2009:

2010:

Spoiler/Tire test news from Talladega: Twenty-four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams assembled Tuesday at Talladega Superspeedway in an R&D test session that was used to confirm that the gear ratio was compatible with the restrictor plate size for next month’s running of the Aaron’s 499. The cars ran with the spoiler on the rear of the cars, as NASCAR announced in January that it was going to transition from the wing to the traditional spoiler sometime during the first quarter of this season. Teams started the day with a 1 1/32-inch sized restrictor plate. For the majority of the morning session, the teams participated in single-car runs over the 2.66-mile superspeedway. However, five cars hooked up for some drafting shortly before the lunch break and the speeds picked up a bit, with #48-Jimmie Johnson putting up the quickest speed of 196.467 mph. Teams began drafting in earnest after lunch. The plate size went down to 31/32” and the teams adjusted the size of their rear spoilers in order to find that happy medium between high speeds and handling. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, was pleased with how the adjustments went during the afternoon practice. “We saw that the closure rates were a little too quick in the initial drafting session after lunch,” said Pemberton. “So, we had the teams make some adjustments, including going down on the plate size and trimming the spoiler back some. We believe we came away here today with a good starting point and are looking forward to coming back here next month with a great race.” More than 1,500 fans participated in a Fan Q&A session during the lunch break. Sitting in the track’s newly renovated grandstands on the frontstretch, the fans heard from drivers #2-Kurt Busch and #31-Jeff Burton, along with NASCAR Managing Director of Competition John Darby. Some of the fans were seen waiting in line outside the gates as early as 6 a.m. Tuesday. NASCAR also has a test planned next week – March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams to test the spoiler on a 1.5-mile race track.(NASCAR)(3-16-2010)

More about spoiler testing at Talladega TODAY: Cup Series teams will assemble on Tuesday, March 16 for an important early-season test at Talladega Superspeedway. Approximately 24 teams are expected to participate in the one-day session, which will target a number of mechanical options in advance of the Aaron's 499 on April 25 at Talladega. Cup officials will analyze the data gleaned -- along with teams' input -- and later make several decisions for the Aaron's 499. Teams also will test spoilers, which will replace the current wings on the backs of cars. No timetable has been set for the wing-to-spoiler move. "It's a confirmation test for restrictor plates and gearing, and an opportunity for teams to work on their handling packages as we transition to the spoiler," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. Rule changes, announced on Jan. 21, are the impetus behind the test. Cup Series teams used larger carburetor restrictor-plate openings in the 2010 Daytona 500 and larger plate openings are expected for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega. At 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR mandated openings of 63/64-inch -- the largest since the one-inch mandate in 1988, the first year the horsepower-reducing plates were used in Cup competition at Daytona. Each plate contains four openings, which restrict air flow to the engine, thus slowing stock cars. Larger openings mean more air, and more horsepower. The switch from wing to spoiler also was a rule change. The wing replaced the traditional stock-car spoiler on NASCAR's new car, now in its third full-time season. Returning to the spoiler means on-track testing, and another series test -- Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway -- will be devoted solely to spoiler work. Both the Charlotte and Talladega tests are exceptions to the current testing policy. For the second consecutive season, Cup, Nationwide and Truck teams may not test at facilities that host national-series events. This year, teams may test at tracks that host regional touring series events, but not national series events. Tuesday's Talladega session begins at 10:00am and runs until 6:00pm with an hour lunch break. Fans are welcome to attend, with free admission. The track's Gadsden and Lincoln grandstands will be open, with parking lots behind those grandstands opening at 9:30am. Grandstand gates open at 9:45 am. See some nice images of the spoiler at Joe Gibbs Racing's site.(3-16-2010)

Spoiler test at Talladega on Tuesday: TODAY: Sprint Cup Series teams will assemble on Tuesday, March 16 for an important early-season test at Talladega Superspeedway. Approximately 24 teams are expected to participate in the one-day session, which will target a number of mechanical options in advance of the Aaron's 499 on Sunday, April 25 at Talladega. NASCAR Sprint Cup officials will analyze the data gleaned - along with teams' input - and later make several key decisions for the Aaron's 499. Teams also will test spoilers, which will replace the current wings on the backs of cars. No timetable has been set for the wing-to-spoiler move. Rule changes, announced on Jan. 21, are the impetus behind the test. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams used larger carburetor restrictor-plate openings in the 2010 Daytona 500 and larger plate openings are expected for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega. The switch from wing to spoiler also was a rule change. The wing replaced the traditional stock-car spoiler on NASCAR's new car, now in its third fulltime season. Returning to the spoiler means on-track testing, and another series test - Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - will be devoted solely to spoiler work. Both the Charlotte and Talladega tests are exceptions to the current testing policy. Next Tuesday's Talladega session begins at 9 a.m. CT and runs until 5 p.m. CT with a noon-1 p.m. lunch break. Fans are welcome to attend, with free admission. The track's Gadsden and Lincoln grandstands only will be open, with parking lots behind those grandstands opening at 8:30 a.m. Grandstand gates open at 8:45 a.m. Grandstands close at 5:15 p.m.(NASCAR PR)
According to the Talladega Speedway Facebook page , the following teams are currently confirmed for the test (some teams may use test drivers): #00-Reutimann, #5-Martin, #11-Hamlin, #14-Stewart, #17-Kenseth, #18-Gilliland [testing for Busch], #20-Logano, #24-Gordon, #29-Harvick, #31-Burton, #39-Newman, #48-Johnson, #56-Truex, Jr., #66-Blaney, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., and a Roush R&D team.(3-12-2010)
UDPATE: NASCAR will use restrictor plates with larger holes than they have used in the past at Talladega Superspeedway Tuesday as its Sprint Cup teams test the new spoiler that is expected to replace the rear wing in a few weeks. The test will not only help teams figure out setups for the new spoiler but help NASCAR evaluate which restrictor plate to use with the new configuration. The test Tuesday is the first open test for Sprint Cup teams with the spoiler, and they likely will start with a restrictor plate with holes of 1-1/32 inches (66/64ths) - 7/64ths of an inch more than the plates used last October and 3/64ths larger than the plate used for this year's Daytona 500. The spoiler is expected to replace the wing starting with the March 28 race at Martinsville Speedway, although NASCAR has not announced a firm start date yet. The spoiler will definitely be in use, however, for the April 25 race at Talladega. Most teams are expected to attend the test. But not all teams are going as Richard Petty Motorsports is only sending Paul Menard and Roush Fenway Racing is only sending Matt Kenseth and David Ragan. Teams will fabricate their own spoilers for the test, but NASCAR will end up issuing teams the spoilers for the races. Richardson Racing Products will be making the spoilers and they should be ready for the March 23-24 test at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darby said. In addition to replacing the wing with the spoiler, the rear quarter panel of the cars will be extended by four inches from the front edge, leaving only seven inches instead of 11 between the ground and the front edge of the rear quarter panel.(Scene Daily)(3-16-2010)

