NASCAR Related Tire News and Rumors
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Extra tires shipped in for today's race: Goodyear trucked in extra shipment of tires Sunday morning for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard amid complaints about excessive wear during practice Friday and Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the new shipment of tires, which were intended to be used at Pocono Raceway next week, could be used during the 160-lap, 400-mile race. If needed, the Pocono tires would be implemented unilaterally across the 43-car Sprint Cup Series field. Pemberton said there would be at least two NASCAR-mandated caution flags to check wear during the early stages of the race, with the first occurring on Lap 10.(USA Today)
NASCAR statement on tire issues: Following are comments from NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton, regarding tires for Sunday’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard: "We've got enough tires for Sunday's race and there will be up to 10 sets per team. Not everybody is going to use all of their tires in the last practice session. There may be some teams that keep an extra set behind. There’s only one NASCAR series that's here this weekend, and you don't get a chance to put enough rubber on the track. If you make a tire that lasts during practices, when you get into the race then they have issues with handling. It's always a challenge here. It's a ‘one-off’ tire that Goodyear builds for this place. The track is very abrasive because we don't run on it very often. Goodyear's doing the best they can. It's a situation we do see probably every time that we come here.”(NASCAR PR)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Kyle Busch, Kvapil and Riggs tire test at Atlanta: Kyle Busch, along with Cup Series drivers Travis Kvapil and Scott Riggs, each participated in the second and final day of tire testing by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch, testing in a fully-decaled #18 M&M's Toyota, posted a best lap of 180.662 mph (30.69 seconds). Riggs was the fastest of the group in his red and gray primer Chevrolet with a Haas CNC logo on the hood as he reached 180.994 mph (30.63 seconds), while Kvapil's primer white, decal-free Yates Racing Ford hit 175.101 mph (31.66 seconds).(AMS PR)
May 5, 2006:
Goodyear cites strong performance at LMS testing: Comments by Greg Stucker, Goodyear director of race tire sales and marketing: "We saw exactly what we expected from our Goodyear Eagle tires on the first day of NASCAR's open test for Nextel Cup cars at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and we are very pleased with the results. Our choice of tire for this NASCAR-sanctioned open test is the tire picked during our recent tire tests at Lowe's and, based on data and driver input, it also will be used during the two weekends of racing later in May at the newly paved track. Comments by some people at the open test indicate concern that our tire recommendation is conservative. They're right! We were very conservative in our choice and that was intentional. Lowe's is a very fast track with new pavement that will generate a lot of grip and a lot of heat. We felt we had to select a very conservative tire to accommodate that. Lap times, however, are on par with those of last year. On the first day of testing, Jeff Burton, for example, made a 35-lap run and his fastest lap was the 34th. We are very pleased with tire appearance and treadwear. All indications are that going a full gas stop with either the traditional full-size fuel tank, like the Busch cars will use, or the smaller mandated tank for the Coca-Cola 600 would be no problem. Yes, the tire is different and may require adjustment by teams and drivers from what they've run at Lowe's in the most recent past. We came with a completely redesigned right side tire. It utilizes a new mold shape to address the tremendous loads that we measured at our test last fall. This, combined with the harder tread compound, gives the conservative setup. It reduces grip, but it resists heat and treadwear. It is absolutely the right choice." (Goodyear Tire & Rubber PR)
April 5, 2006:
Goodyear officials optimistic at LMS: NASCAR officials are "guardedly optimistic'' that the latest tire developed by Goodyear will prevent a repeat of last year's caution-marred Nextel Cup races at newly paved Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I believe this tire will be unique to anything else that we've seen,'' said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition. Goodyear tested the tire on Tuesday, less than a week after initial tests showed more severe tire wear than there was at the October race in which there were an event-record 15 cautions, mostly for blown tires. Pemberton said the new tire is made of a harder compound that seems to wear better on the higher-than-normal speeds that are the result of the new surface. "They turned the factory upside down to answer the call of duty,'' he said of Goodyear. "They came back and designed a tire that was pretty tough. The drivers were happy. The speeds were still pretty good.'' (NASCAR.com)
April 1, 2006:
Second Goodyear test at Lowes Tuesday: Goodyear is planning to do a second tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Dale Jarrett and Kevin Harvick will test there Tuesday. (Roanoke Times)
