Alex Bowman, who took the pole within the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, accomplished 70 consecutive laps of practice and not using a hitch, a feat that last spring saw tire failures occur half as often.
“Yeah, I think it’s back to where it was a year ago,” Bowman explained. “I haven’t really noticed any unusual wear. They’re not dropping that much. So I’m definitely curious to see what the variable is, right? I feel there are loads of smart individuals who will determine what the variable is; between testing here, the spring race, and every part else where the identical things are causing different results.
“I think we're in Bristol a year ago, more so than we were in Bristol in the spring. Unless all the rubber disappears overnight for whatever reason, I think it'll make it a spring race again. But if that doesn't happen, I think it'll be normal Bristol again.”
Excess rubber from Goodyear tires on the track
Photo: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images
It is unhappy news for fans who were hoping for a repeat of the chaotic race from earlier this yr which was full of motion and featured 54 lead changes, breaking Bristol's previous record of 40, set greater than three many years earlier.
Numerous guessing
Another think about all that is using PJ1 traction compound along the track’s lower groove Saturday morning, in addition to the cleansing of the upper groove after the Xfinity race. It’s unclear how that may affect things through the race. NASCAR made the choice after discussions with Goodyear, the drivers and the track itself.
Martin Truex Jr. says his team spent all week analyzing data and video footage, “trying to know or guess — because the toughest thing about this piece is that a lot changes.
“You never know what's coming – are we going to race down the hill or up the hill? Are the tires going to wear out like they did in the spring or are they going to wear out like they did in the fall of last year? There's always a lot of questions when you come here, but I think we've got a game plan that we think is the right way for us to approach it and we'll just be able to take it step by step.”
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Gainbridge Cal Ripken Sr. Fdn. Chevrolet Camaro, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports, CITGARD Ford Mustang
Photo: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Images
Joey Logano is the one driver who doesn’t must worry in today’s race, as he already has a spot within the Round 12 after winning the primary playoff race in Atlanta.
“It’s not as stressful for me as it is for some people,” the two-time NASCAR Cup champion joked. Asked about tire wear, he noted, “That’s a huge variable. It might be the biggest.”
Like Truex, the Team Penske star isn’t sure what to anticipate. Before practice, he predicted the teams would see an enormous drop in form, but that didn’t occur.
In practice there aren’t any problems
There were no tyre issues during practice, and lap times dropped by only about two to 3 tenths over the course of the 30-lap run. Logano averaged 15.661s over the primary five laps, only dropping to fifteen.991s after the 30-lap run.
“I’m sure a lot of teams have probably made some changes to their cars since the last time,” he continued. “That will help. I thought it was great last time. It’s fun to watch the race, just watch it back. There was so much going on, almost too much, that it was hard to keep up, but it definitely threw the old slider at us that we weren’t ready for. Everyone will be more prepared this time.”
Cleaning the rubber from excessive wear on Goodyear tires
Photo: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images
As it stands, it's unlikely we'll see a spectacle that mirrors the spring race, but when tire wear becomes a problem, Denny Hamlin is hopeful NASCAR can maintain a gentle rhythm with caution flag times.
“Just consistency in terms of what’s a caution early is the same caution that’s a caution late,” said Hamlin, who has won the last two Cup races at Bristol. “If you’re going to let guys ride down or up with a flat tire, let them ride it late in the race as well. Just consistency in terms of that. If it’s tight early, call it tight late. If it’s loose early, call it loose late. Those are the only consistencies that the competition is looking for.”