Three cars at the Goodyear Tire test, running a spoiler. Darlington Raceway on March 9, 2010
All images courtesy of Jeff Wackerlin of Motor Racing Network.(3-9-2010)

Goodyear finding success with different tire compounds: This time two years ago, [Goodyear's global manager of race tires Stu] Grant and Goodyear wore bigger targets in the garage than Brad Keselowski does on the track. Tony Stewart was so angry leaving Atlanta that he said the best thing the tire manufacturer did was "make that gold trophy at the end of year" for the series champion. He added that that the tires were "not worthy of a street car." Now not only is Goodyear being defended after events in which there are blown tires; many are crediting the company with improving the overall quality of racing. Cars aren't sliding out of control as they were through the middle of last season. Drivers finally are comfortable that the only thing separating 3,500 pounds of steel and sheet metal and them from the track will stick when they enter and exit the corners. No magic compound has been discovered, but there has been a change of philosophy. Goodyear engineers finally realized that harder doesn't mean safer, or even better, as they thought two years ago. It took a while. It wasn't until countless tests following the 2008 debacle at Indianapolis, in which NASCAR had to call a competition caution every 12 laps or so, that a solution was found. There were seven tire tests, to be exact, in preparation for last year's race at Indy. At some point Goodyear learned innovative things about wear degree and how it relates to rubbering in the track that benefited every facility. So the company adjusted to a softer compound, one that would be durable enough that it wouldn't wear excessively and efficient enough to lay down rubber at a rate that would provide more grip. More grip meant better handling and better racing. To be fair, Goodyear was put behind the eight ball, just as the teams were, when the new car came out. Officials were searching just as hard as crew chiefs to figure out what would and wouldn't work. Jeff Burton tried to tell us this was coming a year ago. He said the racing was going to be better, and the tire would be a big reason. Will that change when NASCAR replaces the wing with the spoiler in two weeks at Martinsville? Grant doesn't think so, although there's no way to tell for sure until the cars are on the track. NASCAR, to its credit, is doing whatever possible to make sure the balance of the car doesn't change much so the pressure and wear on the tire remains consistent. Goodyear will keep a close eye on that during Tuesday's spoiler test at Talladega.(ESPN.com)(3-13-2010)

Tire testing at Darlington with spoiler: Darlington Raceway was the latest site for a Goodyear tire test on Tuesday [March 9th]. A total of five teams were on-hand to test tires at the legendary South Carolina track. #33-Clint Bowyer (Chevy), #47-Marcos Ambrose (Toyota) and #19-Elliott Sadler (Ford0 all tested their respective Sprint Cup Series rides while Aric Almirola and Timothy Peters tested their Camping World Truck Series vehicles in preparation for the series’ return to Darlington on August 14, 2010. No speeds or incidents were reported. Tickets are on-sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at darlingtonraceway.com.(see full story and quotes at the Darlington Raceway site)(3-10-2010)

