It came here in April with three cars – the No. 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), 2 (Kurt Busch) and 84 (AJ Allmendinger) – for a tire test. But it doesn't take a chemical engineer to realize that track conditions, let alone atmospheric conditions, are completely different then than at the end of July.
Can anyone tell me the logic of not running a full test at one of the longest tracks on the circuit, and with one of the most abrasive surfaces? How can a company that has been producing tires for over 100 years have been so far off in its selection of rubber compound for this race?
"We had full-scale testing as far as we were concerned," Stucker said. "We didn't have an open test like we did last year, so certainly we didn't have as many cars on the race track as we did last year. Certainly, that's a difference, but you try to use all that into your decisions."
Goodyear realized it had a problem during practice Saturday when tires started quickly eroding down to their cords during 10-lap bursts around the 2.5-mile Speedway. Because it was too late to produce a whole new batch of radically different tires, Goodyear went to an unscheduled Plan B.
Company officials trucked in six sets of tires per team designated for next week's race at Pocono as a back-up strategy of sorts, figuring that if the Indy tires continued to inexplicably wear down in Sunday's race, they could always go to the supplementary supply earmarked for Pocono.
But as the race went on, it played out like a poker game: Goodyear decided to play with the hand it was dealt rather than introduce the Pocono tires.
"It was pretty obvious if it was improving, it was improving only minutely," Stucker said. "So, they just had to make sure that everybody had a chance to get fresh tires on as often as possible.
"The Pocono tires were brought here just to make sure there were enough tires to get to the end of the race, not that there was going to be a change or improvement."
So what does Goodyear have to say for itself, particularly to the fans and teams?
"It's nobody's fault," Stucker insisted. "It's the package (combination of tire and the new Cup car), and that's what we need to understand.
"We came up with the best tire we had for the conditions and we fell short of that. So, we're going to turn around and try to do everything we can to make sure we get it right."
While fans might hope this was a once-in-a-lifetime issue, guess again. When asked if he could assure fans that this will never happen again, Stucker's reply was a terse, one-word reply: "No."
Sprint Cup teams typically are allocated 10 sets of tires for a track like Indianapolis, at a price tag of $1,700 per set.
You can bet they'll be asking Goodyear for a refund come Monday.
"We'll figure that out," Stucker said when asked if there will be any refund. "That'll be private, between us and them."
It's too bad the 200,000-plus fans that showed up Sunday won't be able to get a refund, too, because they're the ones that deserve it the most.
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IIRC, Goodyear mentioned the drivers were bellyaching saying the original tire they took to the test was too hard and they didn't like the feel of it. I would place the blame on all parties to tell you the truth. NASCAR, Goodyear, Georges, and the drivers.
I'd have to say it's a combo of the tire and COT. Much more down force on this car than the old.
The COT actually has much less downforce than the "Twisted Sister" cars from the last several years, the COTs also have less left side weight as per the rules. A combination of less downforce ( downforce pushes the tires into the track ) and less left side weight percentage ( left side weight helps balance tire wear/grip during left turns ) causes the COTs to be much harder on tires than the previous cars.
The tire Goodyear brought was actually a slightly softer compound than what was used in the spring test at the track and should have gripped better. Apparently something in the compound make up of this tire caused it to shear off the rubber instead of rubbing it into the track.
I have to say it was multiple errors by all parties involved, NASCAR/GOODYEAR/Indy Management/ and yes The Teams Involved in the spring tire test session that gave us one of the WORST RACES OF THE SEASON. Hopefully everyone involved learned a little something?
Only Positive thing I can say is Thank God we didnt have tires blowing out and drivers getting injured!!!
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Wow...guess I was watching the wrong shows this weekend.
Thanks for setting me straight folks.
Maybe several reported a test wasn't done, because they were referring to a Full Team/field test. (which personally I think should have been done). I don't think a tire test with 3 drivers was really considered a true test of what was going to happen.
Several reporters also indicated that the COT had more downforce. That's were I got that from. Boy talk about confusion...lol, lol. Guess I'll be careful who I listen to, huh?!? Thanks for the info. Flash!
Not pickin on you Bar12.
I heard several of the same incorrect comments when I watched the tape of the race this morning and I see where the confusion came in. Dont always listen to those commentators sometimes they get a little sideways.
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Roush Miffed At Goodyear: Team owner Jack Roush got a second-place finish in Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from Carl Edwards, but he was not in a good mood. Roush said that because his team wasn't invited to the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in April that involved only three drivers, his engineers and crew chiefs had no idea what to expect this weekend. "We only missed by an inch," he said. "This is a game of inches, but Goodyear didn't give us a chance to test here. We were one change behind all the time during practice." Goodyear tires were wearing out so quickly on the right side of the cars Sunday that NASCAR instituted "competition yellow" flags every 10 to 12 laps. That didn't help one of Roush's drivers. Matt Kenseth blew a tire on the 47th of 160 laps. The other Roush Fenway Racing drivers, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle, finished sixth and eighth. So it was hardly a bad day for the Ford team. Asked what NASCAR and Goodyear can do to prevent such a situation from occurring again, Roush said, "You need to go talk to Chad Knaus winner Jimmie Johnson's crew chief. He said it wasn't going to be a problem with this tire. He and Goodyear have something figured out that the rest of us don't."(Tampa Tribune)(7-28-2008) Comment here
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NASCAR apologizes for Indianapolis tire fiasco
By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer
2 hours, 31 minutes ago
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—NASCAR apologized Tuesday for the tire fiasco that ruined its prestigious race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and vowed to avoid a repeat.
