Kyle Larson’s Crew Chief Applauds NASCAR’s Efforts to Improve Short Track Product Despite Calls for Horspower Increase

For the first time, NASCAR will be giving crew chiefs in the Cup Series the option to choose between two different tire compounds during a points-paying race. The historic occurrence will be at the race that is scheduled to be held at the Richmond Raceway next month. The effort is aimed at improving the short-track package and has since received applause from the likes of Cliff Daniels and Chris Gabehart.

NASCAR showcased a glimpse of what is to come during the latest All-Star race at North Wilkesboro. Teams had primary tires and option tires, offering better speed but higher tire wear, at their disposal. But unlike in Wilkesboro, the Richmond surface is far more abrasive. This is expected to cause more degradation to the option tires.

It is regardless of these challenges that Daniels, the crew chief of Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 team, has praised NASCAR and Goodyear. He told Sportsnaut during the Chicago race weekend, “I don’t expect them to control when you put on the (option tires) so that’s interesting to me from the standpoint that everyone could end up doing something different, which I think would be great.”

Daniels also seconded the opinion of Gabehart, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, that the answer to perfecting short track races is to work on the horsepower-to-grip ratio. He added, “Chris Gabehart, in my opinion, has articulated this very well, where the cars are just overly-gripped and underpowered. So, how do you solve that? Certainly adding a higher grip tire with some fall-off is an interesting way to do it.”

Gabehart joins Daniels in praising NASCAR despite finding multiple fallacies in their approach

Gabehart believes that teams will have to use both primary and option tires in Richmond unlike in North Wilkesboro, where the race was of a much shorter length. He believes that even if the option tires end up not falling off as much as anticipated, the timing in which they’re used will be a wrinkle that should be straightened out.

“So I do applaud them for trying stuff,” he concluded. “They have to get aggressive with it. I still really think tire width, and reducing that footprint is something we have to consider, again, working on the grip ratio side of that equation but I applaud that NASCAR and Goodyear continues to be aggressive.”