NASCAR and Goodyear: What Difference Does 66 Years Make in the Ever-Evolving Sport?

From the Oldsmobile to the current Mustang Dark Horse, NASCAR’s drive for innovation has not only maximized the potential of the stock car but also of the pit crew. From times when Herb Nab would stand in the pit lane, waiting to change tires eagerly with lug nuts in his mouth to save time. The dance that is played between the pit crew and the car’s Goodyear tires has evolved into the efficient single-lug-nut setup on the Next Gen car.

Throughout the sport’s history, there has always been a striving toward shaving off precious tenths in any way, shape, or form. While many tried to optimize their race timing by implementing vehicular innovations, the one that’s always contributed positively to NASCAR’s regulations is Goodyear. Let’s take a look at how things started with the American multinational tire manufacturer and the evolution of pit stops before proceeding to how things are in modern times.

The evolution of NASCAR pit stops under Goodyear’s influence

When Bill France Sr’s dream finally began to take shape in 1950, pit stops were a strange concept since most races were not longer than a hundred miles. However, during the time drivers would need to make pit stops due to unforeseen circumstances, the crew would utilize old-school bumper jacks and would use four-way tire wrenches, which seems fairly primitive compared to the modern era.

Only a few years later, Goodyear Tires would begin their long-lasting relationship with NASCAR in 1954. Since then, the brand have continued to grow and innovate alongside the sport. Throughout the early 60s, Goodyear tires continued to perfect their compound, but would more so contribute to the on-track lap times than pit-stops.

It wasn’t until the introduction of floor jacks, credited to Smoke Yunick, a few years later that pit-stop times saw any progress. The momentum would continue after the Wood Brothers introduced their choreographing services in the 1960s. Their style of managing pitstops proved their credibility after assisting Jim Clark in 1965 to win his only Indianapolis 500.

Ultimately, these tenths gained off-track created an advantage far greater than possible on the track itself. But by the time the 1970s rolled around, an innovation surrounding the lug nuts entered the foray as Bobby Allison’s crew decided to glue the nut into the wheel hub, allowing for even faster tire changes. To this day, teams implement this method by using high-tech rubber cement to lock the lug nuts into the socket.

Over the next few decades, NASCAR continued to make strides in their pit stops. Whether it was the time it took to affix the Goodyear tires onto the cars or the time it took to fill them up with fuel, each step was carefully monitored by the teams to figure out just how the equipment could be improved.

Fast-forward to the launch of NASCAR’s Next-Gen car in 2022, and the community went nuts over the Goodyear’s introduction of a single center-locking nut replacing the beloved five. Even in 2023, the manufacturer would contribute to the sport’s innovations by supplying Garage 56 with Goodyear Eagle tires designed specifically for the challenges of racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

WATCH THIS STORY: Aric Almirola and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Clash on the NASCAR Track

While the innovations throughout NASCAR’s long history have brought pit times down to tens of seconds, it wasn’t possible without Goodyear’s tire breakthroughs surrounding the lug-nut system. Coincidentally, 2023 was the manufacturer’s 125th Anniversary, and they released a special campaign to share their achievement  with NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary.

Goodyear partners with NASCAR icon to celebrate their anniversaries

Trending

1

Richard Childress Breaks Silence on Handing Over RCR’s Reins as Austin Dillon Given “Good Education” on Family Business

2

Afraid of Being “Kicked to the Couch”, Tony Stewart Lets Slip a Major Dilemma in Racing Battle Against Wife Leah

3

“It’s Hard…It’s Been 30 Years”- Carl Edwards Sends a Heartfelt Message to NASCAR Amid Hall of Fame Inductions

4

Chase Elliott Branded NASCAR’s “Last Big Hope” as ‘Loudmouth’ Denny Hamlin Earns Controversial Veteran’s Respect

5

Kurt Busch Backs Nephew Brexton’s Lessons to Dad Kyle After Clash Heartbreak

To celebrate the momentous occasion, Goodyear tires teamed up with Bill Elliott to share the story of the company from the very beginning. Through a series of archival footage, Elliott takes racing fans on a journey through Goodyear’s 7 decades in NASCAR. The thirty second commercial debuted on FOX during the Daytona 500 in 2023.

Sharing her thoughts on Goodyear and NASCAR’s relationship, Meg Lee, Vice President of Marketing, Goodyear, was quoted by BrandInnovators, “As NASCAR marks 75 years of stock car racing and Goodyear celebrates its 125-year anniversary in 2023, the return to Cup Series action creates an ideal opportunity to celebrate our shared history of pushing the boundaries of performance at the track and underscore our relentless commitment to future innovation,”

While there are many parts of a race car that are important, perhaps none is as vital as the tire beneath it. After all, even in sim-racing games, one can immediately feel the advantage of having good tires on. The president also elaborated on the company’s presence in the sport, “The new ad highlights this endemic role that Goodyear has played in NASCAR for nearly 70 years and serves as a reminder that our pursuit of forward motion is never-ending.”

READ MORE: Chaos in NASCAR: Brian Vickers’ Forgotten Wreckfest Era

After taking a detailed look at how NASCAR has evolved alongside Goodyear, will there be an innovation more controversial than the single lug-nut tire in the near future?