outlets that entry into the concentrated market is unreasonably

constricted”).

B.Application of Legal Principles
35

We now come to the challenging task of applying these

fundamental legal principles to the specific circumstances

presented by this appeal. Like the District Court, we accept, for

purposes of this Opinion, STA’s definition of the relevant

market, in short: the market for the sale of racing tires that race

on dirt oval tracks in the United States and Canada. Further

following the example set by the District Court (as well as the

parties and the amici), our analysis focuses on the following

components: (1) the fundamental if contested notion of

“coercion”; (2) the various benefits and justifications offered in

support of the single tire rule and the related exclusive contracts

between Hoosier and the various sanctioning bodies; and (3) the

antitrust standing requirement. At the outset, we acknowledge

that these components overlap in practice, although they do

represent rather distinct aspects of the antitrust inquiry. For the

sake of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition, we

accordingly: (1) in the coercion discussion, focus on the issue of

whether the sanctioning bodies have been free to adopt the single

tire rule and to enter into an exclusive supply agreement with the

supplier of their choice and also address the specific terms

contained in Hoosier’s contracts; (2) in the justification

discussion, obviously turn to the various justifications and

benefits offered in support of the single tire rule itself as well as

the appropriate degree of deference to be accorded the

determinations of sanctioning bodies and similar sports-related

organizations; and (3) in the antitrust injury analysis, consider

whether STA has had a real opportunity to compete with Hoosier

for single tire business in this market. 

1. “Coercion”

 The notion of “coercion” occupied an especially

important role in the District Court’s reasoning. Hoosier, DMS,

and the amici likewise emphasize this concept on appeal. For its

part, STA vigorously contests the role of the concept itself, and,

in the alternative, it contends that there are genuine issues of
36

material fact as to whether Hoosier has actually “coerced,” or

otherwise colluded with, the various sanctioning bodies. 

We do acknowledge that the District Court did not cite to

any specific case or any other authority in support of its assertion

that coercion constitutes an essential element of a successful

antitrust claim in the present circumstances. STA, among other

things, quotes a leading antitrust commentator, who stated that

“‘it matters little whether one views exclusive dealing as

“imposed” by the dominant firm or “agreed upon” by the

dominant firm and its dealers.’” (Appellants’ Brief at 35

(emphasis in quotation omitted) (quoting H. Hovenkamp,

Antitrust Law ¶ 1800c5, at 20 (Aspen 2005)).) 

We note, however, that this concept has played a key, if

sometimes unexplored, role in the relevant case law, especially

in the Section 2 context. For instance, the Court in Dentsply

expressly noted that, among other things, the exclusivity policy

at issue was “imposed by a manufacturer on its dealers,”

Dentsply, 339 F.3d at 184, and that, “[w]hile the [customers]

might prefer to sell the [products] of multiple manufacturers, if

faced with an ‘all or nothing’ choice they may accede to the

dominant firm’s wish for exclusive dealing,” id. at 195 (quoting

Areeda & Hovencamp, Antitrust Law ¶ 1802e3, at 78-79 (2d ed.

2002)). Likewise, the en banc Court in LePage’s confronted a

situation in which the seller, which had clear monopoly power

over the market, induced retailers to purchase a full line of

products from it, including products its competition did not

make, with the intent of forcing any such competition from the

market and then raising prices. LePage’s, 324 F.3d at 157-63. 

In Santana Products Inc. v. Bobrick Washroom

Equipment, Inc., 401 F.3d 123 (3d Cir. 2005), the plaintiff toilet

partition manufacturer brought claims under Sections 1 and 2 of

the Sherman Act after the government selected its competitor’s

products based on the specifications chosen by the government’s

architects, alleging, inter alia, that the competitor and its
37

representatives falsely claimed that the plaintiff’s own products

were a fire hazard. Id. at 125-28. This Court ultimately affirmed

the summary judgment granted in favor of the competitor,

rejecting the group boycott claim and instead concluding that

there was no restraint where the decision to choose a product was

in the hands of the decision-maker (i.e., the architects) for the

consumer (i.e., the government). Id. at 133 (“Unlike cases where

the alleged exclusionary conduct leaves the consumer with no

input whatever, the decision to specify ‘was always ultimately in

the hands of the consumer.’” (quoting Stearns Airport Equip.

