Red-flagged for over 19 hours, the 2023 FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan resumed on Monday, albeit under caution. Starting out in the front of the pack, Martin Truex Jr led the race, with Austin Cindric on the inside. Approaching Turn 1, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace shot ahead, stealing the lead.

While the race went on devoid of Sunday’s drama, an incident on lap 102 had the NASCAR world calling to boycott Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co, as Tony Stewart’s driver almost faced the same fate as Chase Elliott.

Ryan Preece narrowly escapes Chase Elliott’s nightmare

Since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, Goodyear has been struggling to keep up with its strenuous demands. Facing multiple tire failures, NASCAR drivers have time and again called out the Ohio-based tire manufacturer for its subpar products. Failing to appease its NASCAR consumers, Goodyear even held two tire tests at Richmond Raceway, experimenting with different tire compounds. Having earlier defended the tire manufacturer, Chase Elliott found himself in a pickle, owing to Goodyear’s product. 

Looking forward to having a bite of the playoff pie, Chase Elliott stepped into the Michigan International Speedway, securing the 10th spot on the starting grid. Moving up to the 9th spot during stage one, the Hendrick Motorsports star’s ongoing bad luck flared up, as the right rear Goodyear-sourced tire on his #9 Chevy gave out.

As the tire failure send him into a spin, Elliott made contact with the outer retaining wall multiple times before his car limped back to Pit Road. With his car suffering race-ending damage, HMS’s golden boy was forced to bow out of the race. As the remaining half of the FireKeepers Casino 400 commenced on Monday, history repeated itself.

Driving the #41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Preece was sitting pretty in the 23rd spot. Entering Turn 1 on Lap 102, Preece nearly fell victim to Chase Elliott’s Michigan nightmare as the right rear Goodyear tire on the #41 Ford went flat due to a puncture. Managing to somehow tame his speed, the #41 SHR driver slowed down, narrowly avoiding a tussle with the outside wall.

With tire debris strew across the track, the yellow flags were brought out, warranting a caution. While Ryan Preece pulled into Pit Road for a tire change, Bob Pockrass put out a tweet, writing, “Preece had a right rear flat.” 

As Tony Stewart’s driver narrowly avoided Chase Elliott’s fate, Twitter was rife with comments calling for the boycott of the $12 billion+ valued Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. By the way, do you know why Goodyear is considered to be Stewart’s nemeses? Here is a video that will help you see the long rivalry between the two.

NASCAR fans took shots at not only Goodyear but also Ryan Preece

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It was fortunate that, unlike what happened to Chase Elliott’s car on Sunday during the first stage, Preece was able to avoid spinning and hitting the wall. As the #41 Ford Mustang limped his way back to pit road, Preece was later able to continue competing in the race without any major damage.

Watch This Story: HMS Legend Exposes Disrespect Towards Rick Hendrick’s Most Underrated Driver

Frustrated by the developments that led to Ryan Preece being the cause of a caution, one fan on Twitter commented, “Can’t wait to see the video of Preece trying to fight a Goodyear representative”.

Calling to boycott NASCAR’s official tire partner, another fan commented, “Boycott Goodyear.” 

“Goodyear is a piece of s**t”

“2 long runs, 2 tire issues. Another good one from Goodyear!”

Read More: Denny Hamlin Feels JGR Ace’s Approach Opposite to Bubba Wallace Is Chase Elliott’s Only Way Out

What are your thoughts on Ryan Preece’s tire foul-up?