Bristol Evening Race could possibly be a tire conservation race … or not

Based mostly on the present temperature forecast for Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, it’s seemingly unreasonable to anticipate a repeat of the wildly unpredictable and memorable 2024 spring race.

Nevertheless, that does not imply that Goodyear doesn’t anticipate directional progress in direction of continued elevated proper facet tire put on within the Bristol Evening Race.

Goodyear’s NASCAR venture supervisor Mark Keto feels fairly assured that the acute tire cording within the spring 2024 race was the results of chilly climate, using a resin as a substitute of PJ1 Trackbite and a scarcity of knowledge because of filth races the earlier two seasons.

That race, which was contested with temperatures within the 50s and 60s, produced a non-superspeedway file 54 lead modifications and three,589 passes underneath inexperienced because of proper sides that unraveled round 40 laps right into a run.

Then, this spring, a chilly Saturday produced the identical cording from the yr earlier than however a a lot hotter Sunday afternoon race created a extra conventional racing product all on PJ1 Trackbite.

“However we did see an honest quantity of tire put on,” Keto advised Motorsport.com on Tuesday afternoon. “The precise sides have been right down to the cords in 120 to 150 laps however drivers need us to get that quantity nearer to 70 laps.”

As much as the problem, Goodyear has come again with a softer right-side compound, and one which was not examined because of the MLB Speedway Traditional held on the facility over the summer season, which may truly create a problem for groups to beat.

When the race begins, the temperature could possibly be as excessive because the excessive 70s, sufficient for the monitor to take rubber so Keto says Goodyear tried to compensate for that.

“It’s softer however not within the sense that we’re making an attempt so as to add extra grip,” Keto mentioned. “It’s softer in that we’re making an attempt to get extra tread put on once we know the monitor takes rubber and is rubbered in and that’s the place fall off is decreased. So, we’re making an attempt to create extra tread put on as soon as the monitor takes rubber.”

Shifting ahead, Keto says Goodyear has conceived a tire that doesn’t lay rubber into the porous racing floor on hotter days, regardless that that’s in opposition to standard knowledge.

“We can do this,” Keto mentioned. “We’ve a check scheduled for November 11 and 12 the place we’re making an attempt to take some temperature dependency out at Bristol. The factor is that on the concrete tracks, you sometimes need it to take rubber so it forces drivers to maneuver round and discover pace the place the monitor remains to be inexperienced.”

However Keto additionally acknowledged that NASCAR and opponents alike typically appreciated the challenges related to the 2024 spring race the place tire administration was fully decided behind the steering wheel.

“NASCAR favored what they noticed,” Keto mentioned.

Denny Hamlin generated headlines on Monday and Tuesday when he referenced a friction check performed on this tire that advised excessive tire put on for this weekend.

“They’ve this machine, apparently, that’s like sandpaper,” Hamlin mentioned. “So, they slide this tire — anyway, there is a tire that goes on this sand belt machine and checks the damage, how is that this tire going to put on underneath sure hundreds? And apparently, they placed on the Bristol proper facet tire, and it shredded into the machine instantly.

“Like, it was so aggressive that it destroyed the machine. Prefer it simply unraveled and acquired caught within the machine.”

Keto mentioned this was the drive and movement machine however that it isn’t fully indicative of monitor elements and ‘not essentially’ an indicator of future efficiency when factoring climate, PJ1 and the monitor taking rubber.

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photos

All advised, 2020 Cup Collection champion Chase Elliott says he’s anticipating a standard Bristol race and doesn’t anticipate Hendrick Motorsports to unload with something drastically totally different.

“I believe it’s important to put together for a standard Bristol,” Elliott mentioned over the weekend at World Vast Expertise Raceway. “In the event you put your playing cards all in for a tire conservation race, you’d be giving up a lot if the race goes prefer it in all probability will based mostly on the final 4 years or no matter it’s.

“So, I believe it’s important to plan for that, and if the monitor doesn’t take rubber, then you definately alter one the fly like we did final spring.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24, says he expects this proper facet to final round 100 laps as a substitute of 200 or 40.

“The toughest factor this weekend shall be deciding the cambers we run and how much choices we’ll must make to make the tires reside if we expect that shall be an issue,” Fugle mentioned on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday. “And that’s as a result of if the monitor rubbers in and it’s not an issue, you’re going to remorse not getting all of the potential out of your proper facet tires.”

Ross Chastain, one other playoff driver hoping to stave off elimination on Saturday, is hoping for Friday follow to narrate to the Saturday race.

“I don’t assume they need tire drama like we had a pair years in the past,” Chastain mentioned. “On the finish of the day, all of it has to undergo the tire to get to the monitor. I belief the oldsters at Goodyear to do what they do finest. That is their wheelhouse, pun supposed. I belief them to convey tire that’s going to work for me and be dependable, and likewise pay a penalty if I abuse it and it’s going to decelerate later within the run. No matter it’s, we are going to study from it. That’s why we now have follow.”