Co., Inc. v. FMC Corp., 170 F.3d 518, 525 (5th Cir. 1999))).

Because the plaintiff failed to allege that the defendants

“engaged in coercive measures that prevented [the plaintiff] from

selling its products to any willing buyer or prevented others from

dealing with [the plaintiff],” id. at 132, it was never really

“excluded from competition,” id. at 133. “‘Without a showing of

some other factor, we can assume that a customer will make his

decision only on the merits,’” and the appropriate response in

such circumstances “‘would seem to be an increase in the losing

party’s sales efforts on future potential bids, not an antitrust

suit.’” Id. (quoting Stearns, 170 F.3d at 525). 

In the end, although we do not hold that coercion is an

essential element of every successful antitrust claim, we conclude

that coercion is a fundamental consideration in the present

circumstances, namely, where various sports sanctioning bodies

have freely adopted their own equipment rules and then freely

entered into exclusive contracts with the respective suppliers.

However, we add that Hoosier and DMS are not entitled to

summary judgment merely because there is an absence of

coercion or interference on the part of Hoosier. On the contrary,

the sanctioning bodies must still offer good faith justifications for

the alleged conduct. As discussed in Section III.B.2, infra, DMS

and the other sanctioning bodies do present more than adequate

justifications for their actions. 
38

STA, in turn, raises a variety of contentions in support of

its theory that there are genuine issues of material fact with

respect to the existence of either coercion on the part of Hoosier

or, at the very least, collusion between Hoosier and the various

sanctioning bodies, especially DMS. The District Court did

acknowledge that Hoosier’s standard form contract provides for

payments to the sanctioning body, lasts for a lengthy period of

time, contains an automatic renewal provision, and allegedly

provides that, if the sanctioning body exercised its right not to

renew, the remaining financial contribution to the sanctioning

body would be forfeited. We likewise are particularly troubled

by the so-called Sprint Summit and the resulting relationship

between Hoosier and DMS. This Court nevertheless finds that

the various contentions raised by STA fail to demonstrate the

existence of a genuine issue of material fact as to whether its

competitor has coerced or otherwise unduly interfered with the

decision-making process of the various sanctioning bodies. 

Initially, we must not overlook the crucial and undisputed

fact that, in the words of STA’s own expert, “[t]he sanctioning

organization or promoter ultimately decides whether or not to

enter into a contract with Hoosier requiring a Hoosier-only rule

. . . in their own best interest.” (A1921.) In fact, it appears clear

that the major sanctioning bodies themselves generally prefer the

single tire and, at least sometimes, desire a Hoosier-only rule.

The present circumstances actually resemble the situation

described by the Seventh Circuit in Menasha:

That retailers and manufacturers like exclusive

deals implies that they serve the interests of these,

the consumers of couponing services [provided by

the plaintiff and its competitor defendant]. When

the consumers favor a product or practice, and only

rivals squawk, the most natural inference is that

the complained-of practice promotes rather than
 We also do not overlook the fact that it is the racers and the 2

drivers that ultimately purchase the racing tires. Unlike in

Dentsply and LePage’s, we accordingly are not dealing with the

case of a supplier entering exclusive arrangements with retailers,

which purchase the products at issue for resale to the ultimate

39

undermines competition, for what helps consumers

often harms other producers such as [the plaintiff].

Menasha, 354 F.3d at 663. 

