Joey Logano Exposes Goodyear’s ‘Too Good’ Invention That Has Worsened NASCAR’s Short Track Woes

NASCAR drivers are seemingly dissatisfied with tire performance on short tracks. The issue was promptly highlighted after the last Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Elton Sawyer, the senior vice president of competition for NASCAR, recognized the problem and declared that the organization must intensify efforts to enhance short-track racing. The challenges are rooted in overtaking difficulties and unresolved tire wear problems since the Next Gen car’s debut in 2022.

At Bristol Motor Speedway too, the spotlight was on the excessive tire wear that compelled drivers to conserve their tires in a manner not seen for years. The situation further led NASCAR and Goodyear to arrange a tire test at Bristol to investigate the reasons behind the increased tire wear at this venue. Two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano opens up regarding the same.

Goodyear’s tires are good for the streets, believes Joey Logano

Joey Logano has had a challenging start to this season, but he significantly rebounded from the race at Richmond, where he finished in P2 behind Denny Hamlin. Team Penske #22 told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about the struggles with the tires that they have been facing for a long time.

He said, “Bristol was good because the tire came apart. And that was good. Richmond and Martinsville, gosh, we got to swing the bat. We’ve got to do something big to fix it. I hate saying it, but we’re not an aero package away anymore. We’ve tried that, we’ve hit that button a few times. We’ve got to do something to make the tires fall off. I get it. Listen, here’s the deal, Goodyear has built a tire that is too good. If you’re looking to buy a tire on the street. That’s the tire you want. You want the tire that is going to last forever.. But that’s not what we want as racers.” 

It’s a fine line. Think about it. If you are Goodyear and the storyline is these tires are coming apart or they’re wearing out quickly, well, then you would say, ‘I don’t want to put that on my car.’ We have to somehow separate our street wants vs. our race car wants. We had 180-something laps on our left sides, and it finally started chunking apart at the end,” Joey Logano added.

Joey Logano further explained that during the final 20 laps, the left rear tire began to disintegrate, not due to wear, as the wear pins were still intact. Instead, the tire experienced de-lamination, with the tread peeling away. The tire did not wear down to the cords and was otherwise in fine condition, except for the chunking. Such a condition was unacceptable for him.

What changed for the No. 22 after a disappointing start?

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Paul Wolfe, Logano’s crew chief, noted that the No. 22 team’s performance nearly matched their best since the Next Gen car’s introduction in 2022. Wolfe mentioned that Logano’s involvement in the Goodyear tire test on March 13–14 at North Wilkesboro Speedway led to improvements. Additionally, the crew chief emphasized that boosting the team’s morale following a tough start to the season contributed to even greater gains.

Team Penske is actively refining strategies and car setups to tackle the tire management challenges confronting Joey Logano. At Bristol Motor Speedway, he faced significant tire wear and, looking back, would have been better off pitting instead of holding out for a caution that didn’t materialize.

It’s hoped that Goodyear, too, will also focus on tire management to ensure drivers don’t encounter similar issues this season.

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