Goodyear on hot seat again over tire issues: UPDATE: Goodyear is facing more questions about the quality of its tires. At least a dozen drivers were affected by tire problems during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, stirring up complaints that Goodyear supplied a compound that was good for speed but low on durability at the high-banked track. "When they come here and test, you expect them to build a tire that we can abuse and that we can race hard with," said Jeff Gordon, one of those affected. "That obviously wasn't the case. There is a good chance we were too aggressive, but until we go back and analyze everything it's hard to say." Ryan Newman also chimed in. "Goodyear's got some work to do," he said. "It's a safety situation. We popped one. There are a lot of guys who popped one." Race winner Kurt Busch didn't have any problems. He was conscious of protecting his tires after Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the pole with the fastest speed of the Car of Tomorrow era. "When you have that happen, that means the tires are really grabbing hold of the racetrack," Busch said. "That means you're going to have speed. And when you have speed on a track that's very abrasive, yeah, you're going to be worried about tires, whether it's blistering of the right front, blistering the right rear. You have to find that right combination." Goodyear racing chief Stu Grant defended the quality of the tire. "It's a tire the guys are happy to run on," he said. "They're comfortable and they're fast if the setup is good. The leaders are running great. If you look at (Kasey Kahne) and (Busch), their tires have looked great all day." Kahne finished fourth.(Associated Press/ESPN)(3-8-2010)
UPDATE: Elliott Sadler had no complaints for Goodyear, only for those drivers griping about the manufacturer. When asked what it meant that at least a dozen competitors faced tire trouble at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sadler was quick with a response: "Yeah, but there were 37 others that didn't," he said Tuesday at Darlington Raceway. Sadler and fellow Sprint Cup racers Marcos Ambrose and Clint Bowyer came to the track "Too Tough To Tame" to shake out the dormant raceway and give Goodyear some insight about what tire to bring to the Southern 500 in May. Sadler said those racers bothered by tire compounds should instead look to their raceshops for better setups designed to minimize tire wear and maximize the rubber. Sadler acknowledged the complaints of some teams. "I know Denny Hamlin had one, he had a fast race car," Sadler said. "But he ran over something. To me, that's not a tire issue." Bowyer had more praise for Goodyear. He thought the tire brought to the California race last month showed vast improvement over what they've raced on there in the past. At Atlanta, "we were just as much to blame as them. Everybody was searching around for" the best air pressure levels.(Associated Press/ESPN.com)(3-9-201)

Tires a question mark?: The big question mark for most drivers heading into this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500 remains the tires. After repeated complaints about tire wear in Atlanta, Goodyear has brought another combination for Sunday’s race. “Goodyear’s hardest job is to figure out what makes the best race,” Burton said. “When you have 40 drivers, you have 40 opinions. For me, I like a tire that makes good grip and keeps a fair amount of grip during the run.” Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. and Sam Hornish spent two January days testing for Goodyear at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and all of them agreed that the new tire should offer better grip – and in turn, much better racing – than in recent memory. “Goodyear brought a tire that will be an improvement over what we had last fall,” Martin said Friday. “The cool weather is going to be favorable for the cars’ handling, and this multi-groove race track makes for a lot of fun.”(AMS)(3-6-2010)

Tire changes at Auto Club UPDATE: Goodyear pulled 10 right side tires as a precautionary measure after discovering unusual wear following qualifying on Friday. Although the same tire code (4386) was used successfully at Las Vegas and Charlotte Motor Speedway in the past, tire specialists found thin thread in "small, localized areas" according to Stu Grant, general manager of global racing tires. "We decided to pull those tire (sequences) from the system," Grant added. "We'll give them a tire that doesn't have the same shearogrophy image." Goodyear elected to review the data from previous right side builds and sent the tires in question back to its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, to examine the shearography image which uses non-destructive lasers to measure and detect defects to the tire. Goodyear will re-evaluate the tires following practice on Saturday to determine whether any further action needs to be taken.(FoxSports)(2-20-2010)
UPDATE: Goodyear officials took 23 unused tires from the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series garages that showed signs of thin tread at Auto Club Speedway. After Sprint Cup practice Friday, Goodyear officials saw three tires with a small patch of localized, rapid tread wear. They then asked Goodyear technicians in Akron, Ohio, to re-examine the X-rays of the 2,000 right-side tires that were brought to the track with a more thorough look at the area where those other tires had shown the thin tread, Goodyear global racing tire manager Stu Grant said Saturday. The X-rays are originally done so technicians can look for foreign particles or other abnormalities in the tires after they come off the production line. Following the examinations Friday, the engineers saw possible signs of a similar problem in 19 tires sold to teams in the Cup garage and four sold to teams in the Nationwide garage this weekend. Goodyear asked that those tires be return and replaced them. “I don’t have any explanation other than we have a localized area of light tread in some of the right-side tires,” Grant said. “There’s something going on with the manufacturing. It’s got that light [tread] area that is a little off-center of the center of the tire. So just to be sure [we took them back]. … There’s nothing wrong with it except it’s a little thinner than it should be.” The right-side tires are new for Auto Club Speedway, host of Sunday's Auto Club 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, but have been used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. There were no issues during Sprint Cup practice Saturday.(SceneDaily)(2-21-2010)

Tire test at Darlington in March: The following teams are scheduled to be participating in a Goodyear Tire Test at Darlington Raceway on Tuesday, March 9: #19-Elliott Sadler (Ford); #33-Clint Bowyer (Chevy) and #47-Marcos Ambrose (Toyota) - no Dodge's listed. Two Camping World Truck Series teams are TBA.(Darlington Raceway)(2-20-2010)

NASCAR talks to teams about Talladega and tire tests: NASCAR officials met with team principals on Tuesday to discuss upcoming initiative for the new season. One subject discussed was the possibility of a one-day test at Talladega before the Charlotte open test on March 23-24. Sprint Cup Series director John Darby confirmed that NASCAR is looking for a date. The one-day session at the superspeedway will help determine which restrictor plate will be used at the track and will allow teams to use spoilers instead of a rear wing. Other topics on the table included moving the fuel hole forward on the cars to accommodate the spoiler and shrinking the number of Goodyear test participants to three teams per test once again. Roush Fenway Racing crashed the three-car testing policy in Darlington in 2007 during the Car of Tomorrow rollout, prompting Goodyear to change their rules and invite representatives from each manufacturer. Now with Penske Racing providing the only Dodges in the garage, the sentiment from the competition is that the team's camp would have an unfair advantage.(Fox Sports)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE: Plans are to test the vehicle March 16 at Talladega Superspeedway, according to a series spokesman. That test would be in addition to a two-day open session scheduled for March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and would be to specifically examine the spoiler's performance on a restrictor-plate track.(NASCAR.com)(1-29-2010)

