Will new All-Star tire be used in other races?

A first use of alternate tires in the annual nonpoints Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AllStar Race has created the tantalizing prospect of their potential deployment in the regular season. Many drivers are openly intrigued, at least. Crew chiefs have been quietly probing Goodyear for clues about the new tool. Fans are abuzz.

But even if the softer, grippier, ostensibly more speed-producing greenlabeled tires revolutionize the May exhibition, they could remain a oneoff novelty both because of the difficulty in applying them to longer races, and NASCAR’s current fondness for the state of competition created by a newly reconfigured points system and the implementation of stage racing for 2017.

“I would never say we would never do it, but the thought within the industry was really to contain this for the time being around the All-Star Race, obviously hoping it would be successful, as something that could differentiate that race,” NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell told USA TODAY Sports. “When you look beyond that, there’s a lot of things we have to consider. Any time you have two different tire compounds you’ve got (to) manage, is that good at each track for the racing and what goes into that? Is it a huge tire-development costs on the teams and put some additional costs on the race teams you don’t need to?”

O’Donnell said a full conversion to the use of alternate tires is unlikely, but said their use at specific tracks could be discussed in the future.

Cup points leader Kyle Larson feels divergent strategies borne from the so-called “Prime” and “Option” tires could be beneficial in points races. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver sees Saturday’s All-Star Race as a proving ground for the alternates.

“I know, if it works and I’m sure even if it doesn’t work they can figure out a way or another tire to make it work later on like getting a second attempt at it,” he said. “I think you see, honestly, every other form of motor sports has tire options and compound options and NASCAR doesn’t. I think strategy is a big part of our sport and if we have that option tire to use throughout any point, I mean we have it really to use throughout any point of the All-Star race, but I’m talking regular season stuff, I think if we have that option it just adds strategy and excitement to the races.”

Hendrick Motorsports general manager Doug Duchardt is publicly much more cautious. The executive is concerned how much such a variable would affect the conduct of a points race.

“I think in general when you can bring strategy into the competition it brings more variables and can shake things up,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “I think we’ve seen that with the stage racing.”

Goodyear director of race tires sales Greg Stucker said there would be much to discuss before alternate tires could be deployed for full-scale points races. Open-wheel series, including IndyCar, utilize alternate tires only on street and road courses, where compounds and construction of the quicker-degrading product is not as rigorously stressed. At lower speeds, cars with wearing or potentially failing tires can slow and reach the pits more safely than a car exerting the constant speeds and G loads an oval creates. Though the AllStar Race is held on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 20and 10-lap segments of the race virtually assure that alternate tires would not be overly exerted over long durations, Stucker said.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

ALL-STAR RACE Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles). Schedule: Friday, practice, 10 a.m. (FS1), practice, noon (FS1), practice, 3:05 p.m. (FS1), practice, 4:30 p.m. (FS1); Saturday, qualifying, 1:35 (FS1), race, 5 p.m. (FS1). Outlook: This year’s All-Star race will feature three 20-lap stages with a 10-lap finale. …Martin Truex Jr. is 44 points behind Kyle Larson in the standings. But Truex has a pair of wins, five stage victories and 15 playoff points. Truex’s stage wins and playoff points are series highs. …Jamie McMurray is fifth in points despite not winning a race or even a stage.

OTHER RACES

NASCAR, Camping World Truck: North Carolina Education Lottery 200, Concord, N.C. Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 1:45 ( FS1); race, 5:30 p.m. (FS1). NHRA: Heartland Nationals, Topeka, Kan. Sunday, finals, 11 a.m. (FS1).

LOCAL RACES

Canyon Speedway Park, 9777 W. Carefree Highway, Peoria. Information: 602-2587223; canyonspeedwaypark.com. Saturday, 7:30 p.m., IMCA Modifieds, Srock Cars, Hobby Stocks, Micro Springs (Wing), Dwarf cars Arizona Speedway, 47346 N. Ironwood Road, San Tan Valley. Information: 480-9266688; arizonaspeedway.net. Saturday, 7:30 p.m., USAC Non-Wing Sprints, Sports Mods, Modlites, Bombers Phoenix Raceway update: Follow progress of the transformation of what is being called the New Phoenix Raceway via a DC Solar Construction Cam on the raceway’s website: phoenixraceway.com.