Goodyear is conducting a tire test Monday and Tuesday (August 29-30) on Phoenix International Raceway’s new surface, with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers #48-Jimmie Johnson, #14-Tony Stewart, #99-Carl Edwards, #22-Kurt Busch and #18-Kyle Busch participating. The testing sessions will be closed to the general public.(PR)(8-29-2011)
UPDATE Goodyear concludes tire test Five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers  Johnson, Edwards, Stewart, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch  completed a two-day Goodyear tire test at Phoenix International Raceway on August 29-30. The tests ran from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day and provided NASCAR’s official tire manufacturer with data and feedback on PIR’s new racing surface following the August 12 completion of the track’s first major paving project since 1990. The research gathered from the tests will assist Goodyear in selecting a tire for the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at PIR on November 13. In February, Phoenix International Raceway announced details related to the 47-year old NASCAR facility’s first major track pavement project since 1990. Construction began in March with the removal of the facility’s former racing surface and the subsequent installation of a new race track. Monday and Tuesday’s tests offered all five drivers their first runs on a new surface that included a series of changes implemented to promote side-by-side racing. One such change, the alteration of PIR’s signature back-stretch dog-leg to include banking and elevation variances, improved what Kurt Busch referred to as the “fun factor” at PIR. Tickets for the Kobalt Tools 500 are available now and start at just $25. For Phoenix International Raceway tickets and information, call 866-408-RACE (7223) or visit PhoenixRaceway.com.
Race fans eager to see the stars of NASCAR take on Phoenix International Raceway’s newly repaved and reconfigured 1-mile oval will have their first opportunity to do so during a Sprint Cup Series testing session at PIR on Tuesday, October 4. More info at PhoenixRaceway.com.(PIR)(8-30-2011)
UPDATE2: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has completed a two-day tire test at the freshly repaved and reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. Goodyear held its test this past Monday and Tuesday, in preparation for PIR’s Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend scheduled for November 10-13. Five teams participated in the test, including the #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy with Tony Stewart, #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with Kyle Busch, #22 Penske Racing Dodge with Kurt Busch, #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy with Jimmie Johnson and #99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford with Carl Edwards. “First of all, thanks to all five teams and drivers for their commitment to the Phoenix test,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Being on track at 6:30 each morning and working though 110-plus-degree temperatures was not easy. Since we were the first cars on the new surface, getting a handle on the grip level of the asphalt and the configuration of the track was a struggle for awhile, but we accumulated a large number of laps and test data over the two days. We met with all five drivers and crew chiefs together to get their collective feedback. We’ve still got a lot of information to digest and discuss, but we feel confident we can determine a good combination for the pre-race testing in October, and the race in November.” NASCAR has scheduled an open test for all Sprint Cup Series teams at PIR on October 4.
Next up on Goodyear’s test schedule is the concrete half-mile of Bristol Motor Speedway on September 27-28. Teams and drivers scheduled to participate in that test are the #1 Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Chevy with Jamie McMurray, #9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford with Marcos Ambrose, #13 Germain Racing Toyota with Casey Mears and #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy with Regan Smith.(Goodyear)(8-31-2011)
