NASCAR senior vp of competitors Elton Sawyer admitted “we’re baffled,” after the dearth of tire put on in final weekend’s NASCAR Cup Sequence race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“We felt like we had a recipe there from the spring that gave us what we’re in search of in our quick monitor racing, placing the tire administration again within the driver’s fingers,” Sawyer informed SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We’ve seen some nice racing all year long. Richmond involves thoughts. Watkins Glen only a week in the past, with nice tire fall-off. So the anticipation as we rolled into Bristol was we might see one thing very comparable.”
It was clear from Friday afternoon’s follow session the weekend was shaping as much as be a typical Bristol occasion with a scarcity of damage. The monitor took rubber, and Goodyear didn’t see the identical extreme put on or cords on tires that groups handled in March. In that occasion, which was extremely regarded by the business, a tire run lasted lower than 60 laps.
NASCAR tried to assist by scraping off the extreme tire put on from the highest lane earlier than the Cup Sequence race and including PJ1 to the underside lane. It was a call prompted by what was seen within the ARCA Menards, Craftsman Truck, and Xfinity Sequence races, the place the highest turned dominant and rubber stayed on the monitor.
However the fall-off Saturday evening was nonetheless solely a couple of second. And that occurred on the lengthy runs early within the race, when the monitor was nonetheless comparatively clear.
Goodyear did carry the identical tire compound again for Saturday that was used within the spring. There was a noticeable lack of passing, not like the spring when drivers needed to handle their tires, and eight lead modifications to the 54 from the spring.
“The aim was to not less than put the automobiles within the backside of the racetrack, give us two lanes to race,” Sawyer stated. “We did see that all through the occasion, they’d run on the backside, center, and high. So, we did have a number of grooves. What we didn’t have was tire put on. We’ll dive into that with our conferences right now with our people at Goodyear to see what perhaps they’ve been in a position to give you during the last couple of days of their conferences. Clearly, we have been disenchanted as an organization for our followers however these are issues we’ll be taught from, work out what occurred, and get that corrected as we go ahead.
“I believe the massive factor we’ve got to bear in mind is this stuff occur all through time. Whether or not it’s a race occasion or any sporting occasion, you’ll have a blowout every so often. We simply want to determine what occurred, how we’re going to right it, and how one can transfer ahead as a result of we’ve got had some actually good quick monitor racing in addition to highway course racing this yr, and Goodyear’s tire has actually contributed a fantastic deal to that so I don’t suppose we must always throw the infant out with the tub water on this one.”
Denny Hamlin spoke at size on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, concerning the race and the tire put on. Though among the dialogue centered across the struggles of the Subsequent Gen automotive on quick tracks, Hamlin conceded that making an attempt completely different tire compounds was the course to go because the automotive gained’t be rebuilt.
“It’s gotten higher at some tracks, and it appears the tire is one thing actually that exhibits fruit to raised racing,” Hamlin stated. “I wish to be good to Goodyear as a result of they’ve carried out some issues actually within the final yr which were groundbreaking that actually I imagine exhibits promise sooner or later. They didn’t wish to give you an entire new compound – they needed this race to play out extra just like the spring race, however the circumstances weren’t the identical, or the combination wasn’t the identical.
“So, it was a swing and miss, however I’m positive they’ll go to work on it. Certainly, with the fan sentiment from the race itself, not being happy with what they noticed, they’ll come again with one other tire but.”
The subsequent quick monitor race is Martinsville Speedway on Nov. 3, which can also be the ultimate elimination race of the postseason that can decide the 4 championship contenders. Sawyer confirmed that Cup Sequence groups will run the tire that was the ‘choice’ tire at Richmond Raceway, nonetheless it will likely be the first tire for the Martinsville occasion.
There might be no modifications for the Phoenix Raceway occasion. NASCAR doesn’t need groups coping with any unknowns on its championship weekend.
“What it’s going to take, and I’ve been an enormous advocate of this, is you’ve obtained to wear down the left facet tires,” Hamlin stated. “The left facet tires [are] the important thing to lap time fall as a result of when you put on out the lefts, the extra strain goes on the rights, and right here we go, now you’re going to wear down all 4 tires. So, you’ve obtained to create actually grippy lefts.
“They’re doing that for Martinsville; I’m actually excited to see how the Martinsville race seems. The softest compound ever created is occurring the left facet there after which a good softer proper. There are good issues on the horizon. It’s not all unfavourable. There’s actually some gentle on the finish of the tunnel, so let’s be affected person with it, let Goodyear do their jobs and determine this out, and make some changes for the subsequent time.”
