Goodyear took a big step towards reviving short-track racing in NASCAR. Their option tires at Phoenix Raceway gave fans and drivers a taste of what could have been a game-changer. But despite the overwhelmingly positive reaction, NASCAR has seemingly given up on the idea — leaving many wondering if the sport is once again afraid of innovation.
Since the release of the NextGen car in 2022, drivers have complained about a lack of control and a lack of passing on short tracks. Here, the new car brought parity but also removed driver skill from formula’s and made the races boring. Goodyear responded with option tires that wore out faster, and teams adjusted after.
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Phoenix Showed the Magic of Option Tires — So Why Is NASCAR Giving Up?
At Phoenix, it worked. According to Goodyear senior project manager Mark Keto, the option tires fell off 2.2 to 2.3 seconds over a 40–50 lap run, creating strategic battles. Drivers like Joey Logano and Ty Dillon proved the tires’ effectiveness, making the race more exciting.
But NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass says the option tires won’t be back this season, and many are disappointed, including NASCAR analyst Eric Estepp. The unpredictability of adding that variation helped veterans like Denny Hamlin who said “it was a 100 percent success,” and underdogs like Ty Dillon. Despite that success, NASCAR is allowing the status quo to continue.
A Step Forward, Then Two Steps Back
The biggest frustration for fans and analysts is NASCAR’s refusal to fix one of its biggest problems. The NextGen car has been panned for short-track racing, but NASCAR won’t adopt the one change that worked.
As Eric Estepp notes, option tires could have made a difference at other tracks like Richmond and North Wilkesboro and some road courses. If NASCAR really wanted to improve the racing, they would have given Goodyear’s innovation a fair shot.
A small win is that NASCAR will use the same tire combo at Martinsville as they did last year’s fall race, which had more passing and better competition. But that’s not enough. If NASCAR continues to resist, they’ll continue to lose fans already unhappy with the NextGen car’s short-track performance. Will the sport innovate or let the opportunity slip away?
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