Furthermore, it appears that it is a common and generally

accepted practice for a supplier to provide a sports sanctioning

body or similar sports-related organization financial support in

exchange for a supply contract (although such practices, no

matter how widely followed, cannot be characterized as totally

innocuous). In fact, STA has actually engaged in such behavior

and has specifically included offers of financial support in its

various successful and unsuccessful proposals to the respective

sanctioning bodies over the years. In turn, these financial

contributions may be used as part of the sanctioning body’s point

funds, and such point funds constitute a crucial incentive offered

by the sanctioning body to attract prospective racers and drivers

to its own races. As to the amount and specific terms of the

contributions, it is no more an act of coercion, collusion, or

improper interference for Hoosier, STA, or any one else to offer

more money to the sanctioning body than it is for such suppliers

to offer the lowest tire prices. In any case, the sanctioning body

itself remains free to pick the supplier that it believes will

provide the best deal. Similarly, neither the lengthy duration of

the Hoosier contracts nor their renewal terms represent real

evidence of coercion or interference. The respective sanctioning

body simply may enter a contract with the tire supplier of its

choice. If anything, the actual terms contained in Hoosier’s form

contract appear to be completely consistent with what one would

actually expect to find in an exclusive supply arrangement.2
customers. It is undeniably troubling that the evidence in the

record indicates that the interests of at least some of the racers,

drivers, and others have evidently diverged from the interests

(and actions of) the governing sanctioning bodies. For instance,

more than one thousand racers, drivers, and other industry

participants have actually signed STA’s “Declaration in Favor

of Competition,” attacking the single tire formula as a

monopolistic practice and calling for its replacement. On an

even more basic level, it appears clear that, the more a tire

supplier offers a sanctioning body in terms of financial support,

the more the racers and drivers have to pay for the tires

themselves. At the very least, such circumstances further

complicate this case, providing at least some support for STA’s

antitrust claims against Hoosier and DMS. 

We, nevertheless find that such considerations ultimately

do not assist STA. As already noted, the financial contributions

do ultimately benefit the actual tire purchasers, either directly in

the form of point funds or indirectly by providing the financial

resources allowing the sanctioning bodies to function and hold

the races in the first place. Furthermore (and as explained in

more detail in Section III.B.3, infra), the purchasers otherwise

remain free to “vote with their trailers” by not participating in a

sanctioning body’s races because of its adoption of a single tire

rule or its entry into an exclusive deal with Hoosier. We further

add that no racer or driver has actually joined STA as a Plaintiff

in this litigation or otherwise filed an amicus curiae brief in its

favor. 

40

2.Benefits and Justifications of the Single Tire Rule

Initially, the Court agrees with the position of the amici

that motorsports sanctioning bodies, as well as similar

organizations in other sports, deserve a bright-line rule to follow

so they can avoid potential antitrust liability as well as time-
41

consuming and expensive antitrust litigation. In fact, this current

lawsuit is the second federal antitrust case brought against

Hoosier arising out of the single tire rule. In M & H Tire Co. v.

Hoosier Racing Tire Corp., 733 F.2d 973 (1st Cir. 1984), the

First Circuit rejected an antitrust challenge by a tire supplier, M

& H, to the adoption of such a rule by several race tracks and

driving clubs as well as their entry into an exclusive contract with

Hoosier. Id. at 974-89. Likewise, there have been other antitrust

lawsuits challenging the adoption of racing equipment rules of

various kinds. See Brookins v. Int’l Motor Contest Ass’n, 219

F.3d 849 (8th Cir. 2000) (transmission rule); STP v. U.S. Auto

Club, Inc., 286 F. Supp. 146 (S.D. Ind. 1968) (engine

specification rule). While the sanctioning body defendants

ultimately prevailed in all three cases, see Brookins, 219 F.3d at

852-55; STP, 286 F. Supp. at 171, it has undoubtedly come at

considerable expense. Contrary to the pro-competitive purposes

of antitrust law, this expense may have a very real anticompetitive effect, especially on the smaller sanctioning bodies.

Furthermore, if the Court fails to adopt a relatively clear rule

here, motorsports sanctioning bodies, in the apt words of the

amici, “will have to chart a narrow, and perhaps unsustainable,

course, between (1) the Scylla of anti-competitive, expensive,

and unsafe rules and (2) the Charybdis of the optimum rules for

the sport accompanied by potential antitrust litigation and

exposure, including the crippling expense in defending their

legitimate right to promulgate their own rules.” (Amicus Brief

at 9-10.) Nevertheless, we must be careful not to establish an

overly broad rule detached from the specific facts now before us,

especially in light of the highly fact-specific nature of the

antitrust standards themselves. 

