Goodyear Forcing Teams Into New Strategies With Latest Update on Tire Package for Phoenix

After a change in a right-side tire at the Las Vegas race, Goodyear has now announced changes to the tire compound for the Phoenix Race this Sunday. Next-Gen cars run different tire compounds at different race tracks and venues, and for this week’s race at Phoenix Raceway, Goodyear will run thick gauge tires.

The change brought in by the tire company is to increase the gauge or the tread thickness for the short-track race package. These thick tires are expected to keep more heat in the tires on short tracks like Phoenix Raceway. The company has capped the pressure on the left front and rear tires at 14 psi, the right front at 30 psi, and the right rear at 26 psi.

Is it a new challenge for the Cup Series drivers in Phoenix?

The new tire is named Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Speedway Radials. It will only be the NASCAR Cup Series team running these tires, as the Xfinity Series cars will have a different set of tires for their event. Moreover, the Cup team will also see the use of this tire at scheduled races at Gateway, New Hampshire, and Richmond later this season.

With the change in tires, the teams will need to rework their plans and pit strategy as these newly designed sets of tires are expected to increase lap time. Thus, the teams will need to work out a plan and strategy to make the most of the new tire compound. More time on the racetracks equals better positioning, so it will be interesting to see how different teams work their way around this new change.

Greg Sticker, Goodyear’s director of racing, said, “We’ve been working on our tire set-up as the sport has made adjustments to the short track package with this Next Gen car. We first increased the gage in the Martinsville set-up last fall, and that’s the direction we’re going for the other short tracks on the schedule. NASCAR held a test with six cars at Phoenix in December, which gave us another chance to get on the track and get feedback from the teams and drivers. That test went well from our perspective, so we start this season with the new set-up at Phoenix and many other tracks.”

While the new tires are in place, many of the Cup teams will be hoping that they do not suffer a similar fate as last weekend’s Vegas race.

Christopher Bell and JGR were marred by multiple tire failures at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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Tires are supposed to provide grip and traction to the car in order to run an efficient and successful race. However, Christopher Bell and JGR were served the worst sets of Goodyear tires in the Vegas race. Not just once, but multiple times, Bell had to overcome the tire troubles during the race. The 29-year-old did have a decent record at the venue last season but finished the race at #33.

Read More: Surrounded by Controversy and Crashes, Joey Logano Could End His 37-Race Winless Streak in Phoenix

During the first incident, the No. 20 car suffered a flat tire in stage 1 of the race. The team reportedly tampered with the pressure of the tire, which resulted in an early setback. However, it was the second blow that truly hampered his positioning and finish to the race. During stage 2, Bell was running P14 and was gaining ground on the pack leading in front of him.

But coming to turn 2 his car spun sideways inside the track, resulting in another flat tire. To make matters worse, he was asked to make it till the end of Stage 2, but he eventually had to pit under the green to get a fresh set of tires. In fact, Bell was lucky that his car didn’t flip over, as it would have made matters worse for his team.

It will be interesting to watch to see how the team copes with the new tires and how much of an impact this will have on the results of the race in Phoenix.