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When the NASCAR Cup Series takes the green flag at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend, teams won’t be heading into the unknown on completely unfamiliar tires.
Goodyear announced Tuesday that Cup teams will use a tire package built from combinations that have already been tested in recent short-track competition, giving organizations a solid foundation for the sport’s first points-paying race at the historic venue since 1996.
While North Wilkesboro has hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race each of the last three seasons, Sunday’s event marks the track’s return as a points race, making tire management one of the weekend’s biggest storylines.
According to Goodyear, the Cup Series will compete on a tire setup that combines compounds previously used at nearby Martinsville Speedway.
The right-side tire has already raced this season at both Bowman Gray Stadium and Phoenix Raceway, while the left-side tire package comes from each of the past two Martinsville races.
Goodyear NASCAR product manager Rick Heinrich said the company believes years of recent data have helped prepare for the historic weekend.
“Three years of All-Star Race data has helped us prepare for the NASCAR Cup Series’ first points race at North Wilkesboro in 30 years,” Heinrich said. “The Goodyear Racing Eagle tire package we are bringing is one teams know well and is backed by years of short-track data at the likes of Martinsville, combined with what we’ve learned in previous years at North Wilkesboro, one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks.”
Although Sunday’s race is the first championship event at North Wilkesboro in three decades, teams already have several years of notebook information from the annual All-Star Race.
The Craftsman Truck Series will not use the same combination as the Cup Series.
Goodyear is introducing brand-new left-side tires for the trucks, while the right-side tires have previously raced at North Wilkesboro. The new left-side specification was first introduced for the ARCA Menards Series at Phoenix Raceway but has not yet been used in Truck Series competition.
Goodyear also released tire allotments for the weekend:
With tire wear expected to play a significant role over 450 laps on the historic 0.625-mile oval, how teams manage those sets could become one of the deciding factors in Sunday’s race.
Continue reading...
Goodyear announced Tuesday that Cup teams will use a tire package built from combinations that have already been tested in recent short-track competition, giving organizations a solid foundation for the sport’s first points-paying race at the historic venue since 1996.
While North Wilkesboro has hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race each of the last three seasons, Sunday’s event marks the track’s return as a points race, making tire management one of the weekend’s biggest storylines.
Cup Teams Will Use a Familiar Tire Combination
According to Goodyear, the Cup Series will compete on a tire setup that combines compounds previously used at nearby Martinsville Speedway.
The right-side tire has already raced this season at both Bowman Gray Stadium and Phoenix Raceway, while the left-side tire package comes from each of the past two Martinsville races.
Goodyear NASCAR product manager Rick Heinrich said the company believes years of recent data have helped prepare for the historic weekend.
“Three years of All-Star Race data has helped us prepare for the NASCAR Cup Series’ first points race at North Wilkesboro in 30 years,” Heinrich said. “The Goodyear Racing Eagle tire package we are bringing is one teams know well and is backed by years of short-track data at the likes of Martinsville, combined with what we’ve learned in previous years at North Wilkesboro, one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks.”
Although Sunday’s race is the first championship event at North Wilkesboro in three decades, teams already have several years of notebook information from the annual All-Star Race.
Truck Series Gets a Different Tire Package
The Craftsman Truck Series will not use the same combination as the Cup Series.
Goodyear is introducing brand-new left-side tires for the trucks, while the right-side tires have previously raced at North Wilkesboro. The new left-side specification was first introduced for the ARCA Menards Series at Phoenix Raceway but has not yet been used in Truck Series competition.
Goodyear also released tire allotments for the weekend:
Cup Series
- 10 total sets
- Eight race sets
- One qualifying set (transfers to the race)
- One practice set
- Four wet-weather sets available, if needed
Craftsman Truck Series
- Five total sets
- Three race sets
- One qualifying set (transfers to the race)
- One practice set
- Three wet-weather sets available, if needed
With tire wear expected to play a significant role over 450 laps on the historic 0.625-mile oval, how teams manage those sets could become one of the deciding factors in Sunday’s race.
Continue reading...