March 29, 2006:
Goodyear testing at Lowes leads to record speeds, Johnson wrecks in AM
Jan. 2, 2006:
Goodyear testing: Goodyear will get a head start on its track tire development when it tests January 10-11 with Carl Edwards at Atlanta Motor Speedway and January 24-25 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte at Texas Motor Speedway. Neither track has changed dramatically, but Goodyear engineers want to gather feedback on new compounds, tire designs and mold shapes. (Sporting News)
Oct. 31, 2005:
Michelin and Bridgestone to bid for NASCAR? When Goodyear's exclusive contract with NASCAR runs out, apparently at the end of 2007, both Bridgestone and Michelin are expected to bid for the new deal. The end of the season is 21 days away, and weary drivers and crews are looking ahead to some time off. For Jimmie Johnson that means an African safari. (Winston Salem Journal)
Aug 24, 2005
Tires at issue, NASCAR met with teams: NASCAR officials met with officials from Nextel Cup teams at its research & development center in Concord on Tuesday to discuss significant rules changes for the 2006 season. Among the changes outlined, according to a crew chief who attended the meeting, is a revamping of the testing policies aimed at minimizing the advantage multicar teams have because they can test more often. Currently, each Nextel Cup race team - each car number - is limited to five two-day tests and four one-day tests at tracks where the series competes. Rookies get seven two-day tests and five one-day tests. Next year, however, each team will test only at six designated tracks along with other teams from the same manufacturer. All Ford teams, all Chevrolet teams and all Dodge teams will test at the same tracks, four of which were designated by NASCAR and two more chosen in a vote taken at the meeting. Two of those tests will be at Daytona and Indianapolis. (Mercury Sun)
Aug 23, 2005
Goodyear reports no problems with tires: Goodyear, acutely sensitive to the tire problems that have plagued the Nextel Cup tour at times over the summer, carefully analyzed each blown tire Sunday, and there were at least seven. Cuts were examined on the tires of Kevin Harvick, Tony Raines and Kenny Schrader. But the tires on some cars simply lost air and blew, and Goodyear could find no particular reason. Those included the cars of Joe Nemechek, Jeff Green, Bobby Labonte and Dave Blaney. The Nemechek car was checked for any possible chassis-induced problems, but Goodyear could find none.Goodyear reported that tire wear was "fine," with no temperature problems. Numerous tire problems over the summer have prompted NASCAR officials to keep a closer eye on crew chiefs. Yesterday, NASCAR officials were checking air pressure on right-front tires. (Salem-Journal)
July 1, 2005
Andretti calls for free tires: In promising to refund the cost of tickets to U.S. Grand Prix ticket holders and offering to buy 20,000 tickets to next year's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michelin knows it will spend at least $12 million. But the tire manufacturer might end up paying much more, the sport's sanctioning body president told reporters in Paris this week. NASCAR driver John Andretti, a self-described F-1 fanatic, said the only way for Michelin to dig itself out of the public relations disaster is to offer ticket holders free tires, too. (Indy Star)
June 27, 2005
Special tire valves? Tires have been a headline issue in racing the past several weeks, and the latest twist concerns not the rubber or construction design but rather with the air-pressure valve. Some team engineers say they suspect rival teams of using special valves designed to bleed off excessive air pressure, to keep the tire at a constant pressure. That could be a significant advantage, because tires will typically build up as much as 16 psi over a 100-mile run, and tires with higher pressure handle much differently in corners. Such bleeder valves aren't new in racing, of course; however technology today could make such special valves virtually impossible to distinguish from ordinary valves. (Salem-Journal)
June 23, 2005
Ford better tire results? According to some engineers in the garage, Ford's tire-analysis program this season has been superior to General Motors' tire program, and that has been a key to the strong runs by Jack Roush's teams, including Biffle's. "I think we're doing the right things," Johnson said. "Top 10s are what will win the championship. We're definitely in championship form. (Salem-Journal)
June 12 2005
Goodyear Called to NASCAR hauler: Usually it's driver summoned to the NASCAR hauler after a race for bad behavior on the track, or crew chiefs who line up outside to argue a call. Sunday at Pocono Raceway, it was Goodyear Tire officials called to the hauler following the race as NASCAR sought an explanation for the dozen or so teams that experienced blown left-front tire problems. "We just reviewed what happened today, tried to get all the facts sorted out," said Goodyear product manager Rick Heinrich. "We're just taking a closer look at what happened when and to whom." NASCAR officials believed the problems were isolated to a few teams. "Several cars had multiple occurrences. It wasn't like it was across the board," said NASCAR spokesman Herb Branham. (The State)