Accordingly, sports-related bodies should be given leeway

with respect to their adoption of equipment requirements as well

as their related decision to enter exclusive contracts with the

respective suppliers. As highlighted by the racing case law cited

above, it appears that the courts have generally accorded sports
42

organizations a certain degree of deference and freedom to act in

similar circumstances. See, e.g., Am. Needle, Inc. v. NFL, — S.

Ct. —, 2010 WL 2025207 (May 24, 2010) (exclusive football

headwear license); McCormack v. NCAA, 845 F.2d 1338 (5th

Cir. 1988) (NCAA football eligibility rules); Gunter Harz Sports,

Inc. v. U.S. Tennis Ass’n, Inc., 665 F.2d 222 (8th Cir. 1981) (per

curiam) (prohibition of double-strung tennis rackets); Hatley v.

Am. Quarter Horse Ass’n, 552 F.2d 646 (5th Cir. 1977)

(definition of “quarter horse”); Deesen v. Prof’l Golfers Ass’n,

358 F.2d 165 (9th Cir. 1966) (PGA eligibility rules); Toscano v.

PGA Tour, Inc., 201 F. Supp. 2d 1106 (E.D. Cal. 2002) (same).

Even STA appears to acknowledge that such organizations are

entitled to some deference. However, the standard it offers,

requiring, inter alia, that the rules be adopted by a neutral and

unbiased body and that they do not result in any significant

market foreclosure, does not seem very deferential. Among other

things, such an approach would preclude sanctioning bodies from

entering into an exclusive equipment contract with a supplier that

already has a high share of the relevant geographic or product

markets. 

We further believe that a deferential and bright-line

approach is especially appropriate in light of the practical

restraints faced by the sanctioning bodies in this case. Even

though they may, among other things, receive significant

financial support from the suppliers, DMS and the other

sanctioning bodies do not have unfettered discretion in adopting

rules, entering exclusive arrangements, or imposing higher

equipment costs on the racers and drivers. It is well established

that the sanctioning bodies compete for racers and drivers, and

these racers and drivers in turn are more than able to, in the

words of amici, “vote with their trailers.” (Amicus Brief at 14.)

Fewer racers and drivers mean less for the sanctioning body in

terms of the entry fees charged to the participating racers and

drivers themselves as well as a possible decrease in the number

of tickets and revenues earned from concessions and other
43

sources of money (at the very least because the friends and

families of non-participating racers and drivers would be much

less likely to attend). In turn, this can lead to a “death spiral”

because lower gate receipts and other forms of revenue mean

lower prize purses, which means less interest among racers and

drivers, which results in even less revenue to the sanctioning

body, and so on. Ultimately, the sanctioning bodies which

consistently make the wrong business decisions face the prospect

of going out of business. They, like other kinds of businesses,

also have no long-term interest in the creation of a monopolist in

their own supply chains. If Hoosier actually were a monopolist,

not only could it charge racers and drivers whatever it wanted for

tires, it could also reduce its monetary payments to the

sanctioning body or eliminate such support altogether. See, e.g.,

Menasha, 354 F.3d at 663 (“Why would these entities shoot

themselves in the feet by signing (retailers) or favoring

(manufacturers) exclusive contracts that entrench [the defendant]

as a monopolist that then can apply the squeeze.”). Finally, the

fact that not all races are governed by single tire rules shows that

the sanctioning bodies can and do recognize that not all forms of

racing in all parts of the country are identical and that such

bodies are more than able to adopt the rule that best advances the

particular kind of racing at issue. 

