NASCAR is looking to improve its short track racing package and is using this year’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway to experiment with new tires developed by Goodyear.
The new tire, which NASCAR hopes will have more wear than Goodyear’s current slick tires, uses rubber typically used for rain tires. Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing, said the new tire showed “significantly more lap-time fall-off” during a recent test at North Wilkesboro.
“At our North Wilkesboro test, there was significantly more lap-time fall-off with what has become the option tire than we had with the prime,” Stucker said Tuesday, via Kelly Crandall of RACER. “We have been working very hard on our short-track tire package and we wanted to evaluate something that is more aggressive. The All-Star race format, in a non-points setting, is the perfect opportunity to do that.”
NASCAR experimenting with tires during All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro
Drivers in the May 19 main event at North Wilkesboro will have two sets of “prime” tires — traditional slicks that were used during a tire test at the racetrack last month, according to Pockrass. They will also have two sets of non-grooved “option” tires. These tires use the rubber from rain tires NASCAR uses on short tracks and road courses.
The All-Star Race will be 200 laps, with all laps counting and overtime rules in effect. Each team must begin on option tires. Teams must make a four-tire pit stop during a Lap 100 caution. Teams can choose to stay out or pit during a Lap 150 caution. What tires they put on during the pit stops will be the teams’ decision, Pockrass wrote.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports that the sanctioning body is looking to acquire information they can potentially use in points races moving forward.
“Whether it’s formats or it’s just opportunities to test, right, it’s an exhibition race, so you don’t wanna do those things in points events,” Phelps said. “And I think that again — if there’s things that we can glean from that, that we can learn and use moving forward — that’s exactly why we’re doing it.”
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