By ZECH YODER
We will not soon forget the 2024 Spring Bristol race. For one, they got rid of the dirt … finally. Second, it was the best short track race in the NextGen era and probably the best race at Bristol since the track was reconfigured in 2007.
Within the first 20 laps, I realized that this was looking to be a good race. There were multiple passes for the lead and the top five cars were in a tight pack.
Then it happened. The tires. The tires started giving up.
Kyle Busch, who is arguably the best active driver at Bristol, went from leading the race to spinning out in a matter of laps. He had worn through his tires. At the exact same time, the eventual race winner, Denny Hamlin, who had led the race as well, fell back and wore through his tires. The drivers and fans had finally gotten what they wanted: a tire wear race.
Upon realizing what was going on, NASCAR and Goodyear went into panic mode. Teams were only getting 34 laps on a set of tires. Might the teams run out of tires before the end of the race? Goodyear, so concerned about the tires, even gave a press conference in the middle of the race. Many remember the tire debacle at the 2008 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Could this be a repeat of the Indy disaster?
Then something amazing happened. Tire management. Something we have not seen in NASCAR for quite a while.
Teams and drivers had a choice to make. Were they going to run hard and get to the front early or slow down, preserve their tires, and outlast those who abused their tires? The “tire problem” created an incredible race. We saw drivers go to the front early and then fall back in the field. We saw drivers sliding around the racetrack and holding on for dear life. And at the end of the day, we saw two veteran drivers racing on worn tires for the win. This was the race that everyone had asked for.
To be clear, the tire wear was excessive. Forty to 50 laps on a 500-lap race is too much. But now we know that Goodyear can build such a tire. As NASCAR heads to Richmond and Martinsville in the upcoming weeks, I am hopeful the Goodyear will not change the time compound. Both tracks are likely to wear the tires less than Bristol and the teams will make adjustments to the cars to reduce tire wear. If tire wear is just a little less than the Bristol race. Richmond and Martinsville could put on two great races.
Has NASCAR and Goodyear found a solution to the short track problem? I’m not convinced yet, but it sure seems like they are headed in the right direction.
Zech Yoder is a local resident, an attorney at Adler Attorneys in Noblesville, and a lifelong race fan.