In the last few years, NASCAR’s sanctioning body has been doing all it can to make races more exciting and unpredictable. One of its latest innovations has been creating the Goodyear option tire, which has been introduced to improve the quality of races, especially on road courses and short tracks. Fans do not know how to feel about it, but here’s a sneak peek on something you missed in 2024. Goodyear’s Director of Racing, Greg Stucker told Road & Track magazine, “The drivers have been asking for higher tire wear to put more control in their hands by way of tire management, as well as with the crew chiefs to get the balance of the cars right.”
This was a sentiment that echoed the thought, ‘Tire wear makes the race more interesting.’ And, it came from a sensible realization. Remember the Food City 500 race at Bristol in 2024? Tire wear turned the race in favor of Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. In Hamlin’s own words, “Once it became a tire-management race, I liked our chances. Obviously, the veteran [Truex Jr] was also good.” However, the tires they tested in 2023 did not work out the way it was anticipated in 2024, because of track conditions. So, are these option tires here to stay, or do they have a short life?
Let’s explore if the sport’s newest compound is a necessary addition or just a temporary distraction.
The benefits and drawbacks of optional tires
The idea is simple. The option tire was designed to be softer, which will wear out faster, providing more grip than the primary tire, which will, in turn, lead to faster lap times. The reason for the new compound being optional is fairly straightforward, as teams will be in control of when to use the tires to gain track positions, resulting in strategy playing a bigger part in making races exciting. However, it also comes with a significant tradeoff, as the softer tires degrade much faster, forcing drivers to make frequent pit stops.
For teams, choosing the right time to use the optional tires is key to giving them an advantage without making a big sacrifice in the long term. At first glance, it seems like a win-win situation for everyone, as having more grip helps drivers make passes on the track. Tire management also comes into play, which gives some of the smaller teams an advantage they haven’t enjoyed before.
With nothing to lose, some drivers resort to using the softer compound towards the end of the race, taking a gamble in anticipation that late cautions and wrecks will help them potentially snatch an unlikely race win. However, not everyone is happy about the softer tires being ‘optional,’ especially at Joe Gibbs Racing. The team’s director of competition, Chris Gabehart, described using the tires towards the end of the race as a tactic of taking advantage of the “caution lottery”, taking a dig at Richard Boswell, who complimented the softer compound.
Summary: He’s a fan of getting to participate for the win via the Caution Lottery. https://t.co/xXzortSLdN
— Chris Gabehart (@CG1751) March 13, 2025
While it’s clear that the optional tire has been a success, it’s also obvious that it brings with it an element of luck, which some may feel affects the integrity of NASCAR. While the softer compound has improved the quality of racing, choosing to make it a primary option, particularly in a Championship 4 race in Phoenix, could help in levelling the playing field.
The last thing the sanctioning body needs is controversy, particularly with the Bill France Cup on the line. Taking these factors into account, the softer tires are not a ‘marketing gimmick’, but it’s not a ‘necessity’ as an optional tire either. It might benefit NASCAR more to have the new and improved compound as a primary tire, to take away the element of ‘luck’ from the sport once and for all.
NASCAR MD weighs in on optional tire causing a division
For the first time this season, drivers were made to choose between primary and option tires at Phoenix Raceway. Just like at Richmond last year, each team was given six primary sets of tires for the race, as well as two sets of optional tires. The softer compound first made its debut at North Wilkesboro in last year’s All-Star event, and positive feedback from the non-points paying event prompted NASCAR to use them at ‘The Desert Oddball.’
Reflecting on how the optional tires have caused a split in the motorsports community, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde candidly said, “I think the opinions are split both within the walls of NASCAR and in the industry. Some people say this is pretty fun (and) pretty cool and adds a little bit of a storyline.” He went on to say, “For those who don’t really want to do it moving forward, I think they feel like it might be a little bit gimmicky.”
It seems like NASCAR is wrestling with itself. On one hand, the sanctioning body wants to innovate to make the sport more interesting for its viewers. However, it also wants to preserve the essence of the stock car racing series to ensure it appeals to the older viewers. Will the sport manage to find the right balance to appeal to its entire fanbase? While unlikely, they will need to try. To prevent unnecessary controversy and safeguard the sport’s future once and for all.
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