The evolution of NASCAR’s Next Gen car has been anything but smooth since its 2022 debut. The 1.5-mile tracks quickly adapted to the new technology, producing memorable finishes at venues like Kansas and Atlanta. Meanwhile, the short tracks that once defined NASCAR’s gritty essence have struggled to recapture their magic.
Kyle Busch boldly proclaimed that “the racing has definitely not gotten better with the Next Gen at short tracks.” Busch’s sentiments reflect the parity created by the Next-Gen car, which ruined passing opportunities on short tracks. As the Cup series heads to its famed short track at Martinsville, 14-time short track race winner in the Cup Series, Denny Hamlin, shared contrasting thoughts on the tire debate.
Denny Hamlin doubles down on tire evolution
Goodyear’s option tires have been an ongoing debate in NASCAR since its debut. Last year, the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro was a snooze fest, with Logano leading 199 laps to the win; however, the Richmond race showed some promise. Daniel Suarez was beaming after a 10th-place finish at Richmond, saying, “I give a huge credit to NASCAR and to Goodyear for bringing this option tire because it’s a lot of fun. I don’t see why we don’t have an option tire everywhere we go.” In 2025, NASCAR decided to experiment with the tire at Phoenix Raceway, to test it out for potentially being the primary tire at the Championship race.
Phoenix saw significant results, Denny Hamlin praised the softer tire on his Actions Detrimental podcast, saying, “I think we have a winner.” And, regarding short-track racing as a whole, Hamlin feels the same way. When asked by Dalton Hopkins about the state of short-track racing as we look to Martinsville next week, Hamlin said, “I think that the tire has helped quite a bit.” The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran explained the complex progression, noting, “It’s been an evolution, though, because like I talked about, when the disparity from the fastest car to the slowest car was much bigger when we started next-gen.”
Hamlin talks about how the softer tire has helped close the gap between cars and allowed more passing, which was a huge issue on short tracks. The softer tires provide more grip and wear, producing a strategic and entertaining racing product, much like what we saw at Phoenix, with Ryan Preece’s remarkable charge from 33rd to 10th place in just 11 laps showcasing the potential of the softer compound.
“Every racetrack we’ve talked about this year and it being a better race, which it has been, you can really contribute to the changes that we made in the tires and creating more tire fall-off,” Hamlin emphasized. “That is absolutely the equation that we’ve been searching for, wanting, and we’re finally getting it, and it’s showing in the show that you’re seeing on Sundays.”
“That’s the equation we’ve been looking for” @dennyhamlin on tire falloff at short tracks recently as the series prepares to visit @MartinsvilleSwy next weekend.
@PitLaneCPT #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/FKHoE86qgw
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 23, 2025
Even outside the option tire, falloff in general played a huge role at the Circuit of The Americas too. Kyle Busch had a two-second lead as the laps dwindled, but a caution snatched that lead away, and Christopher Bell, with fresher tires, put on a show for the ages with Busch. From tight turns together, to eventually pulling off a clear overtake, the race was a treat to watch. Goodyear has been putting in the work, and Hamlin is noticing.
Denny Hamlin has been harping on tire falloff for years now, and it seems like he is finally happy with the product Goodyear and NASCAR are delivering. On his Actions Detrimental podcast after the Phoenix race, he had said, “Me and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. believed for the longest time that Goodyear has the keys to NASCAR Cup Series racing. And I think it’s evident that we were right because we’ve got tire fall-off.”
Denny Hamlin’s position echoes sentiments shared by Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, who acknowledged the tire’s positive impact ahead of the race Homestead: “Seems like it’s better, for sure. And it seems like it’s large in part to the tire, truthfully.” Both drivers attribute recent improvements in the racing product directly to Goodyear’s tire strategy—a stark contrast to Busch’s pessimistic outlook about the future of short-track competition.
“We’ve tried different aero packages. We’ve tried different tires,” he stated flatly. “I think it’s just the similarity in all the parts and pieces and everybody being the same.” Kyle Busch’s frustrations still stem from the Next-Gen car. In his view, the tires have not done enough to combat the parity achieved by Next-Gen racing. Busch sees a homogenized product where “there’s only one way to skin the cat” due to standardized parts. Well, if you look at Busch’s stats at short tracks since 2022, it’s not hard to see why he holds such a firm stance against short-track racing.
Since 2022, Kyle Busch has just four top-10 finishes on short tracks in 17 races! This is in stark contrast to the Kyle Busch of old, who once went seven consecutive short-track races without finishing outside the top-5 in 2010 and 2011. Busch also won four races in that stretch, two at Bristol and two at Richmond. The frustration is understandable, as the veteran clearly hasn’t gotten used to the Gen 7 car, and changing manufacturers from Toyota to Chevrolet after just one year hasn’t helped at all.
No matter whose side you are on, the debate will be never-ending. As of now, it feels like a softer tire has improved the quality of racing, but doubts around its usage continue to loom.
Option or no option?
Yes, Denny Hamlin praised the softer tire for its fall-off and grip, but it being optional? That’s where he draws the line. On his podcast, Hamlin said after the Phoenix race, “I don’t know. I’m just too old school to tell you that I want options for tires. It’s just another way that the best car will not win.” Hamlin feels that teams who prioritize the race win over consistent runs, would just save their tires for a late run and blow by the field, similar to what Ryan Preece did at Phoenix.
The option tire debate even spread to Hamlin’s former crew chief, Chris Gabehart, now technical director at JGR, who took a dig at Richard Boswell from RCR. Boswell is the crew chief for the #3 car and they did some testing with different sets of tires ahead of Phoenix, after the race where Dillon finished 12th, Boswell told SiriusXM NASCAR “I’m a fan of the option tire being the standard tire, and something even softer being the option.” Chris Gabehart took to X to reply with, “Summary: He’s a fan of getting to participate for the win via the Caution Lottery.” Well, it looks like Hamlin and his former crew chief are on the same wavelength.
A late caution is a best-case scenario for any team that has saved their option tires, and most of the time, having the option becomes more of a gamble than a strategy. Take a look at Phoenix once again. Joey Logano was called for a restart violation early in the race and sent to the back of the grid after starting beside the pole. He decided to pop on the option tires early and rocketed back to the start of the field. However, as the race went on, more cautions fell toward the end, and as everyone got fresher tires, Logano wound up struggling and finished the race in 13th after leading 81 laps and finishing 2nd in stage 2, while Austin Dillon finished 12th with zero laps led and zero stage points.
As the Cup Series moves to Martinsville, the short-track prowess of the Next-Gen car will be tested yet again. What do you think? Has short-track racing steadily improved thanks to Goodyear? Let us know in the comments!
The post Day After Kyle Busch’s Bold Verdict, Short Track Maestro Denny Hamlin Confirms Stance on Goodyear & Next-Gen appeared first on EssentiallySports.