This Court therefore approaches the actions of DMS and

the other sanctioning bodies with a degree of deference and we

adopt the following general rule: the Sherman Act does not

forbid sanctioning bodies and other sports-related organizations

from freely (i.e., without any coercion or improper interference)

adopting exclusive equipment requirements, so long as such

organizations otherwise possess, in good faith, sufficient procompetitive or business justifications for their actions. At the

same time, we wish to make it clear that we are not granting any

kind of antitrust immunity. Cf., e.g., Am. Needle, — S. Ct. —,

2010 WL 2025207, at *11 n.7 (attacking Seventh Circuit

concerted action ruling for, inter alia, “carv[ing] out a zone of
44

antitrust immunity for conduct arguably related to [NFL] league

operations by reasoning that coordinated team trademark sales

are necessary to produce ‘NFL football’”). For instance, we are

not confronted with a situation in which the sanctioning body

offers absolutely no justification whatsoever for its actions or its

justifications are offered in bad faith or are otherwise

nonsensical. Instead, we will affirm the District Court’s ruling

because there are several good faith justifications for the

sanctioning bodies’ single tire rule. 

We acknowledge that STA vigorously attacks the single

tire rule itself, arguing that there were less restrictive alternatives.

According to STA, there are, at least, genuine issues of material

fact with respect to each and every benefit and justification

offered by Hoosier, DMS, and the amici in support of the rule

itself. To a certain degree, such a vigorous if understandable

attack actually serves to highlight our reluctance to second guess

the decisions made by a sanctioning body regarding the basic

rules and guidelines of its sport. In fact, STA’s extensive

challenge to the single tire rule constitutes an attack on the very

raison d’etre of the sanctioning bodies, which exist in order to set

certain ground rules and then run races in conformity with such

rules. In any case, we agree with the District Court that the

sanctioning bodies have properly adopted the single tire rule

because they believe such a rule creates more exciting races,

ensures equal access to a uniform product, leads to increased

safety, and lowers the costs of tires by eliminating the so-called

“tire wars.” 

In fact, STA’s whole challenge to the single tire rule has

a simple yet serious flaw. It was STA that actually pioneered and

promoted the whole idea in the first place. STA’s own website

claimed credit for promoting “spec tire or track rules,” in which

“track owners and promoters adopted a manufacturer’s tire for a

particular class of races for the duration of a racing season.”

(A484.) In turn, it claimed that such a rule had several benefits,
45

including the avoidance of constant and costly tire changes and

the encouragement of parity between racers and drivers, and that

its adoption even contributed “to the success and popularity of

dirt track racing in America.” (Id.) Jacobs actually defended the

rule as part of the M & H litigation. More recently, STA’s

general manager, Mateer, testified at his deposition in this

litigation that limiting the number of tires bought by racers could

be good for the sport itself and that a single tire rule also could

reduce costs. Further acknowledging STA’s own role in

developing the rule, Mateer added that it was created in order

“[t]o eliminate the constant in-season product development that

was requiring the racers to buy every trick new tire that came

along.” (A833.) 

We recognize that STA has turned against the rule itself,

at least as in its more recent form. In turn, it attempts to explain

its prior support for the rule and how Hoosier has usurped and

distorted the rule into an anti-competitive tool. STA certainly

has a right to change its position, but the past support provided

for the rule now challenged in this litigation cannot be

overlooked so easily.

In any case, even setting aside STA’s prior conduct, the

record here clearly establishes that there are more than ample

justifications for the single tire rule. DMS specifically discusses

in some detail the statements made by eleven separate individuals

regarding the various benefits arising out of a single tire rule.

For instance, Driggers, who serves as the racing director for

DMS, explained in some detail how the car counts increase under

a single tire rule. Likewise, the sanctioning body’s president,

Deery, indicated that these equipment rules have long been

recognized as a “cornerstone” of motor racing. (A1931.)

Specifically defending the single tire rule, Deery asserted that

“spec tires save money, provide a level field, are safe, and make

for a more successful show.” (A1934.)
46

In the end, we recognize that STA and others have serious

issues with the single tire rule, at least in its current form. They

otherwise remain free to argue that such a rule and the related

exclusive contracts harm both the competitive process and the

sport of dirt oval track racing. In fact, the racers and drivers

themselves are free to “vote with their trailers” by not

participating in races conducted under a single tire or Hoosieronly rule. Following the District Court, we nevertheless find that

DMS and the other sanctioning bodies possess good faith

justifications, amply supported in the record, for adopting a wellestablished rule actually developed and defended by STA itself.

