Goodyear Tyre Issues Surface at NASCAR Again

During the 2008 NASCAR season drivers complained about excessive wear in the tyres supplied by Goodyear. The company claimed last June to have resolved the issue, yet Associated Press reports that a number of drivers have complained about the tyres used during a race on March 7. It is alleged that the compound used in the tyres was suitable for speed but low on durability when used on the high-banked Atlanta Motor Speedway track.

“When they come here and test, you expect them to build a tyre that we can abuse and that we can race hard with,” said driver Jeff Gordon, one of those affected. “That obviously wasn’t the case. There is a good chance we were too aggressive, but until we go back and analyse everything it’s hard to say.” Gordon’s comments were back up by fellow driver Ryan Newman, who commented “Goodyear’s got some work to do. It’s a safety situation. We popped one. There are a lot of guys who popped one.”

Goodyear general manager for racing tyres Stu Grant defended the tyres’ quality. “It’s a tyre the guys are happy to run on,” he said. “They’re comfortable and they’re fast if the setup is good. The leaders are running great.”