Tire issue results in finger-pointing
FONTANA, CALIF. There haven’t been many tire-management races in NASCAR over the last decade. Sunday’s Auto Club 400 appeared to be one of them.
Race teams experienced a rash of tire failures while running 200 mph on Auto Club Speedway’s worn-out surface, and there was no definitive explanation.
NASCAR and Goodyear said the tires were fine and pointed the finger at some teams’ aggressive setups that included decisions to run air pressures below the recommended minimum in a new rules package for the Gen 6 that is generating higher speeds and more downforce.
But Jimmie Johnson said it was a standard response to put blame on the teams, and Brad Keselowski argued there was no margin for error while running a tire tasked with enduring faster speeds than ever before.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a different theory: It wasn’t the tire, he said, but severe bumps on the track’s backstretch that might have been the culprit.
Some teams, though, didn’t have tire problems. Third-place finisher Kurt Busch, who was among several drivers who suffered flat tires in Saturday’s practice, said a more conservative approach was all that was needed.
“It’s up to the teams’ discretion if you’re going to have a problem or not,” he said. “By no means is this a problem for Goodyear. It’s actually a thumbs-up for NASCAR allowing the teams to get aggressive in all areas.”
Goodyear’s Greg Stucker said many teams were operating below the manufacturer’s recommended minimum inflation pressure. Goodyear was pleased with the tire quality, he said.
“You’re in race conditions, so everybody is running a little bit harder,” he said as the laps wound down. “It’s not surprising that you see a few more if people haven’t made adjustment from where they were (Saturday).”
NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the tire problems were not Goodyear’s fault. He said teams abused the tires at some parts of the race and NASCAR declined a request by some teams to allow them to use an extra set. (They were allowed 11 sets, including the one they started the race on.)
About a dozen drivers had tire problems — including Keselowski, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Johnson and Earnhardt, Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick, Roush Fenway Racing ’s Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Not all agreed with the assessments of NASCAR and Goodyear.
“If air pressure was the issue, we would have blown this many tires last year, because it is all the same air pressure settings as last year,” Keselowski said.
There were 10 incidents during weekend practice sessions after teams struggled with balancing aggressive setups and demand on the tires. Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate Joey Logano and Furniture Row Racing ’s Martin Truex Jr. started from the rear because they had to go to backup cars after Saturday crashes.
Johnson, who appeared headed for a sure victory before his tire blew with six laps to go, indicated the tire problem was out of teams’ control and said sarcastically the teams were all at fault.
“These cars are much different this year, faster,” he said. “Maybe that means they’re more abusive on the tire and something that needs to be addressed there.”
Earnhardt theorized it wasn’t an air pressure issue because his team added air pressure after an initial problem and it didn’t help. He pointed to a crinkled panel near his car’s left rear wheel as proof of how much load the tires were taking by slamming down into the track.
Earnhardt called for the track to repave the backstretch.
“It’s like an off-road track back there,” he said. “It shouldn’t be like that.”