“Goodyear Masterclass…Again”—Racing Fans Livid as HMS’s Vegas Nemesis Raids Jimmie Johnson’s Star

In a fast-paced and unpredictable sport like NASCAR, no one is impervious to misfortune. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you drive for the sport’s 7-time champion. While the playoff bonanza reached the 1.5-mile tri-oval in Las Vegas, playoff outcast and 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott’s dance with bad luck continued to take its toll on the driver.

Not just on the Hendrick Motorsports driver, but it even got Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club’s driver in a bad position. Following Elliott’s tough luck during the qualifying, Johnson’s #43 driver met his match in Stage 1 as NASCAR’s partner once again became the villain of the day, enraging fans.

Bad luck befalls Jimmie Johnson and his driver in Vegas, reminding the community of Hendrick Motorsports’ tragic fate

The current season has been a tough ordeal for NASCAR’s winningest team, Hendrick Motorsports. While 2 of its top drivers made the team proud, 2 separate incidents got the other 2 in a rut. Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman missed the playoffs while their teammates, Kyle Larson and William Byron kept the ball rolling for the team, making them proud with spectacular performances.

Both the #24 and #5 HMS cars are still among the top contenders for the championship with the 25-year-old Byron leading the rankings. Whereas for Elliott, he has now seen it all. After suffering an unfortunate left tibia fracture that got him in trouble in the first place, the driver is still in the woods as the qualifying session for Sunday’s race sent him to the back of the grid.

Looking to make the most out of the remaining races and present his boss with an owner’s title, Elliott entered Saturday’s qualifying session with high hopes until his day turned sour in a moment. NASCAR’s tire partner Goodyear seemingly did the driver dirty as the #9 Chevy suffered a right rear cut just after 15 laps of qualifying. With the driver unable to continue, he was relegated to the 36th spot where he will start the race.

Following the HMS driver’s run-in during the qualifying, Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club’s driver, Erik Jones also suffered a catastrophic right-rear tire cut in Stage. Riding 15th, Jones got a nasty cut on his tire eventually forcing the sanctioning body to bring out the first caution of the day. Fortunately for Jones, the grave tire damage did not affect the car’s fenders.

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With another driver falling victim to Goodyear’s product, fans did not sit idle on this one. Enraged about how persistent the problem is, fans collectively called out the manufacturer’s inadequacy, questioning their ideals.

Fans bash Goodyear as history repeats itself

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This is not the first time Goodyear has been in the firing line. Over the years, the tire manufacturer has developed an infamous reputation, one that proceeds its positives. Drivers like the great Tony Stewart have always been open about the manufacturer’s shortcoming and their sub-par product.

Moreover, the number of tire cuts in recent races has shot up. With history repeating itself and the frequency of such issues, fans got livid as they went on a spree online bashing Goodyear.

Reacting to Bob Pockrass’ tweet that relayed the caution, fans got on the offensive. One user wrote, “Goodyear tires. The best in the business lmfao. Most people don’t trust them on a street car wtf they used as race tire.”

Whereas some fans took sarcasm to a whole new level, “GOODYEAR MASTERCLASS…again”

“That Jones Boy takes a dump on the track. Thanks a lot, Goodyear.”

And just like that Goodyear has yet stirred up a controversy. What do you think about the whole scenario? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.