NASCAR and Goodyear just might have found the fix to solve their short-track race package woes. Drivers have complained about the lack of passing opportunities and good racing products with the Next Gen car. A bump in engine power was out of the question for NASCAR, leaving the tires as the only avenue to improve the racing experience. And the signs are looking promising after last weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway.

The teams were allotted two sets of the option tire, which debuted during the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. So, what exactly changed? The softer compound was able to provide more grip and speed for passing opportunities. This trend was initiated by Daniel Suarez and the #99 team, but this change wasn’t enough to convince Dale Earnhardt Jr. that short-track racing has improved.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finds a big flaw with the option tires

The idea behind the softer compound of the tire was to give the race back into the hands of the team and the drivers. With tires wearing off, teams were put to the task of finding the best strategy to use for two sets made available to them. And Daniel Suarez and his team were the first to put the red option tire to use at Richmond Raceway.

A move that certainly fared well for them in the stage 2 run. They went from running outside the top 15 places to taking the lead and clinching their first stage win of the season. Not only that, but the Trackhouse Racing driver also led 93 laps, which was again his season’s best. However, this joy was short-lived, as he could only manage a top-10 finish to his name at the end of the race.

And this is what caught Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s attention in sharing his harsh take on the new tire compound. “I mean, there were some teams doing something differently, like the 99 (Daniel Suarez) right? He drives upto the front, but eventually, I mean when he got on the other tire and everyone else had the soft, he goes right back to where he was. I don’t expect it to really alter the results because I think these teams get smart and they’ll all end up on the same plan.” He said this via his podcast show, The Dale Jr. Download.

The argument made by Dale Jr. was that a mix of two tire compounds doesn’t necessarily change the dynamics of short-track racing. However, he was open to the idea of using the option tire as the primary compound for future races.

Goodyear can build on the positives with their softer tire

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What if NASCAR decides to roll out with the option tire? It allowed passing, there was wear-off, and teams were forced into different strategies. Most importantly of all, there wasn’t any notable tire-related incident. Danie Suarez and Kyle Busch pitched the idea of using this new tire compound on other tracks as well. And Dale Jr. appreciated this suggestion and feels this is a way forward for Goodyear in making races more entertaining and thrilling.

This is what he had to say about the idea of using soft tires at more racetracks. “That’s kind of my point is, like I’m hoping that they’re learning how aggressive they can actually get … It’s taken too long to do a lot of things in this sport. It takes a lot of time to approve parts, to get parts in manufacturing, to get tires to evolve and keep up with the cars with the tracks and this is going to accelerate that a lot. So I think NASCAR and Goodyear can now go back to Richmond or Martinsville and say, We’re just gonna run the same soft tire get rid of the hard.”

It will be interesting to see what NASCAR’s next steps are about this softer tire. What do you think?