The 2026 Goodyear 400 was one of the most anticipated races on the calendar, ahead of which drivers and fans were building up expectations for good racing in their head, especially after the Truck Series, which Corey Heim won. Ryan Preece for one saw the man take the victory in Darlington, and hoped for a similarly strong outing in the race on Sunday.
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The Cup field arrived with a short-track package that had the potential to change the flow of the race, shifting the balance between grip, power, and tire wear. And the Truck race already laid down the value of tires on the track.
During the final lap, it was the tire wear that shifted the balance. Heim called in to pit for fresh rubber. That move paid off when he ran down Ross Chastain and made the pass in the final corner, sealing the win. That sequence was exactly what caught Preece’s eye.
“Much like we saw Corey Heim do that last night. How exciting was that for two laps? You had guys that stayed out because they didn’t have anymore tires. And you had a guy that had, I don’t know how many laps those scuffs had on them, five laps, and boy it looked like he was Superman.”
“That’s the type of racing I want to see, less downforce, the more horsepower, and heading in this direction is what I’ve been beating the drum on for years. It’s nice that it’s happening, and you guys are gonna have quite the show for it. I’m definitely excited about this weekend. I certainly feel like our RFK cars are gonna be fast.
Our Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang Dark Horse is gonna be fast as well,” he continued.
How the Goodyear 400 in Darlington fared
Ultimately, the short-track package did pay a big role in the outcome of the race, which Tyler Reddick won to extend his lead in the championship. The lower downforce, higher horsepower package put more emphasis on mechanical grip and tire management.
Strategy also played an important role, like Reddick had predicted it would pre-race. 23XI racing nailed it, giving him fresher tires when it mattered most and while others struggled for grip, he coasted to victory.