Drivers conduct 1st test with new spoiler at Texas: #14-Tony Stewart, #2-Kurt Busch, #16-Greg Biffle and #83-Brian Vickers became the first drivers to conduct an on-track test with a new aluminum spoiler package that could be implemented for the 2010 season during Tuesday’s Goodyear Tire test at Texas Motor Speedway (see images of the cars here). Stewart was the first of the group to test the spoiler in the morning session, which was delayed nearly two hours from its 9:00am/ct start time due to moisture on the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval from heavy morning dew. The session kicked off at approximately 10:53am/ct with temperatures in the 60s as Stewart rolled out with the wing and less than 40 minutes later was utilizing the spoiler. Vickers also got an opportunity to run the spoiler in the abbreviated morning session.
“It (the spoiler) was on a bunch. It didn’t seem to be a big balance change which was good,” Stewart said. “That means you won’t have to invent the wheel necessarily. It was a balance shift, but it wasn’t a big balance shift. You’ve got two kinds of grip – you’ve got aero grip and you’ve got mechanical grip. The spoiler is the aero grip and the tires are mechanical. The mechanical grip is real important because it doesn’t know if you are running first in line or 10th in line. I’m more of a mechanical guy.”
“I thought it (spoiler) was good,” Vickers said. “I thought it added a little bit of front downforce, which is a good thing. I think it’s going to be more accepted to the fans. It looks cooler – a little more retro back to the older car. We haven’t been in a lot of traffic yet, so the big question is how it’s going to handle in traffic. Theoretically, from what I’ve been told, the difference between the two is that the spoiler is better in traffic. The spoiler is going to be more efficient in dirty air and a wing will be more efficient in clean air. Once you get in a lot of turbulence, the spoiler’s not going to lose a lot of efficiency while a wing really will.”
NASCAR has not determined the specific dimensions as yet for the spoiler, but the one that was being used as a baseline at Tuesday’s session was 64.5 inches wide and four inches in height with no contour in the design. Also, the rear quarter panels were extended four inches toward the ground. NASCAR phased out the traditional spoiler on the rear deck lid of the Sprint Cup Series cars and went to a rear wing when the “Car of Tomorrow” project was unveiled in 2007. The return to the traditional look provides fans with the ability to differentiate between the four manufacturers more easily and hopefully enhance the passing ability of the cars and overall race action. Tuesday’s tire test was the first opportunity for drivers to test the package and provide feedback on its effects on the car. Biffle and Busch had to wait until the afternoon session to test out the spoiler, with Busch not getting an opportunity until nearly the culmination of the session.
Stewart, Busch, Biffle and Vickers will conclude the Goodyear test Wednesday, where they are scheduled to test the spoiler package once again. NASCAR will conduct another test with the spoiler March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – another 1.5- mile oval and sister track to TMS – that will be open to all Sprint Cup teams. If NASCAR is pleased with the progress and performance of the spoiler, the new package could be implemented for the Samsung Mobile 500 scheduled for April 15-18 at Texas Motor Speedway. Following Tuesday’s test session, Stewart, Busch, Biffle and Vickers graciously volunteered their time to participate in the “Gear Up For The Green Flag” fan event in the Grand Ballroom of The Speedway Club. A full house of more than 500 season ticket holders and special guests were on hand for a dinner, giveaways and a question-andanswer session with the drivers to officially kick off the upcoming racing season. “This was truly a special treat for our fans and the thanks goes to Tony, Kurt, Greg and Brian for making the time to be part of this event,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “We had a ton of laughs and shared some entertaining stories to make for a great evening.” Tickets for the Samsung Mobile 500/O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 NASCAR doubleheader weekend are available by calling (817) 215-8500 or by visiting the speedway’s website at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS)(1-20-2010)

Goodyear Tire Testing at Texas.....with spoiler: NASCAR drivers headed to Texas Motor Speedway [Jan 19-20th] for a Goodyear tire test Tuesday and Wednesday will test with the new spoiler on the back of their cars, according to NASCAR officials. It will be the first on-track test with a group of drivers. Since its debut in 2007 when it was used in a handful of events, the new car has featured a wing instead of a spoiler on the rear deck lid. Drivers scheduled to participate in the two-day tire test include owner/driver #14-Tony Stewart (Chevy), #2-Kurt Busch (Dodge), #16-Greg Biffle (Ford) and #83-Brian Vickers (Toyota). NASCAR informed teams of the move away from the wing Jan. 15 (see more on my NASCAR News page about the change). A test session for all teams has already been scheduled for March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(SceneDaily)(1-18-2010)

Johnson named Driver of the Year by NMPA: #48-Jimmie Johnson was named the National Motorsports Press Association Richard Petty Driver of the Year on Sunday night at the NMPA annual convention.(ESPN)(1-18-2010)

