“Tires for Martinsville weekend are the same as November. No two different versions of tires this weekend and not expected to have teams choose among two versions (primary and an option) during a race again this year.” This was the update Bob Pockrass shared ahead of the Martinsville race weekend back in March. NASCAR had opted not to roll out the softer Goodyear tire at the short track despite their return at Phoenix Raceway.
NASCAR didn’t share details on why they discontinued the use of the tire for 2025, but going by the latest updates, they are backtracking on their previous call. Heading into the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway, NASCAR is rolling out new tires that will be in action at the high-banked 1-mile oval track this weekend. The tire codes (D-5240 left sides, and D-5260 for the right sides) have never been used before.
The reason behind this new, untested tire compound is due to the Dover race weekend being featured in July, compared to April in recent seasons. “Laying rubber down on the concrete surface is a key factor in the design of our tread compounds for Dover,” said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear NASCAR product manager. “While the track turns black as cars lay rubber down during green flag racing, the hot tires then pick up this same rubber when the track cools under cautions. Dover presents a unique opportunity to engineer a tire to help in laying down rubber on a particularly smooth surface, and we’ve designed the product to do just that.”
DARLINGTON, SC – MAY 14: Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet pits during the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Goodyear 400 on May 14, 2023, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAY 14 NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2305141987
Ideally, NASCAR runs tests on a new tire compound before it can be used in the race. But this update comes as a surprise to the drivers and the fans as well. NASCAR will provide a total of five sets of the new Goodyear Racing Eagle rubber, and there is a huge possibility that tire wear can play a role in determining the winner. This uncertainty, along with safety concerns, fans certainly didn’t appreciate this sketchy change by NASCAR and aired their frustration on Reddit and other social media platforms.
Fans boil over untested tires to be used in Dover
But even though they have made the tires specifically for the conditions of the track, the tires have not been tested, which poses a danger. “Apparently, according to Bob, they don’t do a test with drivers.” NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass reported that the new Goodyear Eagle tires have not been tested ahead of the Echopark Automotive 400 race. The risks here are high, as the drivers are unaware of the tire’s abilities on the course. There is a possibility that drivers might have to deal with flat tires running over a sensitive concrete surface at Dover.
Another factor that the fans point out is the schedule of the race. Dover has never hosted a race in July during the hot summer conditions since 1969. This will be the first time since the inaugural race in 1969 that the track has held a NASCAR Cup series. “Not surprised to see a new tire for Dover this year. We’ve never raced there in July in extremely hot temps, and Dover is a very temperature-sensitive track.” Fans deem it necessary to have a new tire under the hot conditions of summer on the track. With the summer heat, there is a high chance for the tracks to be hot, which could result in the rapid wear out of the tires. However, the new double-coated technology of the tires might just save the drivers from burning out their tires.
As it turns out, NASCAR has raced at Dover during the July stretch, and that was a doubleheader. On 2020 August 23, Kevin Harvick won the Drydene 311 title, leading 223 of the 311 laps. This marked his 56th career win in NASCAR. “We did in 2020, I believe right!? Double header (Covid). I don’t remember much of that year because Suarez was in the worst ride possible and I didn’t bother watching much lol.” Due to a tight schedule because of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR had scheduled two back-to-back races from Aug 22-23 without any spectators. The races were telecasted live but yet fans were oblivious to the race due to the pandemic and lockdown problems.
“This tire will probably be an uber conservative tire, considering they never tested with the drivers. In other words, I expect zero tire wear,” a fan opined. The reason why NASCAR has been experimenting with the new tires is to generate tire wear and allow the driver to control their destiny. During the Bristol race earlier this year, Kyle Larson put on a clinic and led 411 of 500 laps. Track position was the king, and with no tire wear, strategy and execution decided the fate of the drivers, not race craft.
“They need the wear out like Bristol,” demanded this race fan. The 2024 race at Bristol in the spring was the track’s return to concrete after a dirt racing stint. Denny Hamlin, who is a short-track ace, managed his tire and led 163 laps while the rest of the field struggled to keep up. It was a drastic shift that allowed the drivers to make a call on strategy and also brought their skills into play, rather than just focusing on execution. NASCAR has been chasing that sort of tire wear ever since, but fans feel this Dover experiment is going to fail like the previous attempts.
While the drivers wish for an ordinary race where they could go full throttle and nothing goes wrong, fans have something else in their minds. “Hopefully it’ll eat the tires slam up and they’ll have to actually save their stuff.” All fans can do is hope that this bold bet by NASCAR proves to be a success. Otherwise, the Goodyear tires could be making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
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