In such circumstances (and in the absence of any coercion or

improper interference on the part of the respective suppliers),

such sports-related organizations should have the right to

determine for themselves the set of rules that they believe best

advance their respective sport (and therefore their own business

interests), without undue and costly interference on the part of

courts and juries. 

 3.Antitrust Injury

We next come to the question of antitrust injury and

standing. To establish antitrust injury, a plaintiff must show

harm to competition, not just harm to the plaintiff competitor.

See Brunswick Corp., 429 U.S. at 488. We agree with the

District Court that STA does not satisfy this requirement. 

It is well established that competition among businesses

to serve as an exclusive supplier should actually be encouraged.

See, e.g., Menasha, 354 F.3d at 663 (recognizing that

competition to become exclusive supplier “is a vital form of

rivalry, and often the most powerful one, which the antitrust laws

encourage rather than suppress” (citation omitted)). In Section

III.B.1, supra, this Court explained in some detail how the

sanctioning bodies are free to adopt a single tire rule and then

contract with the supplier of their choice without any undue
 We specifically note that: (1) from the 1980s to 3

approximately 2005, IMCA required its cars to use the G-60

American Racer tire manufactured by STA; (2) in 2006-2007,

STA responded, without success, to an RFP for an exclusive tire

contract sent out by WISSOTA; (3) although there was no

47

interference or coercion on the part of Hoosier. Our focus now

shifts to whether STA has been able to compete for this business.

We acknowledge that the process used by the various

sanctioning bodies has too often been less than perfect. The

District Court partly recognized as much, noting that the

sanctioning bodies may elect to dispense with sending out a

formal RFP to the various tire suppliers. In fact, DMS did not

select its tire suppliers through a formal bidding process prior to

the start of this litigation, and it evidently did not possess specific

procedures or protocols for selecting a tire supplier. We similarly

continue to be troubled by certain other aspects of the process

used to select a supplier, especially the fact that tire suppliers

provide financial support to the sanctioning bodies, even though

such bodies do not actually purchase the tires. See, supra, n.2.

Nevertheless, the record here clearly establishes the

existence of competition on the part of the remaining suppliers

for the valuable right to serve as an exclusive provider of tires.

Accordingly, the District Court properly recognized that the

suppliers themselves are generally well aware of what is going on

in the marketplace, and they actually have been able to take

business away from their competitors over the years. For

instance, STA has continued to respond to RFPs from the various

sanctioning bodies, and it has also attempted to win an exclusive

contract even in the absence of a formal proposal from the

sanctioning body itself. We note that STA evidently has had

some success in this market, especially in the past. In fact, it has

served as the exclusive tire supplier for a number of sanctioning

bodies.

3
formal RFP, STA submitted a proposal to ASCS in 2007, in

which it offered a financial contribution in exchange for

exclusivity; (4) STA submitted a bid in response to USAC’s

RFP, although its bid, among other things, did not propose

exclusivity; (5) an STA distributor won the bid to be UMP’s

exclusive tire supplier for certain races in 1994 but was then

outbid by Hoosier in 1995; (6) after the filing of this lawsuit,

STA responded with seemingly non-exclusive and ultimately

unsuccessful bids to 2007 and 2008 RFPs from DMS; and (7)

Lias Tire, an STA distributor, won an exclusive agreement with

URC and further agreed to pay this sanctioning body $14,500.00

to be the single tire at approximately thirty (30) events. 

Furthermore, Hoosier and DMS should not be held

legally accountable for STA’s recent pattern of submitting “nonexclusive” bids to the respective sanctioning bodies, even after

the sanctioning bodies expressed a desire for an exclusive

relationship.