Goodyear Tire Test Concludes at Atlanta Motor Speedway: The second day of Goodyear tire testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway concluded with NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers feeling confident the two-day test will result in an improved tire for the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7. Four NASCAR drivers – #99-Carl Edwards (Ford), #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (Dodge), #5-Mark Martin (Chevy) and #56-Martin Truex, Jr.(Toyota) – assisted the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. with tire testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway and their shared sentiment provided high praise for Goodyear’s efforts to provide a quality tire compound for the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500. “We have a little more grip than we had in the old tire and they hold up just fine,” explained Truex, Jr., who posted a top lap time of 30.127 seconds (184.021 mph). “[There are] no issues at all with wear, which is kind of odd considering for how cold it is and the track being totally green with no rubber worked in – normally you see more wear – so I don’t see any issues coming out of the tires at all. They have a little bit more grip, which everyone will be happy about. It will definitely be a better tire.” For the second consecutive day, Martin posted the fastest lap time of 29.932 seconds (185.219 mph). “It’s going well,” said Martin, who won the pole for the 2009 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “They have some stuff that grips better than the tire that we ran here last fall. That tire had great durability … and they’re trying to find something that has that same durability and be a little more grip friendly.” In addition to Martin and Truex, Jr.’s times, Edwards posted a top lap of 30.022 seconds (184.665 mph) on the second test day, while Hornish, Jr. posted a lap of 30.227 (183.412). “Goodyear’s brought a few different types of tires and I ran on a bunch of the tires today,” said Edwards. “This afternoon we’re going to do long runs on them. They seem pretty good. The tire we raced here last time, I’ve driven a couple on short runs. A couple tires they brought I think are better than that tire. “[They’re] more drivable and maybe lend themselves to better racing.” For more information on the Kobalt Tools 500 or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(1-13-2010)

Tire test at Goodyear begins at Atlanta, the wing? Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 2010 NASCAR season kicked off at 9:31 am/et on Tuesday when #5-Mark Martin took to the high-banked track to begin two days of tire testing by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to determine the premier tire for the Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7. Four NASCAR veterans – Martin, #99-Carl Edwards, #77-Sam Hornish, Jr., and #56-Martin Truex, Jr. – are assisting Goodyear with testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Martin posted the fastest lap with a time 29.938 (185.183). Martin’s time of 29.938 seconds was faster than Truex, Jr.’s qualifying lap of 30.106 (184.149 mph) for September’s Pep Boys Auto 500. He nearly matched his pole-winning performance for last March’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he posted a 29.640 (187.045). In addition to Martin’s time, Edwards posted a lap of 29.953 seconds (185.102 mph), followed by Truex, Jr. with a 30.009 (184.744) and Hornish, Jr. with a 30.560 (181.413). While most teams are focused on assisting Goodyear, the Atlanta Goodyear Test holds added importance for Truex, Jr., who is participating in his first Goodyear test with his new Michael Waltrip Racing team and with crew chief Pat Tryson. All four drivers will return Wednesday for day two of the test.(AMS)
AND With Goodyear tire testing ongoing at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the March 7 Kobalt Tools 500, two NASCAR notables commented on possible changes to the rear wing on NASCAR’s COT. Carl Edwards and Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Mark Martin, offered a point-counterpoint debate on the topic in separate interviews during their designated lunch break. Edwards: “I think whatever [NASCAR] can do to take downforce away is great for the sport, great for the racing and good for the fans. Atlanta is one of the last tracks where you can really manhandle a car, drive and slide the car sideways. Taking downforce away will make more tracks like that, which is good.”
Gustafson: “Aesthetically, I like the spoiler. I grew up watching cars with a spoiler on there. I think it aesthetically makes sense. But I think we just have to be careful; we have refined these cars now to where they drive good with a good aero balance. We can’t throw that away for the aesthetics of the spoiler, so we have to make sure performance wise that the aerodynamic balance of the car is similar or better than what we have now.”(AMS)(1-13-2010)

Goodyear Tire Test at Atlanta: The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Atlanta Motor Speedway will kick off early and in full speed with four top teams preparing for the Kobalt Tools 500 during offseason tire testing for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers #99-Carl Edwards (Ford), #77-Sam Hornish, Jr. (Dodge), #5-Mark Martin (Chevy) and #56-Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota) will participate in two days of testing for Goodyear on January 12 and 13. The two-day test is closed to the public and will aid Goodyear in determining the paramount tire for Atlanta Motor Speedway’s March 7 Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Of the four drivers currently slated for the test, Edwards is the most accomplished at Atlanta Motor Speedway with three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins and a weekend sweep in 2005, including a Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series win. Martin has two wins and two poles in Atlanta, while Truex, Jr. won the most-recent pole for September’s 2009 Pep Boys Auto 500. For more information on the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend or to purchase tickets, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(1-6-2010)

Tire testing at Auto Club done: Security at Auto Club Speedway was very tight Tuesday and Wednesday as Goodyear conducted two days of tire testing at the Fontana, CA track. Unlike other tire tests in recent year, the track was off-limits to all (especially the media) from 9:00am until the 4:30pm conclusion. At other tests, drivers often have time for noon interviews, but not this week. One team from each of the four manufacturers participated in the tests. #9-Kasey Kahne was in a RPM Ford for the first time while #12-Brad Keselowski made his first runs in a Penske Racing Dodge. Joe Gibbs Racing's #20-Joey Logano represented Toyota while Richard Childress Racing driver #31-Jeff Burton was in a Chevy. It was difficult to distinguish one model from another as all were in primer gray. Tire testing can be a tedious exercise, but Burton certainly didn't have that attitude. He ran 500 miles on Tuesday and was prepared to run an equal number the following day, a few laps at a time. "We're hoping to help Goodyear get a better tire for Fontana," Burton said. "That's goal No. 1. Hopefully that's something we can learn. We really don't learn much about the race track because Goodyear doesn't want us to change the cars as they are studying the tires. I like testing, it's a real opportunity to learn, a real opportunity to try a lot of stuff. And for the driver, it's an opportunity to also try lots of different things." Since NASCAR implemented its testing ban following the 2008 season, tire tests are the only ones conducted at tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule.(Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)(12-17-2009)

