“Goodyear, Don’t Change” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Stands Behind Controversial Partner; Demands Teams to Adapt

As far as the Next Gen NASCAR era is concerned, the Food City 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway was indeed a major surprise for the teams and drivers. Talk about putting the onus back in the hands of the drivers and the tire wear issue provided a perfect opportunity for the drivers to deliver on their racing skills. Dale Earnhardt Jr was among the first to welcome the return of vintage tactics to the Cup Series and going forward, he doesn’t want Goodyear to make any adjustments to the tire compound after the race at Bristol.

Out of all the struggling teams, Joe Gibbs Racing seemed to have cracked the code in adjusting to the challenge at Bristol. There was a time in the race when all four Gibbs cars were running in the top four positions. So given that they were able to find the solution to the tire wear issue during the race, Dale Jr feels like other Cup Series teams should follow suit.

Dale Jr is not keen on making changes to the Goodyear tires despite the chaotic race in Bristol

Not everyone was pleased with the excess tire wear issue during the race. Many of the teams and drivers even struggled to get 50 laps on the fresh set of tires. There were even questions raised on Goodyear about the use of tire compound and how it behaved on the track. Many suggested that going forward, they should tweak the tire package for upcoming short-track races.

However, Dale Earnhardt Jr wants Goodyear to continue with a similar tire compound while asking the teams to make adjustments. “Goodyear don’t move, Goodyear don’t change, ask the teams to make the adjustments, ask the teams to adapt. Just the same way they adapted during that race, ask the teams to find what they can inside those cars and in the setups of those cars to make those tiers work.”

He also shared how a softer Goodyear tire has managed to tone down the aggressive driving that the drivers are used to. “They can go make adjustments on these cars knowing they may give up speed; they may give up some balance and comfort in the car, but teams have been so used to how durable the Goodyear tire is, it’s been a long time since they’ve had to worry about beating up the tire. It’s allowed them to get more and more and more aggressive with settings.

Dale Jr even went so far as to say, that had it not been for the drivers and the experts who spoke highly of the race, the fans would have labeled the Bristol race as a failed show.

NASCAR fans needed a bit of schooling after the Bristol race

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The Bristol race was a tricky prospect for the fans and the community to take in. Moreover, for the new generation of fans who had never seen such a racing display. The race could have been termed a no-show at first glance, but thanks to the likes of Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin, and others, the fans got an inside perspective of how such displays are also a part of NASCAR racing.

“I’m glad that everyone is being vocal about it. If he (Gabehart) doesn’t say that, if we don’t come on our show and voice our opinions, the fans are left to make assumptions and decisions on their own. If you don’t have Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer up in that booth describing everything that’s playing out, they did an amazing job. If you don’t have that going on, fans would be left to assume that, that was not a good show.” Jr went on to add.

From a fan’s perspective, it was a bit puzzling to get a grip on the tire management race at Bristol. However, given that this tactic and style of racing allow the drivers and not the machine to make the decisive calls, this surely makes for an interesting show.

Read More: After HMS’ All-Star Tease, Chase Elliott Will Pay Tribute to Dale Jr’s Daytona Glory in Darlington