Tire choices have become widely popular in NASCAR this year as a possible solution to the issues that trouble the short-track racing product. Two compounds, named Prime and Option, were put in front of teams in North Wilkesboro and Richmond. Both the races turned out positively and warranted further interest in adopting the method on a more permanent basis.
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The question that looms large now is if enough has been seen to provide the same tire choices for the championship finale in Phoenix this November or in the future. When Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was asked this on the recent Playoff Media Day in Charlotte, he had a clear take. Definitely not. He detailed his opinion expressing a steadfast displeasure towards the concept.
He said, “The option tire – does it produce comers and goers? It does. But if you’re not good, then you’re just going to do the opposite, right? So, what do we want the champion to be? Do we want the champion to be the best car or do we want the champion to be the guy that sucked all race and saved a set of red tires and got the lucky yellow? I don’t know, I’m very torn on it.”
The problem with providing tire choices is that it could allow an extremely unfair advantage to less deserving drivers in several commonly occurring scenarios. The option tires — denoted by red lettering — put greater speed on the NextGen car at the cost of durability. When it is used at the right moment, a driver could easily capture the victory flag even if he has lagged at the back of the field all day.
When Christopher Bell got stung by the option tire
A good example of what the option tire does was on display at Richmond earlier this year. When the race’s second stage started, Daniel Suarez decided to be one of the first drivers to put the option tires on. The gamble worked out greatly as he drove past Bell in just 13 laps despite restarting from 16th place.
Bell did eventually get back up ahead but Suarez regained the position and collected an important stage win. The Trackhouse Racing driver fell back in the final stage with the rest of the field taking the red-lettered tires. However, he used his second set with 40 laps to go and finished the day in 10th place.
The experience of losing out on a stage win because of the option tires could be what has led Bell to such a conclusion about them. However, the point he makes is a largely fair one and something that NASCAR ought to weigh before making tire choices a valid solution in important short-track events.