Goodyear tire tests scheduled:Goodyear has four offseason tire tests scheduled. #9-Kasey Kahne [Ford], #12-Brad Keselowski [Dodge], #20-Joey Logano [Toyota] and #31-Jeff Burton [Chevy] are scheduled to test Tuesday and Wednesday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
#56-Martin Truex Jr. [Toyota], #5-Mark Martin [Chevy], #77-Sam Hornish Jr. [Dodge] and #60-Carl Edwards [Ford] are scheduled to test Jan. 12-13 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#14-Tony Stewart [Chevy], #16-Greg Biffle [Ford], #83-Brian Vickers [Toyota] and #2-Kurt Busch [Dodge] are scheduled to test Jan. 19-20 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Biffle also is set to test with Roush Fenway Racing on Wednesday and Thursday at Phoenix. That test is for Goodyear's 17-inch tire, the bigger, wider tire Goodyear is developing for possible future use.(Hampton Roads)(12-11-2009)

Tire test at Auto Club: Goodyear has a tire test scheduled for Dec. 15-16 at Auto Club Speedway in California. #9-Kasey Kahne (Ford) is expected to attend along with the #12-Brad Keselowski (Dodge). #20-Joey Logano (Toyota) and #31-Jeff Burton (Chevy).(FoxSports)(12-2-2009)

Goodyear to test bigger tire: Goodyear will again test the taller, wider tire again with Roush Racing at Phoenix Intenrational Raceway on Dec. 8 and 9.(FoxSports)(11-17-2009)

Goodyear News Release -- Daytona test: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company brought 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to the Daytona International Speedway for a test this past Monday and Tuesday for Daytona 500. The goal was to build upon the information gathered during a test at Daytona on September 22-23 and finalize the tire recommendation for next year's Daytona 500.
Participating in this week's test were A.J. Allmendinger (#44 Ford), Marcos Ambrose (#47 Toyota), Kurt Busch (#2 Dodge), Kyle Busch (#18 Toyota), Erik Darnell (#96 Ford), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#88 Chevy), Sam Hornish (#77 Dodge), Matt Kenseth (#17 Ford), Brad Keselowski (#12 Dodge), Sterling Marlin (#09 Chevy), Jamie McMurray (#26 Ford), Paul Menard (#98 Ford), Juan Pablo Montoya (#1 and #42 Chevy), David Ragan (#6 Ford), David Reutimann (#00 Toyota), Regan Smith (#78 Chevy) and Scott Speed (#82 Toyota).
The September test featured four teams and provided a baseline from which to start. Goodyear returned this week with a greater number of cars to better simulate race conditions. Cars tend to move around more when running in a big pack at Daytona, which then has an effect on the tires with the highly worn track surface. The highlight of this week's test was three different drafting sessions involving all the cars. The group ran a 25-lap run on Monday afternoon, a 15-lap run early Tuesday morning and a 30-lap run shortly after that. In the Monday session, all the cars were on the same tire set-up. On Tuesday, four different combinations were used throughout the field. One other wrinkle was that the teams integrated a new rear shock package mandated by NASCAR. Overall, Goodyear was pleased with the results. "We're very happy with the results of this week's test," said Greg Stucker, Goodyear's director of race tire sales. "Overall grip and wear was good, and we also improved the appearance of the tire over the course of a run compared with the past. Like always, our engineers will review all the data and finalize the race recommendation for next year's 500 so we can start production. This was a big undertaking, not only for us but for NASCAR and all the teams that made time in their schedules to come down to Daytona and participate. With the large draft runs, we were able to more accurately simulate race conditions."(Goodyear PR)(11-6-2009)

Two-Day Goodyear Tire Test For 2010 Daytona 500 Wraps Up: On Monday and Tuesday [Nov 2-3], 17 drivers with 18 cars were in attendance for a two-day Goodyear tire test at Daytona International Speedway in advance of the 2010 Daytona 500. The list of drivers testing tire compounds for Goodyear included #17-Matt Kenseth, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #26-Jamie McMurray, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, #2-Kurt Busch, #18-Kyle Busch, #6-David Ragan, #77-Sam Hornish Jr., #12-Brad Keselowski, #00-David Reutimann, #47-Marcos Ambrose, #78-Regan Smith, #44/43-A.J. Allmendinger, #82-Scott Speed, #96-Erik Darnell, #98-Paul Menard and #09-Sterling Marlin. Drivers toured the legendary 2.5-mile tri-oval shaking down Goodyear tires in both single car and drafting sessions. Penske Racing’s Kurt Busch said the drafting sessions consisted of 15, 20 and 30-lap runs. Tickets for the 52nd annual Daytona 500, which start at $55, as well as other Speedweeks 2010 events, are available at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.(DIS)(11-3-2009)

Tire Test at Daytona: More than a dozen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are expected Monday morning for a two-day, Goodyear tire test at Daytona International Speedway. Goodyear engineers are working on a tire that will be used during Speed Weeks 2010. The tests will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Spectators are welcome to watch at no charge from the Oldfield Grandstands.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(11-2-2009)