A durability issue with the tires Goodyear brought to Indy forced NASCAR to call cautions every 10 to 12 laps on Sunday to slow the action and force teams to change their tires before they failed. The longest run under the green flag was 13 laps, and Jimmie Johnson claimed the victory at the end of a seven-lap sprint to the finish in the second-slowest race in the 15 years NASCAR has competed at the Brickyard.
The drivers were disgusted, fans were frustrated and NASCAR is still trying to figure out why things went so wrong.
“I can’t say enough how sorry we are and it’s our responsibility being NASCAR that we don’t go through this situation again,” said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition.
“The race didn’t come off like we had hoped, the fans didn’t get what they exactly wanted and we’ll do everything in our power—it won’t happen again, I can tell you that much.”
NASCAR must first figure out why Goodyear’s tires struggled so mightily at Indianapolis. The only thing that is certain is that the tire compound Goodyear selected was not strong enough when combined with NASCAR’s current car.
The new car is a heavier model that puts significantly more stress on right-side tires, and Goodyear’s inventory last weekend couldn’t hold up to the pressure.
“It’s obvious that we didn’t go there with the right car-slash-tire combination,” Pemberton conceded.
The problem was exposed in a Saturday afternoon practice session, when some cars couldn’t make it three laps without the tire wearing down to the cords. A second practice session was only slightly better, when the runs stretched to about 10 laps before tires began to falter.
Goodyear shipped in an emergency batch of 800 tires it had earmarked for this weekend’s race at Pocono, and NASCAR pulled all the crew chiefs together hours before Sunday’s start to discuss a strategy for staging a safe race.
Officials decided to throw a “competition caution” 10 laps into the race to examine the tire wear, and promised to continuously monitor throughout the race. With Pemberton patrolling pit road, it became clear the tires wouldn’t last much past the 10-lap window unless the abrasive Indy surface began to pick up rubber that would help the tires’ traction and extend their wear.
It never happened, as the surface became the equivalent of a cheese grater and the rubber turned into a black dust that made the track even slicker— forcing NASCAR to take control of the race.
“We have to run the race and we have to run the safest race possible, and when we’re in situations where we have to take control under adverse circumstances, that’s what we do,” Pemberton said. “To get ahead of it and have the safest race possible, we had to take control and that’s what we did— run 10 to 11 laps at a time and let the cautions fly.”
Goodyear plans to return to Indianapolis later this year to conduct another tire test. The first was held in April when Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers participated in a controlled test session for the manufacturer.
NASCAR did not have an open test at Indy this year—something it has done in previous years—because the crew chiefs did not select it when polled late last season on where they wanted to test.
NASCAR is currently working on a new testing policy that would give teams more testing dates and freedom to choose the tracks.
NASCAR officials spoke Tuesday morning with both Goodyear officials and Indianapolis president Joie Chitwood, as all parties tried to move forward. Track chairman Tony George was adamant in an interview with The Indianapolis Star that the surface was not a factor in Sunday’s debacle.
“The problem is solely (NASCAR’s), and by that I mean it’s theirs to figure out,” George told The Star. “It’s not going to come with anything we do to the track. Figuring it out will only come with getting the car and tire combination right, and that requires actually spending the time and effort to do something about it.
“The track won’t change next year, so if they want to come back, they better figure it out because I don’t think the fans want to come back and see that.”
Pemberton agreed there is nothing wrong with the track, and in admitting NASCAR is deeply affected by the fiasco, vowed the issue will be corrected before next year’s return.
“It hurts us whenever we have a weekend like we had,” Pemberton said. “There’s nothing worse than coming away from a race and knowing the result was … it wasn’t even close. It wasn’t even in the 25th percentile of what we’re capable of doing and what we do week in and week out.
“When we go back to Indianapolis next year, we’ll probably have the best Brickyard we’ve ever had.”
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Not pickin on you Bar12.
I heard several of the same incorrect comments when I watched the tape of the race this morning and I see where the confusion came in. Dont always listen to those commentators sometimes they get a little sideways.
No worries here Flash. I know that you weren't picking on me. I appreciate the help and clarifications. Thanks again Gang!
I have got to tell you there was a time in my life when I would only put Goodyear tires on my cars.Don't get me wrong I still think they make one of the best tires in the world. but after reading "Brickyard Observations" with Bob Margollis "I was at the Speedway for the entire month of May for the Indianapolis 500 and witnessed Indy cars run over a thousand laps using Firestone tires, with a lot more downforce, higher cornering speeds and not one tire failure all month. NASCAR is the only major racing series worldwide that has a persistent issue with tires."
Maybe Nascar needs to alternate tire manufactures every week just as they do for TV coverage?
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