Wet weather tires might be common in several forms of motorsports but for NASCAR, it was a big deal to run them on an Oval Cup Series race. While most drivers would have faced an issue with the compound, Christopher Bell mentioned that it was a “blast.” The race winner lauded NASCAR and Goodyear’s innovation with the tires that made for a great race.
Advertisement
“I thought it was a home run. Obviously, it worked out really well for me so I’m gonna have really positive comments but it just made the race completely different, unknown, nobody knew what to expect and nobody knew what line to run, nobody knew where the grip was,” he said after winning at Loudon.
🦞 @CBellRacing swept his first NASCAR weekend and will be one to remember.
🗣️ "It's incredible […] Feels really good to get my first one."
🎧 ➡️ https://t.co/WGRTG5gVtL pic.twitter.com/CyuwTeE6KU
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) June 24, 2024
The sanctioning body made it compulsory for all drivers to run on those tires for the final stage. The pitstops were not made competitive as it was the first time these tires had been used. Bell had a taste of them in the Xfinity Series race a day earlier. That must have gone a long way in helping him secure the win.
Interestingly, Bell was not the only one who had positive feedback for the tires and how their use was mandated. Several racers, including Cup Series champions, hailed NASCAR for taking a successful new step toward evolving the sport.
Cup Series drivers sing praises of Goodyear and NASCAR after wet race
Drivers with dirt racing experience like Kyle Larson said that it was a lot of fun for him to drive with wet tires. “It was fun. You know, I think when it’s like that, I think that’s why you see a lot of the dirt racers kind of migrate to the front,” he said as per NASCAR.
Meanwhile, RFK Racing star Chris Buescher said that visibility was an issue towards the end but the tires worked well. “It’s dark. It was hard to see there at the end, just where moisture was and wasn’t, but ultimately, it worked out. I certainly would have loved to have done it when it first started in damp conditions,” he explained.
It’s safe to say that racing on ovals will no longer be a problem in wet conditions. If anything, the racing is going to become all the more exciting.