Goodyear to test 'Big' Tire again: Goodyear is set to test the larger tire it is developing on Dec. 8-9 at Phoenix International Raceway. Roush Fenway Racing, which did the test at Richmond earlier this month, will again do the test since it has a car to accommodate the larger dimensions.(Roanoke Times)(10-26-2009)

Tire test at LMS: Goodyear completed a two-day tire test Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway with #47-Marcos Ambrose (Toyota), #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Chevy), #17-Matt Kenseth (Ford) and #19-Elliott Sadler (Dodge).(Roanoke Times)(10-20-2009)

Goodyear says all teams can test tires at Daytona: Goodyear and potentially as many as 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will head to Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 2-3, the Monday and Tuesday after Talladega, to try to figure out a tire for the 2010 Daytona 500. The test is open to all teams, and about 25-30 are expected, Stu Grant, Goodyear’s manager of worldwide racing, said Friday at Auto Club Speedway in California. Goodyear expects that some multicar organizations will only send some of their drivers and teams. Typical Goodyear tests have only four teams, but it’s hard to simulate conditions and tire wear in the draft with so few cars. It will be the only chance Sprint Cup teams will have to run at Daytona prior to February as NASCAR has extended its moratorium on testing at tracks in its three national series through 2010.(SceneDaily)(10-10-2009)

Goodyear happy with test of larger tire: UPDATE: Goodyear's Stu Grant, the veteran racing boss, says this week's first on-track test of the proposed new 17-inch NASCAR racing tire-and-wheel, at Richmond International Raceway, was a success, and he is planning a second test in later this fall, probably at Phoenix International Raceway (where the Sprint Cup tour races Nov. 15, providing a good baseline). "We got it on the ground for the first time, and we plan to put it on a short track, like Phoenix, sometime later this year, before January 1st," Grant said. "And then we will sit down with NASCAR and say 'Okay, here we are looking at 2010….and how aggressive do we want to be with this thing?'" Grant said "We don't have a firm timetable for implementation" of the new tire in NASCAR racing. "And obviously NASCAR is in step with us in this whole process." But Grant made very clear the 17-inch tire concept was a decided plus for Goodyear. Paul Menard and Travis Kvapil tested the new, larger tires in Jack Roush Fords, against baseline runs on Goodyear's current 15-inch NASCAR tires. "Travis said the 17-inch was very similar to the 15-inch from a handling standpoint," Grant said. "Paul thought it was more forgiving and easier to drive; that you could get back in the throttle quicker. "The nice thing is it ran cooler. So with a bigger footprint on the ground, more rubber, that's nice, because that gives us some room to play with, from a compound standpoint." Another issue here is the larger tire requires some chassis changes to make the tire fit under the fenders -- and keeping those changes to a minimum – economically as well as technically – may be the biggest challenge. Still, the key so far is that the test confirmed the theory that a larger tire would run cooler and offer more grip.(MikeMulhern.net)(10-9-2009)
UPDATE: Listen to Roush's own reaction to the prospect of racing a new, larger tire: "There is no 17-inch tire coming….and you can quote me on that. It would be too expensive….it's unnecessary… There is maybe only one tire company in the world that could do that, as seen by me. And based on my conversations with NASCAR, I don't think there is any 17-inch tire coming. The things that Goodyear is learning through the 17-inch-tire excusion, or experiment, is intended to benefit the tires we have today." Yes, Roush confirms he is Goodyear's lead in this program. "But there is no 17-inch tire in our future," Roush insists.(Mike Mulhern.net)(10-10-2009)

Larger tire to be tested at Richmond: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will hold a two-day tire test at Richmond International Raceway next Tuesday and Wednesday (October 6-7). The purpose of the test is two-fold – (1) do some fundamental work on its short track/flat track tire set-up for the 2010 NASCAR season, and (2) take the first on-track look at a larger NASCAR tire. “First and foremost, this is a ‘normal’ tire test for us,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of race tire sales. “We’re going to Richmond to work on our short track set-up, looking for some things we might want to evaluate further before next season.” While Goodyear has made great gains on its current tire lineup with an aggressive testing schedule, the larger tire is a future project that the company has chosen to keep on its radar screen. “The second part of the Richmond test is very preliminary and is our first opportunity to get the larger size tire on the track,” said Stucker. “We’ve been very happy with the lab work on the larger tire and the modeling results that we’ve seen, so the next logical step is to get this tire on the ground.”
Roush-Fenway Racing drivers Matt Kenseth and Travis Kvapil will handle the driving duties for the test, with the team bringing a specific car to accommodate the larger tire which is one-and-a-half inches taller and one-and-a-half inches wider than the current NASCAR tire, and will be run on 17-inch wheels as compared to the current 15-inch configuration. "Both Goodyear and NASCAR work on research and development programs all the time and that's what we have here," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president for competition. "In fact, one of the goals of this test is to further enhance the reliability and performance of the current 15-inch tire that we use today. There is absolutely no timetable whatsoever in regards to the possibility of having a new tire."(Goodyear)(10-3-2009)

Goodyear to test larger tire: Goodyear will test a new larger NASCAR tire on October 6th at Richmond International Raceway. The 17-inch tire - which is an inch-and-a-half wider and higher - will provide a larger contact patch on the track and is expected to offer better handling and more grip. "The longitudinal grip improves the forward and back motion while the lateral grip helps with cornering," said Greg Stucker, Goodyear Director of Race Tire Sales. "We'll be looking at what performance gains it gives us and what it allows us to do. Roush Fenway Racing is providing the car and driver for the test. Stucker said the car had to be modified for the test. Goodyear will also test a car using the current 15-inch tire to use as a baseline to compare the two tires. Goodyear will also return for further testing at Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 2. Stucker hopes to entice at least 20 to 25 cars to offer the full feel of the draft.(Fox Sports)(9-28-2009)