48

In the end, STA never suffered the kind of injury that

gives rise to an antitrust claim. On the contrary, it has had the

clear opportunity to compete and did compete, sometimes

successfully, for the exclusive tire contracts. See, e.g., NicSand,

Inc. v. 3M Co., 507 F.3d 442, 456 (6th Cir. 2007) (en banc)

(“When one exclusive dealer is replaced by another exclusive

dealer, the victim of the competition does not state an antitrust

injury.” (citation omitted)); U.S. v. Aluminum Co. of Am., 148

F.2d 416, 430 (2d Cir. 1945) (Hand, J.) (“The successful

competitor, having been urged to compete, must not be turned

upon when he wins.”). Accordingly, the District Court was

correct to grant summary judgment in favor of Hoosier and DMS
 All six of STA’s claims, including STA’s illegal tying claim, 4

were properly dismissed on this ground.

49

because of this failure to meet the antitrust injury requirement.4

 

C.The Denial of the Motion for Leave to Amend

Finally, this Court must consider whether the District

Court properly denied STA’s request for leave to amend its

complaint in order to add an express refusal to deal or group

boycott claim to the five substantive causes of action it had

already alleged. We find that the District Court did not abuse its

discretion by rejecting a last-minute attempt to amend a pleading

for the fourth time.

Given the fact that this motion was filed sometime after

the expiration of the May 30, 2008 deadline stated in the District

Court’s own scheduling order, the District Court purportedly

applied the “good cause” standard of Federal Rule of Civil

Procedure 16(b)(4) (providing that “[a] schedule [set forth in a

scheduling order] may be modified only for good cause and with

the judge’s consent”), as opposed to the more liberal approach to

amendments established in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

15(a)(2) (providing that “[t]he court should freely give leave

when justice so requires”). It further stated that, unlike Rule

15(a)(2) and its focus on the question of prejudice to the nonmoving party, Rule 16(b)(4) focuses on the moving party’s

burden to show due diligence. While the District Court indicated

that we have yet to address this tension between Rule 15(a)(2)

and Rule 16(b)(4), STA acknowledges on appeal that it had the

burden to demonstrate good cause and due diligence (and the

District Court itself ultimately found that the proposed

amendment would in fact prejudice the other parties). 

The District Court properly denied leave to amend.

According to STA, it could not have discovered the key facts
50

supporting this new claim until it reviewed “hundreds of

thousands of late-produced documents,” which were not provided

until after the deadline to amend had already passed.

(Appellants’ Brief at 57.) In turn, STA specifically takes issue

with: (1) the District Court’s statement that “‘it is not easy for

the Court to discern when Plaintiffs were, or should have been,

aware of the basis for the group boycott claim;’” (2) the District

Court’s reliance on STA’s failure to amend the scheduling order

to seek more time for discovery (arguing that such a failure

actually highlighted STA’s own diligence); and (3) the District

Court’s finding of prejudice (on the grounds that STA never

requested any additional discovery in its motion to amend). (Id.

(citation omitted).) On the other hand, as a practical matter, it

bears repeating that this was the fourth time that STA desired to

amend its complaint in this already very complicated and highly

contentious litigation, in which STA had already alleged multiple

theories of relief. Furthermore, STA evidently informed the

District Court that, “during an October 29, 2008 deposition of

Hoosier’s sales manager, Paul Mentink, Plaintiffs learned that the

‘Hoosier-only’ rules known as the ‘national sprint tire’ rule . . .

. originated from a July 2006 Sprint Summit meeting in

Pittsburgh arranged by [DMS].” (A7 (citation omitted).) The

District Court then, quite reasonably, noted that: (1) the original

complaint actually included an attached copy of the December

15, 2006 statement by Hoosier announcing the creation of a new

sprint car tire at the request of several sanctioning bodies and

tracks; and (2) the previous complaints expressly alleged that

Hoosier agreed with multiple sanctioning bodies to develop a

new sprint tire that the sanctioning bodies would use in their

races. The District Court also understandably wanted this

complicated case to move forward to its ultimate resolution. In

any case, any attempt to add a new claim would be moot given

our ruling on the merits of STA’s existing claims. Therefore, we

are unable to find that the District Court abused its discretion

here. 
51

IV.

For the foregoing reasons we will affirm the District

Court’s rulings in favor of Hoosier and DMS.