Goodyear debuts new road-derived NASCAR tyre in Atlanta

Goodyear is unveiling a new Eagle race tyre with roots in consumer tyre technology at this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Reversing the usual development trend of racetrack-to-road, Goodyear’s newly designed right-side tyre marks the introduction of its Multi-Zone Tread Technology, combining two different rubber compounds in a single tread to face the conditions of one of NASCAR’s most demanding speedways.

“Atlanta is one of our biggest challenges from a tyre perspective,” said Stu Grant, Goodyear’s general manager of worldwide racing. “The abrasive track surface causes extremely high wear, while the length and layout promote very high speeds.”

To face this challenge, Goodyear engineers set out to develop a tyre capable of offering both superior traction and wear—two typically opposing properties. The solution was found in Goodyear’s Assurance TripleTred All-Season passenger tyre. The Assurance TripleTred pioneered the concept of multiple tread zones in auto tyres, featuring three distinct zones for superior traction in wet, icy and dry conditions.

“Developing the right tyre for each NASCAR track always requires finding a good balance between traction and durability,” said Grant. “The goal of our new Multi-Zone Tread is to help us offer drivers more of both.”

To accomplish this, Goodyear’s newest NASCAR tyre utilizes two unique tread zones. An Endurance Zone on the tyre’s inside shoulder features a firmer compound to help manage wear for enhanced durability on the track. The outside two-thirds of the tread makes up the tyre’s Traction Zone, which uses a more tractive tread compound to help increase grip for superior handling.

Goodyear has tested the Multi-Zone Tread tyre several times over the past year. The most recent test took place in Atlanta earlier this month, where 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams put the tyre through its paces with very positive results and feedback.

“Teams were able to tune their cars to the tyre and get the balance of the car right,” said Grant. “Drivers seemed pleased with the performance during the test, and we expect similar results for the races this weekend.”

Following this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Goodyear will also consider tyres featuring a Multi-Zone Tread for additional tracks on the NASCAR schedule.

This is the second notable example of how Goodyear has transferred street technology to its racing tyres. For the 2009 racing season, the tyre maker introduced a wet weather radial for use in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that has a tread pattern based on the “street” Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season tyre.