Tire Testing at Daytona on Sept 22/23: UPDATE 2: #6-David Ragan (Ford), #20-Joey Logano (Toyota), #47-Marcos Ambrose (Toyota), #12-Brad Keselowski (Dodge) as well as to-be-named driver from Richard Childress Racing (Chevy) are scheduled participate in a Goodyear Tire Test at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, Sept. 22 and Wednesday, Sept. 23, 9:00am to 5:00pm/et. The test is open to fans, who can go through Daytona 500 Experience to the Oldfield Grandstand to watch the testing.(DIS)(9-19-2009)
UPDATE: #33-Clint Bowyer is the RCR driver participating in the test at DIS.(9-22-2009)
UPDATE 2: Five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers wrapped up a two-day Goodyear tire test on Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway. In between rain showers, drivers shook down tires for Goodyear in advance of the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 14. "I think the Goodyear tires the last year or two have been pretty competitive," #6-David Ragan said after the first day of testing. "We haven't had any issues with them. It's just a deal where Goodyear tries to fine tune on their tires and combinations to make it right. I'm sure this won't be the last (test) before the Daytona 500 in February." Ragan participated in last September's Goodyear tire test at Daytona while #20-Joey Logano and #47-Marcos Ambrose were among a group of drivers who tested tires in May. "We tried a lot of different tires," Logano said. "I think we had about five or six different ones that we put on, just trying different things that Goodyear has come up with. We had some good ones and some that weren't as good. You pick what you want and I'm sure they'll change a few things. I know they are going to come back here again and do some drafting." The test gave Brad Keselowski his first opportunity to work with his new #12 team for the 2010 season. Keselowski, who competes for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will join Penske in 2010 for his first full Sprint Cup Series season.(DIS PR)(9-23-2009)

No rain tires for Cup...yet UPDATE:
NASCAR president Mike Helton said more research will have to be done before fans see Sprint Cup Series cars racing in wet conditions. #24-Jeff Gordon said he isn't thrilled about the idea but enjoyed watching the 2008 Nationwide race in Montreal run in wet conditions. #39-Ryan Newman was more open to the idea but pointed out that Sprint Cup cars are heavier than Nationwide vehicles. "I think that in bad weather, NASA sends up smaller space craft instead of the big space craft and it is pretty similar," Newman said. "You don't want to risk a lot. I don't think it would be an ideal situation for all of the fans. It hasn't, per se, been done yet. It has been tested and practiced a little bit. I am all for it. I have never raced in the rain. It would be a disadvantage to me. I think it is still racing."(Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)(8-9-2009)
UPDATE: Well before the first raindrops fell at Watkins Glen International this weekend, NASCAR president Mike Helton publicly stated there were no plans in place to run a Sprint Cup road race on a wet track in the near future. But if there was ever a change of heart from the sanctioning body, Goodyear officials said Sunday the Akron-based tire company would be equal to the task. "We certainly think so," Goodyear spokesman Greg Stucker said. "There's not that big a difference between the two cars and if you go back years ago, we did run them in Japan on the Cup cars. We're confident we could have a package that would be suitable, if that's what they chose to do." In fact, Goodyear's newest stock-car racing rain tire, closely related to the Eagle One passenger tire, underwent extensive testing this past November at Goodyear's facility in Texas. They used one of Chip Ganassi's Nationwide cars with Juan Montoya behind the wheel, and from all indications, the improvements made to the tire proved successful.(NASCAR.com)(8-9-2009)

Tire testing at Dover: Goodyear is scheduled to test tires at Dover Internation Speedway on August 4-5, #48-Jimmie Johnson (Chevy) and #18-Kyle Busch (Toyota) are among the drivers scheduled to test.(ESPN's NASCAR Now), also hearing #42-Juan Pablo Montoya will test.(8-1/4-2009)
UPDATE: Several drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are at Dover International Speedway on track as part of a Goodyear tire test on August 4 and 5 in preparation for the upcoming Sept. 25-27, 2009 "Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup" race weekend. Participating drivers include: #48-Johnson, #42-Montoya, #47-Ambrose, #18-Busch, #12-Stremme, #6-Ragan, #96-Labonte and #44-Allmendinger. Truck Series drivers testing: #5-Skinner and #6-Braun. This is a closed test session and fans are not permitted in the outdoor grandstand or inside the track.(Dover International Speedway)(8-5-2009)

Goodyear, drivers happy with Indy tire: Any lingering concerns about tires again making a mockery of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard were put to rest Friday during two hour-long practice sessions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Goodyear was embarrassed a year ago when rapid tire wear produced a race run in short stints between mandatory cautions that resulted in a race-record 52 of 160 laps under caution. After seven visits to the Speedway for more than 13,000 miles of testing, Goodyear saw the results it was hoping for Friday. Goodyear's Greg Stucker admitted to a "few butterflies" as the day began, but they quickly flew away as it became clear NASCAR's 16th visit to the Speedway would not be a repeat of the 15th. "Everything we've seen we're very happy with," said Stucker, expressing complete confidence that Sunday's race will go off without a hitch. "There was a little apprehension, but it settled when we saw the track rubber in so quickly."(Indianapolis Star)(7-25-2009)