Excessive tire wear at Sunday’s race in Bristol has left Goodyear executives as puzzled as the rest of NASCAR. Every set of tires failed after an average of 40 laps during the race, forcing drivers and teams to quickly adapt their strategies. With the issue drawing a stark line between the racing world, the tire maker has revealed that it plans to hold tests to understand the nature of the matter.
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Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing, said as per Autoweek to the press in Bristol that the intent was to have tires wear out quickly, but not at the level seen on Sunday.
Comparing it with last year’s night race, he added, “Now, we’re trying to understand what’s different. Why is the race track behaving differently this weekend than what it did a year ago? It’s the same package. It’s the same power combination.”
The one difference between last year’s race and the one on Sunday was the coating used on the track. Resin was put on the low groove after the Truck Series race on Saturday, in place of PJ1. However, Stucker maintained that the resin shouldn’t have eaten tires at such a high level.
“Last fall, it took rubber immediately during that race,” he said. “Still a bit of an unknown as far as why it’s (race track) not behaving the same way.”
Where does Goodyear go from here after the chaotic NASCAR race in Bristol?
Stucker was clear in his interview about what Goodyear intended to do now. He said, “Some guys are able to manage through it a little bit better than others. It’s still a tough situation. We’re just going to have to try to understand exactly what’s happening, what’s different, and adjust from there.”
Denny Hamlin was one of the drivers who loved Goodyear for its work. He won the race and managed his tires effectively. Defending champion Ryan Blaney, not so much. He finished in 16th place and was left visibly frustrated at the racing experience. With shouts emerging from both camps, Goodyear will probably return to Bristol to run tests.
While he did not put a stamp on it, Stucker said that it was a “good” bet that they’d have a tire test at the oval before the night race in September. Key figures in the sport, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chris Gabehart, have insisted that no changes be made to the track or the tire. NASCAR’s take on the issue is yet to be heard.
