This weekend we are going to see NASCAR use an “option” tire for the All-Star Race. Denny Hamlin wants it to succeed. But, what does success look like? Well, the driver had thoughts on that as well.
NASCAR will have the “prime” tire which is the regular, yellow-walled short track tire. Then they will have the “option” tire. A softer tire compound that will likely be quicker than the prime tires, but only for so long.
Other motorsports utilize multiple tire options. The only difference is NASCAR will make teams use both kinds of tires. After the Dover race, Denny Hamlin talked about the All-Star Race tires on his Actions Detrimental podcast.
“A success would be lots of overtaking, passes. Let’s just call it passes. That’s what we want to see, right? Because North Wilkesboro is going to be a huge challenge. If you put us on hockey pucks for tires, the ones we call hockey pucks, like really hard tires that don’t wear out, it is going to be a very tough track to pass on. It just will be. It will be like Martinsville times two, probably worse. Because the cars will have so much grip that it would be an aerodynamic race, I hate to say it, just a follow-the-leader type of race.
“With this alternate tire what you’re hoping is that it’s got enough grip in it where people will choose, knowing maybe there is a short run coming, they’ll choose this tire, be able to pass people on hard tires and then they fall off. Those people are hoping for a caution during that time. I hope we get to use them all.”
It is no secret that NASCAR has a problem with the short track product. The racing is not up to the standards of fans or drivers. With how much aerodynamics play a factor, tires could be a massive factor.
While NASCAR won’t touch the horsepower, seeing experiments with tires like this is promising. Denny Hamlin wants to see it work. He loved the mishap that happened at Bristol.
So, be ready to see the yellow letters and red letters this weekend. Yellow Goodyear Eagles will be the normal racing slicks. The red Goodyear Eagles will be the softer “option” tire that isn’t an option at all.
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