In the Cup Series race in Phoenix last Sunday, the teams had different tire options to choose from for the first time this season. The two choices were the prime tires, the yellow-lettered ones that last longer but carry less speed, and the red-lettered option tires that last for fewer laps but provide greater speed. This experiment was first done in Richmond last year.
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After the latest showing at the Phoenix Raceway, former driver Kenny Wallace stated that these two compounds from Goodyear, with their reliability, would finally allow drivers to push the Next Gen car to its true potential. Teams were given two sets of option tires and seven sets of prime tires. Wallace believes this made way for interesting strategies that translated to better action.
He used the example of Joey Logano to make his case. The defending champion found himself in the back of the field after jumping a restart. His crew chief decided to use the option tires at that point, and he flew through the pack to get to the front end. However, the tires eventually wore off, and he was forced to slow down.
Logano finished the race in 13th place. He could not push later on, as he did not have option tires left to use. Though his tire strategy backfired, it did bring Logano back into contention in the race for a brief while, creating some exciting moments and intrigue. And the tires played a crucial part in it, believes Wallace.
“I believe the number one person responsible for NASCAR doing so good right now is Goodyear tires. I’ve been racing my whole life, and if you get a bad tire, it makes for bad racing,” said Wallace, before elaborating on the option tires and how it opens up possibilities on the track.
“They are not going to use it all the time. But you only get two sets, and you have got to use them wisely. So, it’s like a video game. You get a little bit of a boost, right? Let’s say you have a little bit of boost left. You push it, but now you’re out. So, use your boost… use your two sets of tires wisely,” added Wallace.
Wallace contends that Goodyear, after two years, has finally figured out what is needed to make the Next Gen car good. It’s a big claim, but it does have other supporters. Following the race in the Circuit of the Americas, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in awe of the tire performance.
“I thought the Goodyear tire was fantastic. We had a tire that kind of gave up, you could hurt them [drivers]… that makes the racing so much better,” Junior wrote on X.
Denny Hamlin was another icon impressed with the tire manufacturer. “50% is track reconfig, and the other 50% is the Goodyear tire,” he said on Actions Detrimental, hinting at how the changes made to the COTA road course layout and the tire performance ensured fantastic racing.
It remains to be seen if Goodyear ensures consistency throughout the season and does justice to these high praises.