May 8, 2005
Goodyear Confirms Possible Tire Rule Change: Goodyear officials confirmed that NASCAR has proposed a "lease" situation under which teams would not buy tires, per se, but would instead lease them from Goodyear. The idea is to limit the number of tires available to teams for testing, and thus to reduce testing, period. Teams still would pay the going price for a set of tires, about $1600, but all tires, used and unused, would be returned to Goodyear after each race. A similar rule is in place in IRL/IndyCar, for similar reasons. Teams often hoard unused tires for future track tests, with testing being a major expense. "Team testing probably represents a great area of opportunity to save costs," Goodyear field director Rick Heinrich said. "A lot of these teams go straight from these races to testing, weekly. (SPEED)
May 6, 2005
NASCAR Tire Rule Changes? A NASCAR spokesman confirmed Thursday that the sanctioning body could require teams to lease tires instead of buy them during race weekends, with the long-term purpose of limiting testing. NASCAR representatives have been in contact with Indy Racing League officials about a similar policy it uses in the IndyCar Series, spokesman Jim Hunter said. Under current IRL rules, teams are supplied with between seven and nine sets of tires for an event, depending on its distance, and a maximum of 35 sets for Indianapolis 500 activities during May. At the end of each event, teams must return all of those tires. (ThatsRacin)
April 30, 2005
Michelin to NASCAR: Michelin, through its B.F. Goodrich subsidiary, has expressed official interest in becoming a tire provider for the major NASCAR series, but the ruling body’s chief operating officer, George Pyne, said, “Nothing is imminent.” Pyne said any change in tire providers would not occur within the next two years, stressing that NASCAR was “loyal to Goodyear.” (Gaston Gazette) contract and take over the exclusive NASCAR franchise.(Salem-Journal)
April 18, 2005
Toyota and Bridgestone? There is a new twist to the Toyota-NASCAR game plan: according to sources Toyota is already testing NASCAR-style tires for Bridgestone-Firestone, with the implication that when Toyota does step up to the Nextel Cup series, it plans to do so with Bridgestone-Firestone. Since Goodyear has an exclusive contract with NASCAR, the questions are obvious - are Toyota and Bridgestone going to challenge that exclusivity, or is NASCAR going to open up the Cup tour to competition between the two tire giants? (Winston Salem Journal)
April 15, 2005
Goodyear to Help teams: Each NASCAR racetrack rolls out unique demands on race engine setups, so NASCAR teams turn to Goodyear Engineered Products and its lineup of automotive belts to help optimize performance. "Last week, many teams used mechanical cooling fans for engines at the Martinsville Speedway's 1/2-mile oval track," explained Mike Gregg, chief belt engineer for Goodyear. "This weekend's race at the Texas Motor Speedway's 1- 1/2 mile quad-oval doesn't require the fans, which means a different engine configuration and different belts." Goodyear Gatorback Poly-V belts, found on every Nextel Cup Series racecar, have the flexibility built into them to match changing engine demands brought on by varying track lengths, surfaces and banking, said Gregg. Goodyear provides 200 Gatorback Poly-V belt sizes to NASCAR engine builders, varying the length and number of ribs for use on alternators, cam and power steering drives, and water and oil pumps. "We provide countless combinations and configurations to meet their individual engineering demands," said Gregg. "Engine setups at Texas will include belt-and-pulley ratios designed to overcome sustained high revolutions-per-minute," he said. "For much of the race, engines will be turning more than 9,000 rpm." He added that high-power steering pump loads also will occur at the Texas track. (Goodyear PR) For more information, visit http://www.goodyearbeltsandhose.com
April 15, 2005
Goodyear to Help teams: Each NASCAR racetrack rolls out unique demands on race engine setups, so NASCAR teams turn to Goodyear Engineered Products and its lineup of automotive belts to help optimize performance. "Last week, many teams used mechanical cooling fans for engines at the Martinsville Speedway's 1/2-mile oval track," explained Mike Gregg, chief belt engineer for Goodyear. "This weekend's race at the Texas Motor Speedway's 1- 1/2 mile quad-oval doesn't require the fans, which means a different engine configuration and different belts." Goodyear Gatorback Poly-V belts, found on every Nextel Cup Series racecar, have the flexibility built into them to match changing engine demands brought on by varying track lengths, surfaces and banking, said Gregg. Goodyear provides 200 Gatorback Poly-V belt sizes to NASCAR engine builders, varying the length and number of ribs for use on alternators, cam and power steering drives, and water and oil pumps. "We provide countless combinations and configurations to meet their individual engineering demands," said Gregg. "Engine setups at Texas will include belt-and-pulley ratios designed to overcome sustained high revolutions-per-minute," he said. "For much of the race, engines will be turning more than 9,000 rpm." He added that high-power steering pump loads also will occur at the Texas track. (Goodyear PR) For more information, visit http://www.goodyearbeltsandhose.com
