Competitive debut for Goodyear’s 18” NASCAR tyres

Formula 1 isn’t the only race series switching to an 18-inch tyre. When the NASCAR Next Gen stock car makes its regular season debut at the Daytona 500 on Sunday 20 February, drivers will compete on the newly designed Goodyear Eagle race tyres for the first time in a points-paying race.

Two years in the making, the Goodyear NASCAR Next Gen tyre features an 18-inch wheel diameter, shorter sidewall and wider contact patch. Goodyear says the tyre “closely mirrors” its high-performance tyre for passenger cars.

“Incorporating an 18-inch bead diameter tyre was an important factor of the NASCAR Next Gen design, performance capabilities and aesthetics,” comments Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of Race Tire Sales and Marketing. “Creating a low-profile, street-inspired tyre for Cup Series racing was a significant accomplishment that required coordination throughout the entire NASCAR racing community.”

Optimal performance on various circuits

Setting it apart from its 15-inch predecessor used exclusively in the Cup Series from 1997 to 2021, the new tyre features a softer compound and an inch and a half wider footprint to help give drivers enhanced grip on the racetrack. Importantly, Goodyear designed the shorter sidewall of its NASCAR Next Gen tyre to help withstand the sustained duty cycle of oval racing.

Developing the NASCAR Next Gen tyre involved a rigorous testing process, including thousands of testing miles, simulations with OEMs and in-lab research and development conducted by Goodyear Racing engineers. Alongside the OEMs, Goodyear collaborated closely with NASCAR, race teams and drivers to help ensure optimal tyre performance at more than 25 racetracks, from superspeedways to short tracks and road courses.

“Goodyear’s NASCAR Next Gen race tyre is integral to the vehicle system and is the only component that physically connects the Next Gen car to the racetrack,” said John Probst, NASCAR senior vice president, Racing Innovation. “Goodyear’s endless engineering and collaboration throughout the testing and development process has been absolutely critical and continues to help drive the sport forward.”

The tyres are similar to Goodyear’s road tyres, and the body designs of the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Ford Mustang & Toyota TRD Camry stock cars also more closely mimic their showroom counterparts (Photo: Goodyear)