April 9, 2005
Goodyear Tires Testing at Brickyard Delayed: At the request of Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials, Goodyear has postponed next week's NASCAR tire testing because of problems resulting from the track's recent repaving. Earlier this week Firestone abruptly ended its tire test at the track for the Indy Racing League when unusual wear was discovered on several right-side tires. Goodyear is tentatively expected to conduct its test later this month. "I don't know what the actual issue is, and it maybe even such where it was an issue with the IRL cars and would never affect a stock car. But whatever it may be, they shut down the IRL tire test," Nextel Cup series director John Darby said Saturday. (ThatsRacin)
Feb. 19, 2005
Goodyear In negations for Tire Deal: Goodyear officials confirmed Friday that they are ready to begin negotiating an extension to their current NASCAR contract, which expires in 2007. Goodyear is the only tire supplier for NASCAR’s Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series. (Speed)
Feb. 17, 2005
NASCAR Pulls more tires 900 total: Goodyear officials admitted to a minor manufacturer problem that caused the tire maker to make the unique decision to pull several hundred more tires from its inventory for Nextel Cup teams. Goodyear originally isolated about 300 tires before the Budweiser Shootout after some teams experienced problems. Stu Grant, general manager of global race tires, announced Thursday morning at Daytona International Speedway that would be expanded to 900 tires."There was a slightly lower level of adhesion between the tread and the top fabric ply on the tires that experienced problems when you compare them to other tires that specific production run," Grant said. Goodyear officials flew a company plane to Daytona Beach to pick up tires for analysis at its headquarters in Akron, Ohio. Testing was done overnight, and Goodyear announced its findings Thursday morning.Testing was done on samples of tires that had problems, samples of tires in the same group that didn't have problems and samples of tires from that had yet to be used. (NASCAR)
Daytona Tire Blues: Goodyear officials spent the first day of Daytona 500 practice scrambling to solve the second tire problem of Speed Weeks. Six drivers had problems with tread separating on their right side tires during practice Wednesday. When similar problems caused the tires to fall apart during practice for an exhibition race last week, Goodyear officials pulled about 300 tires out of their rotation as a precaution. They pulled several more Wednesday, and Goodyear spokesman Greg Stucker said seven tires were being flown to the company's laboratory in Akron, Ohio, for testing. (ESPN)
Feb. 13, 2005
Goodyear Replaces over 150 potential problem tires: Goodyear officials exchanged about 190 right-side tires with teams Saturday morning as a precaution after problems developed during Friday night's practice for the Bud Shootout. Some teams, including those of Joe Nemechek and Jeremy Mayfield, had tire problems. Rick Heinrich, Goodyear's marketing manager for stock-car racing, said some of the tires showed signs of the tread lifting. Heinrich said that would cause a small bubble or the tread to tear open. Heinrich said the tries that showed this problem were among a similar group manufactured last fall. Heinrich said tire trouble with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car on Friday was not caused by the same problems. Earnhardt's problem stemmed from an ill-handling car. (roanoke.com)
Feb. 12, 2005
Daytona Tire Trouble: A potentially serious tire problem with Goodyear's new Daytona 500 tires developed last night during the first hours of SpeedWeeks practice for tonight's Bud Shootout kickoff, and some drivers, according to crews, are "scared." Jeff Gordon admits he's a bit worried."We're not really sure what's going on. You're always concerned when you see those things. I talked to Tony Stewart and he said their stuff looks pretty good. But it does worry you when you see it happen to other guys because you're not really sure why it's happening. "The tire here is a little softer than last year, and some teams had tire problems last year, though we didn't. "We haven't seen any problems with our tires, and we don't know if the problem is just with random sets, or if those guys (with the problems) are just trying something that happens to be hurting the tire." Greg Zipadelli, the crew chief for Stewart, says the problem of delamination includes both right-rear and right-front tires, indicating to him that it's not a chassis problem but a tire production problem. (Winston-Salem)
Jan. 27, 2005
Goodyear Out? Goodyear has been a stalwart on the NASCAR tours for decades, but rumblings are getting stronger that NASCAR is considering a major change in its tire-supplier contract. Michelin is rumored to be in line for the exclusive deal in the next year or two. NASCAR people are still talking about Goodyear running out of tires for last year's 24 Hours of Daytona, a faux pas that was probably a key in the France family's switching to Hoosiers for this year's 24 Hours. (Winston Salem Journal)
